Went in for an early dinner & had an amazing time! Portions were generous, staff were the right amount of attentive, and the vibes were so cozy. 10/10 recommend :) read more

Ahjoomah's Apron - Cheese Pancake Kimchi Chigae Soup Jajangmyun Makgeolli - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This's located in Chinatown next to the fire station, the ambience is cozy! It's like a mom and pop restaurant, it's not a cook at your table type Korean restaurant! We ordered a couple beers, seafood kimchi pancake for appetizer, which is a pretty big portion to share! We got the pork belly as entree to share! It came with all the side dishes, and condiments! Everything was pretty good, one thing is that I wished they would've grilled the pork belly instead of frying it as how it's supposed to be. But overall, I would revisit this restaurant again!! They also have diff specials throughout the week, and happy hour, price is very reasonable! read more

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We stopped by casually on a Saturday afternoon, there was no wait and it wasn't too busy so we were seated immediately. It's a quaint but spacious space, the only downside is they don't have a public restroom. It's for employees only. As far as the food goes the potion sizes are pretty big. One bowl would have fed my sister and I. We ordered the kimchi kimbap which was just okay. We also ordered the la bokki, the flavor was good and it had a nice spice. Additionally, we had the garlic wings which were also pretty good. Overall we had a nice experience. read more

Ahjoomah's Apron - KIMBOP - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Absolutely incredible authentic Korean cuisine. From the very first bite of banchan I knew this was going to be an incredible meal. The kimbap was prepared with such care - the ingredients were FRESH (trust me, you can tell when they are not) and wrapped beautifully. The jajangmyun noodles (a personal favorite of mine) had the most delicious sauce, better than any I've tried. The portions are very, very large for the price you pay; you won't be leaving hungry. They have a great selection of authentic Korean dishes (and soju!), I can't recommend this restaurant enough. And a HUGE shoutout to the staff, they truly were a highlight of the night with their generous hospitality and care. read more

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Friday special: Half off 1-set dinner for two was excellent. Pork belly was cooked tender. Came with flavorful dipping sauce. Also several side dishes. See photos. Clean cozy atmosphere. Friendly service. Meter street parking. Or, park in the parking lot. If you park in the lot, get your ticket validated at the restaurant. read more

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Food quality not worth it! I ordered 4 items off menu for take out. The waiter told me $80 total so I tap my card. Then I get home & waiter committed fraud and added an extra $9.40 to a total of $89.40 being charged without my agreement. Beware of this place and waiter! Will never go back. I am currently disputing the charge for fraud. read more

Unfortunately, nearly everything had fish paste, shrimp paste, oyster sauce, or whatever in it. It's extremely hard to have something vegetarian here. The dumplings were good thouh read more

Ahjoomah's Apron - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Food was DELICIOUS. Ate here on a vacation almost four years ago and I still want to go back for more. I think I had tteokbokki and braised tofu. read more

I visited last week with a friend while I was in town. We came to China town to get hotpot, which would be my first time, and since there was a 3 hour wait at Happy Lamb, we opted for Ahjoomah's. Even though it was 7ish on a Friday evening, we were able to be seated immediately. My friend had been before, so he suggested we get the cheese pancake in addition to the hotpot. We opted for the Boodae Jun-Gol: Korean Army Stew. It featured bacon, spam, tofu, and spam, plus a bunch of veggies, rice cakes, and noodles. We also received sides of kimchi, bok choy, fish cakes, broccoli, and seaweed, to allow you to change the flavors with each bowl, or even bite, you take. First, the cheese pancake arrived. A thin pizza-like dish with a side of soy sauce. Light, fluffy, and definitely cheesy. It was good, but nothing mind-blowing. Not a lot depth--a bit one-dimensional. Then the hotpot arrived. We each poured ourselves a bowl and I realized how little of a dent we put into the pot. It seemed like it would be a challenge for two people to finish it. I got a first bite with sausage, noodles, and plenty of broth... And it was amazing. Literally one of the best things I've every eaten. The perfect level of spice--enough to feel a bit of burn, but not so much it overpowers the other flavors; tons of meat and tofu to provide protection and delicious flavor; warmed me fully from inside out on a cold day. Over the course of the next couple hours, we drained probably three quarters of the pot before the place was about to close, and we were both quite full. We definitely made our way further through the dish than I initially thought, but I genuinely think that dish could feed three people. Overall, the price seemed fairly standard, the service was good, and while the pancake wasn't amazing, the hotpot definitely was. My mouth's watering just thinking about it. read more

