Reliable Market Honors Their Korean Roots
Published October 2023
Reliable Market, located at 45 Union Square, has brought Asian goods to Somerville since 1980. When Korean immigrant Ongu Cho bought the business in 2012, he recruited his sisters Myo Smith and Pokye Casserly as well as Pokye’s son Paul to help with the shop. Together they revamped Reliable Market with familial touches, highlighting Korean ingredients and traditions in every aspect of the business.
From local craft beers to candy and drinks imported straight from Asia, you’ll find a new treat to try any time you visit Reliable Market in addition to produce, drinks, snacks, and packaged foods. Hear how Ongu and his family found a home-away-from-home in Union Square, and get a preview of what’s next for Reliable Market!
Tell us a little bit about your business!
Reliable Market is an international market that provides fresh produce, packaged foods, drinks, beer, wine, and in-house cooked meals. Our products are imported from Korea and Japan. We also offer beer and wine from local microbreweries and local wineries as well as both non-alcoholic and alcoholic international drinks. Our produce selection offers a variety of fruits and vegetables that typically wouldn't be at your local market and are common in Asian cuisine. We carry an eclectic selection of spices from around the world. Our in house prepared meals and side dishes are made from recipes passed down from generations which celebrate the wide range of delicious gastronomy offered by South Korea.
What inspired you to start a business? How did this feeling grow once you actually started your business?
I was born in 1958 in South Korea. My family owned a small convenience store in a small town and we made just enough to get by during a time of poverty in my country. After many years of struggling, I uprooted my son and wife and immigrated to the United States in search of better opportunity and education for my son. Higher education wasn't common in my town so the United States was the best option for my family at the time.
When we arrived, I took any job I could find to support my family. I first worked at a restaurant and then at a dry cleaners. After years of saving, I was presented with the opportunity to purchase a failing international market in Union Square, a neighborhood that was mainly comprised of historically-underrepresented groups. There was a big Korean community here at that time but it was rare to find the produce and ingredients needed to make meals taste the same as the ones we cooked back home. We made the daunting decision to purchase and worked for many years to restore the building and make our name known in the community. In Korea, my family would always help those who struggled and needed food. We brought those values to this country and will always continue to help those who ask for it and need it.
What aspect of your business makes you most proud to be a business leader in our community?
We are proud to represent the Asian Community in Union Square. There has always been a deep history of Korean and Japanese cultures in the neighborhood and we are proud to continue these traditions through the food we cook and unique ingredients found at our market.
How do you #LoveUnionSquare?
Every Saturday I love visiting the Union Square Farmers Market on the Plaza. I enjoy seeing all the people walking around and smiling in the Square—it reminds me of traditional produce markets in South Korea.
Reliable Market is open Mon-Fri 9:30am-8pm and Sat-Sun 9am-8pm.
Keep in touch with Pokye and her family business on Facebook and Instagram.