Arirang Kimchi welcomes customers before official opening

The bright color, the bold flavor, the crunch -- Arirang Kimchi has it all. Today, I brought home a jar of cabbage kimchi from Arirang's new store in Ridgefield.  

Editor's note: Today, I discuss the long-awaited opening of Arirang Kimchi in a new location, and an American Express promotion that offers $30 in statement credits when you shop at small businesses.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

For devotees of Arirang Kimchi, the wait is over.

Today, co-owner Kyung S. Oh welcomed the handful of customers who have gotten the word Arirang Kimchi is finally open in Ridgefield -- about 14 months after the family closed its Englewood location.

The official opening of Arirang's store in the H&Y Marketplace shopping center is set for Dec. 18.

But Mrs. Oh says customers are welcome to stop in before then. She expects to open the store every day from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

This afternoon, two employees of H&Y, a Korean supermarket, came over with a small plate and asked Mrs. Oh for some kimchi to go with their lunches.

She gladly accommodated them. 

The Oh family's handmade kimchi is preservative- and MSG-free, and the best commercial product available in North Jersey.

"Arirang" is the Korean word for "spring." The business was located in Hackensack and then Englewood for a total of 32 years.

There is no substitute for Arirang Kimchi.

 The unadorned storefront in the H&Y Marketplace at 1 Remsen Place in Ridgefield.

Bags of kimchi greet customers. One special is a 5-pound bag of kimchi for $7.99.

Arirang Kimchi's raw ingredients include baby radish, front, and Napa Cabbage.

H&Y Marketplace, a Korean supermarket, is part of the Small Business Saturday promotion from American Express.

Spend $10, get $10

American Express is offering up t0 $30 in statement credits, if you use your registered card to make purchases during Small Business Saturday.

Today, I spent $10 or more at three small businesses to qualify for a credit of $30.

At Jerry's Gourmet & More in Englewood, I bought a 2.2-pound bag of coffee beans from Italy for $9.99, and a half-liter bottle of Ponti Balsamic Vinegar for $1.99.

At H&Y Marketplace in Ridgefeld, I bought two items on sale, a tray of 12 Sharoni-brand Persimmons from Spain ($11.99), and a 16-portion box of Shin Ramyun Noodle Soup ($10.99).

At Bangkok Garden Thai Restaurant in Hackensack, I ordered takeout: 

Green Papaya Salad ($8.95), and Tom Yum Goong, a spicy soup with shrimp and mushrooms ($4.50).

The dining room at Bangkok Garden Thai Restaurant, 261 Main St., Hackensack.

The Green Papaya Salad in its takeout container.