When I am unable to go into Soho/Central London or New Malden for Korean food shopping I sometimes visit the following Korean mini supermarkets that are located in other parts of London.
I’m certain there are more Korean supermarkets that are hidden somewhere so if you know any please feel free to comment.
1) Duri
9 Station Parade
Uxbridge Road
London
W5 3LD
Opening hours:
Monday: CLOSED
Tues-Fri: 10:00-20:00
Saturday: 09:00-20:00
Sunday: 11:00-19:00
Nearest station: Ealing Common
While working in West London I came across this small Korean market/delicatessen by chance. It opened in Ealing around 2011 and has attracted both Koreans and Japanese residents who live in the Acton area. Owned by a married couple who communicate in Japanese, Korean and very good English, you can find lots of the common Korean dried food and frozen delicacies as well as a shelf of Japanese products. There is also a small cafeteria area where you can eat non-stone bowl style Bibimbab or soup noodles.
The Bibimbab ingredients are all prepared and the staff use a microwave to heat up the rice but they do have a hob to fry eggs to go with the dish. You have a choice of pork/vegetarian/beef/seafood Bibimbab and it comes with a small cup of barley tea. All this costs £4.99 and you can eat it in the seating area or have it as takeaway.
2) Seoul Plaza (Golders Green branch)
136 Golders Green Road
London
NW11 8HB
Nearest station: Golders Green
Possibly my family’s favourite place to visit. As well as Korean food, Seoul Plaza also sells other Asian products from Japanese to Chinese goods and funnily enough the items we normally buy from another Oriental Supermarket in the area turn out to be far cheaper, if not well-stocked and fresher at Seoul Plaza. The store’s ‘ready to go’ fridge near the front has fresh dishes such as Jap Chae, Kimbab, Bulgogi and cooked vegetables. Another positive point about Seoul Plaza is how very helpful and courteous the Korean staff are when it comes to the customers.
3) SK Mart
17 Goldhurst Terrace
London
NW6 3HX
Nearest stations: Finchley Road, Swiss Cottage
Smaller Korean supermarket slightly further away from Seoul Plaza Golders Green branch but if you require any common Korean goods while shopping or eating in Finchley Road or at said town’s O2 Shopping Centre, this is the nearest place for you. It’s been a long time since I last visited this place so I don’t know what has changed. But it is like a general Korean mini market/general groceries store.
Website – http://skmart.co.uk/
4) Natural Natural (two branches)
Finchley Road branch
Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat 9:00-20:00
Sunday 10:00-19:00
1 Goldhurst Terrace,
NW6 3HX
Nearest station: Finchley Road, Swiss Cottage
This Natural Natural store is close to Finchley Road’s Waitrose and on the same road as SK Mart. Most of what Natural Natural has is primarily Japanese but you can find some Chinese and Korean products lurking around the shelves.
Ealing Common branch
Opening Hours:
Mon-Sat 9:00-20:00
Sunday 10:00-19:00
20 Station Parade,
Uxbridge Road,
Ealing Common
W5 3LD
Nearest station: Ealing Common
The Ealing branch is further down the road from Duri so if you can’t find a particular Korean product in one shop you might be able to find it in the other. Or if you want to compare the prices for an item in both places.
Side note: From what I remember during my visits, the prices for the goods at these supermarkets are all of a similar range although Seoul Plaza seems to be the main winner when it comes to reasonable sales and variety of food in a mini market.
