FLAV R SC ENE MAG A ZIN E
Great Melting Pot, cont. section brimming with bright Asian greens.
lotus leaves, golden roast duck, chicken feet and egg custard tarts.
Asia Food Co. Siam Cafe
3820 Superior Ave., 216-621-1681 Located inside the Asian Town Center, the modern Asia Food Company looks like a typical American grocery store that has had its regular contents swapped out for Asian ones. In place of cucumbers and celery, there’s Chinese eggplant and bitter melon. In place of chicken eggs, there are duck and quail eggs. Instead of spaghetti, there’s lo mein. Hoisin sauce replaces ketchup. The potato chips have been swapped out for shrimp chips and the Hershey’s with Pocky. You get the idea.
3951 St. Clair Ave., 216-361-2323 This 22-year-old restaurant began life dispensing mainly Vietnamese and Thai food but has long since expanded into dishes originating from all over the region. While everything on the sprawling menu is good, Siam excels at seafood. Live lobster is plucked from the tank and stir-fried in black bean sauce; salt-baked squid or shrimp is crispy, salty and delicious; glossy shrimp and scallops are laid atop a bed of pan fried noodles.
Superior Pho 3030 Superior Ave., 216-781-7462, superiorpho.com A lot has changed in the local pho scene in the 14 years since Manh Nguyen opened his noodle shop in the small Golden Plaza. But we challenge Þ Õ Ì w ` > LiÌÌiÀ L Ü v Ì i Vietnamese beef noodle soup. But don’t stop there; Superior’s bahn mi sandwiches are, well, superior, as is the chicken cabbage salad and all the vermicelli noodle and broken rice dishes.
Seoul Hot Pot 3709 Payne Ave., 216-881-1221 When Seoul Hot Pot closed its doors in 2012 after nearly 30 years in business, fans of real Korean barbecue were crushed. While undeniably “rustic,” this small shop was the only Korean restaurant in town that featured tables with built-in grills. All again is right with the world now that Seoul reopened with a fresh look. Come here for the kalbi and bulgogi, meats marinated in a dark, sweet, garlicky sauce that are grilled right at the table. At lunch, folks come here for hot and bubbling bowls of kimchi soup or crocks of dolsot bibimbap.
20 SCENE | FLAVOR
Park to Shop
Koko Bakery | Photo by BurkleHagen
Szechuan Gourmet 1735 East 36th St., 216-881-9688 Some like it hot, and those who do go to this authentic Szechuan restaurant at Tink Holl Market. Numbingly spicy dishes like ma po tofu, three«i««iÀ V V i ] > ` w à hot pot attract heat-seeking diners to this out-of-the-way dining room. Supplement those meals with classic dishes like cold cucumbers with chile and vinegar, garlicky sauteed greens, beefy noodle soups, and twicecooked pork. If karaoke sounds fun, call and reserve a room.
Koko Bakery 3710 Payne Ave., 216-881-7600 Koko is a full-service Asian bakery, where the glass display coolers are brimming with colorful fruit-topped cakes, tarts and pies. But what brings people in on their way to work are the doughnut-style cases w i` Ü Ì }À>L > ` } LÕ Ã° - vÌ] Ã>Û ÀÞ LÕ Ã >Ài w i` Ü Ì
barbecued pork, curried beef, even hotdogs. Sweet buns are w i` Ü Ì Ì>À ] Ài` Li> «>ÃÌi and coconut. A small lunch menu brings folks in throughout the day, as do sweet beverages like smoothies, bubble tea and Taiwanese shaved ice.
Where to Shop Tink Holl 1735 East 36th St., 216-881-6996 A decade back, this popular Asian grocery moved from its original home in Asia Plaza to this brick complex, which also houses Szechuan Gourmet. The expansive grocery is one of the best resources in town for home cooks, thanks to an unbeatable selection of fresh and dried noodles, frozen dim sum items, and staples like soy, Sriracha and coconut milk. Tink also has fresh seafood, golden roast ducks and chickens, which are hacked to order, and a wonderful produce
1580 East 30th St., 216-781-3388, parktoshopmarket.com Part of a small regional chain of Asian markets, Park to Shop is one of Asiatown’s newer grocery stores. And yes, there is plenty of parking. Like Asia Food Co., this market is bright, modern and stocked with ingredients a shopper is Ì i Þ Ì w ` >Ì Ì i À vÀ i ` Þ neighborhood Dave’s. There’s a «À `ÕVi ÃiVÌ ] i>Ì > ` w à department, and even some delicious prepared foods. All that is in addition to aisle upon aisle of canned, bottled and packaged items.
Good Harvest Food Market 3038 Payne Ave., 216-861-8018 Small, cramped, chaotic and exotic as heck, this market features narrow aisles between Ì> à i Ûià ÛiÀy Ü } Ü Ì strange and fascinating ingredients. This place happens to be a great source for live lobster and in-season crab, but also for cooking utensils like woks, cleavers, bulk chopsticks and strainers.