Exploring Mexico City’s Korean markets

Ethnically, Mexico City is pretty homogeneous. Few Asians live here, compared to the United States. And it seems like there are even fewer black people.

In the last few decades, however, a Korean neighborhood has popped up in the Zona Rosa, an area known mostly for its gay clubs and sex shops. Korean restaurants, pastry shops and markets sit in a quieter area of the ‘hood, mostly clustered around leafy, tranquil Hamburgo and Varsovia streets.

Interestingly, the Mexican mainstream media seems to have taken little notice of this until recently. In the three guidebooks I have, few, if any, Korean restaurants are recommended. None of the markets are mentioned as viable delis, although they sell ready-made items such as pickled radish, green tea ice cream and squishy, plastic-wrapped Korean desserts.

Recently, Chilango magazine recommended a walk through the Korean neighborhood as a fun way to spend the day. Since I needed Korean red chili paste for a dish I was making, I decided to hit the markets on Tuesday and see what treasures I could hunt up.

Here’s a breakdown of what I bought, after hitting three markets in about two hours:

More details below. Also, as much as I would have liked to take photos of the inside, I felt a wee bit conspicuous. Got photos of the outside instead.

Stop 1: Seoul Mart, Hamburgo and Oxford

“Don’t go there,” my friend Alice had warned, speaking of Seoul Mart. “They’re mean. There’s an old lady who works the cash register who’s just… mean.”

Alice shops in the Korean markets a lot, so I tend to believe her when she says stuff like this. But apparently the grumpy old lady had the day off, because the staff at Seoul Mart was cordial enough. (And by cordial, I mean they rang up my purchases without a word.) The store had a huge selection of frozen dumplings — the leek dumplings looked especially yummy — and a refrigerator case overflowing with fish, pickled garlic stems and pickled radishes. Fresh tofu sat near the door.

On the down side, nothing had prices (huh?) and the snack selection was weak. Since I realized later that most markets have the same goods, I’m not sure I’d go back.

Goodies purchased: One package dried shitake mushrooms, 1 container red chile paste, a package each of millet and tapioca pearls; a baggie of toasted sesame seeds, and a package of yellow Korean chips that Iooked festive and fun. (Had no idea what they were; the label was entirely in Korean.)

Stop 2: Unnamed small store just a few doors down from Seoul Mart

This store is tiny, run by an older gentleman and a woman I assume to be his wife. Neither speak much Spanish, and the woman seemed to grimace when I walked in. They had a good snack selection, though, and all prices were marked. I debated buying Vietnamese fish sauce for 85 pesos, then decided that was too high. Anyone else out there know where to get cheaper, good-quality fish sauce?

Goodies purchased: 1 package pocky with almond; 1 box sweet black-sesame tea biscuits; 1 small container green tea ice cream; one frozen red bean cake; one package gummy candies with a cool-looking girl on the cover; 1 small can green plum juice. Next time I’m buying a Korean melon popsicle from their freezer case.

Stop 3: Unnamed huge store at Hamburgo and Praga, with a hand-written sign in the window

This place was my favorite. The unmarked entrance and long, dark hallway make you think you’ve stumbled onto a secret spot. Daikons, bagged eggplant and lettuce sat in the hallway, and the back shelves were stuffed with noodles, rice, canned goods, detergent, soap. Everything was kind of thrown together, so it felt like we were treasure-hunting in a way. I especially loved the snack wall, a spectacle so colorful I just kinda sat there and stared.

The staff here seemed friendly, and everyone was talking to each other in Spanish and laughing. This was also the only store that had Mexican customers. They kept going back to the freezer case, grabbing more items, and lining them up on the counter. I debated buying a six-pack of tiny cans of Maxwell house coffee with Korean lettering, but in the end decided, what am I really going to do with that? (Too bad I didn’t ask this question when buying the yellow snack bag, which ended up having a distinctly sugary-cereal taste.)

Goodies purchased: 1 pink box of mini chocolate-filled cookies; 1 “Indian Corn Snack” bag (which ended up smelling like funnel cake, and tasting like a mix between potato chips and corn flakes); 1 long skinny daikon. I’m going to pickle the daikon and make banh mi.

Lastly, here’s a map of where I went. I’m sure there are several more markets in the area, so if you know of any good ones, definitely let me know. I’m sure I’ll be back for the leek dumplings, and the fish sauce.