H Mart, Super H Mart & & Han Ah Reum

[zoramargolis]

A trip out to Han Ah Reum yesterday (Aug. 24) proved to be a major bummer. A half gallon of skim milk, pull-dated September 3 was completely curdled when opened last night. Early this evening, I went to prepare six fresh duck legs, pull-dated August 29, and they were off. A twenty-minute bath in acidulated water did not remedy the problem. I carry a cooler with blue ice in my car for summer shopping trips, so it was not me. Drive all the way out to Merrifield from DC to confront them with their rotten duck for a $12 refund, or fuggedaboutit? Factoring in time and the cost of gas, I decided on the latter. My husband wants me never to go there again. Well, the new Great Wall supermarket down the road from HAR looks like it's just about ready to open. Maybe they'll sell fresh duck there... sigh.

[zoramargolis]

I would add that HAR's Super H Division, which was set up to appeal more to the western shopper, is I think generally much better.  My impression is one has a greater liklihood of not having problems there.  While it's a long drive for many of us to the local Super H outpost, it's conventiently located near Wegmans Fairfax store, and thus is a great shopping-crawl opportunity.

I bought a whole fresh duck at Super H, which was fine. But Super H does not have duck legs for $1.99 a pound, which are perfect for making my latest obsession, duck confit. At Wegman's, d'Artagnan confit sells for $8 per leg!

[johnb]

I bought a whole fresh duck at Super H, which was fine. But Super H does not have duck legs for $1.99 a pound, which are perfect for making my latest obsession, duck confit. At Wegman's, d'Artagnan confit sells for $8 per leg!

Anything with a name that starts with d' automatically doubles in price.

Buy the whole ducks, use the legs, then give me what's left! I'll love you forever. (Ever notice how a whole chicken often costs less than "boneless breasts" by themselves. And you get the rest for free. Such a deal!)

[Escoffier]

A lot of the food in Super H supermarket in Fairfax is strange (I almost said foreign) to most American shoppers. My wonderful +1 (Grover here on DR.com) would like to know if up to 5 people would like a guided tour of the foods at Super H and a bit of help in shopping for Korean food and vegetables.

[Principia]

A lot of the food in Super H supermarket in Fairfax is strange (I almost said foreign) to most American shoppers.  My wonderful +1 (Grover here on DR.com) would like to know if up to 5 people would like a guided tour of the foods at Super H and a bit of help in shopping for Korean food and vegetables.

Really? If I lived closer they'd probably be my regular grocery store (pockypockypockypocky). That having been said, I know there's always more to learn. I'm up for it, but wouldn't want to crowd out anyone who's more in need of an introduction...

[mdt]

Many thanks to grover and Escoffier for leading this very informative tour through the aisles of the splendiferous Super H. I enjoyed meeting everyone, and look forward to seeing y'all again soon!

If folks are interested, I would be glad to type up my notes into a post... although it's likely to be a tad lengthy.

Post!

[Principia]

By popular demand. In the interest of brevity, I'm going to keep this out of a narrative format. Since the Japanese snack foods/rice cookers/bento box discussion was something of a digression, rather than germane to the tour, I've omitted it. If anyone's interested, let me know and I'll spin it off.

---------------------------

• Why did Super H have a large display of shelled nuts up in front of its entrance? Chongwol Taeborum, the Korean festival celebrating the first full moon of the year. One of its culinary traditions is the eating of hard-shell nuts. Peanuts and walnuts are traditional; pecans and almonds (also displayed) are not culivated in Korea. Mixed rice (i.e., with different types of grains and beans mixed in) is another traditional dish for this festival.
  
• Korean Pears are rounded, sweet and crispy. The hardest pear is the ripest - the firmness indicates juiciness. Koreans do not cook their fruit, except for the benefit of babies and the elderly - although if your pears are too soft, they can be used as part of a bulgogi marinade.
  
• Persimmons come in two different styles. The round/flat type is firm, and very tannic. The pointier type is soft.
  
• The Fuji apple is in fact a hybrid of an apple and a Korean pear.
  
• Sesame leaves are equivalent to shiso leaves, but are a bit stronger. They can be used in pressed sushi or to wrap around sashimi. They should be used within a week.
  
• The larger Korean radishes are suitable for making kimchi, but daikon (Japanese radish) are not (they're significantly drier). A typical kimchi ingredient list: radish or cabbage, scallions, chili powder (dried Korean red pepper), garlic, ginger, fish sauce, and for a sweeter kimchi, sugar and pear.
  
