I was looking for a fast, cheap, healthy, portable lunch to take on a picnic to a nearby beach or scenic viewpoint in Monterey and Kim's Oriental Market delivered on all counts! Thanks to my YouTube habit, I found this quaint, tiny, family-run Korean grocery in a travel video on inexpensive meals in Monterey. The travelers praised the freshness of the ready-to-eat refrigerated banchan dishes and the just made kimbap rolls availabe for purchase on the checkout counter. Perfect for my use case. I parked on the street around the corner which was easy to find & free for 2 hours. The store is small and packed with anything you can imagine from an Asian grocery. The upright cold cases are toward the back left, and the frozen proteins are in a deep freezer near the checkout counter. When I arrived around 1pm on a summer Tuesday, no one was in the store, but I could hear Korean voices in conversation from the back room. I did my shopping in the banchan case (pickled cucumber & kelp salad - yum!) then poked my head through that open doorway to ask, "May I purchase kimbap?" The grandmother / proprietor jumped up to say, "Sure! Are you ready to check out?" The plastic-wrapped roll was about 7-8 inches long and stuffed with typical kimbap ingredients: nori, rice, krab, carrot, daikon, tofu). A filling meal for me at $2. With my $4 salad, the whole cost was $6 and I had leftover salad for picnicking the next day. Sorry, I failed to take any pictures (bad Yelper!), but if you've ever had ready-to-eat foods from a Korean grocer, you know what to expect. read more

Fantastic selection of goods for all meals, snacks, and treats. Yum yum! Wonderful service and good vibes always.

The service is to notch and very helpful, I've been doing Asain cooking and the ladies will answer my questions and put me on the right path! I love shopping there! read more

I get all my Korean food fix here. Listen, the secret of delicious gim bap sold here for only $2 is out and now it's always sold out. Come early if you want delicious and nutritious gim bap. The store is stacked with all your favorite Korean goodies like noodles, snacks and a variety of drinks. I recommend it and I always hit up this local joint. Edit to add: I was reluctant to leave a review because I wanted to keep this secret to myself... but it's too good to not share. read more

Kim's Oriental Market - Buldak fire noodles are sold here - International Grocery Near Me - Seaside, California

I bought so many snacks and i ate them all. Seriously I have like a binge eating disorder I must have eaten like 3 pounds of snacks. Like I almost threw up. Their banchan is so good too I liked their dried squid and raw marinated squid and gosari namul a lot yum. Also this kimbap was nicd. My breath still smells like garlic after 2 days I probably ate a whole head between all the banchan. The lady who helped me was so sweet I want to learn her marinated squid recipe so bad. read more

Kim's Oriental Market - International Grocery Near Me - Seaside, California

The owner is very sweet, friendly and helpful. I purchased the Bulgogi and it was fantastic and bursting with flavor. I highly recommend trying it. I've gone to restaurants that can't even compete with this dish. I also purchased the bean sprouts and it was also so tasty. Looking forward to the steamed kimchi mandu !!! Going back today for a couple containers of Bulgogi read more

Kimbap was very tasty. $2 each. Usually they have more items but it was Labor Day and we were just glad they were open! read more

Best oriental market anywhere on the Monterey Peninsula. The daily fresh lunches are made from scratch and are absolutely delicious.. their selection of items is superb. The owner is always friendly and helpful. And the ambience is exactly what I want. A little family owned market to be. Cozy, full of delicious items and new items to try. Period I have recommended this market to so many friends and all have been extremely happy With their service and visit. read more

The steamed kimchi mandu and kimbap are great! I think the fish jeon very well seasoned. Would come again

Came here to pick up meat and sauces for New Year's Eve hot pot and they had what we needed. There's a whole freezer of frozen meat, sliced, perfect for hot pot . Lots is Asian sauces, snacks, noodles, etc. read more

Ok ok ok... this place is small but convenient and it's definitely my go-to Asian market in Seaside. Why? Because they have fresh banchan and sometimes even make up delicious kimbap for me to nosh on. My little boy and I love them for a quick, delicious snack. And we like to keep various banchan in the fridge for healthy gut snacks. Other than that, Kim's carries an assortment of Asian snacks, teas, some frozen and shelf staples, and a small variety of veggies. The ladies are always so nice and, over the years, have even gotten used to me coming in and asking for kimbap, I think. hehe Definitely see ya there! read more

