Some rather positive reviews for the 53,000-sq.-ft. Super H Mart now open in the former Randall’s on Blalock at Westview, a few blocks north of I-10. Yelp user Therese S. calls the big Korean chain‘s Houston store an
Awesome, awesome Asian grocery store. They have pretty much almost everything. . . . I saw wansuy (cilantro), (Philippine–the best) mango juice, calamansi juice, halo-halo ingredients, even fish sauce, oyster sauce (albeit in HUGE bottles), sinigang mix, prawn crackers, mochi(!), kimchi (a whole chiller section), chopsticks, Yan Yan, Pocky, Koala, and on and on.
And this from the Food in Houston blog:
If you walk inside and don’t look too closely, you might think that you are in a state-of-the-art Whole Foods. Super H Mart has that same bright, cheery, contemporary feel. But instead of a cheese counter, Super H has a whole wall devoted to kimchi. . . .
The produce section includes fruits and vegetables that are rarely seen in Houston — even at Hong Kong market. The quality of the produce looks as good as Central Market or Whole Foods.
The seafood section may have the broadest, and most interesting, selection of seafood in Houston.
After the jump: A look at that wall of kimchi! Plus: a food-court surprise!
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Most H Mart reviews have focused on the (mostly) Korean food court (above), the second in Houston. (The first: nearby Komart.) But no report tops this one by Food in Houston’s Anonymouseater:
Toreore is perhaps the most unusual stand. It is part of a Korean fried chicken chain. But this is unlike any chicken I have ever had. Toreore advertises that it is healthy because it uses no trans fats and a batter that is made from “mixed grains powder.” I tried a hot, sweet and spicy chicken nugget that was very sweet and so spicy hot that it caused sores to break out inside my mouth. The smell was something like the inside of a Duncan donut store, but the flavor resembled a sweetened habenero pepper. The vendors at the counter warn non-Korean speakers about how hot this particular dish is. It is a warning well heeded.
Update, 06-25-08: K at She Eats has a longer review and more photos.
- Super H Mart [Yelp]
- new korean supermarket [i’m never full]
- Super H Mart [Food in Houston]
- Korean supermarket in works [Houston Chronicle]
Photos: H Mart (top); Anonymouseater (wall of kimchee); I’m Never Full (food court & Toreore)
This is good, But…
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/biz/5984595.html
I went to the HMart in Burlington today. Their customer service is terrible. I have never being treated like this at a supermarket before.
My parents and I used to love shopping at H Mart. Like usual, we went to the one at Burlington for grocery shopping. We brought my aunt (who have never been to any H Mart) with us today. We were introducing to her about all the good items that sold at H Mart. My family and my aunt spent about $150.00 and $70.00 at H Mart respectively. This was the first time my aunt went to H Mart, she didn’t know she needed a H Mart shopping card to received the discount. We found that my aunt was paying $2.99 for an on-sale item that should be $0.99 only. Therefore, I helped my aunt to opened a new shopping afterward. We decided to got back to the waiting line and ask one of your cashier to adjust the selling price for us. Unfortunately, the cashier who we asked for price adjustment was in a bad mood and gave us the worse service that I ever had (The first cashier that helped us initially referred us to find this senior cashier for price adjustment).
When we were requesting for price adjustment, the cashier was inexplicably bothered by the plastic bay that used for carrying the item that we had already purchased. We didn’t even finished our sentence, the cashier said rudely, “Why this unpaid item is in a plastic bag? You shouldn’t put any item into a plastic bag, that’s the policy!” (We already paid for the item, of course it was in the plastic bag, the other cashier wrapped it for us.) We went back and forth loudly in store. Finally, the cashier realized that we paid for the item already and asked what we really needed impolietly without any apologize. The cashier asked in a wired format “You want to buy it or return it?!” I thought she did not understand my motive, so I tried to explain to the cashier again that I wanted to have a price adjustment. The cashier did not let me finished my words and asked again with a raised voice, “I totally understand. Just tell me you want to buy it or return it ?!?!” That cashier got me to a point that I could not stand anymore. Consequently, my parent and I decided to return all the item that we purchased.