Gary N.
Yelp
Almost 20 years ago In Atlanta, I got my first experience with H Mart, yes they have a large Korean community where I used to live, and their H Mart was huge, the concept I like about it was they have a bakery, and a lot of food vendors at the food court, so it is a very fulfilling grocery shopping experience, you can shop then eat, or finish eating then shop later, either way they just have so many Korean dishes and snacks for you to try out, really depends on which vendors renting the food court for their food stand.
Anyway when I moved to San Diego, I didn't see an H Mart until years later, if I wanted Korean stuffs, I had to buy them at a different Asian markets, so finally when they opened one in Mira Mesa, I had to check it out, I've been here when the food court was cooking some very good and hearty Korean dishes which made you felt like you were in one their K Drama shows, this location didn't have any vendors, they had one kitchen to cook everything and they pre-made some food for togo as well, you could just grab them, unless you want to eat on the spot, it's been slow down since Covid, I don't see a lot of customers during evening shopping hours, the kitchen lady had to come out and asked me if I wanted combo number 1; because a lot of people ordered that combo according to her, she said it was spicy, and I said I couldn't eat spicy very well, business was just that slow now.
Paris Baguette probably did better in sales but they're located on the other side.
I always fascinated with their fresh seafood display, and every day they have different stuffs, one day was live sweet shrimps, next was live halibut, then today it was live abalone amongst the live lobsters, crabs and fishes hiding behind the cleaning station.
I ended up buying a lot of food, unfortunately they were unable to look up my phone number for my H Mart membership, they made people carry the rewards card physically with them, but they could not tell if you were in the system by looking for your number, I was kinda backward, this was not the first time, but last time they sent me to customer service to reset my information and make me a new card, but who would remember to bring your membership to earn points, I still receive emails from H Mart for their promotions but I can't have the card virtually on my phone to have the employee scanned at check out, so I ended up paying without earning anything, sigh. Time to go home and eat some seaweed flakes over rice :)