Ka Pow” is the accidental way Ocimum tenuiflorum, aka holy basil, aka ใบกะเพรา, aka ka-prao, announces its presence among the produce at Talard Thai Asian Market. All that’s missing on the label is an exclamation point and the clenched fist of a superhero to communicate the seriousness of this intoxicating green herb’s arrival in Edgewater, where Supasin “Pete” Ratchadapronvanich and Simon Atapan have opened a dedicated Thai market—let’s call it a supermarket—the scale and ambition of which the city hasn’t enjoyed since the closing of the beloved Thai Grocery almost 12 years ago.
Ratchadapronvanich points out that Chicagoland suffers no shortage of Thai restaurants but has had to make do with only two small Thai markets: PNA in Lincoln Square and Thai Food Corporation in Uptown. Golden Pacific had the city’s best selection of Thai products but its broad spectrum of southeast Asian goods meant it wasn’t a specialist. Good luck finding a consistent—or even existent—supply of ka-prao, makrut lime leaves, cilantro roots, or any number of ingredients critical to Thai cuisine.
What can’t be found fresh might be found in the long freezer cases that take up nearly the back half of the store. Packets of cilantro root, an essential ingredient for marinades and curry pastes, are stuffed alongside sadao leaves (to eat with the grilled fish) and sweet-and-sour fruits like makok, grill-ready sweet custards jacketed in banana leaves or bamboo stalks, more than 40 varieties of fish balls and a plethora of Champ-brand frozen sausages that I’ve been greedily working my way through for weeks.
“We want people to know that when you come here you can get everything from Thailand,” says Ratchadapronvanich. v
5353 N. Broadway 773-942-6566
