Lunch Like A Local: H Mart Food Court In Burlington

BURLINGTON, MA -- It's hard to find a unique, local dining experience in Burlington, particularly if you're dodging malls on Middlesex Turnpike and "Which drive-thru line is shorter?" is a key question when making a decision on where to go to lunch. It's not that Burlington doesn't have a lot of restaurants, but the town tends to be populated by the chains you're just as likely to find in Burlington, NC as you are in Burlington, MA.

But if you're looking for something Asian and authentic, the H Mart Food Court at 43 Middlesex Turnpike has you covered. The food court is a line of a half a dozen food stalls -- most of which are open on most days -- on one side of the ethnic supermarket serving authentic Asian cuisine. This isn't the PuPu platter at your local Chinese food place, but real Chinese, as well as real Japanese, Vietnamese and Korean dishes.

We got the pork kim chi at Woojeon Korean Cuisine, one of two stalls offering Korean food. For $16 we got a drink, a heaping plate of the main, a bowl of rice big enough for two, a cup of soup and a couple of sharing plates. It wasn't the best or cheapest version of this dish we've tried in greater Boston, but it was certainly far from the worst.

Seating can be scarce during lunch time and expect someone to sweep in and ask if you're leaving as soon as you make anything resembling a move that suggests you're about to vacate your orange-topped table. The people-watching factor is good at this lunch spot, with a mix of workers from nearby tech companies sitting elbow-to-elbow with Asian immigrants and speaking in their native tongue.

Lunch Like A Local is an occasional series exploring unique, one-of-a-kind and locally-owned eateries. To nominate a restaurant, email dave.copeland@patch.com.

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Photo by Dave Copeland/Patch.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).