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Post by bird11 on Jul 19, 2010 18:15:59 GMT -5
Our neighborhood library is planning a family field trip to Chicago's Korea town during the Korean Festival in August. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on things I should make a point to try and see (and eat or places to shop) I don't know at this time if we will "tour" as a group or be on our own, so I am looking for suggestion since I have never been there.... Kam-sa-ham-ni-da  |
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Post by Soju on Jul 20, 2010 10:09:32 GMT -5
The Korean population of Chicago is rather dispersed, so you may want to go beyond the Fest. The stretch of Bryn Mawr, where the Fest is held, has several Korean restaurants, but not really that much else of note.
East of there, on Lincoln Avenue, between Lawrence and Devon Avenues, there are several more Korean-run restaurants and shops, including several clothing and jewelry stores, travel agencies, hair salons, and the like. One place worth checking out there is the Korean Book Store, on Lincoln just NW of California Avenue.
Most of the restaurants along this strip are in the vicinity of Peterson Avenue, but there are a few down by Lawrence, and there's also the Chosun Ok (Korean jade ring) between Irving Park Road and Montrose Avenue. They are one of the oldest korean restaurants in Chicago.
South, there are still a lot of Korean businesses along Lawrence Avenue, in the Albany Park/Mayfair area, although it is increasingly Middle Eastern and Hispanic, the classic melting pot. There is one store I found particularly interesting, a Ginseng store on Lawrence a couple of blocks West of Pulaski Road. This is real fancy ginseng, packed in honey and such in elegant bottles - probably intended mostly for gifts.
North of the city, in Niles, there are quite a lot of Korean businesses along Milwaukee Avenue, near Golf Road. The Korean Book Store has a location there, next to the Asia Supermarket.
There's a food court and several attached shops in the H-Mart, on Waukegan Road and Oakton Street. The same is true of Assi Plaza, on Milwaukee Avenue just North of Dempster Street (both in Niles). I find the setup in Assi Plaza to be a lot more accessible. Next door to the H-Mart is the new King Spa. There's a thread about it in the General board.
A couple of isolated but interesting Korean stores are the Hi-Mart, on Pulaski, just south of Peterson (mostly housewares and cookware), and the Jong Boo Market, AKA the Chicago Food Corp., on Kimball Avenue just North of the Kennedy Expressway. Cramped parking and cramped aisles, but a wonderful, fascinating place. Groceries on one side, housewares and cookware on the other, with a tiny restaurant in the rear. Both of these are not too far from the Fest, Hi-Mart about a mile West, and Jong Boo about three miles South.
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Post by kpopgrrl on Jul 21, 2010 0:50:35 GMT -5
I love Assi Plaza. It's accessible by a Pace bus line (Milwaukee) which is great for someone like me who doesn't drive. I usually go there for kimchi and the other Asian foods you can't get in the local Jewel or Dominick's. I've been to Chicago Food's Joong Boo Market a couple of times and I find it a little too cramped for my tastes. Assi is so spacious, clean, and they have an excellent food court.
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Post by ginnycat5 on Jul 21, 2010 18:39:48 GMT -5
Super H Mart has a food court too, as well as housewares. The housewares dept. has gloves with the red waterproof (plastic? rubber?) palms and fingers that we see workers wearing in the dramas. Last time I bought some, they cost $3 per dozen pairs.
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Post by kpopgrrl on Jul 22, 2010 15:06:36 GMT -5
I know but like I said, I can get to Assi on the bus but I can't get to H-Mart without a car. I wish I could but I can't.
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Post by TheBo on Jul 27, 2010 11:39:31 GMT -5
Just for giggles, I did a Google map search for directions on public transport to Super H-Mart (starting from Chicago). It sent me on the Blue Line (toward O'Hare), getting off at the Harlem-O'Hare stop (I think that's a hub), then to take the #90 bus north to Touhy & Harlem. Then, you get a 19 minute walk (about a mile) north on "Harlem to Harvard to Waukegan" like so:
1. Head north on N Harlem Ave toward W Chase Ave 0.7 mi
2. Turn right at Harvard St 0.2 mi
3. Turn left at N Waukegan Rd 397 ft
(Chase is the first street you come to when walking Harlem, so they mention it.) The whole trip takes about an hour.
