Deli meat. Cheese. Wine. Fresh bread. Hard-to-find foreign products.

It’s rather rare for me to review a store – of all the places that can be found on one’s own, stores feature colorful and prominent signs. Yes, this store features one of those hard-to-miss signs, but it’s what’s inside that merits the attention.

Notice any Korean on that chalk board? Didn’t think so. Ron Romain, the French gentleman manning the deli counter, speaks excellent English and takes requests with the ease you would expect of a Frenchman. You may also notice American meat on the list – this being the country where too many of the locals are still afraid of Mad Cow disease, meat from 미국 is unusually hard to find in Dae Han Min Guk.

Jams and jellies, along with an ample selection of bread. No sliced and bagged white bread here, folks.

In terms of quantity, E-mart or Homeplus may have a wider selection; in terms of quality, the selection appears admirable. I’d love to hear what Joshua Hall from winekorea.asia has to say about some of the selections, but there are enough offerings to make your choosing difficult.

Did I mention cheese? Being American I’m afraid my personal appreciation for the pressed curd of milk is limited to a few common varieties mostly found on pizza or sandwiches. With that said, plenty of foreign cheeses are here.

I’m not embarrassed to say this section was my happiest discovery. While the Foreign Food Market well-known to most Seoul and Itaewon expats features many of the same things, High Street Market has prices closer to what you might pay for them back home.

There really are no downsides here – between their partnership with Kobaek Meats (and the ability to get most any kind of meat out there) and the imported stuff already available, High Street Market is worth a stop if you’re anywhere in Seoul or Gyeonggi-do. While I can’t vouch for Busan, Daegu, or other major cities in Korea, this is easily the best place to pick up any number of items. If there’s a good place to pick up foreign goods in Busan, Daegu, or elsewhere in Korea, please comment!

High Street Market is a five minute walk from exit 2 at Itaewon station (line 6), and is just past the IP Boutique Hotel. Tell Ron at the deli counter that Chris in South Korea sent you.

Highly recommended.

Disclaimer: Chris in South Korea is a fan of High Street Market, but was not paid or compensated in any way to write this review. He is hoping for an extra helping of their excellent dried beef jerky for the free advertising they’re getting, though. I’m open to doing sponsored reviews for your business!

© Chris Backe – 2010

This post was originally published on my blog,Chris in South Korea. If you are reading this on another website and there is no linkback or credit given, you are reading an UNAUTHORIZED FEED.