Saturday morning at H Mart in Daly City tells you most of what you need to know. The Korean grandmothers are there before eight. The ajummas are already stacking Asian pears for 추석. Two aisles over, a Korean-American dad in a Stanford hoodie is teaching his kid the word for jujube. This is the Bay Area's Korean community, mostly, in one aisle at one store.
Around a hundred thousand Korean-Americans live across the nine counties, and there is no single Koreatown holding it together. Instead the community spreads across San Francisco's Geary corridor, Daly City, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Fremont, each cluster with its own restaurants, churches, and markets. Here is where to eat, where to shop, where to gather, and where to wear your hanbok.
Where to shop
H Mart locations in Daly City, Santa Clara, and Pleasanton are the main grocery anchors for Korean cooking. They also sell hanbok-related items like beoseon socks, traditional sweets, and small ceremonial supplies.
For Korean home goods, Galleria Korea in Daly City carries dishware, banchan containers, and rice cookers. For Korean cosmetics and skincare, Tony Moly and Innisfree both have Bay Area locations.
Where to gather
The Korean Center of San Francisco hosts cultural events through the year, including Chuseok and Seollal celebrations, language classes, and traditional arts workshops. The Korean Cultural Center in San Mateo hosts smaller community events.
Korean churches across the Peninsula and South Bay are the largest community hubs for most Korean-American families. Korean Methodist and Korean Presbyterian congregations are scattered across San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Fremont.
Where to wear hanbok
Most hanbok-wearing in the Bay Area happens at private family events: weddings, dols, milestone birthdays, holiday meals. Public hanbok-friendly events include Chuseok celebrations at community centers, Seollal events at Korean churches, and the occasional Korean cultural festival.
Eric is based in San Mateo. See Bay Area service.
Where Eric fits
The Korean In Me works specifically with Korean-American families in the Bay Area. Hanbok sourced in Seoul, inspected in San Mateo. Read our story or send Eric a message.
Talk to Eric
Looking for authentic hanbok for your occasion? Eric at The Korean In Me works with each customer, selects pieces in Seoul through authorized Korean suppliers and makers, and inspects each piece in San Mateo. Send Eric a message or call or text Eric.