THE ASIAN MARKET CHRONICLES:

H-MART: WHAT’S HOT AND WHAT’S COLD?

(A KKonnect.net Special)

I’d like to preface this post by saying that opinions written in this article do not necessarily represent the opinions KKonnect. And that H-Mart and I are still friends. How can a place of commerce can have a friendship with a human?  I don’t know…Just read the post.

H-MART SARANGHAEYO!!!: Why I am enamored by H-Mart

1.       The Peerless Shopping Experience!

• The shopping lanes are large, the food sections are not randomly put together, plethora of organic foods and produce,  no fish stink outside the fish section, the grounds are clean, and the ambiance is very modern.

2.       The Food Demonstrators!

• The essence of experiencing a culture is communicating with people and enjoying their food. Who better to talk with than a food demonstrator? Just keep the conversation quick and to the point, they do have jobs.

3.       The Samples!

•  If it can be pan fried, boiled or can be eaten by a toothpick, it’ll be sampled at H-Mart. One can have a mini mooching meal of Ramen Noodles, Vegetable Dumplings, Fresh Persimmons, Steamed Clams, with  a cup of Pomegranate Juice, and to top it off, a piece of Mochi Ice-Cream in three aisles! Who needs buy a lunch anyways?

4.       Paris Baguette!

• Good French Patisserie, enough said. (Rumor has it that Zion Market will have one as well)

5.       Dinosaur Barbeque Sauce!

•  I know, Dinosaur Barbeque sauce is not Korean in any way shape or form. But I can say without hyperbole, this is the best BBQ sauce on earth! And H-Mart is one of the few markets that sells it.

H-MART NUHL MIWUH HAE!!!: Why I am not so keen on H-Mart

1.       The Parking!

•  When you have to park three blocks from the store to get a spot, you need a bigger parking lot. Ditto for Zion Market and every Asian Market in the world.

2.       The Deli!

• How can you slash half the items in your menu after one month of opening? Bulgogi isn’t a rare dish folks.

3.       The Prices!

• $8.00 for Puffins Cereal. I wouldn’t pay $8.00 for a real Puffin.

4.       The Lines!

• Why must they exist?

5.       The Music

• American Top 40 belongs on the radio, not in a grocery store. I get distracted while shopping when I hear songs about people in the club, getting money, getting drunk, and getting more money. I also get embarassed when I get asked by  elderly folks about the dirty lyrics.  If you want Korean music, you get Gangnam Style, which is pretty much the only Korean song the staff plays in H-Mart San Diego. After the first million times you hear it, the party atmosphere wears off and the shoppers stop galloping on imaginary horses. The other locations will bust out Kara, SNSD, Super Junior and Korean hits from the 90’s.

-Fateh K.