Woori Market

Still closed — it doesn’t look like 12 months after another reviewer said that the owners were going to remodel and reopen. :(

UPDATE: 1÷15÷2014
Just drove by today. Still closed. I know some reviewers have said they’re remodeling but it’s been over a year now. No signs or any information on doors.

One star for having open doors, but the place is torn apart. There was no one around and no merchandise to be sold… but the doors were open. They may not be closing, but it sure is taking ages to «remodel».

what is with this 6 months and counting remodel/​renovation? Hurry up and either open back up or close it down.

The market currently undergoing renovation seems like it’s been like this for a while now, we went to get lunch and shopping but it turned into lunch only which wasn’t bad. I got the fried dumplings and he got the fried rice/​jja jang sauce mix and we split not bad. But a little disappointed the store wasn’t open.

There seems to be a lot of confusion about whether this place is closing or remodeling… I asked one employee and he said they were going out of business, he said that they may reopen at some point but doesn’t know if it will still be Woori Market, or something else. Then I asked someone on the food court side what was up and he said the market side is closing but they don’t know for how long and the food court will remain open.
I came here out of curiosity and to get dry seaweed. They didn’t have seaweed… or much of anything for that matter. I’ll check back in a few months and see if this place goes back to being a solid Asian market, otherwise I will be taking my business to Mitsuwa.

Just wanted to jump on and say that ***I called this place*** and they said they ARE NOT closing and just moved stuff to remodel – and I couldn’t be happier!!! I’m not sure when they will be done, but I’ll ask when I have a chance. The reason I gave this place 5 stars is mainly due to the food court area that is amazing and affordable! The supermarket portion is nice too, though I haven’t had a chance to try everything yet.
This place has a food court that is truly unique to the area having Chinese, Japanese and Korean food but all served by Korean people in somewhat Korean style. The portions are large, the food court is clean, the people are kind and courteous, and the food is delicious and very affordable. There are some selections here such as the ***Seafood Noodle Soup*** (REALLY GREAT PORTION and DELICIOUS for $ 7.50 or so after tax) that are hard to find elsewhere, and the prices for many other things here that you could get at Diamond Jamboree or Koreatown, are cheaper here with the same or more quantity while the quality remains high. The food also comes out quickly which is a plus. Finally, the selection at the food court is extremely good – each restaurant has many items of Japanese, Korean and Chinese styles. Again, the taste for each of these dishes has been really good so far, from something as basic as the ‘garlic chicken’ and rice in the Chinese selection, to the ‘Korean tofu’ pot, to the Japanese box lunch here have all been delicious. And again, very well-​priced.
On the supermarket portion: talk about cheap produce prices, this place pretty much beats all, and although the selection is limited somewhat as the size of the place is smaller, the items range from everyday need to somewhat exotic in regards to brands and items. Everyday items you could get at target are expensive here while a lot of Asian items such as soju (especially soju) and kimchi and ramen are very well priced. Things like garlic and herbs are affordable and fresh as well. I suppose that there are some items that are lacking to be honest because the place isn’t huge, but I figure the same could be said about just about any supermarket. You sometimes just have to know what is offered at the ones you’re going to.
THE MARINATED MEAT area has marinated items that are also fresh and affordable, from short-​ribs, to chicken bulgogi, to marinated beef. The pricing is the best I’ve seen from ASian markets and the quality is good. The fish area has a small but good selection of dinner items as well as oysters and other somewhat exotic as well. I’ve seen them have small blue crabs (?) as well as other shellfish, but haven’t had a chance to try them yet. They are alive and well though, so I’d venture that these types of seafood are relatively fresh.
I’d go on but I’m on my phone. Go check it out for the food court and stay for the produce, ambiance and gems throughout the supermarket. You’ll see what I mean :)…

Do not let the emptiness fool you!!!
If you go into the store right now, you will see no produce, meat, or seafood on the shelves! This is because they are getting ready to remodel and don’t want their fresh food to spoil!
I went in yesterday to stock up on spices and hot sauces (I don’t know what it is about hot sauces at Asian markets, but they are so good!) and was upset at all the ‘emptiness’, however the young girl at the cash register informed me of the remodeling. I didn’t find out when it would be over, but I am sure they will be finished in a week or two.
I am giving them 3 stars based on what they did have in stock (buy yourself some Hungarian Hot Paprika, you will love it!) and I will update when I go in after the remodeling. At least their food court is still in tact!

Fail, fail, epic FAIL.
I came here today to buy just a handful of ingredients I needed to make homemade gyoza (yesss, be jealous!). I checked my handy dandy Unilocal for an Asian grocery store nearby and decided Woori was the place to go. They had good, positive reviews?
The market is easy to spot from the street and very close to the freeway. It has ample parking and the market itself is large.
HOWEVER, their produce section was EMPTY and the few items that were stocked were extremely poor quality, most were spoiled. Seriously, all the large produce displays were empty. It was unbelievable, and I pretty much walked out as soon as I took a walk around the produce section. Such a shame because they have so much floor space… will never be going back, ever.
*UPDATE* I’ve read a couple reviews on this place saying that they are going to remodel or go out of business, etc. I dunno what to believe, BUT as a company, they should’ve posted something for the public to see/​read so if this were the case, there’s at least an explanation for it.

