The Best Free Samples Aren’t at Costco — They’re at H Mart
The best surprise in a grocery shopping experience is running into a free sample station. Although this is typically reserved for bulk stores like Costco and Sam’s Club, occasionally tasting stations will pop up at other grocery stores. As someone who loves grocery shopping and will try anything once, I have found the holy grail of free samples: H Mart.
I started noticing samples pop up at the Korean grocery store chain — which also sells many ingredients for other Asian cuisines and everyday staples — in the past year, typically on weekends when the store is busiest. I was recently shocked to round the corner of the meat department and smell marinated ribeye bulgogi sizzling on a tabletop grill, with an employee snipping caramelized pieces with kitchen shears and plating them in little cups for people to grab and snack on. Although I had tried many of H Mart’s in-house marinated meats before, the wagyu ribeye was a new item the store was testing.
After one bite I knew it was one worth the splurge of $15 for almost a pound of ready-to-grill meat. The sample station didn’t have the meat for sale, so the booth operator even guided me over to where the product was afterward, and recommended combining it with a spicy pork belly. I was influenced and bought both, making a killer Korean BBQ night at home for friends.
Why You Should Always Grab a Free Sample at H Mart
What’s great about the samples at H Mart is that they can be anything. It’s not specific brands or only certain types of items. On other trips, I’ve had pan-fried dumplings with spicy octopus filling, sweet hotteok pancakes filled with cinnamon-sugared nuts, and oden soup (a combination of fish cakes, seasoned broth, and udon noodles).
I make oden soup a lot at home with separate ingredients, but didn’t know there were kits available until the sample station came calling. I slurped up some bouncy noodles and enjoyed delightfully chewy fish cakes while finishing my shopping, and when I passed the station again, I grabbed a frozen pack and ate it for an easy post-flight dinner a few weeks later.
I asked an employee at my favorite H Mart location in Los Angeles if there are specific sample days and was told it’s random, but more often on the weekends. Sometimes I’ll go weeks without seeing one, and then have a day where there are four stations to keep me from shopping while hangry. Bonus: I’m introduced to new sleeper hits and popular items I may have missed in the market.
If you’re seeking samples, try going around lunchtime on a weekend — that’s when I’ve had the most luck. (You can also hit up the store’s exceptional food court.) Check out the weekly flyer on the H Mart app or outside of the store, because many times what’s on sale is what’s being sampled, meaning you get to enjoy a snack while you shop and save money. Sorry, Costco — H Mart is a double win in the sample department!
A Few Tips for Grabbing a Free Sample at H Mart
Look beyond the meat department. Samples can be anything in any section (meat, frozen foods, snacks, you name it), so do a full scan of the store to find stations!
Check with your local H Mart for sampling days. These sampling stations are most often done on the weekends, but can vary by store and its busiest days.
Be prepared to snack and save. H Mart will often put items on sale for sampling so you get to taste test and save money!
Have you hit the H Mart sample stations? Tell us about it in the comments below.
Further Reading
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