A Guide to International Markets and Groceries on Bethel Road

Morse Road may have Saraga International Grocery, the crown jewel of local  international supermarkets, but Bethel Road features a diverse mix of markets ranging from Korean to Turkish to Mexican—many of them offering excellent prepared foods and baked goods. Here’s a quick guide. 

Apna Bazaar

Founded in 2007, the market features a halal meat department and a back-of-the-shop food counter run by Apna’s sister business, Tandoori Grill.

Specialty: Pakistani groceries and carryout dishes

Market size: Small

Address: 810 Bethel Road

Notable neighbors: Min-Ga Korean Restaurant, Tandoori Grill

Arirang Asian Food Market

This Bethel Road staple offers a fantastic selection of fermented prepared foods, ingredients for Korean cooking, spirits and ample snacks. A restaurant, Nara Korean Cuisine, is tucked in the back corner.

Specialty: Korean and East Asian groceries and prepared foods

Market size: Medium

Address: 1526 Bethel Road

Notable neighbors: Golden Delight Bakery, Meshikou Ramen, Meshikou Chikin

More:Top Ramen Picks and Meshikou’s Mike Shek Talks Ramen’s Secret Weapon

Bazyan Market & Bakery

Past the packed shelves of this small shop is an oven that turns out diamond-shaped samoon bread every 20 minutes.

Specialty: Middle Eastern groceries and breads

Market size: Small

Address: 5220 Bethel Center Mall

Notable neighbors: Istanbul Market, Papa Giorgio’s

Gourmet Fine Foods by Istanbul Market

The newly expanded market features a halal butcher shop, fresh fish, cheeses, olives, teas and spices, plus fresh shawarma sandwiches, hummus and a large selection of baklava.

Specialty: Turkish and Middle Eastern groceries, breads and prepared foods

Market size: Large 

Address: 5227 Bethel Center Mall

Notable neighbors: Arirang Asian Food Market, New India Restaurant

Han Ma Oom Korean Market

Now under new ownership, the market carries locally grown vegetables, a wide variety of noodles, dried mushrooms and interesting snacks. The owner will soon offer more ready-to-eat items and alcoholic beverages like soju.

More:Korean Market Han Ma Oom Gets a Second Chance Under New Ownership

Specialty: Korean and East Asian groceries

Market size: Small

Address: 764 Bethel Road

Notable neighbors: Bamboo Thai Kitchen, Lashish the Greek

La Michoacana

This packed grocery offers a well-organized produce department, large meat department, a wide variety of tortillas and a small restaurant serving authentic Mexican fare.

Specialty: Mexican and Latin American groceries

Market size: Medium

Address: 5445 Bethel Sawmill Center

Notable neighbors: Diamonds Ice Cream, Panini Opa

Mediterranean Food Imports & Bakery 2

At Mediterranean Food Imports, you’ll find a halal butcher, freshly baked breads such as za’atar manakish, fresh hummus and made-to-order falafel on warm pita bread.

Specialty: Middle Eastern and Mediterranean groceries and breads

Market size: Small

Address: 5215 Godown Road

Notable neighbors: Ichi Japanese BBQ, Los Guachos

More:Six Spots for Great Falafel

This story is from the May 2022 issue of Columbus Monthly.