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I am currently sitting in the restaurant, and this is what I've already experienced: I ordered a dolsot bibimbap and the first time they brought it over, it was missing the bulgogi and the dolsot had done absolutely nothing to the rice. I let them know and they immediately took it away and gave me some bulgogi in it. However, as I started eating it (about four bites in since they added the bulgogi) I found a thin but unstretchy, 4 inch long strip of white plastic in the dish--I had to fish it out of my teeth. They brought out a new one for me, but again the dolsot did nothing to crisp the rice. To make up the mess ups, they gave us complimentary mochi ice cream. The sides were really good, though. In retrospect, I have never, every been so disgusted at a restaurant before. After a while, the serving staff even avoided eye contact, possibly because they were afraid that something else was once again messed up--which wouldn't help me at all if they weren't willing to fix it. I can get over a lot of stuff (like charging a whole dollar more for a dolsot that doesn't do anything extra for the dish, or forgetting an ingredient), but the whole melted plastic strip deal and not comping my meal after everything that happened was kind of bad service. read more

We were seated pretty quickly, but the service was literally the worst I've ever experienced. It took forever to order and then forever to get our food. I think they actually forgot about us, so we had to go up to the waiters so many times, and then they would still forget our food or requests. We didn't even get our banchan until halfway through our meal. It was incredibly frustrating because we would see these new tables be seated, and they would immediately get their banchan and food. And this is before we even got our food. We probably waited for over an hour in total for everything. A lot of our entrees also came late, so we're glad we shared everything cuz otherwise, some of us would be hangry and starving the whole meal. We also tried to cancel our bossam, but then they said to give them five minutes, and that turned into 15 minutes. The bossam is actually one of the worst I've had and wasn't at all what I was expecting. It was overly marinated and fatty, and it's supposed to be really light and refreshing. I think I enjoyed the jjajangmyeon the most, but maybe it's cuz we were absolutely starving after all the wait. Even getting water and the check just took soo long. They completely overlooked our table as we watched all the tables around us get served. They def did look busy, but it's just outrageous. read more

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This place... is wonderful. I order almost weekly, come to dine in as often as I can. The food is really great. I like to bring friends here. The customer service is excellent too, sometimes when I order they'll occasionally add an extra side dish or something. The fact that there's banchan included at all is really nice. I think the price tag is well worth it, and these guys frequently brighten my day. read more

Been here so many times and the must get is the seafood jampongg noodles. The noodles are so bouncy with amazing texture and flavorful broth. If it was just the noodles it would have been a 5 star. My disappointment prompting this review was of the kalbi short ribs. For the price, it was small portions. Which is not really an issue as long as if it was good. The problem was it was so charred and essentially burnt that I literally could not tell what flavor it was other than... burnt. For 43$ I would expect at least flavorful ribs and instead I got a black dish. I quickly took off all the short ribs from the grill it was on to prevent any more cooking, but it was already too late as it was probably burnt beyond repair in the kitchen. Such a disappointment. It left such a bad taste in my mouth and literally ended up throwing the ribs away despite the $$. read more

Ahjoomah's Apron - Jjamppong - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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For a place serving this quality of food, it should be considered a staple of Chicago. There are Four things that set this place apart: The super friendly staff who will help first timers understand the menu. The cozy home like feel in the middle of a bustling Chinatown street. The amount of Vegetarian/ Vegan options. Most importantly the Banchan aka The Side dishes. The portion sizes are massive. So come in with the intention to share, and occasionally stare at what the other tables are having. The Vegetarian Dumplings, though sounds lame, is so darn good, you will not be able to resist yourself. I snarffed the entire plate while my vegetarian wife was half way through her first dumpling. Honestly anything you order is awesome. However, for Beginners, I would highly recommend the Dolsot Bibimbap. Fun mix or rice and veggies and meat sizzling away in the hot stone bowl. We've tried something new everytime we have been there and honestly never once had a bad experience. the Ramyun, Kimchi pancakes, and Jajangmyeon are all phenomenal. Its. great meal. And like coming home from your own Ahjoomah's home, you will leave a lat fuller and happier than when you walked in. I would highly recommend this spot, especially for the vegetarian/ vegan crowd whose main gripe is a lack of options. Here your main gripe would be telling your friends to stay away from your food!!! On a scale of 1-5, I would rate it an uber and 4 n a half hour nap. read more

