The Monkey King

Lots of trinkets and knick-​knacks. I couldn’t find anything I needed at the prices they were asking…
While it may not have been for me, if you are looking for some kind of trinket or something else, you should give this place a shot.

I really love this place. They have an excellent staff and there stuff is amazing. I love all the items they have I have spent wayyyyy to much money there but it is priceless stuff that I cannot find anywhere else. LOVE!

This is a very fun store. They have the usual supsects of nic-​naks and chatzkes… but they also have real antiques and furniture, mostly Chinese. The staff are helpful and the prices are reasonable. Really, if they had a better layout for viewing, this store would have everything.

A funny little joint in the middle of the no parking available neighbor hood of Hawthorne, with plenty of monkeys, Mao and rubber chickens to purchase.
The only fault I can find at the store is the size, it’s rather medium-​ish in size, when i really wanted it to keep going the rest of the block
staff = poliet

Today I was wandering around Hawthorne doing some Christmas shopping. I’ve walked/​driven past The Monkey King many times but have never gone in. The store is a self-​described Chinese import business and contains a mish-​mash of Chinese knick knacks, art, ceramics and decorations. Do you need some kitschy Communist gear, a Buddha statue or a Lucky Cat? This is the place to go!

This is the perfect place for people who love Asian-​y things. They deal entirely in Chinese imports, and you can find a lot of cool stuff. Personally, I have bought the best purse hook ever, a pair of cute bunny earrings, and a couple gifts.
It’s a really fun shop to browse. The things I have bought have been relatively inexpensive, but I haven’t looked at their larger items like the furniture. The WWII propaganda stuff is pretty awesome, plus they have a cute dog!
If you don’t really care for Asian-​influenced décor and items, this place probably isn’t for you, but we all have that friend or relative that is totally into this stuff, so you know where to go when Christmas or a birthday hits.

This store is great for what I call ‘stocking stuffers’ even in the middle of the year, fun/​cool little things that are delightful and get commented on. My mother has bought several porcelain quan yins from them (best prices in town), and likes to get quirky presents for friends there. There is furniture, notebooks, candles, some feng shui bits and pieces, etc etc as well. It is hard to say exactly what they carry all the time because they change their stock frequently, there is always something new to see. The furniture is expensive, but I have noticed that all traditional Chinese furniture is crazy expensive *everywhere* in Portland, so I don’t fault them on that (or buy traditional Chinese furniture for that reason). If you are on Hawthorne go in. After that, like with me, Monkey King will end up a place you head directly to for certain things you have in mind.

My girlfriend and I went in this store to get out of the heat this summer, and we spent a good 45 mins poking around in here. Although, off the cuff, I’m not a huge fan of merch like this, I found plenty of entertaining nick-​nacks. My girlfriend was ga-​ga for the shop, and I had a good time as we looked at all of the different stuff. In the end, we bought a little plastic tote that turns into a portable strawberry. Where else would we find something like that?!

Good for little nic-​nacs and small gifts, but over-​priced for furniture and large piece items.

I love this place because no matter what I get from here, I get a great conversation out of it. A couple summers ago, I bought a book of Mao lighter and a WWII propaganda poster (it literally translates to ‘death to America, victory for China!’ or something similar), and although my mom called me a Commie for putting it up in my dorm, they both still go over well with everyone.
I spend at least 45 minutes in the 15×25 store every time I go, so I’ve stopped bringing people with me. It probably won’t tickle your fancy if you aren’t into Asian décor (my history minor has ruined me =P) and random gifts of the sort, but regardless of your preferences, it’s really fun to look at.

This store doesn’t sell the types of things that I am usually interested in buying, but I did get a couple gifts here on my last trip to the area. It was also pretty fun to browse around a bit and see what types of Chinese goods they had available.
Prices are fairly reasonable and the selection is pretty big. The presents I bought went over quite well, so that made me very happy.

psst. hey kid, yes, _​you_​! i see you eyeing that Chairman Mao propoganda poster. don’t think you can hide behind your bourgeois Prada shades while you secretly covet the Maoster ash trays, because i see right through you baby. and so do the little buddha head keychains. don’t worry, i won’t blow your cover. you can still wear your $ 200 trashed hobo jeans, Nike flip-​flops, & J Crew polos while slumming on the hawth. and back home in happy valley? rub your lovely tibetan cabinet with a soft diaper & whisper sweet nothings to it. no one will be the wiser ’cause you, me & little buddha head makes three.

Why, with all the Chinese produced crap we have at every chain store in America would we want a store that focuses on Chinese goods.
Because the Monkey King is COOL!
I bought a SS water bottle (with the Monkey King insignia of course) which is very COOL! Nobody I know has one. I bought a chairman Mao lighter and a gorilla lighter both of which are very COOL! I even got stopped at PDX security for my COOL lighters but when airport security saw them, they said «Go ahead! Take em on board. Those are some COOL lighters!»
I will be back for some more Chinese Monkey King COOL stuff!

If you have a fetish for everything Chinese, come to the Monkey King. The Monkey King carries imported gifts, accessories, and furniture with a decidedly Chinese focus. They keep well stocked in paper fans, red Chinese lanterns, and chopsticks.
Maps of China? They’ve got it! Wooden Chinese furniture? That too.
The attendent was helpful and had an adorable dog in there, which adds to the place.

Call me a sucker, but I like any place that gives me an unadvertised, surprise discount with out having to ask.
The very helpful sales woman at the Monkey King, a hip little Asian-​inspired gift, furniture and «much more» boutique in the Hawthorne did just that. She offered me $ 10 off the item of my choice because it was the last one.
I have been scouring the city in search of special, pretty yet fully functional desk organizing supplies. I stopped into The Monkey King on my way to Powell’s East, and was very impressed by their collection of Asian furniture, and cute gift ideas.
I left with a lovely fawn-​detailed pen/​card holder that I am happy to say is the first success in my long quest for the perfect desk.
Stay tuned…