I'm going to Chinatown!

This is a BIG trip for me. I already have plans to have lunch at Little Three Happiness. What else is worth seeing, doing and buying in Chinatown? I'm excited!

Not that there probably aren't many good answers on LTHForum, but I'd also check out this article in the current Time Out (actually, I'd check out all of the pieces in this series in which a chef visits an ethnic neighborhood, they're generally quite good overall):

http://www.timeout.com/chicago/articles ... -chinatown

This article on Chinatown covers some of the things to see and do beyond culinary ends.

in the strip mall that runs along the north (northwest?) side of archer, there is a really fun candy store in the northern-most section of the strip (closest to wentworth) - I think it's Ajiichiban:

Ajiichiban
2117 S China Pl
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 328-9998

if you like tea, you should check out Ten Ren, and get a bubble tea while you're there:

Ten Ren
2247 S Wentworth Ave
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 842-1171
tenren.com

I'm back from my BIG trip to Chinatown. I took my sister, cousin and neice. I took all the information that was advised to heart. I did go to Ten Ren & Genseng for the Osmanthus Oolong Tea. It was $139/lb, with a two oz. miniumum. So I spent $18.00 for two ounces of tea. The stuff is really aromatic and tastes great. Then I went to Woks N Things and got myself one of the Chan Chi Kee Cleavers. I got a lighter version of the cleaver, because I was afraid my arm would get tired if I got one that was too weighty. Since the purchase I have chopped a lot of smoked spareribs, and that cleaver (as light as it is) is one mean chopper. Right through bone and grissle, no problem! Of course I bought a few touristy things, a tee shirt, a sword letter opener for my 16 year old son, and some inscence. Then we went to the little Three Happiness resturant for lunch. I had it all planned out. Each person in the group was going to order one of the special dishes that have been written about so much in this forum. Unfortunately, there are those who are just not advensursome with their food. So while I feasted on shrimp toast and salt and pepper shrimp, the other people in my group had egg rolls and crab rangoon. Piiiitttyyyful. I did not feel sorry for them when they said that their food was nothing special. Later on I got a bubble tea, but they opted for fruit smoothies at the train station. To each his own. We took a walk around "old Chinatown", then over the the Chinatown Mall, and then over to Tom Ping park. We found (generally) that "old Chinatown" had mostly older Chinese working and shopping there (and they were not the friendlest lot). In the Chinatown Mall it was all young, hip Chinese (who were very friendly). I thought Tom Ping Park was nice, but could have a lot more if they would do a little more with Asian landscaping. An overpass for the train tracks would be nice too. The wait for trains to pass (so you can get into and out of the park) can be quite lengthy. And my niece (who is 15) made the observation that the park needed some sort of guardrails, because beieve me, it would be an easy thing to fall into the river. We loved looking around at the new construction site of the homes in the neighborhood. All in all, we had a great time. My cousin (who has only been to Chicago 2 or 3 times) was completely agog. It's fun going with someone like that. Thanks again for all your help!

I wanted to add here that the cleaver I got from Woks and Things is awesome. It is made by Chan Chi Kee (Hong Kong), and they are kept behind the counter. You have your choice of a lightweight or weighted cleaver. They also come in carbon steel. I got the lightweight cleaver, but this thing chops right through bone like nothing is in the way. I've started using it for everything that needs chopping. I even took off pork belly skin with this, and it was fast. The thing is really sharp. I was chopping away on one of those plastic mats, and discovered that I was chopping right through the mat! The article about this cleaver (see previous post) claims that Woks and Things is the only place in the city you can buy the cleaver. I think I paid about $45.00 for it, and it was worth it.

razbry wrote:I wanted to add here that the cleaver I got from Woks and Things is awesome.

Razbry,

I have a light (vegetable) carbon steel cleaver from Woks and Things it's one of my favorite kitchen tools, very versatile. You made a really sharp purchase.

Thanks for sharing your Chinatown adventure, sounds like a heck of a day.

Enjoy,
Gary