Overpriced for average tasting food. My husband and I came here around 3pm on a Sunday and it was empty. Got some complimentary banchan (side dishes), which we devoured. Pretty tasty but nothing unique to set it apart from other korean restaurants. The service was prompt and the food came out pretty quickly. We had gotten the la bokki (ramen+tteokbokki) and beef bulgogi. The la bokki was delicious and the rice cakes were cooked perfectly. The bulgogi did not taste like authentic korean bulgogi. The marinade was off, and on top of that, the dish was a whopping $25?! The meat was also very crumbly. Definitely will not be back. read more

Ahjoomah's Apron - La Bokki + Beef Bulgogi - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I have no complaints about this place. Our service was phenomenal. Our food was phenomenal. The ambiance was quiet and all of the decorations were cute and welcoming. I ordered the Buldak and it was so rich in flavor with the most tender chicken. The perfect level of spice where your nose slightly runs but you revel in it. After eating we paid, left our tip, and when I went back later to order a Soju for the road I was welcomed back in and given it on the house. Phenomenal experience will be going again. read more

Ahjoomah's Apron - KIMBOP - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Had a poor experience yesterday with another Korean restaurant (check my previous review) so we had to redeem our Korean food experience. Went here around 4:45 and we're out before 5:30 pm! Great food! Attentive and fast service! Staff are very efficient. Their seafood pancake, unlike others I had tried, is not greasy. Love the jajamyeon. Their kimchi fried rice is very flavorful and tasty with natural flavors - not salty or loaded with msg. I just wish they had cocktails. read more

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There aren't many delicious authentic Korean cuisines in the south side of Chicago, but Ahjoomah's apron is definitely one! I was craving kimbap for a few months and am so glad they have it here! The rice is so soft and there is always a generous amount of filling in each bite. We also ordered kimchi fried rice. The kimchi, buttered rice combined with the soft fried egg makes it a must-order for me whenever I come here The food here is consistently delicious and the service is always friendly and quick. I highly recommend read more

Ahjoomah's Apron - KIMBOP - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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When weather in Chicago hits 90 degrees, naeungmyun is the way to go. Ironically, we also ordered the mushroom soup which is hot (and spicy). Both dishes were flavorful and I got my fair share of banchan, also known as Korean side dishes. My only quip is that the spice level on the mushroom soup isn't consistent (this time it was way spicier) and the egg in my naeungmyun was overly cooked and the yolk wasn't jammy. Would recommend the mushroom soup for two. read more

Ahjoomah's Apron - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place has good Korean food with several different types of kimchi that they serve prior to giving the food which was fun! I liked the Ramyun Soon Tofu a lot, but will warn that the portions are very big and one dish seemed to be enough for 2!! The Bibimpop in my opinion was very flavorless and wouldn't recommend! Overall, this is a great place for some delicious Korean food! read more

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Cozy place in Chinatown with truly authentic Korean food. ATMOSPHERE/ARCHITECTURE: 9/10 Inside, there is a modern aesthetic with a traditional feel coursing through the interior. I find it a perfect fusion and a great place to go dine in with a group of friends. The interior is spacious and seats 30-40. SERVICE: 9/10 Service was excellent. The food came fast, the staff was knowledgeable and friendly, making for a great experience. FOOD: 9/10 Having dined with a friend who lived in Korea for over 3 years, he obviously led our group with what to order and overall, in his opinion, the food was very authentic as to traditional Korean dishes. As for my opinion, I have noted it on several dishes here. Budae Jiggae - 9/10 - So-called "army soup" this came out of Korea in the Korean War era and typically was made up of many assorted items from army rations, from ramen to spam fused with Korean items like kimchi. This is a soulful, warm dish that really makes for a great start to the meal or end of the meal. Beef Bulgolgi - 9/10 - If you have gone to any Korean restaurant at any point in time, there is no doubt that you know what beef bulgolgi is. In case you don't though, it is essentially beef that has been marinated in a Korean barbeque sauce that leans on the sweet side. This bulgolgi is no disappointment. The right flavor is all there and the meat is tender as you would want it to be. Korean Fried Chicken - 9/10 - Another craze that has seeped into and is taking over the western world is that of Korean fried chicken. Their spin on fried chicken has a sweet soy garlic sauce with the chicken fried crispy and the sauce forming a nice shell coating each piece. Even more on trend and the ultimate east-west fusion is the additional of melted American cheese on top. As for me, I am not the biggest fan of this, but it's an option. VALUE: 10/10 Amazing value. I thought I was going to leave with a light wallet from here after filling my stomach. Let's say I left stomach full and wallet heavy. PROBABILITY OF RETURN: 10/10 Definitely want to come back here soon. TO EAT OR NOT TO EAT: Eat, please. Your stomach compels you. OVERALL: 10/10 read more

