Seoul Asian Market — Local services in Lexington

I think this is one of the best markets in town. It is always clean, their produce is fresh, the selection is well thought out & organized, and everything is reasonably priced. I have been to a lot of IFSs (not just in town) and the owners at Seoul have their ordering and rotating down to an art. I have never in my 10+ years shopping seen anything rotting or expired or off or have a sticky unknown substance on the packaging and I used to go basically weekly. Also other stores might be bigger or have more options but this is the only place with everything I need for my average Asian recipes. They are Korea oriented but honestly that's only if you buy like prepackaged foods and stuff. Like at the ingredient level there is a surprising amount of selection from a wide variety of food cultures for such a small space. You can tell they cater to people who cook as well as to people who just want to make some tteok-bokki as fast as possible. They even sometimes have some more hard to find ingredients that other stores don't typically carry like green shiso leaves (they're SO hard to find!), umeboshi, natto, and a great mushroom selection. And these hard to find products are also reasonably priced. Also the owners. They are so nice! It feels good shopping here knowing such a lovely couple own the store. Also they are helpful and knowledgeable if you have a recipe or store stock question. I always have a smile on my face leaving their shop. It makes me happy that there are still privately owned markets like this where when you come in after a long time they remember you and ask...

A large variety of vegetables that are more frequently used in Korea and Japan go for considerably cheaper here than at your normal supermarket. Napa cabbage, for example, runs about $3.50 a head, when the same sized one would cost $12+ at Kroger.

Everything is quite fresh and well priced. In addition to produce, they also provide a wide selection of canned goods, dry foods, prepared foods, Asian spices, rare meats and seafood (though frozen), Asian snacks, Asian candy, and even kitchen utensils and dishes. This has been my go to place for quite some time when needing to cook authentic Korean and Japanese dishes without breaking the bank on the foods.

Only on the odd occasion will you ever walk in and no one is around. This happened only a few times, when the owner and staff were in the back. Otherwise, they are very friendly (if sometimes a little more stoic than you'd expect from a store owner) and give you great value for what you spend.

There is no alcohol sold here, as far as I can tell. If you are looking for soju, plum wine, or sake, sadly you will not...

Lexington is fortunate to have the number of excellent family-owned supermarkets and grocery stores. I go to Seoul Supermarket at least once a week and I always find something tasty to try. They have the highest quality produce in town for your Asian-inspired meals. Their prices are reasonable and they have a huge selection of sauces, snacks, rice, and noodles. You can get sushi grade fish, beverages like Thai iced tea and Calpico, and mochi. The hidden gems are the homemade side dishes and premarinated Bulgogi. Yeah, I said it. The owner and her daughter slice up your beef, marinate it, and package it up. All you have to do is cook it when you get home! Grab a couple side dishes for your banchan, make some rice, and you've got an incredible meal for the family or a few days worthy of individual meals. This market has all the greatest hits of Korean, Japanese, and Thai cuisines so be...