Sounds complicated, but if I were desperate...it would certainly be doable. LOL...
Bo
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Post by Soju on Jul 27, 2010 13:29:37 GMT -5
There's also the PACE #225 bus, which stops at the Jefferson Park and Edgebrook Metra stations. Goes by Howard and Waukegan; maybe they stop there. Then, it's just a two block walk North to H-Mart. However, it's a rush-hour-only route: Outbound in the morning, inbound in the afternoon. But, if you planned on spending the whole day at H-Mart, it would work.  |
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Post by TheBo on Jul 28, 2010 13:36:21 GMT -5
Oooh, now THAT would be an OUTING! Just like grandma used to have... ;D
Bo
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Post by kathleen34 on Aug 5, 2010 22:41:46 GMT -5
Oooh, now THAT would be an OUTING! Just like grandma used to have... ;D Bo I'm afraid I'm still very much in withdrawal from our 6:00pm WOCH CH41 dramas. So an outing with my kinderred spirits would be pretty wonderful. And after all, grandmas DO comprise a part of who we are. I've been watching Dr. Gang but it's pretty blah. So have we pretty much given up any hope for a Chicago CH41 return? ... with a big farewell to Ariang??  |
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Post by TheBo on Aug 11, 2010 9:09:06 GMT -5
Tchah. I just don't know. It's frustrating.
Bo
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Post by bird11 on Aug 14, 2010 19:56:02 GMT -5
I wanted to thank everyone that gave me information on the Chg. Korean Festival. I went today w/ my daughter on our Library's "field trip". Unfortunatly, we arrived at 11:00 and there was really nothing going on except for some of the vendors. We had to leave at 2:30, so we missed most of the performences. We saw some children sing (Little Ol Korea) and some playing instruments on the other stage. It is a shame that more information wasn't available ahead of time, so we could have planned better. I did like that one vendor offered samples of their food and directly asked me to try some-- it was mung bean w/ kimchi-- it looked like a pancake, and so I bought and it was good, not too spicy:). I even practiced my Korean and asked if it was ok that I say "Kamsaminda" and the guy handed me my food and bowed/smiled. I did buy a Festival T-shirt, a necklace of blown glass and I enjoyed the guy who sang the Korean and American National Athems- Amazing to hear him sing in Korean and English so well. I will say I thought the festival would have been larger, never been to a Chg. street fest before, wasn't sure how large others are, but will definatly think of going next year!
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Post by firearrow on Aug 14, 2010 20:34:05 GMT -5
Am glad you enjoyed the festival. It is not the typical Chicago street fair--no blaring 4 stages with locally known, retro bands, and lots of alcohol advertising. It it primarily all things Korean- if you want to try a Korean dish, purchase Korean goods, listen to various dialects of Korean and pick-out the words you know from the Korean dramas. Have gone the last 6 years, unfortunately have not been able for the evening events, but have watched the martial arts and the drumming ( too bad, the group from Minn. was not there-they usually performed around noon on Sat).
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Post by Knov1 on Aug 15, 2010 3:03:13 GMT -5
K-Fest is a 2 day festival so, if you can, you should go back on Sunday. If you can't, I would recommend taking a look at the K-Fest schedule in the link below and trying to plan around that for next year. 2010 K-Fest ScheduleI should warn you that not all the events/acts/perfs/etc are the same or at the same time each year. However, some events like the traditional fashion show and signing contest tend to be approximately around those times. |
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Post by bird11 on Aug 17, 2010 20:37:50 GMT -5
Just one more question... I bought a Korean Festival T-shirt to wear and I was wondering if anyone knows what it says on the back in Korean. I am thinking the obvious "Chicago Korean Festival"-- but wanted to know for sure, if someone asks when I am wearing the shirt. Thanks!!! |
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Post by kpopgrrl on Aug 21, 2010 22:06:12 GMT -5
Yep, it says 시카고 한인 축제 or Chicago Korean Festival.
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