Maybe I'm a little spoiled coming from California where Asian grocery stores are everywhere and packed with options, but I've been trying to find good local spots since moving to Lacey. Arirang is one of the smaller Asian markets in the area, so I decided to stop by while looking for pork belly and a specific ingredient--shrimp paste. I was hoping to find fresh pork belly since I'm used to my previous markets having a small butcher or deli section, but the only option here was frozen. It still worked out fine, but I did have to defrost it for a couple of hours before I could cook with it, which wasn't ideal when I was hoping to make lunch right away. One thing I did appreciate was their selection of Korean sides. I was pleasantly surprised to find seasoned black beans, which I really enjoy and don't always see at some markets. Their snack section was okay as well, though the overall selection felt pretty limited--understandable given the size of the store. I thought I might have missed the shrimp paste somewhere in the aisles, but when I asked the cashier, she let me know they were currently out of stock. That was a bit disappointing since I came in with a short list of ingredients and still couldn't find what I needed, so I ended up going to a Vietnamese market down the street afterward. The shop itself is pretty small, and the entrance to the parking lot feels a bit tight but there's a fair amount of spaces to park. I do like that this store is very close to where I live in Lacey, so it's convenient when I just need to stop by quickly. Overall, it's an okay neighborhood market and I might come back here for convenience, but I'm not sure it'll become my go-to spot for bigger Asian grocery shopping trips. read more

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I like going here mostly because of proximity. Located on Martin Way in Lacey, it's a two minute drive from my home. They have much of what I desire in Korean foods, though I mostly purchase the turnips, fish cake, and kimchee. That said, the prices are on the high end. The store is set in a sloppy way, and the windows are wallpapered with Korean posters (not smart for safety reasons). Also, the parking lot can be tricky getting into and out of. I'll keep going here for my sides, but I'm losing my shirt in doing so. EXAMPLE: Small premade bowls of rice (single serve) are $2.99 each. Same brand, one case of twelve at Costco only $11.99, or $1,00 each. Three at Costco for the price of one at Arirang. read more

I haven't been in for a few months and they upgraded! This small business has new freezers and open facing fridges and more ready made Banchan. Love talking to the staff they are so sweet and calm. They even gave me a calendar ! read more

Arirang Oriental Market - International Grocery Near Me - Olympia, Washington

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I have been buying Aloha Shoyu here for many years with lots of other foods that I miss from Hawaii. Recently I tried their Kimchi Wow it is Absolutely The Best!! It's always great every time I go because of the smiles and how friendly everyone is. Fresh snacks at checkout, fun shopping with friendly customer service makes it #1 ! read more

I absolutely love their in-house kimchi. Spicy, fresh and so delicious! Their selection of banchan is very good, and it is also made in-house. Every time I go they have something I haven't had before, so there's always a chance to try something new. They also have the standard staples - rice, sauces, gochugaru, snacks, desserts, etc.. Their produce section is on the small side, but everything seems nice and fresh. Every so often I'll see cans of Cafe Du Monde coffee & chicory on the shelf, so that's an automatic buy. The store is clean and the staff is friendly. Last time I was there, they had the K-Pop Demon Hunters soundtrack playing over the store's speakers, which was fun! Be careful pulling in and out of the parking lot, though, as people like to drive too fast on Martin Way. Yes, they can be pricey, but I think it's worth it, given that one option is to drive all the way to the nearest H Mart. Plus, did I mention that their in-house kimchi is the bomb? read more

Lacey doesn't have many options for buying Asian groceries locally and while pricy this little shop sells a ton of different options. The freezer sections and dry goods are especially great. The prices on staples like large bags of rice are a good deal. They never give me a hard time about racing in 10 minutes before close on my way home for work. Closed Sundays. The staff are friendly when I go in. They also have a good selection of non food items- bought an old school stainless steel steaming pot here that works great. read more

Clean, friendly helpful folks. Had what I was looking for. I have visited the PHL 3 times and became addicted to the instant coffee.

We love the variety of items at this market, including snacks, meal ingredients, and sauces. They also have dishware - we got a set of the amazing soup spoons that you often find in Asian restaurants... by far the best part is the tea selections - I buy the jasmine green tea here and it's good for my heart. read more

This place is the best. I love making the trek to shop here because the staff is really friendly and remembers me! That means a lot to a customer as someone who also works in customer service. Prices are as fair as I'm sure they can make them, but I don't even mind because I'd rather support them than a big chain. Lots of banchan available and kimbap always at register :) My partner and I cant stop here without getting inari wrappers and waffle ice cream out of the freezer. read more

Great selection and very friendly staff the prices were very reasonable. My fiancé who is from China enjoyed shopping there.