The woman working here is so kind and helpful! They have all kinds of Korean goods and snacks. Everything delicious! Can't wait to come back! read more

Stopped here on a whim from out of town. I live in Maryland where there are tons of huge Korean markets and I love Asian food. I'm vegan so I always hunt for the best pickled Korean sides. Wow I gotta say that the lotus room salad was the BEST dish I've ever eaten. It was incredible. The sprouts salad is also good and loved all the teas and mochi. read more

Kim's Oriental Market - a hand holding a pretzel - International Grocery Near Me - Seaside, California

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This small store is packed with goodies! Service was a little slow, but that's because they were busy! I'll be going back! I love these small Asian, Mexican ma read more

Absolutely everything you could possibly need is here, at this woman-owned shop. And so many brands and choices of everything. If I lived in Seaside, this is where I'd shop ALL the time. And she even has fresh Pickles and Sushi! I'm attaching a video of the tea set I bought for my granddaughter this week. read more

Small store with two isles. Has all the basic ingredients for preparing Korean meals. What stood out was the refrigerated section with their side dishes. I saw a bunch of ladies working in the back preparing such items. I bought kimpa/ sushi as a checked out . read more

Kim's Oriental Market - Panchan - International Grocery Near Me - Seaside, California

Great selection of core Korean groceries including meat (check freezers) and banchan. I wish they had more fresh produce but what they have is not bad given it's a small store. The cashier lady is always so friendly and welcoming. read more

They had everything that I was looking for, and the lady that was working at the register today was really sweet.

I love this market! Anytime I have a craving for kimchi (ready made) or miso I head here. I love the selection of all sorts of things. Noodles, sauces, spices! I wanted to make Kimchi a while back and I knew immediately this is where I would find what I needed. I love to cook and I love exploring for new ingredients. I am by no means well versed in this cuisine but I LOVE it. This market makes finding more rare ingredients much easier! read more

Everything Kim is really nice and she special ordered some crystallized ginger for me. A dozen bags and she's friendly and and very helpful and her Store is well stocked. I recommend her anytime. read more

This market is a gem! We were actually looking for a small locally owned cafe when we found this market. The owners are very helpful and gracious. The market is very clean, does not smell fishy and is organized and neat. They also have fresh homemade style foods if you don't want to cook. We took home a variety of noodles, spices, burdock root and the best homemade kimchi we have ever had! It was so delicious, the tang and spicy flavors did not overpower the cabbage. I am going to be dreaming about this till I go back for more! read more

Kim's Oriental Market - Delicious Kimchi - International Grocery Near Me - Seaside, California

This place is amazing! So many great authentic choices! And it is super clean, organized and great prices. So happy we found it, will be regulars for sure! read more

I have been coming to Kim's Market in Seaside for years, well more like decades. I go here with, or for my Mom, who is Japanese and often needs Asian basics for cooking. This market is a Mom and Pop Shop, so it isn't anything like those huge Asian grocery stores like 99 Ranch, Nijiya, Seafood City or Mitsuwa. But they do make their own Kimchi in the back, and sell it here. It's pretty good! And they have most of the essentials you might want, i.e. Ponzu Sauce, Rice, Rice Cracker snacks, Mirin, BulGoGi sauce, Instant Noodles, frozen Mackerel, Kamaboko, Takuan pickled radish, Japchae noodles, Kombu, etc. They only have a few random vegetables, they just don't have the traffic to justify more. It is run by older Koreans, who are nice and know most of their customers. They always give us a roll of Kim Bap (Korean Sushi Roll) if we spend close to $50. It has been tough for months for them, since the City of Seaside is rebuilding the sewer lines and tearing up the street in front of these small businesses, so it hasn't been easy. But they are still here! I hope they always are. The next best choice is perhaps another Korean market 5 miles north, in Marina. Hopefully the construction ends soon, and the area is revitalized! It is sad because most of the people who shop here, many coming to the area when there was a military base at Fort Ord nearby, and as a result of World War II with Japan, and the Korean War, even some from the Vietnam War, are slowing all passing away. Hopefully the following generations learned to cook Asian foods from their Moms, and still shop here. read more

Kim's Oriental Market - International Grocery Near Me - Seaside, California

They make the best Japchae in town, they have good selections of Japanese and Korean food.

