Dropped by to get some Asian groceries at this Korean grocery store. Some things had changed since our last visit. Aisles of items had moved, certain products were no longer available, but other things were on sale. Got some Korean and Indian snacks, produce, pre-made Korean food and other necessary items. Had a good shopping experience at this store. Checkout and service were quick and efficient. read more

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I had a genuinely upsetting experience at the Lotte Plaza in Gaithersburg today, and it was entirely due to how the situation was handled by the staff. We picked up several kimbap at full price and continued shopping inside the store. A few minutes later, when we returned to the same section to get more, all of the kimbap had suddenly been marked 50% off. We never left the store, and the items we were holding were exactly the same as the ones now labeled on sale. Because of that, we went to customer service to ask if the sale price could be applied. While we were speaking with the customer service associate, another woman sitting nearby abruptly inserted herself into the conversation and said she was the kitchen manager and that she had personally decided to mark the items down. Then, within earshot of us, she said, "So people carry items around and then ask for a discount once they see the sale price." The implication was extremely unpleasant, and it made us feel as if we were being treated as unreasonable or dishonest customers. What made this even more frustrating was that both employees were already aware of why we came to customer service, yet chose to respond with a dismissive and condescending attitude instead of explaining the policy clearly and respectfully. We were told that because we picked up the items before the sale stickers were placed, we would have to pay full price. In the end, we chose not to purchase the kimbap at all, at either price. Realistically, the full priced kimbap we put back would have had to be marked down anyway, since identical items sitting next to sale priced ones are unlikely to sell at full price. This made the rigid stance feel unnecessary on top of being poorly handled. Policies are one thing. Publicly speaking about customers in a mocking or judgmental way is another. We left feeling genuinely disrespected, and it completely overshadowed what should have been a simple shopping experience. Customer service should involve basic courtesy and professionalism. Unfortunately, that was lacking here. read more

This is another favorite store of mine. Whenever I want international groceries, I definitely like coming to Lotte as opposed to hmart and Grand Mart. But the prices are pretty steady. The thing I like about it the most are they are always clean, well stocked and rotting produce is always removed like clockwork. Staff are also pretty knowledgeable. I also especially enjoy the fish market where everything is clean and prepped. I don't get a ton of attitude from the fish butchers which is always a welcome relief. Plenty of free parking. Service station is easy to work with. They even have a cafe if you want to dine. I've never tried it myself. If you're looking for international food at a reasonable price then I think this is your jam read more

This Lotte supermarket is located off of Muddy Branch, and their food court is pretty popular with the locals. In terms of groceries, they have your usual - produce, imported items, meats/seafood, and snacks. There are some deals that happen from time to time, but prices seem pretty comparable to other markets. Plenty of parking in the large plaza lot. +popular food court located inside read more

Lotte Plaza - International Grocery Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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This is for the food court. Love the business on the left when one first enters the eating area. The owner is so lovely and always smiling. Love the kimbap - lots of filling, not too much rice. My kids clamor to go there. The A1 clam noodles is also delish. I think the noodles are made in house? Not sure but seems like it. The flavor is Will have to take a picture next time. It's quiet and usually there are plenty of tables. Water and cups available for customers. read more

I love Lotte, because they always have what I'm looking for, when it comes to meat and spices. This is one the few places where you can get ox tail for cheap. Come during the week when it isn't so busy. They carry herbs for a bargain, than what you would get at a chain super market. They carry a lot of fruits that you won't see at Giant or Safeway. They carry tons of different types of ramen, and Seaweed wraps. In the front of the store they have restaurants worth checking out. Seafood department is very clean and organized. You'll get a good deal on fish or lobstah! read more

They had a recent small food court put in the front. I ordered the Korean beef rib soup and black bean noodles. The meals came with sides of kimchi and pickles. It was absolutely delicious. They also have a sushi stand that looks pretty fresh and tasty. I love that you can have lunch right after food shopping! The food court also provided super delicious filtered water. I cannot stand Maryland's tap water taste. read more

Lotte Plaza - New food court! - International Grocery Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

