The latest easing of COVID-19 restrictions in Chicago will take effect citywide at 5 a.m. Thursday, but restaurants in Chinatown have been cautiously opening, or returning after months of pandemic-related closures.
Beloved old dumpling houses and new hot pot palaces have been quietly reestablishing the area at a rate perhaps faster than many others in the city. They may be ahead of the curve, since Chinatown was the first Chicago neighborhood hit hard by coronavirus fears.
It’s just in time for the Mid-Autumn Festival, also on Thursday this year. The Chinese lunar holiday traditionally revolves around mooncakes. Typically sweet and dense, the pastries hold fillings sometimes hiding salted egg yolks. Mooncakes embody symbolism that’s evolved from a mythical love story to a modern democratic revolution.
You can find mooncakes at Chicago bakeries — including Chiu Quon Bakery, the oldest bakery in Chinatown — supermarkets, and even a new pastry pop-up, Maa Maa Dei. It’s among the notable new openings and reopenings in Chinatown and beyond, listed below alphabetically. Look for Holu House, which has signage up, and the famous Chinese import Haidilao Hotpot coming soon, too.
88 Marketplace
The new shop has claimed the title as “Chicago’s largest Chinese supermarket,” which may arguably be true, though some warehouse stores have opened to the general public during the pandemic. 88 Marketplace anchors an outlier development of converted former factories and warehouses, and is also home to the lovely new Qiao Lin Hotpot. There’s currently plentiful, yet chaotic, parking on the street and in lots across the road.
2105 S. Jefferson St., 312-846-6962, facebook.com/88MarketplaceChicago
Hing Kee
The beloved home of steamy house-made soup dumplings, also known as xiaolongbao, has reopened. Hing Kee has remodeled inside and out, with new outdoor seating immediately in front of the restaurant in Chinatown Square, plus overflow tables at the Chinese zodiac animal plaza nearby. Remember they offer sushi, too, and the most popular item from the cold counter is their dragon roll, said sushi chef Andy Chen.
2140 S. Archer Ave., 312-808-9538, hingkeechinatown.com
LaoJiuMen Hotpot
A moody new hot pot palace has opened in the strip mall alongside MeetFresh and Hello Jasmine. The dramatic LaoJiuMen Hotpot is a franchise of a Toronto-area restaurant by the same name, said owner Vicky Zhang. The highly designed space offers indoor dining, curbside pickup and rare free parking in an adjacent lot.
2026 S. Clark St., 312-291-8295, instagram.com/hotpot9_chicago
Maa Maa Dei
A new Asian American pop-up lies beyond Chinatown, but makes some of the prettiest mooncakes in town — and snow-skin ones, or sticky rice-wrapped, no less. Maa Maa Dei translates to “not great, just OK.” The hilariously self-deprecating name by chef and baker Jaye Fong seems clearly a spoof, since her recent collaboration with kawaii konbini pop-up Nine Bar looked terrific, too.
Rotating locations including Lakeview and Lincoln Park, instagram.com/maa.maa.dei
Meet Noodles
An ambitious new noodle house next door to LaoJiuMen, Meet Noodles also has a location in Indianapolis and another to come in Champaign. The modern Meet Noodles hand pulls lamian, from classic wheat to purple yam and even dragon fruit. The huge menu also offers ramen, cumin skewer snacks and colorful bubble teas.
2026 S. Clark St., 312-929-2689, meetnoodleschicago.com
Saint Anna Bakery & Cafe
The old-fashioned bakery is back with baos, milk tea and savory meals, but all to go. Saint Anna removed its indoor seating, which was once the daily hangout for elders and school kids alike. The bakery is still cash only, and worth every actual penny for its silky egg tarts and flaky mini chicken pot pies.
2158 S. Archer Ave., 312-225-3168
Veggie House
The only vegetarian and vegan restaurant in the neighborhood has opened in Chinatown Square. The eclectic Veggie House offers an unusual mix of Chinese-American and Chinese-inspired dishes, from salt-and-pepper tofu to pumpkin spinach crab rangoon. They offer seating inside and out, with the latter dog-friendly.
2109 S. China Place, 312-326-9966, veggiehouseusa.com
Uni Uni
A new bubble tea shop has been drawing crowds across from the venerable Lao Sze Chuan, which has added outdoor seating along with BonChon and Mango Mango Dessert next door in Chinatown Square. The cute Uni Uni currently offers drinks only, but plans to add a full menu under its Uni Spice menu. The cafe with a unicorn mascot has a walk-up window opening soon, and a sister location in Minneapolis.
2171 S. China Place, 312-539-5253, uni-uni.business.site
