H Mart is basically the best place ever

I just got back from a weekend trip to Chicago, but we ended up spending more time at the Super H Mart.

If you're into Korean/Asiany things, you probably already enjoy visiting H Mart. But I have lots of friends who want to check it out and want to know what they can find there.

The 'H' in H Mart stands for Han Ah Reum, which means "one arm full of groceries"... I thought it meant Hanguk or something.  Nope.  Anyway, the Super H Mart near Chicago is an easy drive from Madison and has every Asian product you could imagine.

My friend Miya likes to go there for the skincare.  Japanese and Korean skincare is ahhmazing.  She really digs Shiseido and SK-II ("S-K-2").

MIya got a makeover!

Do these scare you, too?  These are $15 SK-II masks and they are like a facial!  Seriously worth it.

There are lots of great things to buy... we were so happy to see a legit kimchi section and a plethora of Korean and Asian wines, household goods and snacks.  You cannot go hungry here!  Everything is fresh and clean and no offense, but it's leaps and bounds better than some of our local markets, though I still go to them often.

A great experience for newbies is to eat the food at the H Mart. Basically, there are a few side restaurants inside the giant store.  On this day, I ordered the gamjatang (gahm-jah-tong).  It's a spicy broth soup with a potato and some pork.  It is so hearty but also it feels light.

H Mart is a great place to explore. I love my job but one of the downfalls is never getting to choose where I get to live!  But being this close to Chicago is awesome... so much diversity and so many choices are only a short drive away from Madison.  I think this is definitely worth a day trip or a short weekend getaway!