Chicago Asian grocery store?

Quoted message said:

Can anyone in Chicago recommend a nice Asian grocery store? I assume
there are many, but don't know where to begin. And since I don't drive
I need to plan a route to a particular destination. I also only speak
English so would need to rely on package labels and shelf signs 🙂

Hey, this is one of my fave subjects :-)

The area around Argyle St. and Broadway (5000 North) in Chicago is CHOCK -
FULL of great Asian groceries and dining options. This was a down - at -
the - heels area (in the 10's - 40's a big entertainment area, it was then
home mainly to Amerindians and southern hillybillies for many years, now
there is a Borders and a Starbucks, so gentrification has started) , then
the Vietnamese starting settling here about 25 years ago, hence one of it's
nicknames is "Little Saigon". It's also the location of the single best
Thai grocery in town, and there are even Laotian and Cambodian places...

Here are some recommendations, I am kinda hazy on exact names but just
wander around, you'll find these places and scores more...

Whatever the store owner's provenance, all carry a good general selection of
SE Asian and Chinese foodstuffs

The first place here is new, I've provided a post from the www.chowhound.com
Chicago board:

Golden Pacific Market: 5353 N Broadway St, Chicago, 60640 - (773) 334-6688

http://www.chowhound.com/midwest/boards/chicago/messages/60155.html

Subject: Golden Pacific Market
From: [email hidden] (N Tus)
Posted: May 06, 2005 at 23:16:10

"Message:
Please, everybody, go to the Golden Pacific Market. Every time I go there it
is empty and it is too good to be allowed to go out of business. Located at
5353 N Broadway at Balmoral, the Golden Pacific must be the cleanest
supermarket in Chicago: it shines and sparkles and everything is just
immaculate. They carry a huge selection of Asian products including canned
goods and shelf items; fresh noodles; produce; frozen foods; and beautiful
fish presented on crushed ice (today I saw scampi-size shrimp for $4.99 lb).
Prices are lower than on Argyle Street and for sure this place is cleaner.
Small parking lot in front, Berwyn stop on Red Line is a block away, 36 bus
passes."

----

Thai Grocery @ the corner of B'way & Argyle (west side of street).

This is a tiny place, but somehow it's selection can outshine the larger
Asian markets (I've found Indonesian ingredients here). Great selection of
fresh vegetables and fruits (durians!), a killer take - out section in the
back, a kind and friendly owner, he'll tell you how to cook things. In
season he buys produce from local growers, so his long beans and holy basil
are the best!

Right next door is Ba Le Bakery, which makes fine pastries and breads,
banh - mi sandwiches, meals to go. The older Vietnamese woman who works the
counter can be kinda gruff, just humour her. This is also a hangout for
Viet teenagers smoking their cigs and drinking their coffee. Lots of
interesting desserts in the cooler case in the front.

--
Big Viet supermarket ("Broadway Market"?) in the shopping plaza across the
street from the Uptown Post Office (c.4800 North). It's located in the NE
corner of this plaza and it's BIG, the size of a Jewel or a Treasure Island.
Live seafood, rows and rows of condiments and sauces, Huge frozen section.
Good housewares and Asian toiletries, etc. here. If you are in a hurry it's
all you need (actually I find it's hard to get out in less than at least 90
minutes or so, there's LOTS to gawk at) Parking lot. Adjacent is a very good
Viet restaurant...

--
Sun - wah BBQ, a block or so east of the B'way/Argyle intersection A
Chinese place, look for the bbq'ed squid and other comestibiles hanging in
the window. I like the whole or half BBQ'ed duck. The regular Chinese grub
is highly spoken of too.

There are all kinds of pho places, bakeries, food stores, Viet video rental
places, etc. Just wander about the streets and have fun...

Prices are dirt cheap (there are lots of poor elderly Asian immigrants and
others who use food stamps to shop in this area), cleanliness is "iffy" in
some of the smaller places (athough by SE Asian standards it's just fine I
guess ;-)...

Public transport: B'way #36 bus, Argyle Street Red Line L stop (far end of
Argyle, where it meets Sheridan).

Saturday is BUSY, car and bus loads of Asians come in from all over the
Midwest to shop here.

Most everybody speaks decent English, or can find someone who does.

Oh, and Furama at 4900 N. Broadway has good dim - sum...

--
Best
Greg

Mark D said:

I know of another Asian Store on Belmont just a few doors west of Clark
St on the south side of the street. (Not a whole lot there though)

That's J. Toguri Mercantile, a mini - Japanese dept. store...some canned
goods and condiments in front, also all your sushi needs (but not the fish).
Gorgeous cheap gift wrap, cards, magazines, books, nick - nacks. All kinds
of rice cookers, etc. and some very nice home furnishings...

It's owned by the family of Iva Toguri, who was the REAL "Tokyo Rose" of
WWII fame (she was railroaded and spent a few years in federal pen when the
US extradited her back home [born in California]). Lovely lady, AFAIK she
still works at the store even though she must be 90...the family did good,
they own half the block,

Years ago (during - and - post - WWII, during the War West Coast Japanese
internees where eventually allowed to settle in "inland" places like
Chicago) the Belmont - Clark area used to have a big Japanese presence
(Scandinavian, too), now all the old folks have died and Toguri's is just
about the only remnant left...

--
Best
Greg

Hi Greg, Yep that's the place, Toguri, and yes too, I met the old lady,
whom as you say, was the real "Tokyo Rose".

I used to go in there on occasion, to buy the Ichimi Togarashi Hot
powdered Chili Pepper condiment to sprinkle on Sushi Rolls (lots of
times, I like my Maki Rolls with a kick when I'd buy Sushi for lunch at
a take out place, most Sushi Restaurants in Chicago usually carry this
condiment) And I also used to buy the instant Miso Soup from them.

Also, there is the Chinese Mall on Archer Ave, in Chinatown, and there's
many different businesses in there. One place there specializes in Duck,
and they sell any portion/amount to speak of as take out too.
Mark

I cannot offer anything re Chicago, but I know what it is like to what
something and not find it. Here is a link to a place that is
absolutely wonderful and anything you order under $75 is shipped for
$6.95, FedEx Ground. Anything over $75 is free and when you are
ordering jars of stuff that can be heavy, that is a great deal. I
always buy my Lan Chi Chile Paste with garlic here and so many other
things. Check out the website:

http://www.asiafoods.com/asi/index.cfm?did=7

I hope this was helpful.
Mark Ferrante

Click here eveyday to feed a rescued animal:

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/

M. FERRANTE said:

I cannot offer anything re Chicago, but I know what it is like to what
something and not find it. Here is a link to a place that is
absolutely wonderful and anything you order under $75 is shipped for
$6.95, FedEx Ground. Anything over $75 is free and when you are
ordering jars of stuff that can be heavy, that is a great deal. I
always buy my Lan Chi Chile Paste with garlic here and so many other
things. Check out the website:

http://www.asiafoods.com/asi/index.cfm?did=7

in chicago, northwest side;

Chicago Food Corp.
(korean market, but has "pan-asian" products)
also has a cute little mini-restaurant in it.

On Kimball, about a block north of Belmont, right at the Kennedy Expwy.

~3200 N. Kimball