Asia Market (AM) is one of a handful of Asian grocery stores in Savannah and surrounding areas, but…read moremore specifically, only one of two stores that focuses on Korean specialty items. I learned this early on when we first moved to the area, because priorities, People! I need to know where I can get my Korean goods!
- Parking -
Center lot. Located in a strip mall, the parking is limited and a little tight in front of the store, but hey, I'm not complaining. It's free parking.
- Vibe -
It's a tiny store. I mean, like 2 aisles tiny. So, if you can't handle small spaces, be warned. However, the owner has made good use of every inch of real estate in there, but organized. Reminds me of the way small biz owners set up their small spaces in markets in Korea. No wasting any space here. Think of it as Aldi in terms of product selection as compared to a Kroger. Smaller, easier to navigate and I can get all my basics.
- TLC -
I always see the same Ajjumma (Ma'am in Korean). She is the owner, I'm sure. She's always really sweet, gives service with a smile and when my kids are with me, she always gives them a little complimentary Rice Cracker snack packet. They clearly love her, LOL!
- Goods -
The prices are lower at AM between the two Korean grocery stores, even though it's the smaller store. Those two aisles are stocked with the basics and I can get everything I need to cook my Korean meals, from Gochujang (Hot Red Pepper Paste) to Japchae noods (sweet potato starch noods). I find some of my childhood treats too like Choco-Pie, Go-So-Mi Crackers (a must try if you don't know what these are!) and Banana Oo-You (Milk) which are super expensive, but I think it's just the price of importing them. My husband wasn't really too happy that I bought 6 juice box sizes of Banana Milk for $9, but hey, $9 is worth it for the walk down memory lane for a few minutes!
On the second aisle, the freezer and fridges line the wall and I buy mostly all of my frozen and refrigerated items there, things I can't get online, like dumplings, oval rice cakes, both things I needed to make Ddukmanduguk (Dumpling Rice Cake soup) that Korean typically eat on Lunar New Year, which was the reason for my recent visit.
The kimchi they sell is from Atlanta and it's pretty decent. For one of those big plastic containers (like when you get Pho broth packed to go, maybe a pint size?), it's about $8? Not bad considering Kimchi is a PITA to make. The good news is, every time I buy one, it's in the beginning stages which is the stage I really don't like, but it's an indication that it was made and delivered to the store recently.
I got the Green Plum juice on my recent visit and I thought it was pretty tasty! I got this as an exchange for the Jeju Clementine juice I originally purchased because it had just expired.
- Heads Up -
Pro tip - if you see Hangul (Korean alphabet) on the store sign, it's most likely Korean owned, which probably means it's a Korean specific grocery store. I know some people were not too happy about the store name, but hey, there is Kimchi sold at big chain grocery stores and I wouldn't call it Kimchi. Know what I mean?
If I plan ahead, I usually place my non-perishable order online with a well known Korean grocery store in the North East, but this is the place I go for all my last minute needs and all the perishable stuff. It won't have everything in 10 different flavors, but it should get you the basics!
Note to self for future:
Try the Jeju Clementine Juice and the Fish Waffle Red Bean Ice Cream Sandwich!
