McAllen, TX · W Expwy 83 & Bentsen Asian groceries + a Korean kitchen inside (956) 322-3239
S. Market Asian Groceries & More
First time?

Nobody expects you
to know what any of it is.

Most people who walk in here found Korean food on a screen and have never cooked it. That is the normal customer, not the unusual one. Here is exactly how to have a good first visit.

Five steps

Your first visit.

1

Eat first, shop second

Order one thing from the kitchen. Bibimbap if you want the classic, bulgogi fried rice if you want the crowd favorite. Now you know what you like, and you have stopped guessing.

2

Buy three things, not thirty

Gochujang (the red chili paste), sesame oil, and a bag of short-grain rice. That is a real Korean pantry. Everything else is a variation on those three.

3

Pick a ramen you can actually finish

The famous spicy ones are genuinely hot. If you want the flavor without the pain, ask for the carbonara or cheese version — same brand, a third of the heat.

4

Show us your phone

Screenshot from a video, a name you cannot pronounce, a package you saw once — all of it works. Nobody is judging. Most of our customers found Korean food the same way.

5

Come back for one new thing

The people who love this store did not learn it in one trip. Pick up one unfamiliar item every visit. In two months you will be the friend who knows.

The honest version

The thing stopping you
isn’t the money.

It is standing in an aisle unable to read a label and feeling foolish. We know, because customers tell us. Wasting twelve dollars on a sauce is annoying — feeling lost in a store is what actually keeps people from coming back. So we made asking the easiest thing you can do here.

Before you ask

Common questions.

Do you speak Spanish?

Yes. Ask in whichever language is easier — most of the Valley shops here, and most of our customers are Spanish-speaking.

Do you take EBT?

Yes, we accept SNAP/EBT, plus credit, debit and mobile payments.

Is the kitchen open the same hours as the store?

No — the kitchen closes earlier. Customers report it stops taking orders around 7 PM. Call ahead if you are coming in the evening.

Is it expensive?

No. Reviewers consistently mention the prices and the portion sizes together — the kitchen is priced closer to a grocery lunch than a restaurant dinner.

I have never cooked Korean food. Where do I start?

Gochujang, sesame oil, short-grain rice. Then ask someone here what to do with them — that conversation is free and it is the point of the store.