It's pricey compared to H Mart. But super convenient! Close to Olympia, has everything H Market does, even offered banchan and some fresh made food. Even carries soju! read more

If you love Korean food especially banchan (Korean side dishes) this is the place to go to in the Olympia area. This is the only store in the Olympia area to find them. They make them in house! They are delicious. You don't have to travel all the way to Tacoma to take home some great banchan. I wish they were opened later. I have a hard time getting there. read more

Staff is SUPER nice and they have a good selection of foods that I need for recipes, as well as fresh-made foods

Well worth the hour or more drive to shop here. They have all sorts of fresh asian vegetables and frozen seafoods that are unavailable in regular grocery stores. The owners are very friendly and helpful in finding what you're looking for. They have Korean sushi Kimbap and those clear yam noodles Japchae at the checkout counter and both are amazingly delicious! The store is well organized with very narrow isles but a grocery cart fits fine and filled up quickly. What an adventure in shopping and tasting foods from different Asian cuisines. read more

Arirang also has lots of ingredients for Thai cooking, including garlic chives, palm sugar, and hot little red peppers. If you're making miso soup they have bonito flakes, too. Friendly staff who are glad to help, the store is always clean and well stocked. The hours listed here on Yelp, however, are wrong. They are closed Sundays and open 09:00 to 5:30pm, Monday through Saturday. read more

My favorite oriental market!! I shop here all the time and they are so nice. I go here to get pots, all of our favorite noodles, rice, Hawaiian sun drinks, seaweed salad, favorite snacks etc! read more

I LOVE this place! First time here and I felt right at home seeing all my familiar asian foods, snacks, and drinks. I was very surprised to see that they sold Li Hing Mui from Hawaii. I'm so glad, because I don't meed to have my family send me li hing powder! For whomever appreciates tiger balm and white flower (my fellow filipinos) They sell them here! All I know is that I do not have to drive all the way to seafood city to buy my kids their snacks. thank goodness for this place. Oh and yes they sell alcohol. My husband was able to buy a case of Sapporo. read more

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Good service. Small store but wide selection. Wish that there was more consistent organization but it's hard to fit so much stock into a small space without it seeming cluttered. read more

Nice store with a pleasant selection. Picked up a bunch of random items for an impromptu dinner. Everything cooked up nice and was quite tasty. read more

Nice little Asian market. Has a little bit of everything. I was able to pick up ingredients to make an entire dinner. You can pick fresh Korean sushi and other Korean sides here too. read more

My favorite Asian Store that's close to where I live! I especially like the bakery items and Hawaiian goodies.

I was impressed when I visited this place. They offer a variety of kimchee, kitchenware, frozen goods and ready to eat food such as jap chae. The only disappointment was that they didn't carry the rice cakes needed to make ddukbokki. Other than that, it's nice to know that I don't have to go all the way to Tacoma for Korean ingredients. read more

They are very friendly here. Is in a good location and has a good variety of food. The fresh made foods are tasty too.

Expensive, for sure... But it's what you would expect for an Asian market that has harder to find items. Whenever we make an Asian themed dinner, they always have the things we need. Friendly staff. read more

Friendly little shop. Fresh vegetables and items from the Far East. Many items not found in other markets can be found here.

I have been to this store twice. They have a very good selection of many Asian/Hawaiian staples. On today's trip we picked up red Alaea salt, Bonita flakes, dried shiitake mushrooms, ramen noodles, kamaboku, Opae dried shrimp, mung bean and some condiments like Japanese Kewpie mayo and dried wasabi powder. They have a good selection of all the yummy Asian snacks like rice crackers and cuttlefish. A freezer section with poi and lau lau. All kinds of frozen and fresh seafood items like calamari and shrimps. Asian veggies like baby bok choi and lotus root. Too many good items to name. All the stuff you're looking for is here. Check it out. Prices are good too. read more

This Asian market always has what I'm looking for. Might be a bit pricey but you get what you pay for. I haven't had anything there I haven't liked! read more

It is a small Asian store. I love the variety of things they have but it is a limited. The lady who runs the store is very nice and pleasant. I love their kimchi and varieties of banchan. read more

Hate to do this. My parents in law own a small business and I know how hard all small business owners work. Sometimes when I come by they do have items needed in a pinch. Of course and understandably prices will be a little higher than H-mart up in Tacoma. That said they really need to stay open for the hours that they list on the door, yelp and google. They don't answer the phone and often they leave early. Multiple times I've driven to the business only to find it closed, during a time period when they state they are open. This has happened multiple times thus far and I've given them grace. Tonight was the last straw. By closing the business early it is disrespectful to the people who are trying to come to the business. While I was turning around in the parking lot there were two other cars there doing the same thing. Not good. If the business wants to leave earlier everyday, just close an hour early and respect our time. Unless you need strictly Korean items, you can also check out Hong phat nearby for fresh Asian produce or if Korean items are needed H mart up north. Really didn't want to write this review, if things change I will revise. read more

