H Mart

So many people recommended this store, so Faithful Dining Companion and I had to go.  For those whose knowledge of the 69h Street Terminal goes waaay  back, as in Back to the Future, Parachute Pants and Adam Ant back, H Mart is where The Great Skate (home of many,  many, many  Middle School Friday night skate sessions) used to be.  

The first thing you will notice as you go in is how incredibly fresh the vegetable section is.  Also how incredibly less expensive than other places. Then you will find vegetables and roots and herbs you've not seen elsewhere, and some you may not have heard of.  This will be a theme for you as you shop.

This place is rambling, on multiple half levels, and, er, aromatic.  It's not Whole Foods pretty. Heck, it's not even Aldi pretty. You will find though just about everything you need for pan-Asian cooking and you will not pay an arm and a leg.

I come here whenever I need Asian foodstuffs. The place is kinda dirty and cramped when compared to other HMarts I've been to, but it's not going to kill you. The prices you'll find here are very reasonable though. However, the secret gem of this place is the food court. After you're done, make sure you go upstairs, turn immediately right into the food court, and have a bowl of jjajangmyeon black bean noodles with a side of kampoongi spicy fried chicken from the place on the far right. It's Korean junk food at its finest - the only other thing you need to complete the experience is a cold, shitty Korean beer like Cass or Hite. Feels like home.

LOVE this place. I went there for the first time today to pick up a few Korean ingredients I couldn't find at First Oriental Market and Hung Vuong Supermarket and I came out with a cart full of stuff.

I walked in with my cart and was welcomed with an awesome produce section. The vegetables were very fresh and some were neatly packed in plastic wrap.  As I headed up the ramp to the next level, I was accosted by an aisle full of different types of noodles and ramyun (omg) and then an aisle full of yummy snacks. The next level had some lovely seafood and they were all reasonably priced. Along the way, I got some pretty delicious samples of udon and spicy ramen which I guess they hand out on weekends.

The employees were very attentive and friendly!! Although I meticulously perused most of the shelves, I couldn't find rice cakes, but a nice worker helped me and walked me to where they were. When I was leaving, I realized I parked my car too far to carry my multiple bags of goodies, so the cart attendant let me leave my cart and pick up the groceries in front of the store...he even helped me put it in my trunk!

All in all, clean and well-stocked store, friendly and helpful workers, and great selection of East Asian food and ingredients.