Availability of Asian groceries at competitive prices is no longer an issue in the USA. Among reliable Asian grocery supermarket stores, 99 Ranch and H Mart are the 2 most recommended names. However, the conflict of 99 Ranch vs. H Mart might confuse you if you are looking for premium-quality Asian groceries.
Reportedly, 99 Ranch is more popular for stocking authentic Chinese food items and other groceries, whereas H Mart is considered the source of authentic Korean groceries. Depending on your preferences and requirements for Chinese or Korean groceries, you can choose 99 Ranch over H Mart or vice versa.
However, the availability of specific food items might be one factor in deciding whether 99 Ranch is better than H Mart. This guide has covered everything so you can conclude whether you should opt for H Mart or 99 Ranch according to your choices. Let’s start the debate.
A Quick Introduction to 99 Ranch
Before you leap to the 99 Ranch vs. H Mart debate, you must be familiar with what 99 Ranch is. 99 Ranch or Tawa Supermarket, owned by Tawa Supermarket Inc., is a renowned American supermarket chain. 99 Ranch was founded in 1984. So far, this supermarket has opened 54 stores across 10 states in the United States.
Apart from having physical stores, 99 Ranch and its groceries have been available through its online store since 2014. The supermarket chain inaugurated its mobile app to deliver groceries to its customers in 2021. However, 99 Ranch is famous for stocking Asian eateries.
On a related note, 99 Ranch is less cluttered than an Asian supermarket. Instead, 99 Ranch follows the mainstream American stores for its ultimate store layout and offerings to its customers. You will like their wider aisles for shopping in peace.
Additionally, 99 Ranch accepts credit cards for exceeding the total billing amount over $5.00. This is unusual for an Asian grocery store since most markets in old Chinatowns are not liberal. On the other hand, you will find in-store branches of East West Bank inside a few 99 Ranch stores.
What are Available at 99 Ranch?
Surprisingly, most 99 Ranch locations offer a full-service takeout for serving a combination of Taiwanese, Szechuan, and Cantonese fare. You can also locate dishes like pre-cooked meats, sushi, barbecued pork, Cantonese roast duck, and more at 99 Ranch. Apart from these, you will find the following products to buy from 99 Ranch:
- Fresh fruits and vegetables (including Bok Choy and Greens, dragon fruit, fresh mushrooms, persimmons, rambutan, Japanese sweet potatoes, etc.)
- Dim Sum dishes
- Live seafood
- Frozen egg roll wrappers
- Dumplings
- Condiments and sauces
- Rice and grains
- Chinese, Korean, and Japanese-style instant foods such as instant soup, hotpot, noodles, rice or congee, etc.
A Brief Review of H Mart
H Mart is one of the largest USA-based supermarket chains. The speciality of H Mart is that you can find Asian groceries and housewares in this supermarket chain. Talking about the 99 Ranch vs. H Mart conflict regarding location strength, H Mart is ahead of 99 Ranch.
This is because H Mart has opened 97 stores in 14 states across the United States. Established in 1982 in Queens, H Mart is owned and operated by the Hanahreum Group. The H from the H Mart indicates ‘han ah reum’, a Korean phrase meaning ‘one arm full of groceries’.
As you know, H Mart is the best choice for Korean food items and groceries. So, you can get the following Korean-based specialities in H Mart:
- Instant noodles
- Rice cakes to prepare tteokguk (A beef soup to celebrate the new year)
- A vat of peeled garlic and more
So, you can visit H Mart if you like Korean food. Koreans often visit this store to remind themselves of their home.
What are Available in H Mart?
Like 99 Ranch, you will find a wide range of Asian groceries and food items at H Mart. For example, H Mart stocks the following items:
- Fresh buns
- Fresh produce such as fruits and vegetables (including Concord grapes, dragon fruit, melons, papaya, durian, Asian pear, and more)
- Japanese groceries such as Dulse flakes, tofu, Seaweed snacks, Kombu seaweed, Wakame seaweed, Nori, and so on
- Rice noodles, Korean sweet potato starch, Mung bean vermicelli noodles, etc.
- Jasmine rice, Black rice, Korean Multi-gran rice, Sushi rice, etc.
- Frozen dumplings
- Sauces and condiments
- Roasted seaweed snacks, Kimchi, Korean ice cream, instant ramen, Korean drinks, etc., are available
- Live fish, crab, or any kind of seafood
- Housewares for Asian and Korean kitchens
Should You Prefer 99 Ranch or H Mart?