We visit Lotte every few months to pick up some treats, and have recently noticed a nice refresh of the store, to include an expanded in-store cafeteria offering. We ordered from 2 outlets - from one we got kimchi Kimbao and hot stone Bibimbap and from the other we got Korean Fried Chicken and a side of rice. Both orders came with little extras, but i particularly liked the chicken. It was fresh and crisp, served with japchae on the side. We ordered a medium spicy sauce that was entirely devoid of spice but was tasty, and a soy ginger sauce that was also very good. The kimbap was just okay and the Bibimbap was an overall generous serving, but lacked enough meat and was not exceptionally flavorful. It would have benefited from yum yum sauce. The quality of all of the food was good, but it was a bit pricey. The store itself is clean and well-stocked. The vegetables, previously a little iffy in quality, seem yo have improved over time. There is a wide selection of food from various countries and regions of the world. There is always something new to try at this store. We always enjoy a visit. read more

Lotte Plaza - Bibimbap - International Grocery Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Do you know how many different types of soy sauce there are? I didn't and to tell the truth I was surprised. So, where do you go to find a wide selection of soy sauces? I discovered a huge wall of soy sauces, when I was shopping at Lotte Market. I went into the store for Korean fried chicken and wandered around for 15 minutes, waiting for my wings. I loved the fresh seafood section. They literally have fish swimming in tanks that you can pick out and buy. That is unbelievably fresh. They have a large selection of hard to find fruits, such as dragon fruit and jack fruit. Note to myself, I need to find out how to choose a ripe jack fruit? The meat selection was well stocked and the meat looked good. Next time, I am there I want to buy short ribs. They looked great! I can't speak to the prices, but I definitely enjoyed the variety of products. So, next time I make my fried rice, that uses 3 types of soy sauce, I know where to go to find them in stock. And, I can get wings and sushi on my way out. A win- win for Lotte Market. read more

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Best sushi platter we love them so fresh! If you haven't try I'm highly recommended great for takeout for party or birthday dinner !

To be honest: This is the closest Asian grocer to me. And continuing with honesty: This is the closest I've ever lived to an Asian grocer... so I think that definitely colors my review a little bit. And more honest truths: The fact that Aery, the Korean food stand that also sells pretty legit sushi is in there, also gives it more points in my head. But I can say without a doubt that I've picked up numerous items from this Lotte and have been pretty darn pleased. Most recently I decided to pick up some eggplant, king oyster mushrooms, seaweed snacks, and I think a couple of other things I can't remember right now. Their produce selection is reasonably fresh. It's well stocked. And one thing, I took a huge risk and purchased some of their "Sashimi grade" salmon and and used it raw in sushi I was making. It was honestly fresh and I'd probably buy it again. Especially because, and I could be wrong, but I'm assuming that's what Aery uses in their sushi? I also kinda love that little hot bar/refrigerated section with prepared Korean foods in the produce section. You can get some D-licious kimchi jeon pancakes for a really good price. Also they have a number of different ban chan, kimbap, and soups - all ready to go. If you asked me what my "favorite" Asian grocer was that was close to me - I'd probably reply with 99 Ranch. And that's just because it's a bit of a bigger store, I can find some more produce I want there, and the selection of stuff to put in hot pot is serious with a capital cereal. But... if I need to pick up some quick easy to find items, or some ready made Korean cuisine, or even some just general produce - Lotte has usually has got it. I can't fault this little guy. I mean... I can see me shopping here for years to come. read more

Wide selection of Asian food and fresh fish! Lotte is similar to Hmart or a Korean grocery store. They have Asian pears, seaweed salad, salmon bones, and so much more! There's a whole parking lot as well dedicated to Lotte. When you enter Lotte, on your right hand side, you will see Aery, which offers fried dumplings, variety of Korean soups, and Korean fried chicken! I ordered their Korean fried chicken, which was scrupulous. They also offer sushi at a great discounted price compared to restaurants or even Harris Teeter sushi. If you miss cooking Asian food, I highly recommend checking out this place! You could pretty much find anything you need to cook a delicious Korean meal. read more