Not all Asian markets are the same. I used to think H Mart and Ranch 99 were what this part of OC had to offer. Sure there is the more hip Mitsuwa, but that’s more for the finished goods demand, but that’s less a market that a cop of stores. Woori to me is more Korean influenced that most and I’m not just saying that because of the excellent selection of marinated meats that we all love. It can get really expensive trying to purchase this from a restaurant a la cart or even in bulk from a AYCE place. I am a KBBQ fan and although once a week is too much for me I don’t mind bringing it to potlucks, parties, etc. I even have my own specific KBBQ griddle. It’s more Hibachi style, but I hate cleaning my grill grate after even 1 round of KBBQ it’s just so messy.
I may be Pacific Islander, but compared to many of my contemporaries I eat a lot more traditional than them. Knowing I may have to fend for myself outside of an easily available Asian population I learned to cook my favorite dishes and yeah you can get most ingredients at regular grocery stores, there are items you can get nowhere else. Spices, vegetables, ingredients and fish mostly. Try looking for milkfish aka bangus at Vons. I really prefer the ease of the shopping experience, variety and freshness of Woori versus the larger, more known markets. Though the American appetite is beef heavy most Asian markets don’t carry say a «porterhouse» or «standing rib roast». This is where you’d be remiss. I placed a custom order for a Porterhouse and bam, yeah they got it. You’d think the opposite seeing how much beef and pork versus chicken and fish that they are like every other place. Needing to review this place has reminded me my office has BBQ grills outside. I may soon bring my kit and throw down on some just for lunch.

I super enjoy coming up here. I come all the way from San Diego to shop here. This place isn’t the only reason why I come up, but it is a must stop when I am in the OC area. We come up about once a month on a weekend and love the Cheap prices on fruits, veggies, and meats… oh the seafood! The sale prices are like cheaper than the Korean market in San Diego!
Great place! Also will stop by!

Great produce, great Korean meats, and a huge selection of almost everything else you’d want! This is a little smaller than the other Korean market I used to go to, but has everything I actually want! I’ve been trying to stop eating junk food for snack, so I’ve been buying about $ 4 worth of fruit each week and it is more than enough to satisfy my hunger through the day! They’ve got a variety of apples, plums, pluots, peaches, grapes, and more! And it’s SO CHEAP! I’ll repeat:
SO CHEAP!!!
Come in and buy some banchan, some raw marinated meats, frozen foods, fresh seafood. I’ve had some of their fresh clams and, while it may have been due to my expert cooking, they were good! But every cook knows that you need to have fresh seafood in order for it to be good!
Oh, if you’re lucky, you will drop by when they’re giving out free samples. They even have someone cooking some of their marinated galbi in the meat section. SO GOOD!!! But it always makes me want to buy some! Damn Costco-​esque marketing…

— Locale Destination —
It’s on Red Hill Ave and Walnut Ave in Tustin.
I remember it used to be a Korean market but different name… I didn’t like it because it was way overpriced compared with other Korean markets.
It’s clean and neat. The staff were friendly and spoke English (mostly Korean). Parking is easy. They have a food court (Korean, Chinese, and Korean/​Japanese sushi), cosmetics, tiny grocery store, and bakery («We Bakery»).
— Gluttony Expedition —
Fresh produce: I didn’t like the quality at all. Many vegetables had dents or mold, all the prices were super expensive (for Korean markets). Most Korean markets offer fresh vegetables with damn cheap price tags, but not here. I can say this place charges you at least 20~30% more than others. If I were wrong, please let me know. If you were a regular for Korean market, 99.9% of you would agree with me.
They have all the stuff you can find at Korean markets. They even have some Japanese seasonings and stuff. Everything is a lot more expensive than others.
— Conqueror’s Deduction —
I’m not a Korean, but I do cook Korean foods (my toppogi is freaking awesome!) and shop at Korean supermarkets regularly. I’m no stranger about Korean markets. I love Korean markets ;)
This is the most expensive and depressing (due to the ridiculous price) Korean market I’ve ever encountered. I’m totally disappointed. You get a way better fresh produce at «Sprouts» for the same price tag. That shouldn’t be happening — I use Korean markets due to its great price (especially for fresh produce) and wider varieties of fresh produce. Not here unfortunately…
I might try their marinated meats, but nothing else.

My rating says 4 stars, but if there was a way to like half a star then my review would change to 3.5.
Anyway, it is a better option than H-​Mart as other Unilocalers have suggested. It’s a really clean facility and the produce is pretty fresh and fairly cheap. I can find all my Asian necessities quickly and get out.
I would also like to comment that their meat is «clean» and packaged with care. We just bought some pork spare ribs for sinigung (a Filipino stew) and we usually have to boil off the «unclean» parts (the fat) so that our soup won’t be too heavy. To our surprise the meat did not have any fat rise that rose to the top for us to see! Now we know we can cut cooking time thanks to their cleaner meat.
Yay for Korean market places!

