Ethnic Grocers

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JENNIFER WEHUNT AND MIRIAM GOTTFRIED

Every Chicago neighborhood worth its salt (sea, kosher, pickling, or otherwise) is home to an ethnic market or two—from mom-and-pop Mexican mercados in Little Village and Polish delis on the Northwest Side to the all-encompassing new breed of ethnic superstore. We surveyed a slew; here, the best destinations.

Superstores

GRAND MART
Part of a Virginia-based Korean supermarket chain, Grand Mart has put down roots in Chicago, taking residence in seven locations recently vacated by Cub Foods. Discount shopping, the theme here, has never seen such variety: produce spans the globe from Asia to Latin America, and each aisle devotes considerable real estate to a smart selection of ethnic bottled and canned goods that includes harder-to-find items for cooking Indian and Jamaican food. The whole fish are gloriously packed on ice and invitingly clean. Also spotted: 12 varieties of Latin American crema, gooey yam cakes and gelatinous jellyfish, low-sodium Goya canned beans, enough brands of chicharrones to fuel a heart attack, and an outstanding dried pepper and spice selection. 4821 W. North Ave.; 773-252-9300, plus six other locations

H MART
The recently opened local installment of another national Korean chain, H Mart contains multitudes: a bakery; a small-appliance center; the obligatory food court (we like the mandoo soup at the last stall on the row); kimchi cases; a vast selection of frozen dumplings and fresh noodles; towering stacks of bagged rice; and a seafood counter offering exotic selections, such as conch and whole squid. But this massive market’s real draw is the produce department, which houses a globetrotting array of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and affordably priced fresh herbs, not to mention many hard-to-find ingredients such as burdock root, taro, and galangal—all under one roof. The crowds in the evenings and on the weekends suggest a high turnover rate for the fresh goods. 801 Civic Center Dr., Niles; 847-581-1212

INTERNATIONAL CLUB
Offering warehouse shopping with a Chinese bent, International Club ditched its membership policy a few years back. It’s still a drafty cavern with a decidedly fishy aroma, but don’t turn up your nose; instead, follow it to this destination’s main draw: a backroom housing tank upon tank of live seafood, from Dungeness crab to littleneck clams to largemouth bass. You’ll notice lingering evidence of a bulk-buy mindset—gallons of cooking wine next to five-pound bags of dried mushrooms—but you can buy in smaller quantities for home cooking, and the sheer volume of Chinese goods is unparalleled and fairly cheap. At the very least, a trip to International Club is a gawker’s paradise—look in the coolers for frozen alligator and cooked pork blood. 4000 W. 40th St.; 773-927-0100

MITSUWA
Any devotee of Japanese cuisine will have a field day at this soy-filled fantasyland of tofu and miso. This is also the place to find yards of nori for making your own maki sushi; cases of lovely sashimi-grade fish; every kind of dish-specific sauce you might need; and a rainbow of packaged mochi. Don’t skip the delectable Tokyo-style pastries at the in-store bakery, whose cakelike white bread—called shokupan—is a delicious substitute for dessert when toasted and frosted with butter and jam. If you’re hungry, make a pit stop at the exceptional food court, packed with sushi, authentic ramen (try the spicy soup with special pork on the side), and bubble tea. You can also browse the store’s interesting selection of housewares—kitchen sponges, spatulas, strainers, wastebaskets, baby bath toys—brought directly from Japan. 100 E. Algonquin Rd., Arlington Heights; 847-956-6699

PETE'S FRESH MARKET
Popular with professional cooks for its vast produce department, Pete’s stocks numerous varieties of fresh peppers—we counted seven—in addition to xoconostles, also known as prickly-pear fruit, and fresh chickpeas. Pete’s also scores high marks for its comprehensive butcher counter: beef tripe, pork feet, and turkey tails. Standard raw meats are also well represented and, for cooks who don’t require organic everything, Pete’s can be the smart choice for items like skirt steak, the traditional fajita cut—which hasn’t suffered pointless price inflation here—at an eminently reasonable $3.99 per pound (don’t miss the fresh chorizo at $2.39 a pound). An island cooler brims with cheese (pair a slice of manchego with a slice of membrillo, or quince paste, for a no-fuss appetizer), and we did a double take at the aisle dedicated to canned peppers, available in increments from seven ounces to six pounds. 4700 S. Kedzie Ave.; 773-523-4600, plus four other locations

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