AsianRican Foods Opens On South Side

In the restaurant business, you must learn to expect the unexpected, and the staff at AsianRican Foods is no exception. Broken air conditioning amid a sweltering heatwave and the owner being unexpectedly called out of town caused the grand opening of the restaurant to go anything but according to plan.

Despite the challenges, staff managed a successful opening for the restaurant’s first permanent location in the Layton Park neighborhood on the city’s South Side. The Asian-Puerto Rican fusion restaurant, 3300 W. Lincoln Ave., celebrated its grand opening June 10 and is currently offering takeout only, though it may open for dine-in as soon as this week, said a representative of the restaurant.

Before graduating to its current brick-and-mortar establishment, the restaurant operated as a pop-up at Snifters Tapas and Spirits in Walker’s Point. It has also done pop-ups at events like El Conquistador Latino Newspaper’s Cinco De Mayo festival.

Chef-owner Julie Valcarcel created the menu, a blend of Asian and Puerto Rican dishes, based on the ethnic heritage of her and her husband. Valcarcel is Lao and her husband is Puerto Rican.

The restaurant’s menu features traditional dishes from each cuisine as well as fusion dishes like the Arroz Chino Boricua, which incorporates fried rice and tostones. The menu also includes pepper steak, rellenos de papa (stuffed potato balls), alcapurria (a type of meat-stuffed fritter) and sticky rice, a Laotian dish.

Puerto Rico itself also has a connection with Asian food, specifically Chinese food, dating back to the late 1800s. Chinese cuisine became popular on the island after an 1882 immigration law limited Chinese immigrants’ entry to the mainland U.S. As a result, many families instead migrated to Puerto Rico. The influence of the Chinese immigrants left a mark on traditional Puerto Rican cuisine.

AsianRican Foods opened in what was formerly Junior’s Cocktail lounge. The bar opened in 2020 but closed after the city refused to renew its liquor license, citing neighbor complaints and COVID-19 safety violations.

The restaurant’s current hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. A social media post from the restaurant notes there are plans to add more menu items and extended hours next month.

Valcarcel could not be reached for comment prior to publication of this story.