• Scallions go in or on just about everything in Korean cuisine.
  
• Firm tofu can substitute for the ricotta in lasagna
  
• Fresh tofu is much better than the shelf-stable type, but is only good for about a week. A good brand is Pulmuone.
  
• Chinese Mabo Tofu is the rough equivalent of Hamburger Helper.
  
• There are two different types of seaweed (and one pseudo-seaweed) commonly used in Korean (and/or Japanese) cooking. Konbu is the thickest seaweed, from the deepest part of the ocean, used for stock-making. Wakame is a shallow-water seaweed that is most commonly used in soups (e.g. miso soup), and is an excellent source of iron - it's commonly served straight up to new mothers to help them recover from the birthing process. Nori, which is used for sushi wrapping, is not seaweed but is in fact made from algae.
  
• Dried seafood is commonly used as an ingredient in soups and the like, but some types like dried shrimp are also sauteed in oil and served with soy as a snack.
  
• Shanghai bok choy is the same size as baby bok choy, but is sweeter and is distinguishable from its all-over light green color.
  
• Lotus root would be sliced, then cooked in soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil.
  
• Korean red pepper is hot and sweet, and is available powdered or pasted in addition to fresh. Green pepper is less spicy, and is often served stuffed. Neither is anywhere near as spicy as Thai pepper.
  
• Whiting = pollack
  
• Saury is roughly equivalent in flavor/texture to sardines .
  
• The thinly sliced beef in the meat case is intended for shabu shabu.
  
• There is no appreciable reason for buying Angus beef oxtails.
  
• Never over-marinate bulgogi. Don't let it go more than 30 minutes: grover marinates hers only for about 10 minutes.
  
• The skirt steak chops are intended for bulgogi.
  
• If you see a Korean packaged food and the container is red, that means it's very, very spicy. Orange, still spicy but not as spicy. Green would be mild.
  
• Nong Shim is a good brand of ramen.
  
• grover uses Samsugabasan 'New Crop' rice.
  
• When using frying mix for tempura, ice water in the batter will make it crispier.
  
• Korean nori is not the same thing as sushi nori. It's much thicker, and also tends to be be salty where the Japanese nori would be sweetish.
  
• Yaki nori is roasted nori. Teriyaki nori is meant for snacking.
  
• When buying dried mushrooms, get sliced ones. They'll reconstitute much better.
  
• Chinese prunes are very sour.
  
• Natural salt is sea salt, greyish from the minerals. It would be used for brining or salt packing. White sea salt is just more refined.
  
• Use crushed sesame for bulgogi.
  
• Black sesame is an excellent source of antioxidants.
  
• Marukan is a recommended brand of rice vinegar.
  
• Lee Kum Kee is the Kraft of the Korean/Chinese market.
  
• For kimchi paste, anchovy or shrimp sauce are the preferred type of fish sauces.
  
• Black bean paste would be used to top bulgogi, or spicy soybean paste, which is a little reddish. Do not use pepper paste.
  
• Plum extract is a tea concentrate.
  
• Korea was not historically a producer/user of tea, since its water sources were sufficiently clean to be used as-is, versus having to be boiled and flavored.
  
• Pork belly is unsmoked/uncured bacon.
  
• If you're making oden for two, there is a suitable assortment available in the freezer section, which even comes with the soup base.
  
• Hai Reum and Pulmuone are good brands of frozen dumplings.
  
• When pan-frying dumplings, fry one side first, and then steam the other side by pouring in some water and covering the lid. This will keep the dumplings from drying out too much or becoming too chewy.
  
• Sampo Foods and Chongga are good brands of refrigerator-case kimchi (et al).
  
• If your container of kimchi is puffy, do not use it.
  
• There are three types of miso: red miso, regular miso, and white miso.
  
• Koreans eat their rice and soup with regular spoons, not chopsticks, and not the Chinese/Japanese style of soup spoon.
  

Edited February 13, 2006 by Principia

[Escoffier]

Well done, Principia. Next tour you will be able to teach...

[grover]

I would like to add something here. Hope Principia doesn't mind.

I had a problem quoting them so I used * for her quotation and used # for my explanation.

*Sesame leaves are equivalent to shiso leaves, but are a bit stronger. They can be used in pressed sushi or to wrap around sashimi. They should be used within a week.

#Sesame leaves can also be used to wrap Bulgogi. They don't last long in the refrigerator, change into dark color.

*Chinese Mabo Tofu is the rough equivalent of Hamburger Helper.

