Serious Snacks: Lumpia Shanghai at Unimart
For a city/metro area with 9,000,000+ people, Chicago has a dearth of good egg rolls. You can find great Szechuan braised tendon, head-on salt and pepper shrimp, and a celebration of the diverse fungal bounty of Yunnan province down in Chinatown, but a personal dynasty's length search for sublime crisp deep-fried won ton skin pockets in this same 'hood have turned up nothing.
Instead, I have to turn to the Filipino Uni-Mart grocery on the northside for my fix. Ford the stainless steel shelves filled with salty and sweet shrimp and squid chips and you'll be rewarded with a take-out counter filled with pork glazed in thick syrupy adobo; orange laquered barbecue chicken; beefy, brothy oxtail-studded kare-kare, and a host of Filipino favorites. The object of my affection, though, is the golden fried Philly blunt–size lumpia Shanghai filled with moist pork. Snap one open and a garlicky perfume that roils about your nostrils should take care of any vampire infestations you might have.
As much as I love to cook, my annual holiday party usually requires mis en place for 50, which means the culinary army of one that is me usually limits the homemade goods to two or three passed hor d'ouevres. The lumpia is one of my standbys for filling out the rest of the menu. Last year I bought 150 rolls, and they were gone in the first hour.
Uni-Mart
Address: 5845 N. Clark, Chicago IL 60660 (map)
Phone: 773-271-8676
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5 Comments:
I didnt even read the title, my eyes focused instantly on the photo making a positive I.D. that it was lumpia. I always said it was the food of the gods! I first discovered lumpia in high school, one of my best friends mom was Filipino and she loved to feed us and we would show up at her house on a regular basis to get a lumpia fix. I know must go find a place that serves lumpia in the Portland OR area.
pdxirishman at 11:25AM on 12/21/07
Lumpia, the cornerstone of any Filipino party! My Pilipino family goes through mountains of lumpia at our annual New Year's party. When I'm lucky (and my mom feels so inclined), she'll even make it from scratch. I'm lucky to live in San Diego-- there's an abundance of great places to get lumpia, along with all the other tasty Filipino treats.
*drools over the thought of frying up the bag of lumpia in my freezer this weekend*
@ pdxirishman: All Filipino moms love to feed people-- it's kind of our "thing." ^__~
Lorena at 12:45PM on 12/21/07
Dang, I wish we had a place like that here in Scottsdale. :( I want my lumpia fix!
gourmeted at 5:10PM on 12/21/07
What a coincidence! I am frying up a big batch of Lumpia Shanghai today. Our family's version has some chopped shrimps, shiitake mushrooms and sesame oil in the mix, among other things. I grew up within walking distance of Unimart supermarket in Manila.
sydney at 6:44AM on 12/22/07
LOL @ "golden fried Philly blunt–size"
mmmichele at 1:00PM on 12/26/07