Korean BBQ!!! Bought a bunch for memorial day weekend because it was on sale. It was such a good deal we went back the next day and bought some for lunch. It was delish!
It’s pretty cheap here, they have variety of Asian goodies, especially Korean goodies! A little Korean bakery as well, and lots of fresh sushi options! My sister got the sushi platter and she said it was very fresh and good! A great deal too. Also they have lots of yummy korean noodles. Good for work! Definitely come here next time if we want to BBQ or want a quick fix Asian grocery shopping!

Don’t Woori, Be Happy :)!
Woori means «we» or «our» in Korean. This definitely is Our Market! I’m not Korean, but what I meant is this is the market for everyone! You will find what you are looking for here. Along with the best Asian food court in the area.
Okay I admit that was one of my worst intros ever. Let me rephrase: DON’T HMART, BE HAPPY =D! I freaking hate H Mart. Please don’t get me started. H Mart is like a McDonalds of Korean. admit it the only reason you shop there is Irvine is because you are lazy! I hardly ever see any Koreans there and that includes workers and customers. If you need help learn Spanish. Just sayin… *see my H Mart review.
WOORI to the rescue! A lot of reviews are saying that this is market is Freshia part 2. Hell yeahzzz!!! It’s like watching Batman Begins and then getting blown away by The Dark Knight! This is a cleaner, remodeled and more organized Freshia. Nothing much changed but that’s exactly what I wanted. $ 5/​lb Kalbi :). The only thing that would make this place better is moving from Tustin and taking over H Mart. Literally every worker is Korean, except maybe one. Even in the food court serving Japanese and «Chinese food», all Korean workers. I don’t have to be good in math and science to discover this place is authentic. Okay maybe I am good in math because I’m Asian: P I kid I kid, but seriously I am. This market gives you a small taste of Ktown LA only without the drive and horrible parking.
H Mart is that one Irvine friend that you have that is ashamed to be Korean. Woori is like a refine yet sophisticated Import model that you can take home to your parents. I highly recommend Woori Market to any Korean food lover. Great prices, large selection, and a food court. You can’t go wrong with Woori Market.

I got to much hype when H-​mart opened up until I realized they are slightly pricier than the other Korean markets. Woori market was pretty good for the grand opening. Easy to find everything i needed but the sample vendors are slightly too pushy. You take a sample and they automatically assume you’re buying 10 cases of the stuff!
Prices are good, new nifty shopping carts were convenient, meats were fresh and prepared exactly how i like it! Better than H-​mart so far!

This market took over Freshia and honestly I can’t really tell the difference in choice except it is SO much cheaper than Freshia used to be. The price point is on the same line as Zion market.
Apart from that, nothing has changed, just a pretty decent Korean market with fresh seafood, a bakery inside and same old same old.

So whats so new about the Woori Market? From what I can tell not much has changed from the old Freshia days. The setup inside is the same, you still have the bakery (a little bigger now), there is still an area with premade foods (hot and cold), the meet department looks like it is a little bigger with more prepackaged fresh cut meats, and the seafood department looks to be expanded as well. They also run weekend special like most of the other korean grocery stores. Prices do appear to be a little bit more expensive but sale items are comparable to the other grocery stores.
As a cost comparison I would check the weekly add against the other stores. Woori, Zion, and Hmart all publish weekly special on the website.

Lets start off with the most important part here… the bathrooms. They really cleaned it up. New toilets and sinks, I believe. You don’t have to worry about contracting dangerous diseases when you go into these bathrooms, unlike the pig styes that were there during the end of Freshia.
I believe the food court restaurants were the same — it was eerily empty on a weekend.
Bakery is different, yet the same… The cakes look prettier, the individually wrapped breads look similar to what was there before. Prices are the same as before. Gone is the always smiling lady who would say hi to my daughter. :(
Fish area is bigger and cleaner. More fresh fish tanks. If you need some instant entertainment, buy a flounder. The happy fish guy will come by and ‘gently’ wrassle out a big fish, cradle it in his arms, and as its flopping around, place it on the scale which happens to be in the customer area (instead of the usual area behind the counter). Repeat this process by telling him you want one a little smaller… you’ll soon see that smile disappear from his face after the 4^th time.
Lots of different cuts of meat in the meat department. Frozen this and that at rock bottom prices too. Sample lady was making marinated pork that day. Nothing that will blow you away and half was fat, but mighty tasty
Produce area — still the same quality as before. Beautifully piled fruits and veggies but upon closer inspection, you’ll get an idea why everything can be sold so cheaply. If you do have a need to buy 20lbs of cabbage, go for it! Watch for mold and soft spots on any fruit you buy.
Tons of sampling stations. You won’t know what you’re eating, but every 5 feet or so, there will be something new to try. It still retained its Freshia aura just 100x cleaner. Rice is super cheap right now during the grand opening period if you’re running low.