#'Chinese Mabo Tofu' is a name of the mapa tofu sauce from 'House' brand.

*Wakame is a shallow-water seaweed that is most commonly used in soups (e.g. miso soup), and is an excellent source of iron.

#Sorry, Principia. Maybe my English pronunciation wasn't good enough...

I tried to say iodine, not iron.

*Never over-marinate bulgogi. Don't let it go more than 30 minutes: grover marinates hers only for about 10 minutes.

#Because all the juice is going out of the meat so the meat becomes chewyer.

*If you see a Korean packaged food and the container is red, that means it's very, very spicy. Orange, still spicy but not as spicy. Green would be mild.

#Not all the time but usually...

*When buying dried mushrooms, get sliced ones. They'll reconstitute much better.

#quicker, too. so you save your time.

*Chinese prunes are very sour.

#Japanese, too.

*Black bean paste would be used to top bulgogi, or spicy soybean paste, which is a little reddish. Do not use pepper paste.

#Black bean paste is used for Chinese style cooking. For Bulgogi topping sauce, Korean mix pepper paste and miso paste so it is not really red.

*Korea was not historically a producer/user of tea, since its water sources were sufficiently clean to be used as-is, versus having to be boiled and flavored.

#Chinese tea had been imported more than 1500 years ago and it was very expensive so mostly high class people were able to use it. Since 70's tea plants were found and manufactured.

*Hai Reum and Pulmuone are good brands of frozen dumplings.

#Hai Reum -> Hai Oh Reum (sun rise)

I forgot to say Sampo foods is also good Dumpling brand.

*If your container of kimchi is puffy, do not use it.

#Because it means that the kimchi si too much fermented so it tastes more sour.

Thank you principia. You are wonderful.

Edited February 16, 2006 by grover

[ScotteeM]

Yesterday in my meanderings I noticed a new-looking Super H-Mart on Route 50, just east of Kamp Washington, where the SuperFresh was a few years ago. I think it's across the street from Paul VI High School.

Has anyone been there? It must be bigger than the H-Mart in Merrifield, if I remember the building correctly.

I think I'll head over there in a few and check it out.

[Escoffier]

Yesterday in my meanderings I noticed a new-looking Super H-Mart on Route 50, just east of Kamp Washington, where the SuperFresh was a few years ago. I think it's across the street from Paul VI High School.

Has anyone been there? It must be bigger than the H-Mart in Merrifield, if I remember the building correctly.

I think I'll head over there in a few and check it out.

It's been there over 2 years and Grover and I have given tours of it a couple of times. On Saturdays it's similar to the UN without the yelling. It's our grocery of choice.

[ScotteeM]

It's been there over 2 years and Grover and I have given tours of it a couple of times. On Saturdays it's similar to the UN without the yelling. It's our grocery of choice.

OK, I really don't get out much!

I did go over there today, and enjoyed the larger space. The fish looked good, although I don't know why they offer "sushi" tuna and salmon prepackaged in plastic wrap, with no way for the shopper to assess its actual freshness. Just about everything else in the fish section is accessible and very fresh looking. Now, if they just had wild-caught Alaskan salmon . . .

I came home with lemons, limes, fresh thyme, and quail eggs.

[Escoffier]

OK, I really don't get out much!

I did go over there today, and enjoyed the larger space. The fish looked good, although I don't know why they offer "sushi" tuna and salmon prepackaged in plastic wrap, with no way for the shopper to assess its actual freshness. Just about everything else in the fish section is accessible and very fresh looking. Now, if they just had wild-caught Alaskan salmon . . .

I came home with lemons, limes, fresh thyme, and quail eggs.

If you would like to explore a lot more, let us know and we'll arrange a meeting and tour some Saturday. There is much to explore and much to eat that are out of the usual.

[jparrott]

I noticed some pretty amazing-looking frozen toro and white tuna in the fish section at Super H today. Anyone tried 'em?

[DinerGirl]

I spent some time at Han Ah Reum (now called H Mart) on Georgia Avenue yesterday afternoon, and actually had a relatively decent experience. I was impressed with their selection of meat and seafood, but wondered if anyone has had any bad experiences with meat/seafood purchased there. Most of it looked fine, so I'm not trying to up the terror alert level or anything... I was just curious. Are there any items you absolutely would NOT purchase at H Mart?