I have now been to three Lotte locations in the area. This was my first time at this Gaithersburg Lotte. It is not exactly close nor is it exactly far from home. The one closer to me is also nice but this location is the largest. It is also nice and bright. The one in Wheaton is often crowded and small in comparison. Parking at Wheaton is also not the best. The parking here is pretty good. The first thing I saw when I entered were three mannequins. That did stop me in my tracks. So it looks like they sell items other than food products. Not spending any more time looking at these products, I went onward to the fruit and vegetables which were placed at the entrance as any other store. I thought the day that I went, there was a good selection of vegetables on sale. I will always buy my vegetables from an Asian grocery store. They have the vegetables that I remember eating as a child. They are the vegetables that my grandmother grew in the garden. Prices always seem better in an Asian market too. I also picked up three large honey crisp apples that were only $1.79 per pound. I love the prepared foods section. I personally prefer the fresh store made kimchi over the jarred kimchi. I also like to get the fish cakes, sprouts, and radish from this section. They're great additions to a salad. They have a dine in option with Aery. (Separate review). I have to admit that I have never tried eating in a grocery store. That would be any grocery store. Stores are always cold because of the produce and meat so I never feel comfortable sitting down to eat. I do think I will try Aery if the occasion comes up. They have hot soups and other dishes. I like the fact that they use actual plates and bowls. They also do sushi party platters so that's also something that would be useful in the future. I finished up my shopping with a few sauces that I needed. I ended up finding YumYum sauce but not mirin which was what I really needed. I then got a family pack of thinly sliced pork butt for ramen dishes. A nice store that I wish was closer but will definitely be shopping here when I'm in the area. read more

I bought one honeydew but got charged for two. I called and was asked to go back in person with the receipt so they can check the camera! All they needed was the invoice number but they refused to take it on the phone. Anyway, I am not going back for a $2.99 refund but it's not right to just ignore it either. So my invoice number is 00141726 the Lotte management please go check and don't overcharged other people please! read more

Lotte Plaza - International Grocery Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Haven't been to this Lotte before but it seems a lot cleaner and brighter than the one in Rockville. The produce was fresh and I checked out quickly. Not as big as 99 Ranch (still my favorite), but would come here in a crunch if I needed to pickup something. read more

Lotte is great! Grand Mart was bought out by Lotte and for the most part, they layout of the store is the same, which is great. Unsure if it's jut me, but I think the store now offers more Oriental snack foods. Lots of different types of Ramen :) Lotte also sells halal chicken and goat! It's well-priced :). read more

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The last three times I've been here I left my cart full of groceries at the front of the store because the line is all the way down the isle and only one lane open. The prices are great in certain items but I'm not donating 40 minutes of my time to pay. And seriously, hire someone to put the carts away. I couldn't even get in the door without moving 6 carts because there were 50+ carts on the sidewalk in front of the store. The checkers are great. Friendly, fast, never mess up. The management is a bunch of lazy a-holes. read more

Easy to navigate, products are labeled appropriately. People were friendly and helpful from the floor to the check out. Nice place.

Easy process getting food, they're very generous with the portions and it always tastes good! ( I'm not gonna lie I personally have only had the bulgogi but the quality is always perfect ) read more

I love this super market! My family and I have been coming here for years now, when it was called Grandmart. They carry a wide variety of fruits and vegetables at a reasonable prices. Recently I have noticed that they've added new products from different countries such as Iran, India, El Salvador and of course other Asian countries. I was very surprised to see Iranian products, from the Sadaf company here. It's always an adventure going here because there are so many different types of new goodies to try. Be aware though, it always smells like a fish market since they sell fresh fish towards the back of the store. read more

Lotte Plaza - International Grocery Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

I stopped in because I was taking home some lechon from Matthew's next door, and wanted some Mang Tomas sauce to go with it. I didn't find it, nor the preserved black beans that are the umami rich secret ingredient in several Cantonese dishes. Good selection of vegetables, pretty standard prices. The fish section was small than most Asian markets, and had been covered up for the night (I came in about 9 PM) leaving me pondering Godfather references.The one point where they out do other international markets is the food court, with an interesting selection and a bakery counter. Had I not just eaten a big dinner I would have been very tempted. So balancing that with the missing exotic ingredients, I gotta go with A-OK, read more

Had their Jjajangmyeong for the first time. The worst I have ever had in my life! Unfriendly lady, unkempt place. I do not recommend this hole in the hell to anyone. read more

Lotte Plaza - The sauce over the noodles was not prepared afresh. The potato/onion bits in the sauces were mushy/soggy. - International Grocery Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Lotte seems like more of an upscale Asian grocer than others in the area which has it good points and bad points. It is clean and the isles have room and the produce section is quite large with lots of fruits and veggies. The have a Spanish good section here as well. read more

Lotte Plaza - International Grocery Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

I like this place, but i mainly come to Ichiban Mikoshi Sushi inside the store. Always has a super fresh selection, friendly customer service, and today it has **SHIRLEY TEMPLE SLUSHIES** which is one of those things I didn't know I needed read more

