1 / 26 Welcome to H Mart, the uber popular Korean grocery chain that just opened in the West Loop at 711 West Jackson Boulevard.Photo: DS Shin 2 / 26 The large space includes a supermarket, household goods section, bakery, and food court.Photo: DS Shin 3 / 26 Like other H Marts (there are four suburban locations), there's a huge produce selection.Photo: DS Shin 4 / 26 “I’m exploring the store today. I wanted to see the produce selection, and the types of sauces they have,” says Phaedra Ruffalo, who lives across the street.Photo: DS Shin 5 / 26 “Yesterday was very packed with customers coming in all day. It’s been great. We’ve had a lot of positive comments,” says Kathy Kim, H Mart employee.Photo: DS Shin 6 / 26 Plenty of free samples were being handed out to the crowds of visitors on Friday.Photo: DS Shin 7 / 26 The meat section is stocked with the usual suspects, plus cuts that are commonly used in Asian cuisine.Photo: DS Shin 8 / 26 A wide variety of fresh seafood is also available.Photo: DS Shin 9 / 26 There's a household section that includes toiletries, beauty supplies, cookware, and other Korean products.Photo: DS Shin 10 / 26 The food court includes a Japanese/Hawaiian restaurant, a traditional Korean tofu and BBQ restaurant, and a Korean fusion restaurant.Photo: DS Shin 11 / 26 “It’s a smaller space than other H Marts but I’m impressed with the selection and how well they utilize the space,” says Chan Lee, of West Loop. "It has everything I need."Photo: DS Shin 12 / 26 A huge variety of Korean dishes, known as banchan, is on offer.Photo: DS Shin 13 / 26 Our Video Editor DS Shin's favorite snacks: Choco Pie (“They give it out in the military so it's really popular with guys”), Couque D'Asse (“These are really fragile so Korean people use the name to mean like a mental breakdown”), Yakult, Banana Kick, and Homerun Ball.Photo: Martha Williams 14 / 26 “I was trying to find some ingredients for a Thai recipe, and I went to Chinatown but they didn’t have everything I needed,” says Shannon Wynn, who lives in the Loop. “I came today and found everything I needed.”Photo: DS Shin 15 / 26 You can pick up pre-marinated Korean barbecue meat by the pound.Photo: DS Shin 16 / 26 More marinated meatsPhoto: DS Shin 17 / 26 Produce sectionPhoto: DS Shin 18 / 26 Different types of rice (left) and packaged instant ramenPhoto: DS Shin 19 / 26 Soju, a Korean liquorPhoto: DS Shin 20 / 26 KimchiPhoto: DS Shin 21 / 26 Dolls in the household sectionPhoto: DS Shin 22 / 26 Korean liquorPhoto: DS Shin 23 / 26 ProducePhoto: DS Shin 24 / 26 More samplesPhoto: DS Shin 25 / 26 Live lobsterPhoto: DS Shin 26 / 26 Packaged ramen sectionPhoto: DS Shin Inside Chicago's First H Mart Korean Superstore We braved the crowds at this uber-popular grocery chain. Check out our favorite snacks, the packed food court, and more. By DS Shin and Mauricio Peña February 2, 2018, 2:28 pm
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