[Escoffier]

I spent some time at Han Ah Reum (now called H Mart) on Georgia Avenue yesterday afternoon, and actually had a relatively decent experience. I was impressed with their selection of meat and seafood, but wondered if anyone has had any bad experiences with meat/seafood purchased there. Most of it looked fine, so I'm not trying to up the terror alert level or anything... I was just curious. Are there any items you absolutely would NOT purchase at H Mart?

We shop at the one in Fairax and the only things we've had problems with has been some (in-house) packaged nuts and some slightly stale-dated yougurt drinks. Everything else has been okay.

[purplesachi]

We shop at the one in Fairax and the only things we've had problems with has been some (in-house) packaged nuts and some slightly stale-dated yougurt drinks. Everything else has been okay.

i also shop at the one in fairfax and i bought beef there (i believe it was sirloin, but i'm not sure). i always check the date on foods and there was nothing out of the ordinary w/ the date on the particular package i bought (sell by was like a week later than the date i bought it, or something like that). but when i got home and opened the package, the meat smelled off to me . just to be safe, i threw it out.

[zoramargolis]

i also shop at the one in fairfax and i bought beef there (i believe it was sirloin, but i'm not sure). i always check the date on foods and there was nothing out of the ordinary w/ the date on the particular package i bought (sell by was like a week later than the date i bought it, or something like that). but when i got home and opened the package, the meat smelled off to me . just to be safe, i threw it out.

The pull dates on meat and poultry at Han Ah Reum have often been totally screwed up--it's as if sometimes the person setting the date on the label printer doesn't know what they are doing. I do not trust pull dates at that store. I always smell packages, or poke a small hole in the plastic to check for spoilage <gasp!> I have been burned too many times, and it's too far from home for me to take things back. In the summer, I once bought a container of milk, with a generous sell-by date on it, that was totally curdled. It was probably left in a warm place for a long time. I don't buy milk there anymore, needless to say. They seem good about keeping the fish and seafood on ice. If you are concerned, ask to smell the fish and look at the inside of the gill to assess freshness. I have not had any problem wiht fish or seafood. Produce has been uniformly excellent there.

[zoramargolis]

I hadn't been to the-store-formerly-known-as-Han Ah Reum in Merrifield in a long time. It now is called H Mart. Everything else seems pretty much the same. No duck legs for sale, unfortunately. I found fresh favas and what they call crimson beans, but which are more commonly known here as cranberry beans. In Italy they are called borlotti beans. Very delicious, especially fresh ones. They are usually only available dried. I also found large, fresh artichokes for $.99 each. And I thought the $1.49 I paid at Trader Joe's the other day was a good price! Fresh fennel bulbs were $1 cheaper each than the price at Safeway. Cilantro is 4 bunches for $1, Italian parsley is 2 bunches for $1. Mushrooms here are cheaper than anywhere else--shiitake, oyster, king oyster (that's the one that looks like a fresh porcini but isn't), crimini-portobellos and regular white and those skinny Asian mushrooms. Cherries were $.99 a pound and shallots were also amazingly cheaper than anywhere else I've seen (can't remember exactly what I paid). The fish and shrimp looked very good, but I had other plans for last night. I need to get out there more often...

[DinerGirl]

I'm up to three bad meat experiences there, so I'm only going to get produce from them from now on.

[thistle]

I decided to check out the Super H in Fairfax today, not looking for anything specific, ended up getting new soy sauce (gold cap Kikkoman), Mitsukan rice vinegar & mirin, sesame paste, ten men jan, marokume miso, seaweed salad, miso soup mix, & a plastic bento box. After trekking all the way out there (I live in southern Fairfax county, near Ft. Belvoir), I spotted another H-Mart, on my way home, on Backlick! I can't believe I didn't know it was there, I feel like such a dummy...Has anyone been to the Global Food market in Woodbridge-is it similar?

[Ilaine]

I decided to check out the Super H in Fairfax today, not looking for anything specific, ended up getting new soy sauce (gold cap Kikkoman), Mitsukan rice vinegar & mirin, sesame paste, ten men jan, marokume miso, seaweed salad, miso soup mix, & a plastic bento box. After trekking all the way out there (I live in southern Fairfax county, near Ft. Belvoir), I spotted another H-Mart, on my way home, on Backlick! I can't believe I didn't know it was there, I feel like such a dummy...Has anyone been to the Global Food market in Woodbridge-is it similar?

HMart on Backlick? I work on Backlick, never seen it! Are you sure you don't mean Global Foods?

Global Foods is owned by Koreans but oriented more towards Hispanic/Latino and non-Korean Asian (Vietnamese, Thai) than HMart or Super H. Also a lot of Korean foods. I prefer Super H, even though Global Foods is closer, because Super H is cleaner.

