Chef gives her verdict on new Asian supermarket K-Mart in Bury St Edmunds and provides a recipe for Japchae (Korean Sweet Potato Noodles) to try at home

I’ll admit it, this month’s column comes from a slightly selfish place.

For years, whenever I’ve needed to stock up on specialist Asian ingredients, it has meant a planned trip to Cambridge or Ipswich, or an online order. So when I discovered that a Korean supermarket, K-Mart, had opened right here in Bury St Edmunds, I was genuinely thrilled.

I asked the owner, Calvin, why he chose to open a Korean supermarket in Bury. His answer was refreshingly simple: there wasn’t one. He has also kept prices reasonable so that customers can shop regularly – weekly rather than monthly. “It’s for the local community,” he said. “To give more choice and make it more convenient, without the need to travel.” He’s also happy to take special requests, so if there’s an ingredient you need, just ask.

The K-Mart supermarket in Risbygate Street with owner Calvin

Despite its name, K-Mart offers far more than just Korean ingredients. While Korean staples like tteokbokki, kimchi and snacks form the heart of the shop, Calvin stocks products from across Asia – Japan, China, Thailand, the Philippines, India, Singapore and Malaysia. As someone who cooks dishes from all these countries, I was delighted to see so many familiar ingredients in one place.

One section that immediately caught my eye was the range of sauces and condiments. If you cook Asian food regularly, you’ll know that no two sauces are ever quite the same. For example, some chilli sauce are smoky, some sharp with vinegar, others rich with garlic or fermented beans. K-Mart has a thoughtful selection, from everyday table sauces to more complex, punchy varieties, including the ever-popular crispy chilli oils that have taken the food world by storm. These are the kinds of jars that can transform the simplest bowl of noodles or rice into something deeply satisfying.

And speaking of noodles, no Asian supermarket would be complete without them.

Drinks galore

The instant noodle aisle is, quite frankly, a feast for the senses. In many Asian households, instant noodles are not just a quick fix; they are a staple. In Korea especially, they hold near-cultural status. There are countless varieties – spicy, savoury, seafood or meat-based, or enriched with miso or kimchi flavours. You’ll find shelves lined with colourful packets and bowls, each promising comfort in just a few minutes. It’s the sort of display that invites curiosity, whether you’re a seasoned fan or trying them for the first time.

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There’s also a generous selection of soft drinks and sodas, many of which you won’t typically find in mainstream supermarkets. From fruity, refreshing options like white peach tea, sparkling yoghurt and unsweetened green tea, to intriguingly unusual flavours such as Gummy BoBo latte and melon Milkis. Then there’s Mogu Mogu, a fun and quirky Asian drink from Thailand, popular across southeast Asia. It contains small cubes of nata de coco, a jelly-like coconut gel, which you chew while drinking. All these drinks offer a glimpse into everyday tastes from across Asia. You’ll also find isotonic drinks like 100PLUS from Malaysia, made by F&N, and Pocari Sweat, a popular Japanese sports drink. Chilled coffee drinks like Pokka’s cappuccino, OKF’s mocha latte and caramel macchiato look especially inviting.

Then come the snacks. . . and this is where it becomes very difficult to leave empty-handed.

Some sweet treats

Asian snacks have a charm all of their own. Sometimes savoury, sometimes spicy, sometimes playful, and always interesting. Think crisp seaweed crisps, prawn sticks, crispy tempura squid, bubble milk tea mochi, and an array of biscuits such as almond cookies, green tea egg rolls and Ajilchlban’s macarons, alongside nostalgic sweets like White Rabbit chewy milk candy and lychee gummies. They range from delicately flavoured to boldly experimental.

There’s also a small but delightful bakery section, offering treats like pillowy soft milk buns filled with pistachio, chocolate, hot dog, alongside buns topped with pork floss. You’ll find delicate Chinese custard tarts, layered matcha and red bean crepe cakes, mango cream rolls, cloud-like swiss rolls and fragrant pandan cakes – all so light, fluffy and utterly moreish. It has proven so popular that Calvin has increased deliveries from once a week to twice a week to keep up with demand and ensure freshness.