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Food was tasty and I loved the quiet atmosphere. My daughter loves for us to try new foods and we had a yummy feast. read more

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This is definitely one of the spots to hit up especially on Thursday! They have half off liquor and they have an intoxicating number of options for soju (mint chocolate?!? WHAT!!!) and popular choices of imported beer as well. A bottle of Cass half off to accompany with spicy Korean foods was beyond refreshing The mushroom soup had a good number of different types of mushrooms. My favorites were wood ear and shiitake mushrooms, and they definitely don't skimp on you. There were plenty of foods for 2 and we still had leftover. The soup had plenty of umami flavor and was on the spicier side for sure. They used a lot of Korean pepper gochugaru coupled with black pepper and jalapeños, so if you're not a fan of heat you should get the non spicy version. read more

Ahjoomah's Apron - a pot of soup on a stove - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We walked in the restaurant and it looks nice. It is pleasing to the eye. It's really cool looking and we thought they may have good food to match. The issue once walking in was the place was it smelled like public restroom. It's was gross. We thought maybe someone had peed near the door. We ordered the bibimbop. It was among the worst dishes I have had. It tasted like the place smelled. Like pee something in the food was rancid. It was gross. I was in the restroom the remainder of the evening. Unfortunately I will never be returning. I hope if you choose to visit this place I hope they clean up their act. Clean their restroom and they serve better/fresher food. The waiter was good and nice. read more

TLDR- I found hair in the food twice in a row. I really, really wanted to like Ahjoomah's apron. I am Korean and one thing Chicago is missing is good, accessible Korean food in the city. Havig lived in large Korean population cities like LA and NYC, downtown Chicago certain lacks options. So when I first discovered Ahjoomah's Apron, I was thrilled. I ordered Jjampong the first time and had a decent experience. However, when I ordered Bosam, that's when the nightmare began. The bosam didn't taste good, but most importantly what ruined my experience was hair found in their garlic they have on side. I tried to forget about it and some time has passed. I recently ordered stir fried pork belly with Kimchi. I thought the food tasted pretty good and I was going to move on after giving solid 4 stars. Then, today, I opened an unopened leftover kimchi they provided as a side dish and as I was approaching the bottom of the container, I found a long strand of hair stuck to the side that looks nothing like my hair (plus it was buried all the way in the bottom- see pic). This was once again a horrifying experience. I take pride as a Korean person not just for the taste of Korean dishes but also for the cleanliness of Korean restaurants and supermarkets like Perilla and H mart. However, my experience with Ahjoomah's Apron with two consecutive hair experiences has been a big disappointment. It's clear that the restaurant is not hygienic and I will not be ordering from nor going there. read more

Ahjoomah's Apron - Hair in kimchi - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

At first glance, the prices of the entrees seem a little steep, but they are more than justified by the size of the portions, quality of the food, and wide array of side dishes which accompany the meal. I would highly recommend the Fried Pork Belly with Kimchi! It was loaded with flavor. The large beer I ordered was indeed quite a large bottle, and my wife and I were able to share it. It was at least as much as two regular sized bottles, if not more. The space is a little cramped, so hopefully you're dining with folks you don't mind being a little cozy with! read more

Ahjoomah's Apron - Fried Pork Belly with Kimchi - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Service was quick.... My son really likes Korean and I am not crazy about it. They have a whole bunch of sides which could be a meal by itself. I got the shrimp bibinbop and my son got some bean and pork noodles . Since these were lunch specials so I think we got half off of one order ... I wasn't allowed to use my free Mochi coupon with Yelp checkin. Disappointing! I won't be back because Korean food is my least favorite after Chinese and love mostly all good food. read more

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Dropped in for an early dinner with a friend when the place was quite empty. We ordered a cheese pajeon, Jajangmyeon, and kimchi jjigae. All incredibly delicious! They also have daily specials and that day had half off liquor (we got some refreshing makgeolli). Fun music and cozy vibes inside the restaurant, would definitely go again. read more

This place has many authentic options. Among the ban chan, I really liked fish cake and seaweed. Bo ssam came in such a big plate, a dinner for two indeed. I loved my haejang guk/hangover soup - great flavor with a lot of beef. Definitely drove the Chicago windy chills away. Service was very friendly! * They offer pairing discount voucher. Do remember to ask. read more