The HMart website says they will be opening an HMart in Annandale but it will be on Heritage, which parallels 495 just west of Ravensworth, so, just inside the Beltway in Annandale close to Little River Turnpike.

But, to answer your question, Global Foods in Woodbridge is similar to Global Foods on Backlick. The one on Backlick may be a little more upscale, the one in Woodbridge is larger.

I feel perfectly confident buying fruit, vegetables, rice, condiments but would not buy meat or fish that I wasn't intending to cook that very day, and would not buy milk or eggs at all. We love Super H's produce department. It is the very best.

[thistle]

I was zooming by, but it's at Hechinger Dr., just before the Braddock Rd. intersection(maybe it was a Global Foods)-someone told me today it was much smaller than the Super H. She also said that Lotte was her favorite.

I had a bit of trouble w/ the labels, but got some stuff anyway-didn't find the instant dashi I wanted, though. My everyday shopping is at the commissary at Ft. Belvoir, small, but decent selection of Asian, Hispanic, German groceries, good deli & sushi, great produce & meat...

[Escoffier]

I was zooming by, but it's at Hechinger Dr., just before the Braddock Rd. intersection(maybe it was a Global Foods)-someone told me today it was much smaller than the Super H. She also said that Lotte was her favorite.

That's a Global market (owned by the same people who own Grand Mart). As someone stated above, it's more oriented towards Latino than towards Koreans. However, you passed by the best thing in that area...you passed Gamasot which has the best seullontang in VA.

[grover]

I found out that Super H adds a new store in Annandale, VA opening in July. The adderess will be at 7885 Heritage Drive

Annandale, VA 22003. This will be good news to Korean restaurants in the area. It is good news to me as well because I can save gas and time.

[rockcreek]

Quick in-and-out at the Wheaton H-Mart. (I had the boys - quick is all they could stand.) I like that the bakery is riiight in the front. Lots of little cakes and pastries. Couldn't get Didi ("little one" in Mandarin) away from it. Now the outside glass case has his nose print immortalized.

Seemed like a pretty good store. MUCH better marked, I thought, than most Asian groceries (Maxim, for example, might as well be the Minoan Labyrinth.) And I knew I needed nuoc mam, and I found it - big bottle of Squid Brand (okay, nam pla, suits me perfect) for $1.89 or something.

Bag of Fuji apples, a little mealy but good flavor. Not going to ring anybody on apples out of season.

Lots of frozen dumplings. I like Wei-Chuan brand myself but I can deal with most of them (except, pardon, the TJs.) Didn't think Gege ("big brother") was going to like the pork and cilantro but he and I ate, ahem, a whole bag for dinner that night. He's 3 1/2, so this was news at our house. They also had lots of steamer buns, frozen fish balls and fish cake, etc.

Pretty good trip.

[Saycheese]

Has the Annandale location of Super H Mart opened? Would anyone have any comments on how it compares to the Fairfax store?

[Sthitch]

Has the Annandale location of Super H Mart opened? Would anyone have any comments on how it compares to the Fairfax store?

On the announcements page for the Annandale store it says that it is a Super H, but the front of the store does not. Either way, it says that it is open.

[Soup]

Went there this morning. They had had live blue crabs (males) for $1.49/lb. I picked up 6 for around $5.70. I picked the large ones out. They were big fat fiesty and heavy. I would highly recommend these. I just steamed and enjoyed. May be going back around tuesday to get more.

Like I said before, store isn't big but it is close.

[Escoffier]

On the announcements page for the Annandale store it says that it is a Super H, but the front of the store does not. Either way, it says that it is open.

We went right after it opened. Much smaller than the Fairfax store but has all the important things (kimchi, Asian cookies and snacks ). Decent supply of veggies, a good fruit selection. We go there to supplement our trips to Fairfax City not to supplant them

[grover]

The biggest difference is that they don't accept the Super H customer card which gives points and there is no food court.

[goodeats]

According to the BIG ad on page A2 of the Washington Chinese News H Mart will be "coming soon" to 9639 Lost Knife Road, Gaithersburg, MD.

[Lydia R]

According to the BIG ad on page A2 of the Washington Chinese News H Mart will be "coming soon" to 9639 Lost Knife Road, Gaithersburg, MD.

Yes! It'll be inside a good-sized former Safeway, in the same shopping center as the flagship Roy Rogers and backing up to the Trader Joe's site. This whole shopping area was getting sad - one of the few recently closed Starbucks was there. Hope this will reinvigorate that 'hood.

