While in the midst of a late night internet rabbit hole session, I came across the good news that H Mart will open up shop in SE Portland in 2018. This is relatively old news in internet time, but I’m still elated about it—it means a good Korean grocery will be a short bus ride away. They’re opening up in the space that formerly held Zupans, at 3301 SE Belmont Street.
My previous experience with H Mart was in NYC; you’ll find H Marts throughout the city and in eastern New Jersey. I used to visit the original store in Woodside, Queens, still called Han Ah Reum, which in Korean means “one arm full of groceries; it’s relatively small but packed with products. Actually, a lot of H Marts can feel cramped, but there are some large megastores in New Jersey. The SE Belmont space is over 20,000 square feet, which is about half the size of the average American supermarket, but for a standard H Mart it might feel spacious. I have not been to the other H Marts in the suburbs to compare.
Continue reading “Happy H Mart News in Portland”
