What to expect: Hometown Supermarket on Greensprings Highway in Homewood has a large inventory of fresh produce, frozen and prepared foods, sake, soju, snacks, and a remarkable collection of specialty ingredients. They specialize in Asian products but also have sections dedicated to African, Indo-Pak, and Asian-Pacific products.
The store can be overwhelming. It’s huge. They have a meat and seafood market as well. Need a whole octopus? Hometown has got you covered. Need a Thai-style rice steamer? They got you. Fresh bamboo? Do you want it whole, peeled, or peeled and sliced? It’s a truly amazing place.
I’d schedule no less than an hour for a first time visit.
Mr. Chen’s Authentic Chinese Cooking is accessible from within Hometown Supermarket.
Extra surprise: At the back of the market, past the home goods on your left and through a swinging double door, there’s a table tennis area. It’s the home of the Birmingham Table Tennis Club. It feels a little sketchy/forbidden walking back through to reach this area, but the people I spoke to were all very nice, despite my lack of interest in table tennis.
Call: (205) 941-0999
Map: 808 Green Springs Hwy #140, Homewood, AL 35209
Web: https://www.facebook.com/HometownSupermarketBHM/
-SB
Birmingham Food Scene 