After two days of formal session at Model UN, sleep deprivation, worrying about the dreaded 25-page paper and being confined to Starbucks and Hilton Chicago, I dropped out—severely exhausted. My beloved Chicago didn’t seem interesting anymore.

Afsaneh is getting ready to do what she does best: taking pictures.

Until I received a six-hour session break on my third day—thank goodness.

Wisely, Daniel, Afsaneh and I decided to embark on a trip to Chinatown, hoping to try out the best dim sum in Chicago and get our hands on some decent knock-offs. We got on the L at Harrison Station, traveling two stations south and found ourselves looking at majestic Chinese architectures. It was the first time I ever went to Chinatown in the U.S. And Chicago did not disappoint me.

Of course, Chicago Chinatown isn’t as populated as Bangkok Chinatown, but it certainly is notable. From the tiled gate to a wood-scented souvenir shop packed with Chinese toys, golden Buddha statues and Japanese origami kits, Chicago Chinatown is vibrant with strong ethnic atmosphere. You could see Chinese folks lingering on the street, a woman planting lucky bamboo in a small ceramic planter and a line of delicious-looking restaurants. Chicago Chinatown reminded me of my grandparents’ neighbourhood in Sing Buri, Thailand.

Checking out Triple Crown's menu

Being bedazzled by a 360-degree atmospherical shift, we almost forgot to eat. So, we headed to the famous Triple Crown. The restaurant was nicely decorated, with a small fountain at the bottom of a curved stairway that led to the dining area. We had a little problem trying to figure out what to order. After all, my knowledge of Chinese cuisine is only limited to MK Restaurant and Panda Express.

So we ended up with my recommended steamed custard buns, vegetable crepe, Triple Crown shrimp dumpling, fried sticky rice, deep fried taro puff, and Daniel telling us, “Don’t worry about food going to waste. That’s why I’m here.”

Lie. I was the one ensuring that food didn’t go to waste.

The fried sticky rice was my favorite, although Daniel and Afsaneh didn’t fancy it as much. We all agreed though, that the custard buns were worth the second order, except that we didn’t have any room in our stomachs anymore. And for the rest of the food, I could say that they were worth the money. The vegetable crepe was too bland for my taste. I couldn’t try the shrimp dumpling and the taro puff. By the way, I loved the free hot tea served in an adorable tea kettle. Oh, and the guy at the register who gave us all free Chinese calendars, too.

Chinese Christian Union Church in Chinatown

Fortunately, Chinatown was walker-friendly. Although I was expecting to see Mahayana Buddhist temples, I wasn’t disappointed to find Chinese churches instead. During our aimless exploration, we met a homeless person, got excited over lion statues in front of a church and found an Asian-style boutique that triggered my shopaholic knack.

The cute Bobabar Cafe

And because Daniel loves bubble tea like nothing else, we ventured into a brightly coloured cafe named Bobabar Cafe. (Boba drink is another name for bubble tea.) Yes, it’s hard to pronounce. But you would forget that fact the second you walk through its door. Bobabar was painted in purple, orange and teal, giving out such fun vibe. Also, the staff were very friendly. One of them even offered to walk us to a knock-off store. Daniel ordered his drink, enjoying it to the last tapioca pearl.

At the end of the night, we went back to the Asian gift shop selling Hello Kitty products, anime posters, final fantasy action figures and stuffed dolls. No one could ever get more excited than Daniel who started rampaging the poster rack. Christmas music was playing in the background while I stood there, thinking about Christmas presents for my roommates. And I was overwhelmed with choices in this cutesy store—especially when the prices were quite reasonable.

Ah, Chinatown. How I love you so much!

And the thought of going back to the Hilton for more formal UN sessions made me want to stay in Chinatown forever. Really.

Daniel and Totoro Poster

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