Quite a few years back, when I was working my then-gig of being an education coordinator for Ten Thousand Villages (a non-profit, fair trade retailer in Downtown Champaign), my boss took a trip with other TTV store managers to the Philippines to get to know our artisan partners there. When she returned, we put on a volunteer appreciation event at TTV featuring Filipino dishes from Maligaya’s Store. That was how I first became acquainted with Maligaya’s Store on West Springfield Avenue in Champaign. Revisiting the store for this article showed that — although time has passed — my nice memories of the store and what it offered a few years ago matched my present experience.
I gave myself the task to find the ingredients for halo halo, a scrumptious cold dessert which features shaved ice layered with fresh and jarred fruits and sweet beans, sweetened condensed milk, ube jam or ice cream, and potentially more. I was impressed at the time with how easy it was to shop Maligaya’s Store. It was well stocked with authentic staples with a main focus on Filipino foods in particular, but the store carried a variety of dry, fresh, canned, and frozen goods from other parts of Asia.
Photo by Rachael McMillan.
Maligaya’s Store was small but made incredible use of its space. A freezer section, offering meat, seafood, and other perishable items, spanned at least half a wall.
Photo by Rachael McMillan.
They had two coolers: one for vegetables and one for drinks and specialty items. You can find fresh produce like green onions, garlic, tomatoes, radishes, long beans, cabbage, and bottle gourds, among many other varieties of fresh vegetables.
Photo by Rachael McMillan.
There were a few shelves dedicated to unrefrigerated fresh produce such as plantains, bananas, yams, cassavas, onions, potatoes, and more. All of these looked very fresh and appealing when I visited.
Photo by Rachael McMillan.
Bulk rice can be purchased in amounts up to 25 pounds.
Photo by Rachael McMillan.
There was also a nice selection of specialty noodles, soups, drink mixes, biscuits, and cookies. There was a small section of personal care items at the bottom of the shelves, as well.
Photo by Rachael McMillan.
Sauces of all kinds have been my food obsession lately, and I felt like Maligaya’s provided me with a great means of indulging it. They had Filipino soy sauce of which I purchased a quart, a nice variety of garlicky chili sauces, banana sauce (similar to ketchup, if you’re not familiar), and many others that I’d love to give a try.
Photo by Rachael McMillan.
The store has a nice assortment of quick meals, snack foods, sweet treats, and a selection of instant soups and noodles as well. You can also find a small variety of buns and other bakery goods.
Photo by Rachael McMillan.
While I was there, I noticed a sign which advertises that they carry balut which I understand is a favorite food in the Philippines. Balut is a cooked egg with an almost-fully developed duck embryo inside. If I try one, I would like to have someone who knows the ropes show me how to do it, so although I wasn’t in the market for it that day, it was neat to see that it was available.
Maligaya’s Store is only open from noon to five in the evening on weekdays only, so pop in between those times if you’d like to check out their tasty offerings.
Photo by Rachael McMillan.
It is also worth noting that they are looking to relocate shortly to a complex near Rural King in Champaign. In the meantime, visit them on West Springfield Avenue near Kenwood. You’re sure to find either a favorite — either old or new, depending upon your familiarity with Asian cuisine — amongst their well-stocked goods.
Maligaya’s Store
2410 W. Springfield Ave
Champaign
M-F noon to 5 p.m.