Mega Mart, a Korean grocery store offering everything from food to cosmetics, opened in East Palo Alto on Sept. 24. An affiliate of the well-known Korean food brand Nongshim, Mega Mart is the chain’s fourth U.S. location, following locations in Atlanta, Sunnyvale and Fremont. Spanning 50,000 square feet, it is the largest Mega Mart in California and was remodeled from a closed Target.

Visitors can shop for groceries, snacks, and K-beauty products or try dosirak, Korean meal boxes offered at the Pogu Picnic by Michelin-starred chef Tony Yoo. Mega Mart also employs 150 people, 90% of whom live in East Palo Alto.

Tower Learning Center advisor Y.J. Lee said Mega Mart offers more than groceries. It connects people to Korean culture and memories.

“Because that’s the place where my family does their grocery shopping, which just makes me think of a nice, homey place to go shopping,” Lee said.

Lee said Mega Mart’s variety of offerings is also unique. 

“I think that it’s great to have an entire store dedicated to that culture,” Lee said. “ Maybe students already have some sort of idea of the popular foods: bulgogi, galbi, tteokbokki but then they go in and see so much more. When I went to Mega Mart this past weekend, I also saw that they had a little food court, and instead of calling it a lunchbox, they call it dosirak and explain, ‘This is what we call it here in Korea.’”

Lee also said the store expands Asian culture to new areas.

“I think it is nice to see different cultures being curious about these new places,” Lee said. “And then it kind of also helps with debunking, ‘Santa Clara is where all  the Asian markets are, and only in Santa Clara.’”

Senior Samhita Swaminathan said she looks forward to learning about another culture’s diverse cultural experiences through Mega Mart.

”Food is something everyone can enjoy together,” Swaminathan said. “If people bring snacks or dishes from there to share, it can start conversations and let students teach each other about their cultures in a fun way.”

Mega Mart labels products like Sul Pang – Korean traditional bread – and Gangjeong – Korean fried chicken with sauce – using their Korean pronunciations instead of English translations.

Mega Mart Marketing Specialist Audrey Lapuz said this choice was intentional.

“By using the Korean pronunciations, we hope to preserve the authenticity of the items and help our customers learn a bit more about Korean language and culture while shopping,” Lapuz said. “It’s part of our goal to make Korean traditions more familiar and approachable to everyone in the community.”

Senior Ivy Lee, co-president of Korean Club, said the store’s location is convenient for students. 

“It’s really good for the Korean club and its members, because there’s a Korean market now so close by to Palo Alto that it’s just a lot more efficient for getting Korean goods,” Ivy said. “We could get the snacks and refreshments that we would use for our club to introduce Korean food and snacks to members, so that they would want to come and they can enjoy and learn more about Korean culture through that.”

In addition, Swaminathan said she has been eager to try new Korean foods. 

“I’ve always been curious to try tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) because I see it a lot in K-dramas and online videos,” Swaminathan said. I’ve also wanted to try those honey butter chips everyone talks about.” 

Ivy said she recommends students explore the store and try new items.

“I recommend that they just like look around and they really try out, especially the snacks,” Ivy said. “And there’s also places to eat in that place. There’s street food stalls, and there’s lunch boxes there that are delicious.”

Swaminathan said the store also provides access to Korean culture that isn’t typically available in regular grocery stores.

“Honestly, my first impression when I heard a Korean store like Mega Mart opened nearby was excitement,” Swaminathan said., “What stood out to me the most was how colorful and different all the snacks and drinks were compared to what I normally see. The food section with kimchi and all the fresh seafood also felt really unique.”

Y.J. Lee said there is value in exploring Korean culture beyond what’s popular online. 

“Instead of just shopping, maybe thinking about what the difference is between kimchi or what ingredients they used, and how much deeper our culture goes beyond just what’s presented on social media or what is generically popular,.” Y.J. said.

Ultimately, Lapuz said Mega Mart’s aims are to create a space where people can enjoy Korean food and culture together.

“Mega Mart’s goal is to share healthy and delicious food and culture with people all across the United States,” Lapuz said. “We value promoting a lifestyle of good food and cultural enjoyment that everyone can appreciate. Among them, Korean food is what we know best and take the most pride in, which is why it plays a big part in what we offer. Moving forward, Mega Mart hopes to continue growing as a place where people can enjoy great taste, health and culture together.”