Seriously...Can you find persimmon, jack fruit, sumo fruit, dragon fruit, whole banana leaf, jujube, sugar cane, whole aloe plant leaves and ten different types of pears in Whole Foods? No! Granted this is no organic paradise, and some fruits have suspicious holes. It is a chefs oasis! I'm a self proclaimed "home chef" and many of the exotic ingredients from around the world can be found right here in our backyard. You have to really pick through the produce though. Sometimes I've seen moldy produce mixed in with fresher looking produce but I've never gotten sick. I've always been wary of venomous spiders hitching rides via foreign produce! I'm not a fan of the seafood department though. It doesn't look sanitary and the "live" tilapia look like "the swimming dead." Very distressed. read more

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Huge Indian grocery selection, fresh food with cheap rates!! what else one can ask for :) This is by war my Favorite LOTTE plaza. Its new compared to the one in Ellicot city but the distinct fact about this one ( that is alluring for me) is its huge selection of Indian stuff including snacks, frozen ready to eat stuff, frozen vegetables, fresh vegetables and perishable stuff from local vendors like dosa batter, chilli lime pickle etc. The perk it offers compared to other Indian stores in the area is its huge selection of item and very cheap pricing. It literally put the other indian Bazar store out of the business because of fairly low pricing. I love the buying fresh fruits from here because of the huge variety and freshness of fruits. There is huge array of checkout lines so the waiting time is almost nill. They do charge for plastic bags, so carry your bags if you can. read more

Another location of Lotte Plaza in the area, a bit smaller than the store in Germantown but shorter drive for me! The selection is limited compared to the Germantown store but we were able to get most of the things we were looking for. Maybe they will add more Indian grocery items in the future, or else we will have to depend on the Germantown store for inventory restocking trip. read more

How do you really review a grocery store? After all, after Grand Mart's closing, I assumed (I'm sure like many people) that this place would sit largely vacant for a long time. I was pleasantly surprised that they opened to a Lotte so quickly. I like this place simply because it is closer to home than going to Germantown or Wheaton and has a pretty pretty extensive array of every Asian and Latin American cuisine available. Dry foods that are harder to find in most American grocery stores is great here (nice assortment, though it may not be wholly complete if you are looking for only one ethnicity). Produce is good (for now). I also bought shrimp here and although they didn't look too bad, the price was pretty steep ($8.99/lb for super small shrimp); you can go to other (H Mart & Great Wall) and their about $8.99/lb but for jumbo shrimp, on most days. It's only been open for a couple of months, so we'll see.... read more

The only good thing about this store is the wide variety of food options. The employees have very poor customer service skills. If I wasn't an ICU nurse I would not understand. However the employees have serious mental health issues. I brought red snapper today. I ask the employe if he could clean the fish. He cleaned the fish. Then threw the bag of fish on top of the other fish placed on ice. Then he yelled get the fish. If you go don't expect to be treated with dignity and respect. read more

I only come here when I am near by just need a few nonperishable items. It has decent selection for rice, Asian noodles and snacks. It is hard for me to find fruits, vegetables or meat fresh enough to buy. I have never seem very fresh sea food. And the whole sea food area smells. read more

I thought Hmart would be the best Korean grocer in town, but we were informed of Lotte and decided to stop by. The variety of produce and fruit selection is bigger and so much fresher too! I saw a lot of molded ones amongst them at the over place, but it was all great here. I love that they have a food court (which I will leave a separate review for) and dduk place! They also have lots of instant, already-made packaged foods to take on the go. They have HUGE bento lunch boxes for only $4.99! Such a steal. And it's tasty too! A lot more pre-packaged side dishes to buy too. The ones at Hmart seemed more for bibimbap. We were in a rush so I didn't have time to explore the entire store. We stayed mainly in the produce/food court area. The workers who give out sample are so friendly. They were in love with my daughter and she loved the attention they gave her. Definitely made the grocery experience more fun & memorable for her. I'll definitely be choosing Lotte from now on! read more

This particular LOTTE plaza I actually enjoy coming to! It is not as huge as the one in Chantilly, but still gets the job done. It is VERY new (about a year) and has a huge aisle of Indian stuff that is amazing! They also carry some perishable Indian stuff from local retailers like Dosa Batter etc. The check out lines are plentiful (mercy) and the staff is usually helpful AND actually understand what I am inquiring about. The place is very close to where my aunt lives, so every time I visit her, I am able to make a quick round of this place. Oh and not to mention - this place is SUPER cheap! I mean - I love that! read more

