Far East meets South Loop

A walking tour of Chinatown provides plenty of culture, shopping and tempting places to eat

By Megan Green

There are dozens of Chinatowns across the United States. Each one offers a little taste of Chinese cuisine and culture that some folks may never get to experience otherwise. A trip to Chicago’s Chinatown can offer that little taste to tourists just visiting the city for vacation or residents who have lived here their entire lives and never enjoyed this neighborhood.

If you let it, Chinatown in Chicago can easily yield just a superficial experience, not much more advanced than visiting a local Chinese restaurant. One can opt for a trip that is within his or her comfort zone. This person can go for the food that is not too peculiar and the destinations that are not too different. One can have a great time in Chinatown doing just this.

However, by really looking around and doing a bit of research, it’s easy to have a more interesting and unique experience.

Chicago’s Chinatown is just off the Cermak-Chinatown stop on the Red Line. It’s a short taxi ride from downtown and also easily accessible by car.

Chinatown Visitor’s Log #1: This writer recently had a Chinatown adventure by spending the day there. I have been Chinatown in Chicago before. However, I have always experienced a mostly one-dimensional Chinatown. Some preliminary research and an informative companion helped enrich my experience this time. My friend Hsin-Yin Sung, who is originally from Taiwan, was kind enough to show me a more in-depth Chinatown. My boyfriend Tim, who experienced his first trip to Chicago’s Chinatown on this excursion, also accompanied me.

Getting Started:
According to Sung, there are two main sections to Chicago’s Chinatown — the new and the old. These are not exact sections, just an easy way to divide Chinatown. There is a map of the sections and destinations of Chinatown close to The Nine Dragons Wall, which is the colorful mural next to the exit for the Red Line stop.

We initially went to the old section, where most people are immediately drawn. It is just beyond the Chinatown Gate, which is the large archway with “Welcome to Chinatown” written on the top. This gate marks the entrance to many restaurants, stores, museums, the public library and much more. The old section is only really different in that it is older — and also larger than the new section with its numerous food choices and shopping options.

The new section is primarily across the street from the Chinatown Gate. It contains a strip mall-type food, shopping and business area. There are many other street businesses as well. A large Chinese market is also in this new section.

Be sure to stop in every store you can and check out each restaurant’s menu. Do not only go for the bigger shops, restaurants, etc. The smaller places can sometimes give you the most interesting experience.

Chinatown Visitor’s Log #2: Sung made sure we stopped at every souvenir shop, restaurant, library, drug store, etc., that we could. We learned that most store workers do not allow you to take photographs inside the shop. We also learned that anyone wanting to buy ginseng or sea cucumbers in bulk is going to spend a lot of money.

Site Seeing:
• The Nine Dragons Wall is one of the first places of interest to encounter. In Chinese culture, dragons and the number 9 are believed to be magical. With the nine dragons and the red, blue and gold colors, this mural is said to be a symbol of the Chinese culture’s focus on good fortune.

Chinatown Visitor’s Log #3: I attempted to harness as much good fortune as possible before leaving the Nine Dragons Wall. I will purchase a lottery ticket as soon as possible.

• The Chinatown Square Zodiacs are down the street from the Nine Dragons Wall in the new section. One can recognize it quickly from the large open square with many statues around its perimeter. The statues represent the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. Each statue has the characteristics and birth years of the people who fall under that particular zodiac animal. For added fun, find your zodiac animal and then find the animals that would be your best romantic match.

Chinatown Visitor’s Log #4: I am a goat.

• The Chinese-American Museum is on 23rd Street. Unfortunately, it was badly damaged in a fire in 2008. The museum is currently under reconstruction.
• The Chinese-American Veterans Memorial is on the corner of Cermak and Archer. It is a beautiful tribute to those from this community who have served.

Food:
Chinatown has a variety of restaurants and food shops. One can easily fill their stomach a dozen times on each block. While my group tended to scan the menus for several restaurants, we only ate at a few.
• We visited several bakeries, referred to as “tea bakeries,” throughout Chinatown. Typically, these stores have a bakery in the front and a small coffee shop in the rear. They are home to all types of sweet or savory food. You can purchase anything from a sweet pastry called a winter melon cake to a bow si, which is a large dumpling with a variety of fillings, to a selection of chicken feet.

Chinatown Visitor’s Log #5: I had a winter melon cake and an egg custard tart. I was not brave enough to try the chicken feet. Although I was assured that they are very good.

• The Spring World Restaurant, located at 2109 A S. China Place, was the restaurant of choice for lunch. This restaurant has a very nice atmosphere and a varied menu. While Spring World has something for the people who want to stick with their favorite, familiar dishes, it also certainly has something for the people wanting to expand their culinary horizons.

Chinatown Visitor’s Log #6: Our vast food order consisted of a large noodle soup with shrimp and chicken, rice, crispy tofu, sautéed eggplant, duck and a cold dish with seaweed and pig’s ear. The food was delicious, and I felt like I had definitely expanded beyond my usual order of chicken and broccoli.

• Most restaurants in Chinatown sell some sort of bubble tea. From strawberry to avocado flavored, these drinks are a Chinatown staple. At the end of our day, we checked out Saint’s Alp Teahouse and Café at 2131 S. Archer Ave. With a bright and energetic décor, this café offers a great atmosphere for anyone wanting a quick bite, tasty beverage or dessert.

Chinatown Visitor’s Log #7: The coffee drinks are great, and the milk tea offers an intriguing option. If they offer you whipped cream, take it.

A trip to Chicago’s Chinatown provides a chance to explore a culture and have fun. It is a chance that should not be missed.

For more information about events, landmarks, restaurants and much more in Chinatown, visit the website for the Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce at www.chicagochinatown.org.

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