Crying in HMart? Impossible in STL given that there isn't one here (@HMart I am begging you to open here), but World Market or Cho Quoc Te is a close alternative. Vietnamese/Asian supermarkets are very nostalgic to me from being the number one childhood activity with my mother, and World Market did not disappoint. Every bit of it screamed home to me, from the lingering smell of raw fish and plethora of seasonings to the 7356495 brands for the same jarred goods to the overfilled carts of every mom's meal prep for a family of 4+ for an entire week.
The grocery store itself is about smaller to medium-sized and produce seemed okay. What was really fantastic about it was that it had a lot of other businesses incorporated inside of it -- a pharmacy, to-go food on the ready, a dessert bar, etc. I especially loved the premade meals, and they had great variety. Some notable mentions from picking up an assortment of things -- the pandan soymilk was solid; the che khoai mon (taro pudding) was good; the che banh lot (pandan and coconut milk starch pudding) was also good, and I appreciated that it was just banh lot with no extra accouterments; the pate chaud was surprisingly really good (not too peppery or salty, just perfectly buttery and flakey with the right amount of flavor).
In addition to not having to hit triple digits for a small grocery run (which seems to be the case everywhere else), it was really nice having so many things available. I'll definitely be back here more often to try more of their premade dishes and for the serotonin. read more