A Guide to the East Bay's Newest Sensation: H Mart
- Piece of Cake Staff
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Written by Teresa Ayala Leon
After a years-long wait, the East Bay’s first H Mart location opened on March 26, 2026, in Dublin, California. I visited the store the first weekend since its opening and can bear witness to the long lines that formed. As you enter, the aroma of roasted Korean sweet potatoes fills the air, and the colorful produce section stands before you.
The Korean supermarket offers a wide variety of fresh produce, Korean household staples, marinated meats, and much more. The seafood variety is immense, with tanks holding king crabs to fridges full of fresh sashimi.
Plenty of grocery store items have been trending on social media, drawing new customers to the store. While there is so much the new grocery store has to offer, here is a guide to a couple of items you don’t want to miss.
Must-try Snacks
The wide variety of snack offerings can get difficult to navigate, but here are a couple of items you do not want to miss.
1. Turtle Chips:
If you are someone who enjoys texture and crunch, these chips are the perfect snack. I recommend the choco churro flavor, which starts with a cinnamon flavor crunch, then melts into chocolatey goodness as you bite.
2. Honey Butter Chips
If you are a fan of sweet and salty snacks, these honey butter chips are for you. They are thin and crispy and covered with an addictive, smooth, and sweet taste. The honey butter flavor is popular in Korea and is unlike the usual chip flavor options in the U.S. You can even find other honey butter-flavored snacks at H Mart, such as honey butter almonds that are just as addictive.
3. Roasted Sweet Potato
For a healthier, yet delicious snack option, H Mart makes them fresh sweet potatoes. You will find a small cart with paper bags holding the warm, sweet potatoes. Roasted sweet potatoes are a common snack in Korea that are perfect for on-the-go. They are sweet, creamy, and filling.
Viral Social Media Picks:
1. Korean Juice Pouches
If you have come across Korean TikTok videos, it is likely you have seen the convenience store runs. The content creators choose a drink pouch to drink from and get a plastic ice cup to pour the drink into. You can hop on the trend by choosing from H Mart’s drink pouch options. They carry everything from fruit juices to lattes. Choose your juice option, then pick up your ice–filled plastic cups to make a refreshing drink.
2. Fruit-shaped Ice Cream Bars
These viral ice cream bars have taken over social media with people uploading videos of them doing taste tests on flavors such as mango, strawberry, lychee, and peach. Each bar is shaped like the fruit and delicately packaged to preserve its form. The exterior is a thin and crisp white chocolate shell that cracks into the smooth, fruity ice cream center. These sell out quickly, so make sure to grab them from the freezer section before they are all out.
Food Hall Bites You Need To Try
After you’re done with the shopping and are hungry, look no further than the in-store food hall. The vast selection of classic Korean dishes and trendy creations makes for the perfect meal after grocery shopping.
1. Oh, K-Dog & Egg Toast
This spot shop in the food hall draws lots of customers to try the freshly made Korean corn dogs. You can select from the menu’s different corn dog variations that suit everyone’s taste. Korean corn dog batter is typically made out of yeast, which makes for a thick and fluffy exterior. Before frying, the corn dog is coated in bread crumbs to create an incredibly crispy bite. I recommend the half-cheese, half-hot-dog corn dog with potatoes. The interior is made up of stretchy, warm mozzarella cheese that creates a perfect cheese pull, and the exterior has soft, yet crispy pieces of potato. Top with ketchup and mustard to make the perfect bite.
2. Chodang Tofu & BBQ
H Mart food hall also has Korean classics such as tofu stew, bibimbap, and bulgogi. Tofu stew is spicy, hearty, and perfect for a cold day. You can choose from any of the tofu stew options with seafood, beef, and more. Each tray is accompanied by a variety of Korean side dishes to complement the meal.
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