This little market is great. Friendly and has what I need. My mom is Japanese so I know all the cool things to eat lol. I highly recommend this market. Low prices compared to grocery store. Thank you Kim. read more

I love this place. I'm so happy since korean food is hard to come by in Monterey. They are very friendly. Highly recommend this place. Very sweet people read more

The owner is a complete sweetheart. Bought snacks and gave me an extra sweet bread for free. I got 2 Japanese learning books for free and a Pokemon comic for free as well! As a Japanese student this meant a LOT to me. Great service, great people, complete sweethearts. Will be coming back 1000%!! read more

The homemade banchan side dishes in the refrigerated section in back are really delicious and well-priced! Otherwise, a great selection of great Asian ingredients for such a small store. The owners are sweet and helpful. A hidden gem! read more

Great stuff at great prices. I was trying to make a specific Japanese dish and even though she is Korean she was able to help me find everything i needed. read more

love her and the family prices are great food is awesome and she always gives a gift for big orders read more

Very kind and friendly. The fresh food is delicious. Get there early if you want some!

I am so happy I found this place! Really nice lady. I've been looking for a place that has different kinds of ramen to try and there are so many to chose from here!My husband loved it too! read more

They have LOTS of Asian snacks, food, drinks, and vegetables! They also have books and other Asian goodies. The worker there (Kim) is super sweet as well. I love buying kimchi and snacks here! read more

Small little market with things you would need. I love their gimbap and Korean pancake!

I loved this place! I found all the weird and random ingredients I was looking for, and they were all really decently priced. I'm pretty sure the most expensive thing I bought was ramyun for under $6. The lady was also super nice and even double checked with me on the price of one of the items. I'd read in a previous comment that there wasn't a lot of produce, but for not being a "produce kind of market" they still had quite a few things like cabbage, sweet potatoes, and bean sprouts to name a few. Whenever I'm back in Seaside, I will definitely be going here. read more

Kim's Oriental Market - International Grocery Near Me - Seaside, California

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They have so many of our favorite things for such a tiny store. My only issue is that they require customers to wear a mask, but the last 2 times I have gone there the clerk was not wearing a mask. Both times I could hear someone in the employee area coughing. I really love their prepared sides, but I need to be sure they are following their own protocol. read more

They have a surprisingly robust selection for the size of the store. Absolutely essential if you're East Asian and live in Monterey. The aisles are too narrow for wheelchairs or rollators though, but that's most Asian grocery stores. read more

I've lived decades in Monterey, and somehow did not know Kim's. Wow! I went there to get some pickled vegetables, and ended up filling two bags. Marinated beef for bulgogi, and six kinds of pickled vegetables, including kimchi. The lady was very nice and helpful, and showed me around the store. All of the food was hand made in the back of the store, and it was wonderful. We had a bulgogi dinner at home, as good as any I can remember. read more

Recently moved to the area and was looking for wild rice and this place had it at a very good price! I had called other markets but this was the only market who's clerk/ store owner was willing to provide prices of items over the phone! This store has really amazing Asian pears, persimmons and had really good sweet potatoes that the clerk informed me were Japanese sweet potatoes (there were delicious baked. Had a variety of ingredient for different asian cuisines! THe clerk was so sweet she even gave me a mochi sweet cake as a thank you gift for my purchase! Very nice, clean and small little shop. Support your community! Support small businesses! Shop local! read more

Very kind owner. A small space filled with a nice selection of fresh kimchi and banchan, as well as cold beverages and other fun snacks and staples for Asian cooking. They also sell a few basic housewares such as chopsticks, stone bowls, kitchen gloves, exfoliating cloths. Always happy to support this authentic small business. read more