Joong Boo Market is small (four stores) chain of Korean markets in Chicago.  It has three supermarkets and one houseware market, that it claims provides the “largest selection of kitchenware, appliances, cutlery, gifts, and other housewares products in the Midwest.” I tried the location on Kimball Avenue, which is in a light industrial/commercial area, right next to the Kennedy Expressway.  If you are anywhere near the store, you can see its green sign poking above the elevated expressway.  The best part of the Kimball Ave location is the mandoo kiosk, Joong Boo Wang Mandoo, right at the entrance to the store.  This kiosk provides pick-up window service, and has a small counter with a few plastic stools next to it, where you can eat your dumplings before heading into the store.

The Dumplings:   Joong Boo Wang Mandoo sells large, steamed buns and orders of small steamed dumplings.  The large buns are filled with pork or pork and kimchi and there is also a large black rice bun filled with red beans.  The choices for the small mandoo are pork, kimchi (both come 6 to an order), shrimp and pork, and shrimp and kimchi (both of the shrimp ones come 5 to an order).  The steamed pork mandoo are the traditional style, filled with pork, glass noodles and chives.  My order was perfectly steamed and really delicious.  I am guessing, based on the shape and uniformity, that the dumplings were frozen, packaged dumplings and not home/house made, but I really enjoyed them. 

The Location:  Joong Boo Wang Mandoo is on Kimball Avenue at the Kimball Ave exit off the Kennedy Expressway.  Other nearby major thoroughfares that intersect with Kimball Avenue are, N. Milwaukee Ave, Belmont Ave, North Avondale Ave and Elston Ave.