OK, not really, but I did go to the Asian supermarket chain H Mart in for the first time. Located in a creepy little strip mall on Georgia Ave. in Wheaton, MD (see their website for other locations across the DC area and the USA), it is not too far from the Target store I frequent, so I don't know what took me so long to discover this gem. And, I have to admit (embarrassingly so), I had never been so excited about an Asian supermarket before. I was like a kid in a candy store! Growing up in Toronto, Asian supermarkets are really nothing special, but now that I live in DC and there isn't an Asian supermarket at every street corner, suddenly it feels so great to have a place where I can get authentic Asian stuff. Even though H Mart is mainly a Korean supermarket, they carry a large variety of other Asian products. I was looking for items specific to the Chinese cuisine for a couple of my recipes, and I found everything I needed, plus more. Not only that, even products that regular supermarkets carry are cheaper at H Mart. For example, a 5-lb bag of sushi rice sells for $9.99 at my local area Giant store, but only $6.99 at H Mart! Sample items I was excited to see at H Mart: taro roots, choy sum, lap cheong, Chinese donuts, a variety of Lee Kum Kee sauces, different kinds of rice noodles, Maggi seasoning sauce, champagne mangoes, and much, much more. (Bring on the nostalgia!) Now, if only they carried purple yam (ube) ice cream and dofuhua, too, then this place would really be heaven!
Sights from the store:
My favorite aisle: the Asian snack aisle. My favorite gummy candy is near the top shelf.
A variety of Japanese and Korean noodles.
They also sell random Asian goods, which means lots of Hello Kitty stuff, but also things like hair clips, slippers, cosmetics, and humidifiers. (I did say "random," didn't I?)
Now, this H Mart is a good 20- to 25-minute drive from my place, so I don't anticipate making weekly trips there, but I'm definitely glad this place exists to satisfy my Asian food cravings! (Granted, there's also a Chinese supermarket up in Rockville that might carry an even better selection of Chinese groceries, but that's just a bit out of my way.) And to top it all off, H Mart doesn't stink!
Pertinent Info:
Address:12015 Georgia Ave, Wheaton, MD 20902
Phone: (301)942-5701
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