Came here for disposable chopsticks and Korean ramen. They have the biggest selection of Korean groceries in the area. I'll be back for more gut-busting ramen. read more

Lotte Plaza - They sell Samyang ramen! Win! - International Grocery Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

I love the fact that they have live crabs in the summer for $3.99 per pound. I wish they were available everyday instead of a few times per week. This is also my go to when I'm trying to prepare an international dish and need ingredients I can't find in the regular grocery store. read more

DON'T SHOP HERE--POOR SERVICE AND COVID UNSAFE.. This place has gone seriously downhill. I used to shop here all the time because of the produce and fish variety, but the last few experiences have been so disturbing that I will not shop here again. Many other ethnic stores in the area are now better options. Last week, on a busy afternoon, they had only 2 checkouts open, with people lining up in the aisles to pay all the way back to the seafood area. A few people were trying to go to the customer service counter to ask the manager to open more checkouts, but they couldn't find anyone. One lady asked an employee that she finally found who said she couldn't do anything about it, and that there was no manager on duty. What kind of a large grocery store is run on a busy afternoon without a manager on duty? Under the current covid conditions, it was difficult and scary for people because they were getting congested in the aisles with their carts waiting to pay while other shoppers were trying to squeeze into shop in the same aisles. There were employees stocking the aisles at the same time, with their masks below their noses, and no interest in helping customers. This is a store that takes zero covid protections. There are no hand sanitizers anywhere, and people are constantly packed in the store. After all that waiting in the aisle I came home with a couple of large containers of yogurt that sill had a month left for expiration, but when I opened them, the yogurt had gone bad. Clearly, somewhere it didn't get refrigerated or deal with properly. I took them back to the store and they would not take them back for refund or exchange. Really poor service. I just see no reason to shop here anymore to get poor service, bad products and unsafe environment. There are many other better options. read more

Huge and clean. Any Asian produce or Latin American pantry items you need. Tons of fish. Tons of produce. Aisles and aisles of sauces, noodles, seasonings, and more. read more

Lotte Plaza - International Grocery Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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Before reading these reviews and visiting Lotte, I thought to myself "wow, this is so much like Grand Mart!" welp, it makes sense now that it used to be one before they were bought out. Lotte is alright. It's a typical Korean owned grocery store and while it does carry other Asian goodies, it doesn't carry everything I need. The store is decent, it's not super clean but not super dirty. The produce isn't very fresh. A lot of bad produce hanging around. The customer service is okay. Prices are standard. Parking is easy. I would rather venture out to Germantown to their new Great Wall market that carries more Japanese, Chinese and Filipino goodies. read more

If you've gotta go to this mart, go to its store in Germantown - it's worth the drive. The selection here is never consistent. read more

According to a recent Barkley report on millennials, we like places with energy and whatever magical elements that make us feel special, which does not apply to this place. Anyway, I come here when I don't feel like making a 15 minute drive to more preferred Asian markets in Rockville. The produce selection is meh, freshness is meh, basically still poopy Grand Mart but now Lotte. I sifted through a ton of janky, wrinkly jalapeños to find some acceptable ones that would measure up to the aesthetic standards of my fellow millennial friends. I must say these jalapeños are sufficiently spicy as my fingers continue to burn despite having cut these spicy green fuckers 6+ hours ago. If you must know, the bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers were a hit! Parking lot is okay, no shopping carts roaming here and the now-diverted fobby Asian customer base means I don't have to worry about my car being dinged. Silver lining-- found it! read more

Humongous selection of just about any ethnic food or produce you could want. Like there are probably 20 things in the produce dept with no english names that would be worthy of their own Iron Chef episodes. They don't have much organic produce, but they have an excellent selection of mushrooms, which I am a big fan of. A good selection of Mexican, Chinese, and Korean foods isn't that unusual around here (the old Grandmart had that.) What is mind boggling is their huge selection of Indian foods as well as their ultra low (like put smaller Indian Grocery stores out of business) prices. Limca soda? Pani Puri? Frozen Paneer? Are you kidding me? I have a friend who is deathly allergic to peanuts and gets sick when he has gluten. Lo and behold I found a Chinese delicacy: a jar of fried gluten with peanuts, I *almost* bought it for him as a gag gift. read more