It’s always good to know ‘the spots’ around town where one can buy a block of cheese & a bread roll, plenty of options abound. But, what if you hail from Korea & want to buy some of your favorite foods? Read on…
BALI KOREAN MARKET
I must confess I don’t know much about Korean food, apart from the well known hot spicy vegetable mix, called Kimchi. So, after speaking with Nak Hwa, Son (known as Son) the owner of the business I am a little more enlightened. She was most engaging, running from counter to counter to get various products for me to look at, mind you, most items, didn’t have English instructions, so lots of guesswork ensured!
The Korean Market, located on the left hand side, on the ByPass, Sanur, going north (looks like a big old Bali style building with a sign at the front (on the same side, as La Piccola, Italian supermarket) so drive right in, park & enter the ground level where the market is situated. It’s an old complex of offices upstairs, apartments at the back & a local hairdresser at the front.
The market has only been opened a year, and growing, due to the ever increasing expat population (approx 800 South Koreans are living in Bali, many reside in the areas of Nusa Dua, Jimbaran & Sanur) with an ever growing tourist population. There are two popular Korean restaurants located on the ByPass, Sanur – Koki & a new one called, Buga.
Koreans people love - rice, noodles, (many types made from potato flour) dumplings, tofu, seaweed, yellow beans, fresh & dried vegetables, pork is their preference in meat, along with chicken & fish (in many guises, fresh, dry or raw) soups are similar to Japanese miso, but heavier in thickness & content. There are loads of sauces from the usual soy to fish, bbq, and various bumbu mixes. Most foods are steamed, boiled & bbq’d,and of course, Kimchi, which is full of cabe (red hot chili!)
Korean food is hot, spicy but not as sweet as Japanese, they love all kinds of crunchy snacks to hotcakes & pancakes for breakfast!
Plenty of Soju (Sake) is enjoyed along with Ginseng tea for good measure!
Koreans love fruit (some giant fresh pears were sitting in boxes, a wholesale order, I believe) fruit syrups mixed with milk & yoghurt, and lots of sweets.
Try either restaurant mentioned, for a taste of real South Korean cooking, you just never know, maybe this supermarket will be on your shopping route for the future?
Bali Korean Market – for retail & wholesale business
Open 7 days, from 8.30am – 11pm, cash only.
Jl By Pass Ngurah Rai, No 500, Sanur
Supermarket T: 281 929 or call Son on Hp: 746 4912
And, while not Korean, the following store is a good shopping destination....
CASA GOURMET @ SEMINYAK SQUARE
I think most of you would have taken a stroll around Seminyak Square, if not, it’s worth a visit. It does take a little time for a new shopping precinct to ‘settle in’ but, it’s made its mark on the shopping map, with all stores occupied, bustling weekend markets & a good anchor store, serving up an ample supply of grocery, deli & bakery.
Casa Gourmet is the first store in Bali (sure there are others in the pipeline?) with head office based in Bandung, West Java.
The store is well laid out, quick to navigate the wide aisles, easy to find the usual grocery items, and with a plentiful supply of alcohol – wine, spirits & plenty of beer, and a great selection of crackers, cheese, salad & deli items. The reason being, that so many villas & hotels are located within this area of Seminyak, it’s the perfect place to stock up on ‘entertaining’ items, which have become daily rations for many!
Breads & fruits are popular items too, particularly in the mornings when villa staff come running in to collect the breakfast provisions. Not only food, but to cater for the growing expat & tourist population, there is a general counter, a heap of soft toys & souvenirs to boot.
Casa Gourmet serves up ‘a good general mix’, open from 8 am to 12 midnight, trading 7 days, with weekends extra busy & plenty of parking. And while you are there, take time out to peruse the surrounding stores, particularly upstairs, as many are unique.
CASA GOURMET - Seminyak Square,
Blok E-1, Jl Laksmana, Oberoi, T: 738 026
For comments and inquiries, email: retailtherapym@yahoo.com.au
