The New One-Stop Korean Mart in Cary
As some of you may know, I recently came back to the States after teaching English in South Korea for over three years. At first, getting used to American life was a challenge. There were never very many Korean restaurants in North Carolina and I was bummed that I wouldn’t be able to eat my precious haejangguk. My spirits were lifted when I learned of the new H-Mart in Cary. I just HAD to check it out!
As I walked in, the first thing I noticed was all the fruit! There were so many types of fruit from all over the world. I was happy to see fresh mangos, Korean pears, and plantains. If you’re brave, you can even buy a whole durian. I personally think they’re delicious!
For your skincare and your sweet tooth, there is also a Tony Moly and a Tous les Jours. I wasn’t a huge fan of these stores while I was in Korea, but I’ll try them out since there aren’t any other legit Korean stores nearby.
OMG THE FOOD. My mom and I couldn’t leave H-Mart without trying some “Authentic Korean Food”. I put that in quotes because the food had to pass my taste test for authenticity before it could actually be deemed legit.
Surprisingly, the food was actually very authentic. My mom ordered chicken gangjeong (boneless chicken with a sweet and spicy sauce) while I ordered beef stone bowl bibimbap (rice with beef, vegetables, and a pepper paste sauce). The chicken had a distinct ginger-y sweet taste with a hint of spice (in Korea it’s a lot more spicy hehe). My bibimbap was pretty standard. I did notice that the pepper paste sauce had more liquid than the ones I had tasted in Korea. I would have also liked for there to be a splash of sesame oil in it. Maybe I’ll ask them next time.
After eating lunch, I explored more of what H-Mart had to offer. There were a wide variety of Korean, Japanese, and Chinese snacks (Including my favorite butter cookies). My mom also loved the fresh fish and meat.
Overall, H-Mart is a great place to get quality Korean ingredients and products. However, there is one thing missing…SOJU. H-Mart does not have its liquor license, which is a little disappointing. I guess I’ll just have to take a trip to New York Koreatown for that. Who knows…maybe I’ll be there soon~
UPDATE: They now have soju and makgeoli at this location!!