I went to this store today and had a horrible and unsettling experience. I wish yelp allowed for zero stars instead of the obligatory 1 star. I went to the store with my mom and we purchases a small table and 4 other items. We checked out and left the store, I went inside my car and notice I was missing an item. My reciept had the item for 2.69 but the fish cake was not in my bag. I did not leave the parking lot yet, went back inside the store to inquire about my missing item. The man abruptly went out the door to check if he put it in the other customer bag who was behind me. I handed the lady my resuable bag after she started to bag my stuff, so she has to put everything back in my bag. So I am not sure if that is where the item went missing. It was not a big deal until the action of the man. That rude and disrespectful guy went to my car where my mom was sitting and just started opening the door and going through the car without asking for permission. We just spent $40 on a small table, why would we want to steal or hide a 2.69 fishcake. It was completely uncalled for and their mistake for losing the product. He did not search the korean lady who checked out after myself, bag or car but since I am not korean he treated us disrespectfully. He reluctantly went to get me a new product with any apology or anything. I will never be a patron of this store again. Next time, I would gladly drive to Lakewood for better quality product and prices. read more

great market! accepts ebt and the cashier was extremely friendly! i was able to find a bunch of new asian things to try!

In my short time in the area I have already made several trips to Arirang. First the store is wonderfully clean - more than I can say for many small markets. The merchandise is well organized and help is available if needed. It is not a huge store but they seem to have all the major bases covered and at good prices too. My base to compare them to would be HMart up in Federal Way - which might be like comparing a whale to a tadpole, but the biggest area that Arirang outdoes HMart is in the prepared food. HMart takeout Korean wings are bland and severely lacking in flavor while the kimchi, pickles, jap chae and other ready made items at Arirang have the touch of a Korean grandmother and are not dumbed down for caucasian tastebuds. The produce has been spotless and other times looking a bit tired but with a little sleuthing I can find out what days they get their produce delivered and plan my shopping trips accordingly. Be aware that the parking lot is small and can fill up quickly. Service is friendly and helpful. Don't hesitate to ask if you can't find something you are looking for as they may be able to get it for you with a couple days notice. read more

Arirang Market is a wonderful place. I have been shopping here for over ten years. Back then it was pretty much at the end of the road, in the middle of nowhere. Nowadays it's in the middle of the new development going up in Hawks Prairie. The store is very clean, bright, and well organized. They provide many offerings that can't be found in other places (so many kinds of canned fish with amazing preparations). It seems like the focus is mainly on Korean and Japanese fare. There is an ample selection of fresh produce, and all the kimchi is made in house. There are generally more than four different kinds of homemade kimchi on the shelf at any given time. It is nice to be able to buy tofu in bulk. I appreciate the great selection of different snacks, sweets, and various alcoholic beverages from around the world. There's also a nice selection of serving dishes, cookware, and decorative items. It is very practical and as I mentioned before organized and clean. At the checkout counter they sell to go items like vegetarian sushi and some other noodles and salads. They are really tasty! All in all Arirang market is a great spot to check out. The prices are amazing. read more

I don't usually go here, but I love stopping by to pick me up some good Kimbop!! My favorite ones by far. read more

Arirang Oriental Market - International Grocery Near Me - Olympia, Washington

Really awesome selection! I was impressed. We usually have to go to H mart to get a lot of Korean side dishes.

If you're looking for an asian market in Lacey, this would be the place to go. Anyone traveling in the area will definitely notice the abundance of korean/asian markets, however, I highly recommend this one. The people who work here are very friendly and helpful. If you're looking for something they will help out. If you're looking for something that your asian friend said you need to absolutely have, you most likely will find it here. Or will find a comparable item. I love this place, it's very convenient and I don't have to go to Seattle to get decent Japanese food items. read more

Generally speaking, I hesitate to shop in places I can't pronounce the name of. It makes me feel stupid. But if I need good kim chee, or a variety of other asian grocery items, I go to Arirang. More foreign ingredients that I know what to do with, helpful staff, and really yummy store-made chop che (a korean noodle dish). read more

If you're looking for Korean groceries, this is the ONLY place to go in Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater area.

One of my favorite oriental markets. love to come here and get the kimbop whenever I'm in town.

The perfect 'local' Oriental market, a stop here replaces 90% of ingredient-runs to Tacoma, or heaven forbid,Seattle. Although the owners are Korean, they feature the staples of each major Asian cuisine: high-quality sushi fish, fresh lemongrass and thick coconut cream for Thai curry, and of course a wonderful selection of kim chi. Housewares like rice cookers and dish sets are universally high-quality. Fans of Korean food shouldn't miss the fresh chap che and kim baep available every day at the register -- but come early in the day, because it often runs out by late afternoon. . read more