Now that there's an H Mart, TJ, Costco and Shoppers it seems Giant & Bloom increasingly irrelevant.

[Soup]

Went to great wall today. Haven't been in a while. I think they may have the fish deparment with the biggest variety. Stuff looked pretty good and relatively fresh. Also was at eeMart right across the street. Also good seafood but not as much variety.

[ScotteeM]

H-Mart in Annandale has lots and lots of lobsters today at $4.99/lb, and they're open tomorrow.

[Soup]

H-Mart in Annandale has lots and lots of lobsters today at $4.99/lb, and they're open tomorrow.

Thanks for the heads up. Went and picked up a bunch yesterday. They were little over a pound each. I actully like them a little bigger but the price cannot be beat. They were very fiesty and once steamed really good.

[goodeats]

A trip to H Mart in Merrifield was very disappointing. The green-leafed veggies looked old and wilty and even the seafood looked a bit aged (definitely no lively blue crabs -- they looked beaten to death tonight). Has anyone else have this experience lately here or are Mondays not a good night to shop?

[Escoffier]

A trip to H Mart in Merrifield was very disappointing. The green-leafed veggies looked old and wilty and even the seafood looked a bit aged (definitely no lively blue crabs -- they looked beaten to death tonight). Has anyone else have this experience lately here or are Mondays not a good night to shop?

Mondays are not very good for grocery shopping. Most people shop on the weekends so stores tend to do major restocking starting around Wednesday. That way when Friday comes the store is stocked for the influx. After the weekend, they try to move the overstock and get ready for another weekend.

[zoramargolis]

Great finds today at Super H:

organic maitake mushrooms for $1.99 a package.

also--fresh favas and cranberry beans (borlotti)

very nice-looking red cubanelle peppers for $1.99 a pound

I wish it wasn't so far from my house.

[goodeats]

1. This thread needs to be reset somehow - the tags aren't transferring into the new layout. Grr to Invision right now.

2. Double Grr that Bakery Momo is no longer at Super H Mart. Where else can I get my Asian toast?

3. Instead of Bakery Momo, they now carry some of Vina's Bakery items, but unrefrigerated. I think it's okay for the breads to be on the shelves, but not a fan or swiss cake rolls or the egg tarts out in the open.

Square one for bakeries again.

[Escoffier]

2. Double Grr that Bakery Momo is no longer at Super H Mart. Where else can I get my Asian toast?

There's a bakery in Annandale beside Anangol (across from Gom Ba Woo), there's a bakery on LRT across from Jerry's (and near to Yo-Fruit), there's a bakery near Il Mee near John Marr Drive...(sorry to be so vague but I don't have the exact addresses (or Grover) close by)

[TheMatt]

There's a bakery in Annandale beside Anangol (across from Gom Ba Woo), there's a bakery on LRT across from Jerry's (and near to Yo-Fruit), there's a bakery near Il Mee near John Marr Drive...(sorry to be so vague but I don't have the exact addresses (or Grover) close by)

The last one is Shilla Bakery which is quite good. My weak will isn't helped by it being a quarter-mile or so from my library (just down LRT). I'm still trying to decide, though, who has the better Korean-twist-donut-whose-name-I-don't-know: Shilla Bakery or Le Matin de Paris.

[DonRocks]

[*]Sampo Foods and Chongga are good brands of refrigerator-case kimchi (et al).

[*]If your container of kimchi is puffy, do not use it.

I was at the Merrifield H Mart on Sunday aternoon, and there was a lady there making homemade kimchi, and I mean mixing in the cabbage with red pepper sauce with what was essentially a mortar and pestle. This may be quite common, but I'd always assumed almost all local kimchis are made in bulk and loaded into tubs; not here. This was intense, manual labor.

I'd originally entered the Merrifield Grand Mart and it was so overrun that I got frustrated and left - I was not going to wait ten people deep in line for a quick, carryout lunch (and I didn't want their steam-table buffet items which once again seemed gloppy). Man, was their fish selection impressive, however.

Pre-made sushi to go, seven pieces, $6.99. Not world-beating, but much better than anything I've had from Genji at Whole Foods.

Cheers,

Rocks

[wisehands]

I used to go to the Wheaton H Mart almost weekly for a couple years, but got fed up with the decline in quality of the produce from fairly good to mediocre ... waayy too many bins with rotting, bruised, or subpar stuff to sift through. Buying seafood, in the long run, was too dicey .... sometimes it was good, but other times not worth it at any price.

