The Kasia Korean Market in Belle Mead Is Now Open

By Barbara A. Preston | Dec. 20, 2024

Dennis Ahn, a Montgomery Township resident, opened his Kasia Korean Market to much fanfare today. It is located in the Montgomery Place Shopping Center at the corner of Route 206 and Belle Mead-Griggstown Road (Route 630) -— next door to Paris Baguette — and is stocked with Korean and South Asian specialities.

Dennis Ahn of Montgomery Township gives a tour of his new Kasia Korean Market in Belle Mead, NJ.

The grocery store features a live seafood counter, a butcher, fresh produce, and prepared foods in its restaurant. It is open to the public from 8 am to 9 pm, seven days a week.

Ahn gave a tour of his new market to colleagues, friends, and elected officials on Dec. 19. During his tour, he talked about his ambitions and goals for the new market.

“We want to nourish our customers — our community — with healthy foods from local to international farms. We seek sustainability and “beyond fresh” quality,” Ahn said. 

A mural inside the market.

Bev Meaux of Belle Mead and Mayor Neena Singh shopping at Kasia.

Hungry Tiger Head Chef Yunnie Kwon of Belle Mead.

Dennis Ahn under the Bingsu sign in the restaurant.

A huge, live lobster in the fish department.

Fresh octopus in the fish department.

The Hungry Tiger restaurant dining room.

The fish market a week before the market opened.

GROWcery: Lettuce, bok choy, spinach, and other greens are grown hydroponically, right in the market

Halal quality meat is cut to order.

A Kasia butcher cutting meat.

MBA members Tracy Sonner and James Danner.

Part of his goal includes the purchase of a farm in Ringoes, where he started a honeybee colony that he hopes will provide enough local honey to stock his shelves.

“Currently, we just have bees,” he said. “But, we really [acquired] the farm to help support the market. We want to be a zero waste market, that’s zero organic waste. 

“We have three bins in the market, one for recycling, one for organic waste, and one for trash. The goal is to bring the organic waste back to the farm. We can create [compost] out of that. We would have a worm farm that would feed off the [compost], then the worms would feed our Tilapia.”

An example of how aquaponics works.

Ahn also plans to raise soldier flies in green houses. “We will bring all the food scraps from the market, and from the cafe, and from whatever hotfoods we can’t donate at the end of the day, and bring it back to feed the fly larvae.

“Those larvae would go back to the chickens or to the Tilapia as a form of protein. So we’re really trying to be a zero-waste market.”

Ahn is in the process of setting up his farm for aquaponics. He plans to farm Tilapia and perhaps shrimp. 

“We don’t want to give them pellets that would not be part of their natural diet, so we are trying to create an environment for them with natural foods.”

The Tilapia water would then go to the hydroponic stations. The plants will filter out the nitrates, then the fresh water would go back to the Tilapia.

Ahn has 15,000 square feet of greenhouse space. “We believe that is going to be the future of farming,” he said. With the increase in droughts, flooding, and severe storms, there has to be a way to give the next generation of farmers a way to farm.

“I see so many farms in the area being sold,” he said. “If we can create a program that is profitable, then maybe a ShopRite or our market could [buy the local produce] and maybe their kids would want to do something like aquaponics farming.”

Montgomery Township Mayor Neena Singh, Somerset County Commissioners, Township Committee members, the Montgomery Business Association, and many others were there to cheer on owner Dennis Ahn and his team. The Korean Market opens Friday at 8 am. Stop in and enjoy the indoor restaurant, fresh produce, Korean cosmetics, grass fed beef, and so much more.

The Korean Market

Montgomery Mayor Neena Singh helped cut the ribbon, officially opening Kasia Market on Dec. 19.

“This is exciting for Montgomery. This is going to be a destination store,” Mayor Singh said. “It seems like a lot of people are talking about Kasia Food Market.

“Also, this market is owned by someone who lives in town, who gives back to our town, and is now opening a business. So this is very personal to us in Montgomery.”

Of great value to the large South Asian community in Montgomery is the fact that Kasia Market will carry products for the Indian and Pakistani community — including ghee, halal meat, and the mayor’s favorite Indian-style Dahi whole milk yogurt. 

“Kasia is now carrying products for the Indian consumer, so our residents don’t have to travel out-of-town to go to the Indian store. They can shop right here.”

The international flavors, fresh produce and meats will appeal to all area residents. ■

Kasia Market Montgomery

Montgomery Place 

2311 US 206, Belle Mead

Open Hours

7 Days a Week ● 8 am - 9 pm

kasiamarket.com

instagram.com/kasia.market ■