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Came for a late lunch around 3pm, not only did we wait over ten minutes to even get greeted, waited quite a bit for our food. Eventually when the food came out, we had no utensils, the staff dropped off the food and walked away so quickly we didn't even get a chance to ask for it. After a while of trying to wave someone down we finally got our utensils, and as we were quite hungry, we ate everything, but the food was subpar, overly greasy and just overall unsatisfactory. read more

Ahjoomah's Apron - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great food. I was brought here by a friend/coworker who lived in Korea for a few years so I know it is legit. The clientele when I ate here was mostly Asian so that is good recommendation as well. I ordered my standby, hot rock bibimbap with tofu. It was delicious. They are also very generous with sides. So overall, if you are in the mood for Korean, don't hesitate to try this place. Just a warning, it is a smallish and busy place so there's a wait for seats but also for service. Otherwise take it to go. read more

On the pricey side for sure. But good quality and such a cute place. The people are very helping, since it was our first time., they provided us with what they thought was the best on the menu. The food was fast and tasty, dont get the pork belly if you dont like too much fat on your meat. read more

Ahjoomah's Apron - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Nice cozy ambiance and a wide array of menu options! I got the kimchi pork belly which was massive and sooo good. It wasn't too spicy thankfully, and the meat was super tender. The wait time was a bit long (25 mins) but other than that it was a great dining experience! read more

Ahjoomah's Apron - Kimchi Stir Fried Pork Belly and Kimchibelly - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We got the Friday lunch special with grilled pork belly. It was delicious and fresh. The staff were very friendly. We were so stuffed. read more

Ahjoomah's Apron - Grilled Pork Belly - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I really wish Chicago had more of an authentic Asian restaurant scene. There are so many fusion spots and "cool asian restaurants" that are for the vibes without any of the mom-and-pop shops sadly. I'm from LA and used to a lot of that and I think they would bode well here! Anyway, Ahjoomah's is the only place that really is close enough to me in the city for me to get some Korean food that I'm used to. They have good side dishes and their seol long tang usually hits. In LA this would be very mediocre but any time I am craving Korean food it usually is enough to satisfy the craving! I usually order take-out/delivery so can't say much about the service or restaurant itself. read more

Has high potential. I got the hangover soup and the bossam. The workers were nice and accommodating. I would say definitely on the pricier side. The galbi was $50+ the banchan itself was good and they give you a place of condiments with your bossam wrap: spicy sauce, raw oysters, pickled radish, garlic, jalapeño, and salted shrimp. Their ginger drink is definitely antiseptic feeling once you drink it. read more

Ahjoomah's Apron - Bossam - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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ahjoomahsapron has been my go-to comfort Korean Homestyle restaurant for a good 5 years now. Their food always hit the spot for especially with Chicago weather lately and a crowd pleaser for ones visting from out of town. My favs: kimchi seafood pancake haemul jun gol (spicy seafood hotpot) bossam (pork belly cabbage wrap) Cost (imo based on times I went) the more, the merrier 2-3ppl: 30-40$/each 4-6ppl: 25-30$/each read more

Ordered the chicken bulgogi a while ago and remember that it was really tasty. I will say it was really spicy and they gave you plenty of side dishes and rice for it being take out. Will definitely try to go in person and try more! read more

Definitely go with a larger group and order a little of everything! Although things didn't come out all at once, we loved that because it gave us enough room on the table, haha. Everything was delicious and I'll keep going back! The staff was also extremely nice and attentive whenever they noticed we were running low on anything. They also have some great deals going on each day, so I say check out this website/Instagram to see which day you want to go! (I think Thursdays are half off soju ;) ) We ordered: Bo Ssam, Fried Mandu (beef), Korean Seafood Pancake, La Bokki, and Jajangmyun read more

Ahjoomah's Apron - A little of everything, haha - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Finally, a Korean restaurant that is not on the northside of Chicago! Ahjoomah's Apron is in the South Loop in Chinatown. I ordered online, walked to Ahjoomah's and my order was ready! No waiting, excellent service. I just love love love Kimchi. I ordered the Kimchi Chigae (Kimchi stew) and the side order of homemade Kimchi. Absolutely delicious with great serving size of each order. Yes, I will be a regular. Just an FYI- it is not wheelchair accessible, but the to go ordering is excellent. read more

Ahjoomah's Apron - Lovely decorum. - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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