[grover]

The same thing is happening at Annandale H mart. Too bad.

So far, Super H is doing quite all right, though.

[thistle]

I was SO hoping for an Hmart near me, but got a Bestway-on my initial visit, I picked up ginger, lemongrass, limes, avocados, eggplants-good prices on produce. I also picked up PAN arepa flour-I've been wanting to try & make arepas since we visited La Caraquena. One aisle of Asian (packaged/bottled) stuff, along w/African (palm oil, I used to use this in soapmaking, & black soap)& Caribbean-WalkersWood jerk. This market has a pretty big fish section, I'm happy that I have an alternative to the Safeway (used infrequently) & the commissary...

[Tweaked]

Hit the Georgia Ave H-Mart on Saturday afternoon (probably around 4pm and no crowds what-so-ever).

Bought a package of "stewed tofu" from the pre-packaged food section (the wall that seperates the frozen food section from the little cafe)...really yummy. Basically looks like slabs of fried tofu slathered in kimchi.

[goodeats]

We use Shirakiku Hitomebore, which is also available at Hinata as well as at Maruichi in Rockville. Hitomebore is the variety that our organic rice supplier in Kitakami grew, and it's still our favorite.

On a whim, after a girls' night outing at nearby Sweetwater Tavern, I decided to pop into H Mart in Merrifield at the odd hour of 10:30pm. Luckily, they were open until 11:00pm! The prices seemed sort of high compared to past purchases, but I didn't care last night, since I was waaaaay too excited to find hitomebore rice. Happy night. I also ended up buying another variety (update later) to test. Thank goodness for smartphones, since I forgot which variety I was supposed to try at first, but it was super easy to pull up via both the dining link or the IP.Board app. DR.com to the rescue!

[Xochitl10]

On a whim, after a girls' night outing at nearby Sweetwater Tavern, I decided to pop into H Mart in Merrifield at the odd hour of 10:30pm. Luckily, they were open until 11:00pm! The prices seemed sort of high compared to past purchases, but I didn't care last night, since I was waaaaay too excited to find hitomebore rice. Happy night. I also ended up buying another variety (update later) to test. Thank goodness for smartphones, since I forgot which variety I was supposed to try at first, but it was super easy to pull up via both the dining link or the IP.Board app. DR.com to the rescue!

Yay! Please let me know how you like it.

[KMango]

Yay! Please let me know how you like it.

Just last night, we picked up a bag of Shirakiku Hitomebore the H Mart in Annandale. House guests were fascinated, both by the market experience (GORGEOUS seafood) and by the rice. We tore into the bag immediately upon returning home.

We rinsed it sushi-rice style, and enjoyed the clean, pure flavor, with ideal texture. So flavorful by itself, we added only water to the fuzzy logic cooker. Another "never would have found it" treasured find from the DR crew. Thanks, Xochitl10.

[Xochitl10]

Just last night, we picked up a bag of Shirakiku Hitomebore the H Mart in Annandale. House guests were fascinated, both by the market experience (GORGEOUS seafood) and by the rice. We tore into the bag immediately upon returning home.

We rinsed it sushi-rice style, and enjoyed the clean, pure flavor, with ideal texture. So flavorful by itself, we added only water to the fuzzy logic cooker. Another "never would have found it" treasured find from the DR crew. Thanks, Xochitl10.

You're welcome! I'm glad you found and like it. Our affection for hitomebore is almost certainly influenced by it being the variety most commonly grown in the area of Japan we lived in, and therefore the kind we ate most often, but it is legitimately delicious.

Incidentally, rinsing is standard practice for making rice in Japanese homes. It's not just reserved for making rice for sushi.

[KMango]

You're welcome! I'm glad you found and like it. Our affection for hitomebore is almost certainly influenced by it being the variety most commonly grown in the area of Japan we lived in, and therefore the kind we ate most often, but it is legitimately delicious.

Incidentally, rinsing is standard practice for making rice in Japanese homes. It's not just reserved for making rice for sushi.

Thanks again for the stellar rice find!

By "sushi-style", I meant we rinsed it until the water went completely clear, a long process. Is that what the Japanese do with every meal? I always rinse my rice, too, just not that long every time.

[goodeats]

By "sushi-style", I meant we rinsed it until the water went completely clear, a long process. Is that what the Japanese do with every meal? I always rinse my rice, too, just not that long every time.

