Visiting China on a Saturday Afternoon

Well, really, we did not go to actual China, the country (though that would've been nice as well), in case some of you out there were wondering. Alli, Jamie, Jed, and I went to Chicago's own Chinatown. Us three ladies had never been there before, and all of us agreed it did feel like we really did step into a country for a little bit. I would say that a big plus was enjoying this new 'country' without any jetlag from travel.


Our first adventure of the day was to fine a suitable authentic (aka NOT the Panda Express or some other Chinese Food chain). We had success, and ended up eating at Happiness Fortune. The food was good, the service was prompt, and our bellies were content after a great meal.

After lunch was a time of great exploration. We ended up going into this herb-ish store ( I can't think of another way of how to describe it). There were some items there that were over one hundred dollars per pound. Here is proof!

There were also some packages of dried fish that I had never seen before that the sales clerk was trying to convince me, Alli, and Jamie to buy. We told her that the fish wasn't quite what we were looking for, and Jed settled on some tea.
We all continued to shop and meander. Of course, we happened to stumble into a cute little bakery in which treats must be purchased to fulfill our sweet palates. I got this cake with sprinkles, Jamie found a butterfly cookie, Jed found some uplifting coffee, and Alli braved trying a Duck Preserves Bun and a Bean Bun. Here is her exploration of the sights and smells of these unique Chinese treats.


Afterwards, all of us were pondering what this dark chunk inside of the duck one was. At first, Jed was convinced that it was chocolate. Upon smelling it, however, it smelled salty. We still didn't find out what it was, so if anyone knows, we are very curious to hear from you!
All in all, it was a wonderful day, and we were able to cap the adventure off with some touristy pictures.