Best Korean Grocery Stores in Coquitlam & Burnaby

The Tri-Cities area (Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody) and North Burnaby have one of the biggest Korean communities in Metro Vancouver. If you're looking for gochujang, fresh kimchi, Korean rice cakes, or soju, you're in the right neighborhood. Here's where to shop.

Most of my Korean pantry — the gochujang, the perilla oil, the good frozen mandu — comes from a single stretch of North Road where the Coquitlam and Burnaby borders meet, the closest thing Metro Vancouver has to a real K-town. I've shopped these stores on repeat, so below is my honest shortlist, sorted by what each one does best. Anything I couldn't confirm to a current address or hours, I've flagged "approx — confirm" so you double-check before driving over.

Store	Area (Coquitlam/Burnaby)	Known For	Price Level	Notes
Han Nam Supermarket	Burnaby — #106-4501 North Rd (North Road Mall, at Rochester St)	The original. Largest Korean selection in Western Canada, in-store Korean food counter near the bakery	$	Established 1998, first large-scale Korean mart in Western Canada; the anchor of North Road K-town. Open daily ~8:30am–10pm (confirm seasonal hours)
H Mart (Coquitlam)	Coquitlam — #100-329 North Rd	Bright, well-stocked Korean chain; banchan, produce, frozen, Korean snacks	$	H Mart's first Western Canada store (opened Dec 2003). Right across the North Road strip from Han Nam
H Mart Coquitlam Centre	Port Coquitlam — 2755 Lougheed Hwy #12	Same H Mart chain, mall-adjacent location for the Tri-Cities	$	Note: technically Port Coquitlam, not Coquitlam proper. Opened 2016
Hannam Supermarket (Metrotown)	Burnaby — 5609 Imperial St (Imperial & MacPherson)	Newer South Burnaby outpost; daily hot-lunch counter (bulgogi, spicy pork, dumplings from ~11am)	$	Opened mid-2025; smaller than the North Road flagship but very convenient for the Metrotown/Royal Oak side
Market Ribbon (formerly Assi Market)	Coquitlam — 1175 Johnson St	Korean staples, fresh produce, meat for Korean cuisine, big ramen/snack/sauce range	$	Long-running Korean grocer (20+ years), rebranded from "Assi Market" to "Market Ribbon" — same team and location on Johnson St (not North Road)
Kim's Mart	Burnaby — 6855 Station Hill Dr (near Edmonds SkyTrain)	Smaller specialty Korean & Japanese grocer; hard-to-find pantry items	$	Operating since 2005; same owners as Sakuraya. Near Edmonds Station, not on the North Road strip

A few honest notes from shopping these myself:

• For the deepest Korean-only selection, Han Nam (North Road) and H Mart (Coquitlam, North Road) sit basically across from each other — do both in one trip.
• The Hannam Metrotown location is the easiest if you're on the south/Metrotown side and don't want to drive up to North Road.
• I could not independently re-confirm a current standalone address and hours for Kim's Mart and the Korean-specific scope of Lucky Supermarket — both are marked "approx — confirm." No confirmed recent closures among the stores above as of this writing.

References: Yelp Coquitlam/Burnaby Korean market listings, hannamsm.com store locations, Noms Magazine and Daily Hive coverage of Hannam Metrotown (2025), assimarket.com.

What Each Store Does Best

H Mart — North Road (Coquitlam) and Coquitlam Centre (Port Coquitlam)

H Mart is the biggest Korean supermarket chain in North America, and both Tri-Cities locations are well-stocked. Everything you need for Korean cooking is here: gochujang, doenjang, sesame oil, every type of ramyeon, frozen mandu, fresh tofu, and a solid banchan (side dish) section. Their meat department has pre-marinated bulgogi and galbi ready to cook — really convenient. The North Road store (100-329 North Rd) sits right across the strip from Han Nam, so I usually do both in one stop; the 2755 Lougheed Hwy location in Port Coquitlam is handier if you're already near Coquitlam Centre.

Han Nam (Hannam) Supermarket — North Road, Burnaby

Han Nam is the original Korean mart that started North Road's K-town back in 1998. The flagship at #106-4501 North Rd is the largest Korean selection in Western Canada, with an in-store Korean food counter near the bakery. Prices on produce and Korean snacks are often a little better than the big chains, and the house-made kimchi has a loyal following. If you're on the south side of town, the newer Hannam at 5609 Imperial St near Metrotown saves you the drive up to North Road.

Korean Ingredients at Non-Korean Stores

If you need just a few Korean items and don't want to make a special trip:

• T&T Supermarket — Good Korean aisle with ramyeon, sauces, and frozen foods
• Superstore — Growing Asian section with basic Korean items
• Amazon.ca — Surprisingly good for shelf-stable Korean items in bulk

North Road: Metro Vancouver's Korean Strip

North Road, running roughly from Delestre Avenue up to Burquitlam Station along the Coquitlam–Burnaby border, is Metro Vancouver's Korean hub. Besides Han Nam and H Mart, you'll find:

• Korean bakeries (Paris Baguette, Tous Les Jours)
• Korean restaurants (BBQ, fried chicken, tofu stew)
• Korean beauty supply stores
• Korean bookstores and stationery shops

By transit, Burquitlam Station on the Millennium Line is the closest stop to the North Road strip; Lougheed Town Centre Station also works if you're coming from the east.

Price Tips for Korean Grocery Shopping

• Buy kimchi in large containers (2kg+) — much cheaper per kg than small jars
• H Mart's weekly flyer has good meat deals — check the app
• Rice from Korean stores is premium (and pricier); for everyday rice, T&T or Superstore is cheaper
• Soju is cheapest at BC Liquor Stores, not the grocery stores

Frequently Asked Questions

Is H Mart cheaper than Hannam?

It depends on the item. H Mart generally has better prices on meat and produce. Hannam often beats H Mart on snacks, sauces, and specialty items. Both run weekly sales, so check flyers. For the absolute cheapest Korean groceries, compare both.

Where can I find Korean rice cakes (tteok)?

H Mart and Han Nam both carry fresh and frozen tteok. For the freshest option, check the refrigerated section — they stock freshly made tteok. Frozen is fine for tteokbokki.

Can I find Korean ingredients in Coquitlam?

Yes. H Mart on North Road in Coquitlam and the H Mart at 2755 Lougheed Hwy in Port Coquitlam are both strong options, and Market Ribbon (formerly Assi Market) on Johnson St carries Korean staples too. For the widest selection, the North Road strip on the Coquitlam–Burnaby border is just a few minutes away.

References

[1] Statistics Canada, "Census Profile, Vancouver CMA, 2021." https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/index.cfm

[2] BC Housing, "Rental Market Reports." https://www.bchousing.org/research-centre/housing-data

[3] City of Vancouver, "Open Data Portal." https://opendata.vancouver.ca/

[4] TransLink, "Metro Vancouver Transit Information." https://www.translink.ca/