H-Mart - Richmond, BC

I know this location has been up and running for a while but I this little Piggy just hasn't had time to visit.  After hearing my ankle crack and unable to stretch out this weird/painful feeling, this was the perfect time to skip my muay thai class and go get some Korean eats.  Watch out H-Mart!  The Piglets are whirling on in!

I love Asian food markets - they just carry so much stuff you can't find in your conventional supermarkets.  Located in Aberdeen Mall, H-Mart has one of the largest selections of fish cakes and seafood in a supermarket I've ever seen!

Nice takeaway/cooked food section in the back area...  Gonna get me some kimchi and pickled cucumbers for a special recipe to come later.  :)  And to just eat as is.

Kimchi and Pickled Cucumbers - both for 6.99 or 4.88 each

Both were packed on the day of and they're both spicy, cool and crunchy.  Yum!  Whoever marinated this stuff knew what they were doing.

I'm walking around the snack aisle...  Have you ever walked down a snack aisle and been so befuddled?  There's some ridiculous chocolate snacks, puff things, weird chips but all of suddenly, I spot it...

Smoky Bacon Chips - $2.98

Don't even bother looking at the ingredient list or the nutritional information - it's bad, you know it and I know it so let's move on.  The chips remind me of the shrimp or cuttlefish chips/crackers from Asian stores but with a smoky bacon flavor as advertised.  I kinda like it...  I'm disgusting.

 

After taking a complete walk around, I spot the eating area.  It's not nearly as big and comprehensive as the eating area of a T&T Supermarket but it has a small bakery, some food cooked to order and a juice stand.  You order at the bakery, pay and they display your number on the screen when your food is ready.  Well, we understand the system and I guess since we're here, we might as well eat!

Seafood Udon - $6.95

Big fluffy udon noodles in a seafood clear broth with tons and tons of seafood.  There's a neverending stream of clams and I just keep finding octopus as I'm eating.  There's also 2 prawns in here - it bugs me that  it's still in the shell but once you peel it off, you'll be eating one of the sweetest moist prawns.  Lots of seafood in a flavorful broth.  The only real flaw of this dish is the clams - I'm not sure what it is, maybe they didn't allow them to soak in water long enough when they were alive, but when I bit into a few of them, there was a crunch in my teeth that I think was sand.  Boooooo!!!

Marinated Pork with Rice - $6.50

It comes with an itty-bitty bit of kimchi (what's the point???), a little bit more of pickled radish and small cup of soup.  The kimchi is spicy but before I can really analyze, it's finished.  Again, what's the point??  The pickled radish is vinegary, sweet and crunchy - a nice break from the spice to come.  The soup is wonderful - it's a warm savory clear broth that again provides a nice break from the spicy food.  Now onto the main attraction...

Oh gawd it's spicy...  but so good.  It's giving me the sniffles, which is a good sign.  The pork is soft, moist and just soaks up the spicy sauce and I normally eat brown rice or quinoa so white rice is just a nice unhealthy break.  A little bit on the oily side but I think that's what makes it tastes good.  Mr. Piglet and I agree this is really good and worth coming back for.


Some of the groceries are a bit expensive than what you would find at your local supermarkets for the same items.  I think the best way to avoid paying more is to stick to the sale items - then you're getting whatever it is for cheaper or at least on par with the competitors.  They also carry some items that are harder to find at other supermarkets like Korean ready-to-go foods (kimchi galore!), thinly sliced meats and seafood for hotpot/shabu shabu and just a whole lot of fresh seafood.  H-Mart also has a free membership card where you can accumulate points and it goes towards free groceries.  The food is good, the groceries are good - why wouldn't you pay H-Mart a visit?  Just make sure to visit their cafeteria for some good eats if you have the time!  Bon appetite!


Pros:

• Some pretty good Korean food - Marinated Pork all the way!!!
• Sale items are worth it
• H-Mart membership is free and can lead to free stuff
• Debit, credit cards and cash accepted
• Pretty good portion size for price - dinner for two under $20

Cons:

• Shop carefully!  Some items may be more expensive so check the price before you buy!
• Clams in the seafood udon had sand :(