99 Ranch should be your weekly grocery destination if you love Chinese food. If you like Korean food and dishes, H Mart can be your one-stop shop. However, the 99 Ranch vs. H Mart clash might require other factors if you don’t have Chinese or Korean food preferences.
After all, you will note their prices, product varieties, and shopping preferences to select the right grocery supermarket chain in the USA. However, we have made it easy for you since we compared these factors for 99 Ranch and H Mart. Let’s check them out:
Price Comparison between 99 Ranch vs. H Mart
Reportedly, the price range or structure of these Asian grocery supermarket chains are almost identical. However, customers complain that H Mart is comparatively more expensive than 99 Ranch.
The following items might cost you more at H Mart compared to 99 Ranch:
- Poultry
- Meat
- Fish
Therefore, you might consider 99 Ranch more if you want cheaper options in meat, poultry, fish, and similar products. However, the price range of snacks at both store are quite similar.
Variety of products available at Both Stores
Who doesn’t like fresh buns every day? Everybody does, and that’s why you might prefer H Mart more than 99 Ranch in this situation. This is because H Mart’s Chef Hsu makes fresh and high-quality buns under the store’s fresh daily section.
Chef Hsu is famous for his world-class buns and uses only the finest quality ingredients. Therefore, H Mart customers love these buns. If you prefer freshly cooked food items to canned or processed ones, you might like H Mart more.
Additionally, H Mart delivers authentic Korean food options at reasonable prices. Otherwise, you can choose 99 Ranch over H Mart if you have a thing for Chinese food items and cuisine. 99 Ranch has tough competition in offering authentic Chinese groceries at pocket-friendly rates.
Differences in Shopping Categories
99 Ranch provides more Chinese products than H Mart. On the other hand, Korean-style food items are the strength of H Mart. So, you will love H Mart more if you prefer Korean BBQ and other Korean-based foods.
In addition, 99 Ranch offers a large variety of Dim Sum dishes. So, the choices at both these supermarkets are quite different. Moreover, 99 Ranch also has in-store bakery stations where you can get freshly baked products.
However, Asian dishes are incomplete without seafood options. Both 99 Ranch and H Mart have lots of seafood options. You can even check out the huge aisles of Asian snacks at both stores. In addition, both supermarkets offer fresh fruit shakes.
Hence, you can opt for anyone from the 99 Ranch vs. H Mart debate if you are looking for a vast array of Asian shopping options and categories. It’s a tie in this case.
99 Ranch Store Locations
Do you want to spot a 99 Ranch store near you? We have mentioned a few 99 Ranch stores in the USA. Most of these stores are open from Monday to Sunday, with working hours from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Let’s check them out via their locations:
- Gaithersburg – 110 Odendhal Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD 20877
- Fremont Warm Springs – 46551 Mission Boulevard, Fremont, CA 94539
- Quincy – 475 Hancock Street, Quincy, MA 02171
- Fairfax – 10780 Fairfax Boulevard, Fairfax, VA 22030
- Jersey City – Old Colony Square, 420 Grand Streer, Jersey City, NJ 07302
- Hackensack – Hackensack Commons, 450 Hackensack Avenue, Hackensack, NJ 07601
- Artesia – 17713 Pioneer Boulevard, Aresia CA 90701
- Corona – 430 N. McKinley Street, Corona, CA 92879
- Las Vegas I – Las Vegas Chinatown Plaza, 4115 W. Spring Mountain Road, Las Vegas, NV 89102
- Las Vegas II – 3768 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89119
- San Gabriel – San Gabriel Square, 140 W. Valley Boulevard, Suite #150, San Gabriel, CA 91776
- Irvine I (Culver) – Culver Plaza, 15333 Culver Dr., Suite #800, Irvine, CA 92604
- Irvine II (Walnut) – Orange Tree Square Shopping Centre, 5402 Walnut Avenue, Irvine, CA 92604
- Kent – Great Wall Shopping Mall, 18230 E. Valley Highway, Shop #100, Kent, WA 98032
- Richmond – Pacific East Shopping Mall, 3288 Pierce Street, Richmond, CA 94804
- Monterey Park – 771 W. Garvey Avenue, Monterey Park, CA 91754
In Conclusion…
99 Ranch stays ahead in terms of providing cheaper groceries for the 99 Ranch vs. H Mart conflict. However, H Mart offers more versatile Korean and Japanese food items than 99 Ranch. Indeed, both supermarkets offer unique Asian cuisines and a wide range of food items at affordable prices.
