H Mart Houston Bellaire — Attraction in Houston

This review is based solely on my experience and personal opinion.

We went to H-Mart on Tuesday, 10/5/21. we are regular customers and I was waiting for this whole Covid pandemic to be gone to write a review so that it would be more accurate.

We do Love H-Mart and we go there at least once a week, which means I know the store very well and I know the staff just as well. They do have EVERYTHING that an Asian supermarket should have, you just have to find it. They have so much stuff that not even the workers know where to find specific products. Every time it feels like a small adventure, every time we discover something new we did not see the time before. From a food-knowledge point of view we grew alot by coming here. Know I know food that Ignored the existence of for half of my life. Awesome! but I'll be more specific in the following description:

THE PRODUCE DEPARTMENT: well stocked and with plenty of choice. The overall feeling is of a department displaying and selling quality produce, fresh and selected. they have ORGANIC produce available if you fancy buying that. You will find a 60 of produce that is Asian style and a 40% of produce that is western style. Many weird-looking fruit and vegetable to discover and acknowledge.

THE MEAT DEPARTMENT: well stocked and with plenty of choice. Especially if you are looking for delicious marinated meat. Alot of pork meat, chicken, beef and other types of meat.

THE SEAFOOD DEPARTMENT: probably their strong side... their seafood department is a a mind trip. You really do feel like you are in one the many fish markets in Bangkok... just amazing. They have live freshwater fish in large blue tanks, live mollusks and crustaceous in tanks and plastic crates and a wide range of fresh/frozen seafood. PLENTY of choice!

THE SUSHI SECTION: They have a small restaurant inside the store, that we found out 1 year later, lol. They have a big selection of Fresh Sushi and many other cooked meals, cooked warm food. you can sit down and enjoy the delicious food they make. we like their Sushi. especially the fresh sashimi trays. Just do not go to the Restaurant after 7pm as you wont find much.

THE BEER and WINE SECTION: They have a small selection of Wine and beer, just the essential for a sophisticated dinner.

THE BEVERAGES DEPARTMENT: They have a big beverage section well stocked, with many Asian style drinks.

THE HEALTH and BEAUTY SECTION: The store itself does not have much, but inside there are two small shops where you can definitely find that.

PHARMACY: The store has a TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE pharmacy, but you have to know what you are looking for as they have no clue.

THE BACKERY DEPARTMENT: The store itself does not carry western style bakery products but inside there is a small bakery shop /Coffee shop where you can buy amazingly delicious bakery products and cakes, and a cappuccino if you fancy that.

THE FROZEN PRODUCTS DEPARTMENT: well stocked and with plenty of choice, especially Asian style products.

THE KITCHEN SECTION: They have quite a few isles filled with kitchen products that you can explore and enjoy.

THE FRONT END AND CASHIERS: mostly Asian, cashiers speak little English, they do not smile or welcome you, but they are kind and say thank you when you pay.

THE CURBSIDE and DELIVERY SECTION: They do not have Curbside service and they do not offer delivery service.

STAFF: mostly Latinos, they are kind and friendly, but often they do not know where products are. associates you see in the isles do not really interact much and won't understand you.

CLEALINESS: always clean and neat/tidy. You won't find a single messy isle.

PLACE: The store is big, modern look, well organized and easy to navigate. they have a big parking lot with 24/7 security. they have plenty of shopping carts, both small and big.

LOCATION: Chinatown district, west-Houston.

PRICES: They are more expensive than the other Asian markets around Chinatown, but the quality of their products is also higher than the competitors.

CONCLUSION: We love H-MART!...

UPDATE: I've been back and updated my fried shrimp fried rice skills. Check out the pictures! Hmart is number one for authentic Asian food supplies you can't get anywhere else except onlime. No wait for delivery here. Sometimes, you want the gritty and disheveled ethnic market steeped with the tradition and culture of the people who present it. Other times you want something a bit more polished with a larger selection and up to date options. HMart is both...minus the gritty disheveled feel. Clean, bright and polished this market has it all. With several locations within or close to large Asian communities, my favorite is the one off W Sam Houston on Bellaire. Curtious staff present a wide selection of fresh and frozen food associated with numerous Asian cultures. You may find prime rib or pork belly in other stores in Houston but you won't find it I the array of widths and thicknesses for hot pot or table top barbeque as at HM. The produce is mind boggling. I not only found bok choy but 5 different types and sizes along with other hard to find ethnic vegetables. Incredible spice selection as well as seasoning mixes for those who aren't quite at from scratch or just don't feel like it's a cooking adventure that deep. Great seafood with items not found anywhere else in Houston. Do note rare items such as certain clams may not always be in stock. If you are a fan of spicey noodles HMart carries more than your average assortment. You will find an entire wall of different types of noodles many with more than the generic boullion packs but multiple packs of oils, sauces and seasoning per each pack. Pot stickers and dumplings... I have not purchased the grocery store prepared dumplings nor desired to order them in a restaurant since finding HM. Vegetable, pork, chicken, shrimp or beef dumplings also have their own section. Want to go all the way authentic, modern rice cookers to traditional woks and cookware are sold along with tableware and beautiful ethnic eating utincils. The HMart experience is to massive to describe, you have to see it for yourself. When you finish have a treat in the in-store bakery with the best blend of French/Asian pastries you can find. A selection of sweet or savory is offered. Did I mention they have a beauty supply store located inside. You will find full lines of hard to find mid to expensive Korean brands like my favorite Laniege here. The prices are the same or slightly lower than online retailers like Sephora or Ulta plus you pay no shipping if you need one or a lower price item. P.S. do enjoy the large samples, great prices and the incredibly cool 70s R&B that is forever pumping gently through the...

I am super disappointed with my experience at this H Mart today. This is my go to supermarket for fish and seafood, but when I came in today I bought a total of 9 Sea Bass - 5 White Bass and 4 Stripe Bass. I also bought 2 Flounders and 6 Golden Pompano fishes. I also bought some frozen seafood items.

The butcher behind the counter cut the fins off and cut the fish for me. As I took all the fishes I got I saw a man at the next station brushing his teeth in the sinks where fish is washed, cleaned, and cut.

I was sooo disgusted and asked one of the butchers who the man was. I was told he is the owner of the store. I walked away repulsed, but walked back and asked to speak with the him - the owner, the same man who was brushing his teeth in the sinks where fish gets washed, cleaned, and cut.

When he came out I told him I saw him brushing his teeth in the sinks and that I could notify the health department. He quickly apologized.

I walked away with the fish I bought and paid over $250. When I got home I faced another set of disappointment. The fishes I bought all of them smelled so bad - they were all spoiled and discolored. Something I didn’t notice at the time because the butcher bagged the fish in 3 plastic bags.

I think this market was affected by the power outage from the storm this past week. I feel they have more spoiled fish and likely other spoiled refrigerated items and in my opinion they are aware that the fish/other items are spoiled, but they don’t want to take a loss and are putting people’s health at risk.

I plan to return all items I purchased from this H...