This vibrant Asian market offers fresh produce, meats, and dry goods alongside a cozy Korean eatery serving up delightful dishes like kimchi pork buns and spicy soups.
"The bready dumplings at this Korean food stall outside of JoongBoo supermarket in Avondale might be more closely related to buns—but Wang Mandoo literally translates to “King Dumpling”, and we’re not going to argue with royalty. There are only three varieties: two savory filled with chunky pieces of pork or pork with kimchi, and a sweet option made with a black rice wrapper and smooth red bean filling. They’re massive, with one alone sufficing as a light meal. So if you’ve come to shop at JoongBoo on an empty stomach, an order will prevent you from impulsively purchasing 20 packets of Shin Ramen." - john ringor
"Joong Boo is a great place to stock the pantry with foodstuffs like miso, specialty noodles, and soy sauces. Tucked away in the back is a noteworthy restaurant, dubbed Snack Corner, with a few tables and plenty of delights to enjoy. Pick from dishes such as bibimbap, sundubu-jjigae, and tteokguk (rice cake soup) before taking care of a little grocery shopping. The store also has locations in suburban Naperville and Glenville." - Eater Staff, Ashok Selvam
"Nestled in the back of Asian grocery store Joong Boo is a counter-service restaurant dubbed “Snack Corner.” Here, customers will find Korean staples such as bulgogi, sundubu-jjigae, and bibimbap. The market also sells wang mandu (stuffed steamed buns) out of a tiny shed in front of the store plus sashimi platters, which are only $30 on Wednesdays and Fridays." - Ashok Selvam, Eater Staff
"This tiny Avondale food stand inside Joong Boo market is a great place to snack on kimbap or have a full-blown Korean meal with banchan and bowls of spicy soondubu. During prime mealtimes, the few tables and counter seats can be packed with families eating chewy ddukbokee or solo diners diving into a bowl of beefy galbitang, so plan any grocery shopping (and eating) for the morning or afternoon. The dumpling stand outside the market also has some giant mandoo to-go." - john ringor, adrian kane
"This tiny food stand inside Joong Boo market is an excellent place for kimbap or a full-blown Korean meal with banchan and bowls of spicy soondubu. During prime mealtimes, the few tables and counter seats can be packed with families snacking on chewy ddukbokee or solo diners diving into a bowl of beefy galbitang, so plan any grocery shopping (and eating) for the morning or afternoon. And the dumpling stand outside the market also has some giant mandoo to-go." - john ringor, adrian kane
