Tucked away in a corner of West Homewood is Hometown Supermarket, an all-in-one community center and grocery store bringing Asian, African, Middle Eastern and European foods to the Birmingham area.
The market is like a “home away from home” for many people in the area who miss the foods of their native countries, said Joy Shu, the store’s head of marketing. For other shoppers, Hometown Supermarket allows them to explore new foods, try fresh seafood, pick from a plethora of unique fruits and vegetables and get involved in community activities.
Walking through the market’s produce section, a shopper will find coconuts, longans, dragon fruit and mangosteen, all denoted by their country of origin. The supermarket also offers a variety of other popular food items, including spring rolls, dumplings, kimchi, miso, fish sauce, green tea and herbs, as well as an extensive selection of spices from various countries.
A wide variety of Japanese, Korean and other Asian snacks are available at the store, including Buldak ramen, Pocky biscuit sticks, Hello Panda, Yan Yan and shrimp crackers.
“When someone from China or another country comes to America, they try to look for what they remember. What they’ve tasted before,” Linda Li, the market’s assistant general manager, said. “That’s why ‘hometown,’ it’s like letting them come over and find the memory and everything they’re missing.”
However, the true star of Hometown Supermarket is the seafood area, according to Li. The market offers a large variety of fish, from wild caught shark, to Yellow Croaker imported from China, to spot prawn. Conch, jellyfish, scallops, mussels and live blue crab can be found there, too. The market offers live tilapia, catfish, and carp year-round. For any order that requires it, the market will clean the fish.
The market is working to expand its dine-in options, as well. It’s home to a Chinese restaurant, Mr. Chen’s, that is open seven days a week, from 11 a.m to 9 p.m.