The frozen section is equally impressive, with ready-to-eat dumplings such as Japanese gyoza, Korean mandu, and the classic Chinese dim sum trio of siew mai, har gao and char siew bao, alongside Korean savoury pancakes, takoyaki and spring onion pancakes. You’ll also find frozen dumpling wrappers, oysters, squid, king prawns, waffle thin meats, thick udon, Chinese noodles, spices for curry and soups, salted fish etc. – ingredients to create authentic tasting dishes at home.

The shop is stacked with Asian goodies

The selection caters not only to those who already cook Asian food, but also to those who are curious and keen to explore. You don’t need to be an expert – it’s the perfect place to begin. A jar of chilli oil, a packet of noodles, a new snack to try, these small steps can open the door to a whole new way of cooking and eating at home.

Food has always been a way of connecting cultures, and shops like K-Mart play an important role in that. They introduce new flavours, inspire new dishes and quietly bring communities closer together. If you haven’t yet visited, I’d encourage you to take a look. Go with an open mind and see what catches your eye – you might just discover something new to love.

And speaking of flavours, I am excited to share one of my favourite Korean dishes for you to try at home, Lilian’s Japchae (Korean Glass Noodle Stir-Fry).

Lilian's Japchae (Sweet Potato Noodles)

JAPCHAE (SWEET POTATO NOODLES)

These noodles are chewy and slippery, with colourful vegetables dressed in

sesame soya and garlic. This is a stir fry dish that can be eaten at room

temperature or served cold like a salad. Instead of cooking every single

ingredient separately, I have simplified the process for the same delicious treat.

Serves: 4

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Sauce ingredients:

1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 tablespoons sesame oil

4 tablespoons light soya sauce

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

2 teaspoon minced garlic

Stir fry ingredients:

100g spinach

200g Korean sweet potato noodles

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

300g sirloin/ribeye steak

Half a teaspoon sea salt

1 onion, sliced

1 carrot, fine strips

1 red capsicum pepper, sliced

5 shitake mushrooms, sliced

Method:

1. Trim off the fat and sinew from the steak, slice thinly cutting against the grain, marinate

with the salt. Slice all the vegetables, set aside on a plate. Combine all the sauce ingredients

in a very large mixing bowl, mix to dissolve the sugar.

2. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, blanch the spinach for 30 seconds. Transfer to a

bowl of cold water with a perforated spoon, drain and squeeze the water from the spinach,

place in the mixing bowl. Re-boil the water, cook the noodles for 4-5 minutes until

translucent and cooked through. Drain in a colander, rinse under a cold tap. Snip the

noodles with a pair of scissors into 10cm lengths, add to the bowl.

3. Heat up 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large frying pan until smoking, sear the beef and add

to the bowl.

4. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil around the pan. Fry the onions for 30 seconds, add the carrots

and cook for 1 minute, followed by the mushrooms then peppers. Add to the bowl.

5. Toss well to combine and serve at room temperature. If you prefer the noodles hot, return

them to the frying pan to warm through.

CHEF’S TIPS:

Left-over noodles from the fridge will look opaque and taste hard. Reheat them in a frying pan or microwave oven, and they will be soft and chewy again.

You can use glass noodles instead, they’re not as thick or chewy but has similar slippery textures. Glass noodles are also known as mung bean vermicelli or cellophane noodles.

If you’re inspired to explore more Asian cooking, I’ve got some exciting upcoming classes where we’ll dive deeper into these flavours:

April 22 – Chinese Cuisine

May 9 – Sushi & Korean Fried Chicken

June 3 – Thai & Vietnamese Street Food

July 31 – Indian Cooking Made Simple

These classes are all about building confidence, learning techniques and, of course, enjoying delicious food along the way.

You might just discover a whole new world of flavour right here in Bury St Edmunds.