H Mart

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. At dawn, when most Koreatown shops were still shuttered, a delivery driver pulled up to H Mart with an unusual request. "I need to see Mr. Kim," he insisted, even though no one answered. Finally, an old man appeared from behind the stacks of kimchi and asked, ‘What do you want?’ The driver whispered something about needing extra discounts for his family’s restaurant. Mr. Kim laughed and replied, ‘Next time just ask nicely!’

2. On an unusually quiet Sunday morning, as customers were just beginning their weekly grocery haul, a delivery driver pulled up with a mysterious crate marked only in Korean. As he opened it, everyone gasped—inside was nothing but bags of dried squid and packets of kimchi. Turns out, someone had accidentally swapped the order for a local BBQ restaurant. The delivery driver shrugged, saying, ‘At least now they’ll have something interesting for dinner tonight.’

3. At closing time, when H Mart’s aisles were emptying out, a security guard noticed something odd in one of the refrigerated cases. A bag of groceries had been left behind—with a note that read: ‘Please keep these cold until tomorrow.’ The guard opened it curiously and found only a jar of kimchi, some frozen dumplings, and a bottle of soy sauce. He chuckled, thinking maybe someone forgot their lunch for work. The next day, he placed everything back exactly where he found it, with an extra smiley face drawn on the note. When asked later, he shrugged and said, 'Just trying to be nice.'

4. In the late afternoon, when H Mart was bustling with families doing their weekly shopping, a small boy pointed excitedly at something on the shelves. "Mom, what are those boxes that make noises?" His mom smiled and gently explained, 'Those are just special snacks from Korea, son. They make sounds because they’re filled with tiny rice crackers.' The boy nodded thoughtfully, then whispered, 'So I can shake them like a little drum?' His mother laughed, ‘Absolutely not!’