It's what most Asians do with rice. It's an old tradition when rice grains weren't cleaned as well as they are now and debris gets into the rice sack--you want a clean bowl of rice, so you washed the grains before you cooked it, or now that I'm reading more on this topic, it's to rinse off the starches on the rice so it's less stickier. The other old tradition is that the women from the rice fields would take this water and use it as a facial cleanser. There is some talk on whether you should wash your rice anymore. (One version on how to wash rice properly.)

The definition of sushi is just really seasoned or vinegared rice. Typically, it's a solution of rice vinegar + sugar + water/dashi added to the rice after it has finished cooking. The traditional way is to cook the rice, dump it into the big wooden rice bin, then add the solution in a circular motion around the rice while fluffing it.

Xochiyl10 - I will report back. I have the hitomebore on timer in the neuro fuzzy logic cooker (yay for hi-tech rice cookers!). I realized the other type I bought was Akita Komachi rice -- have you tried this variety?

[wisehands]

By "sushi-style", I meant we rinsed it until the water went completely clear, a long process. Is that what the Japanese do with every meal? I always rinse my rice, too, just not that long every time.

I've seen several programs on Japanese network television featuring Japanese cooking experts giving advice on making sushi rice and they all emphasize that the washing and rinsing steps are absolutely critical to produce properly prepared sushi rice (or Japanese style rice in general). This involves not only thoroughly rinsing the rice, but also washing it. One part of the method is to swish the rice around with your hand while rinsing, not just running water over it. This is done several times. Then, with just a little water in the bowl, the grains are gently rubbed together several times with the palms of your hands as if polishing them . . . well, you are sort of polishing them. They say this removes starch. Then they rinse until the water is clear. But wait, there's more! Then they let the rice sit for a while, maybe 30 mins. All that is followed by another soak in the cooking pot. The actual cooking of the rice involves yet another protocol. And the preparing of sushi rice after cookng is yet another one. Every step, every technique has a purpose. e.g., using a particular wooden bowl called a hangiri in which to prepare the sushi rice is better than using any other kind of bowl because the untreated wood absorbs excess moisture from the rice and the shape of the bowl is ideal for proper stirring and mixing. The purposefulness of Japanese cooking techniques is fascinating.

[goldenticket]

Fresh mangosteens at Super H Mart a few weeks back were an unexpected treat. Much better than the frozen ones I've gotten at Grand Mart in the past. A trip back to Bali via my tastebuds.

[lperry]

The Super H in Fairfax has incredible pomegranates right now for $1.99, and the one I bought weighed in at a pound and three quarters.  Now I have to decide if I want juice or salad.

Editing to add that the sunchokes look gorgeous too.  Soup or gratin...

[weezy]

Sunchokes? Mmm...I'll have to get some of those! They've been off my radar for awhile

[lperry]

Sunchokes? Mmm...I'll have to get some of those! They've been off my radar for awhile

Mine too.  My Dad used to grow them, way back when, and we had fun digging them out of the garden in the fall.  Unfortunately, I remember digging them, but not eating them.  I should ask Mom what she cooked.

[weezy]

Chef Will at Pizzeria Orso did a sunchoke ricotta anglotti on a sage emulsion that was sublime

[astrid]

They have a fantastic crisp texture when raw, so they're nice in salads, slaws, and as refrigerator pickles.  Just don't have too much at once, they're a very *windy* vegetable.

[lperry]

They have a fantastic crisp texture when raw, so they're nice in salads, slaws, and as refrigerator pickles.  Just don't have too much at once, they're a very *windy* vegetable.

That's the inulin.  Various indigenous groups in the Plains worked out the issue with inulin-y plants by slowly roasting things.  I was going to give it a try, maybe with some fingerling potatoes.

[TheMatt]

FYI, in the Fairfax Super H-Mart a new food stall has opened: King Kong Mandoo. They sell both the small mandu as well as the big wang mandu (like baozi). Indeed, they are giving one away for free right now. And let me say, it was dang good and only $2 when not free!

They sell the regular mandu steamed or frozen and if the wang mandu was anything to go by, they'll be quite good!

[Escoffier]

Definitely have to agree with Matt.  The mandu (or mandoo if you prefer) was quite tasty.  The pork mandu had a nice small spicy afterbite that was most pleasant.

[LauraB]

In case this is of interest to anyone besides me, I just received a flyer in the mail from H Mart announcing that the new H Mart in Burke will open next Wednesday, Nov 9th.  I'm hoping they have a good produce section - I would really like to have a reliable source of Thai basil nearby, among many other things!