After living in small and/or less culturally diverse cities, I was in heaven to discover such a huge number of Asian grocery stores in the DC metro area. After checking out the different ones in a 20 mile radius of my apartment, my favorite is Hmart, a chain of Korean grocery stores. Most of the big Asian markets around here are Korean, but I’m not sure why. (Cool maps on Asian American population in the US from the 2010 census.) I was wore my Samsung Galaxy Gear Smart Watch this weekend and took a photo walk through H-mart as I stocked up on my Vietnamese pantry essentials.
I’ve been using the Samsung Galaxy Gear for over a week and only realized that it takes square photos! Perfect for Instagram. The Galaxy Gear syncs up with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (which I’m currently testing for review as well) via bluetooth. So as soon as I take a photo with my watch, it sends the photo straight to the phone.
Also makes perfect sense since the watch face is square. The first we saw when we walked in were the huge box of rambutan, a red fruit with soft spikes. We bought 5 to try. It’s white inside and the flesh is actually very meaty with a soft seed/nut/pit in the middle.
Next is a childhood favorite of mine: longan. In Louisiana it was hard to find fresh so my mother would buy some whenever she found it. Otherwise we ate canned longan. I think it might have been one of her favorite childhood fruits too. The flesh inside is also white, but it’s not as thick or dense as rambutans. I remember saving the shiny, dark brown longan pits (seeds? nuts?) to play games with.
As I went around the perimeter of Hmart to make sure we hit all the sample stations, I stopped at a huge display of chips. I grabbed a bag of the sweet potato with sesame chips (purple bag) while the kids chose the shrimp flavored chips (red bag in the back). I had completely missed the fact that the sweet potato chips were sweet even though there’s a picture of the honey dipper on it. I was expecting savory chips. The shrimp chips, however, were delicious. I grew up eating super salty, super crunchy shrimp chips shaped like french friends. The Korean version as 10 times better. if you combined one sweet potato and one shrimp chip, it was the perfect blend of sweet and savory. A party in your mouth.
I’ve spotted these Kikiriki Drumstix before but have been afraid to try them. After reading Junk Food Guy’s review, I will have to pick up a box on my next visit t Hmart. He says they taste like the skin off fried chicken. That sounds like junk food heaven. It comes in original and chili lime flavors. Turns out you can even order Kikiriki Drumstix from Amazon (affiliate link)! If you decide to try some, let me know how you like them.
The crazy graphic design on these Cheetos caught my attention. The Cheetos Cheetah will kick your butt! Or maybe the Korean flavors will. The green bag is Peppers & Garlic Cheetos and the orange bag is Korean BBQ flavored Cheetos. At $3 a bag, I wasn’t ready to experiment. I did some research and there’s even Bulgogi flavored Cheetos. None of these Asian flavored snacks freak me out. I grew up eating squid jerky, shrimp chips and other snacks my classmates would have ostracized me for had they’d seen them. Squid jerky is perfect bar food!
I did manage to stock up on a regular groceries while I was in Hmart, not just junk food. I let the kids choose a junk food and they went with the classic chocolate Pocky. I think it was a wise choice. Can’t go wrong with Pocky.
Wearing the Samsung Smart Watch made it easier to to take photos since I didn’t have to pull my phone out every time I saw something interesting. It takes some practice to aim the camera properly since it’s on my wrist. The lady giving samples of chicken curry admired my watch and told me she wanted one! So while it’s not that popular, people recognize it.
So that’s my photo walk through Hmart, my favorite Korean grocery store. I should do more photo walks in places I shop at but I have a feeling that Targets look the same everywhere.
I really wasn’t sure how often I’d use the Samsung Galaxy Gear but once I got used to how big the face of it is, I didn’t mind it so much. I used to call my husband while driving (hands free talking!). I especially love the camera on it. At $300, the price is a bit steep. I would definite wait for a smaller, more budget friendly model that works with my Galaxy S4 phone.
Would you try out any of the foods pictured?
AT&T loaned me the Samsung Galaxy Gear and the Samsung Note 3 to review. All opinions are my own.
I LOVE H-Mart. So much there to see and enjoy. Yes a great place to take photos