- All ages
Our happy clients include corporate meetings, gourmet clubs, active senior groups, family reunions, and community fundraisers. Plan your perfect private experience with us!
Quick Details
Enjoy foods from Vietnam, the Middle East, and Sweden.
During our one and a quarter-mile walk, we’ll make two stops at Vietnamese restaurants in the Argyle neighborhood, then take a short walk to Andersonville for a spice tasting in a dazzling Middle Eastern market. Then we pop into the Swedish American Museum before finishing with a short walk to a cozy pie shop.
The tour ends at 5357 N. Ashland Avenue, just shy of one mile from the starting point. Please consider the extra activity when determining if this tour is right for your group. Public transportation is available to return to the starting point.
A great mix of cultures from authentic family businesses
Your guide will greet you inside of Nha Hang Viet Nam, 1032 W. Argyle Street, just 2 blocks east of the Argyle Red Line stop.
Parking
Rideshare
Public Transportation
Parking is available at each tour’s starting location. After you purchase tickets, you’ll receive an email with parking recommendations.
We welcome children on our Chicago Foodways Tours; we do not recommend a tour for most. Keep in mind that there is a lot of standing involved and children may not be as interested in historical facts. The tasting samples are designed to give participants an authentic taste of the cuisine, ranging from basic to somewhat exotic. There will be no substitutions available for children’s tastes. If your child has a true interest in cuisine and history, by all means, please bring him/her along. Note that the ticket price remains the same if the child will be taking part in tastings. Infants and children in strollers are welcome at no charge.
You will be asked upon booking for any food allergies or sensitivities. We take your comfort and safety seriously and will make every effort to meet your needs, or to alert you if we cannot. As we strive to provide an authentic cultural experience we do not recommend our tours for those on gluten-free and vegan diets.
Yes, restrooms are available during the tour at most, if not all food-tasting locations. In addition, hand wipes and sanitizer are available to all guests at each tasting.
The tours are held rain, shine, or snow. We provide ponchos in case of sudden weather changes or if you do not have your own umbrella. However, we advise you to check the weather conditions for your day’s event and dress appropriately. Keep in mind for springtime and early summer tours, that it can be up to 20 degrees cooler near Lake Michigan where our Saigon to Stockholm tour is located.
We LOVED our “From Saigon to Stockholm” food tour led by Phyllis. Phyllis was an absolute mine of fascinating information about the immigrant journey in Chicago and the wealth of new foods and cultures that have left their mark on the city…Generous food portions meant we definitely were not hungry at the end of the tour!…Looking forward to hearing about new tours from Chicago Foodways so we can explore more of the city with Phyllis!
– Suzette B. | TripAdvisorMy husband and I thoroughly enjoyed touring Argyle and Andersonville and were so happy to see, taste and feel Chicago as a local. We felt a total immersion into the neighborhoods that we visited and came away with a more holistic understanding of the where/what/why of the neighborhoods. Phyllis was a wealth of knowledge and a great tour guide as we walked through these neighborhoods. And! the food was fantastic. The variety, coupled with Phyllis' explanation of it, can't be beat. A very well spent 3 hours.
– Mary Jo S | TripAdvisorMy husband, son (13), and I took this tour recently and we were blown away with the experience. We'd never been on a food tour before. It was like we'd called up a good friend and asked if they could take us out to some great local spots. Phyllis was professional and knowledgeable about the history of the neighborhoods and the cuisines. She made the experience fun and educational. If you've ever wanted to try some great local, ethnic places but are intimidated to try one, this is the way to go.
– homefrontgirl | TripAdvisorPhyllis was the perfect host to guide us through the food, history and culture of Uptown. I’ve been a resident of the neighborhood for 30 years and I still learned new things and tasted foods that I had never tried before. Excellent way to spend an afternoon whether you’re a tourist or a Chicagoan.
– Nancy P. | TripAdvisorWe were a group of girlfriends visiting Chicago and we did the Saigon to Stockholm tour. We loved it! It was a great mix of tasty food and history of the Argyle and Andersonville neighborhoods. Phyllis was a wonderful guide and has put together a fantastic tour. I would definitely recommend this tour and we are hoping she will have another tour we can do when we visit next year.
– pudgy_groundhog | TripAdvisorI highly recommend this tour, whether you're a local or a tourist, and it makes a great gift for a person who has everything. We sample a very well-chosen array of foods from Vietnam, Sweden and the Middle East. In addition, Phyllis was a fountain of knowledge of the neighborhoods and their history…She was friendly, personable and easy to talk to. I'm going to give this as a gift to friends.
– Barbara | TripAdvisorOur happy clients include corporate meetings, gourmet clubs, active senior groups, family reunions, and community fundraisers. Plan your perfect private experience with us!
A tour-in-a-box of Chicago’s neighborhood and ethnic bakeries. Check back in October 2023 for details.