A New Addition to Chicago's Asian Market Scene: Talard Thai Asian Market

Author & Photographer: Wendy Zheng

As a self-proclaimed Thai food enthusiast, I’ve always wanted to try replicating some of my favorite Thai dishes like Gaeng Som (a spicy turmeric water-based curry), Gaeng Tai Pla (fermented fish gut curry), and Kanom Jeen (thin rice noodles with a variety of sauces and toppings) at home; however, I’ve never been able to readily find the ingredients I need. Although Chicago has a relatively high concentration of Chinese, Filipino, Korean, and Vietnamese grocery stores, there were only two small Thai grocery stores, Thailand Food Corporation in Uptown and PNA in Lincoln Square, before the opening of Talard Thai Asian Market this past November. 

Although the grocery store is relatively small (probably smaller than Hyde Park Produce), Talard Thai’s well-organized shelves are packed to the brim with Thai speciality goods, most of which are imported from Thailand. Immediately, upon walking into the store, I was confronted with a bombardment of tempting premade Thai meals, snacks, desserts, and pickles. I literally spent about twenty minutes grazing the prepared food refrigerator section, gawking at the variety of pickled fruits like Indian gooseberry, tamarind, and peaches. The dessert selection was just as extensive, ranging from a coconut custard steamed in a kabocha pumpkin to mung bean coconut paste shaped like small fruits --- all of which were five dollars or less. The premade Thai meals were from restaurants like Thai Inbox in Glenview, Thai Town, and Nasha’s Kitchen and consisted of well known classics, like green curry and papaya salad, and dishes not commonly seen on American Thai restaurant menus like raw fermented sausage, crispy rice salad, stir fried pork and stink beans in curry paste, shrimp paste fried rice, and nam prik kapi (fermented shrimp dipping sauce) with wing beans and Thai eggplant. Right next to the refrigerated prepared meals were shelves filled with an assortment of imported Thai snacks (the most interesting of which were the freeze dried papaya salad and durian chips) and housemade nam priks (Thai dipping sauces) to complete your meal.

However, even though the prepared foods section was enough to make the trip up to Edgewater worth it, my mind was truly blown by the fresh produce and frozen foods section. Although a number of the fresh vegetables and herbs are shipped from Thailand or distant warmer areas of the US, I found both the high quality and low price point of their selection of Thai specific herbs and vegetables absolutely mind boggling. For instance, I was able to get a whole pack of holy basil (which is different from the Thai sweet basil with purple stems that is usually seen in grocery stores) for $1.50 and around seventy fresh kaffir limes leaves for around two dollars. The store also stocked some fresh vegetables that I had only seen in Thailand such as Krachai (fingeroot) and Kratin (an astringent herb often eaten with seafood) at extremely reasonable price points. 

The real star of the store, however, was the frozen foods section. Although I ideally would be able to go to Talard Thai for groceries once a week, hauling back my stash on an hour-and-fifteen CTA ride is often less than appealing in sub-freezing temperatures. Therefore, the extensive selection of frozen Thai herbs and spices are ideal for people like me looking to make a monthly trip stock up on Thai essentials. I was able to snag a sizable amount of galangal, lemongrass, bird’s eye chilis, pandan, cilantro root, and banana leaves all for around ten bucks, and I couldn’t have been happier. Outside of the frozen herb section, the freezer aisles are full of every single variety of Thai Isan sausage you could dream of, multiple brands of frozen durian, and an entire section of steamed coconut sticky rice in bamboo. I was even able to snag an individually-sized portion of snake fruit ice, which just might be one of my favorite desserts with its refreshing sweet, sour, and salty flavor. 

Overall, with its brightly lit store, reasonable prices, and extremely diverse and comprehensive selection of high quality Thai groceries, Talard Thai Asian Market might just be my new favorite place in all of Chicago. Run --- don’t walk--- to get all your Thai food staples at this locally owned grocery store as soon as possible. You won’t regret it!!!