Need a Korean market - desperately!

[margareteats]

Hey -

So I just moved to the Boston suburbs, and I'm going through Korean grocery store (and deli, and bagel, BTW) withdrawal. Can anyone help? I'm in Lexington, so something in Middlesex County would be best - Arlington, Somerville . . .

[dchow]

in addition to the reliable market, i also really like the village food mart in brookline village, though it might be a little out of your way. good frozen dumplings and delicious prepared foods in the back of the store.

[ellstah]

I have to second (or is it third?) the Reliable Market in Union Square, Somerville. All my friends who are Korean-American get the stuff they need to make Korean food there...I don't think you're ever going to find NY bagels anywhere around here though...MA isn't very , uh, bagel-oriented. haha

[tcnoble]

For Korean, Reliable Market in Union Square is the place to go.

Also (to add something new, and therefore worthwhile to this topic), if you ever find yourself in Newton Center, Rosenfeld's Bagels at Union and Center streets is fantastic.

There's a Bruegger's Bagels Bakery at 413 Waltham St., Lexington 781-674-2040. They're pretty good, especially if you get them fresh. I used to live in Albany, NY, and this chain had many locations around that town. They claim that they make their bagels in the traditional NY style, but you can be the judge of that :-).

http://www.brueggers.com/bagels.html

BTW, Welcome to New England!

[DavisSquare]

You're pretty much out of luck on the bagel front. We fill the freezer whenever someone visits from New York or Montreal. Have a look here: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/334678

Delis are a little better. The search isn't working just now, but you can start here: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/308749
If you're looking for a Korean Deli, then you're from New York, and you're totally out of luck.

[margareteats]

Hmm - I must have missed a comma or something - I AM from NY but I just wanted a regular deli and a regular bagel place. Toto, I guess I'm not in NY anymore.

Thanks, everyone, for the suggestions. Reliable Market - here I come!

[DavisSquare]

Ok, so I'm going to retract the bagel part of this post. Once you get over the fact that it's not a New York bagel, the ones from Iggy's are pretty good, at least when they're fresh from the bakery. They are much closer to Montreal style: more well-done on the outside, and flatter and more torus-like with a higher hole:bagel ratio. The inside is a bit more bready than a true Montreal bagel, but that's not such a bad thing. Not as good as our supply from Montreal, but still totally acceptable and (tanks gut) not in need of toasting.

[DavisSquare]

Just adding a place link. You ought to be able to add one when you edit a post...

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Iggy's
130 Fawcett St, Cambridge, MA

[youngho]

Hmm. My parents report that Reliable is likely to be your best bet overall. There is a small Korean grocery place named Hanarum on Mass Ave in North Cambridge near Qingdao Garden. Also, there's a place in Ayer that tends to have good prices on meat, like oxtail and kalbi, but that's probably about 40 minutes away for you.

Can't help you on Korean delis and bagels. I didn't know that there were such things. I'm still waiting to try Korean fried chicken. If you like Jewish bagels, I might consider Kupel's near Coolidge Corner. Iggy's in Watertown also make pretty good bagels (Whole Foods often carries them). I never tried Einstein's in Lexington proper.

If New Jangsu Kalbi is still in business, then you might make a litle eating-and-shopping trip out of the China Merchandise place. I've never been inside.

Young-Ho

[tmab]

hey youngho, could you post more info on the place in ayer with oxtail and kalbi? is it a meat market, korean market, or asian market? do you have a name or location? thanks!

[youngho]

I've never been to Chung Ge Oriental Market on 210 W Main St, Ayer MA, but my understanding is that it's an Asian market with a good Korean meat selection. While you're in Ayer, it's worth stopping and eating at Woo Jung on 174 W Main St.

However, my parents said that the kalbi at Dae Han in Waltham is really quite good and reasonably priced, so you might save on gas and time. They do have a slightly outdated website at www.hamssi.com.

Hope this helps,

Young-Ho

[C. Hamster]

The Super 88 stores carry Korean stuff at their other locations, so the Malden store should probably be no different.

[pastrytroll]

I don't get there often, but I love the homemade green onion kim chi I got at Dae Han Oriental Market in Waltham. I think it's about half a block off Main St./rt. 20

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Dae Han Oriental Market
34 Elm St, Waltham, MA

[galleygirl]

Oh yes, I discovered that place last month; it seemed like it had just opened...They had small containers of that marinated , peppered raw skate, too. It was so good, i wished i had bought more than one!

[youngho]

Just wanted to add that my parents really like this place, too. Apparently they have good homemade kimchi, although my parents make their own. They also have a great meat section. You could make a side trip to Russo's while you're at it.

[galleygirl]

It looked great, but they only sold it in something like gallon jars, and it was too much kimchee for one non-Korean to go thru that quickly!

[gini]

Reliable Market in Union Square, Somerville.

[raddoc]

Do a board search for "asian Markets" and you'll find lots. Also:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/439232, and
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/415336
From lexington, I'd bet that China Merchandise, up 128N to Rt 3A North, in Burlington - go up the hill and on the right, must have some Korean stuff.

[peregrine]

I'll confirm that China Merch. has a Korean section. It's opposite the highschool football field, in the back corner of an L, not visible from the road outbound. You'll see a building called Metro - turn right into that parking lot. Definitely the handiest to Lex., and pan-Asian and Indian as well.

[StriperGuy]

Reliable is far and away best Korean market in the area. The humongous Kam Man in quincy does pretty well too.

Super88 and the other local asian markets all have acceptable amounts of Korean fair.