Some of the best tasting vegan food in Chicago. A gem tucked into Norwood Park. read more

I HATE doing this. I hate writing negative reviews, but we've all been there, where we've dished out $80 of our hard earned money for bland, mushy, flavorless food. I've experienced this way too often now to shrug it off and let other people find out for themselves. read more

I'm not vegan but had dinner with others who were. The food was fresh and delicious. I would go there again. I enjoyed the spice and layers of flavors. read more

This place is very vegan friendly. I was able to get a dinner that included the entree, tea, and desert. The food there comes in big portions. You will take leftovers. The prices are not bad at all. If you come with cash it's even cheaper. For 2 people I paid $40, and it included portions for much more than 2 people. Probably for 6 people honestly. The tea was amazing and the desert was good. The service is great as well read more

Korean food was a staple of my diet even before I went vegan. My aunt used to make the best mandu, and my uncle ran a Jewish Korean deli in Atlanta when I was a kid. I haven't had too much Korean food since becoming vegan, and the little I've had had been good but not too memorable. I will not say that about Amitabul. I was welcomed by friendly staff and looked over their fairly expanse menu before deciding on the mandu and Buddha Bop. The mandu were tasty and plentiful. The appetizer portion could easily be split with another person. The Buddha Bop was colorful. The flavor and texture was a beautiful blend of crunchy, soft, spicy and sweet. Delicious. I order the medium spice, and my sinuses were draining before I was even a third of the way into the meal, but the level of spice was pleasant and flavorful, not overwhelming, and perfectly balanced. The service was fast and my server was friendly. The prices were reasonable. My only complaint was that the booth wasn't all that comfortable, but that was easy to overlook because the food was so delicious. read more

My friend and I were in the area and she absolutely loved this place the first time she came around. She is vegan and I am not. I love meat, poultry, and seafood. However I am also open minded and willing to try different foods. This place, although 100% vegan, was absolutely delicious! The only complaint is that the customer service is a little bit slow. She got her meal before I did and I had to wait a good half hour before I got mine but it was still worth the wait. I'm just happy they brought out the kids miso soups first. She ordered vegan dumplings which were surprisingly good. As a meat eater I didn't know what to expect but honestly you wouldn't be able to tell unless you split the dumpling open to see it was beans instead of pork. I ordered the spring rolls minus avocado (allergy), and they were also scrumptious. They did have a kick to them as well that stayed with your mouth and throat. My mandoo noodle soup was packed full of goodness and it was a huge portion. It had dumplings, rice noodles, tofu, mushrooms, carrots, cabbage, spinach, seaweed, cauliflower, and broccoli. Probably missing some veggies I think too. I highly recommend this place even if you're not vegan. Maybe it's because I'm open minded and love tofu but I would come here again. read more

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Food is piping hot and fresh. I enjoyed the miso soup, green tea, Tofu Grilled curry, and red bean paste dessert (they are basically mochi). Service was slow, but steady. Seats were comfortable enough. I would definitely go again to try out more options on the menu. (If the service was a bit faster, I would give 5 stars I think). read more

Amitabul - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I love the spicy kimchi noodle soup! It's the best soup around. And chef bill is awesome

Great vegan, healthy food. Great menu to choose from. Had my order ready to go in 30 minutes. read more

I've been here twice and was impressed both times. As a business owner myself, I particularly appreciate when it shows that someone loves what they do and that they take care in the details of operating their business. Secondly, the food is fresh, delicious, and healthy. I love that this place is vegan and doesn't have the pretentious vibe or prices of other vegan spots. I wish I was in the neighborhood. I'd eat here all the time. And thirdly, thank you Chef Bill for understanding my strange predicament when I came last week. read more

As far as I know, this is the only PBWF (plant based Whole Foods) restaurant in Chicago. Not all items on the menu are wfpb, but almost all of them can be made upon request, and there's no difference in taste. It is also one of few vegan places that don't bother to mess with fake meats and cheeses, things that would mostly appeal to people who want to experiment with vegan food. I've been a customer for a long time, and the i only thing I dislike is that from time to time the size of their portion fluctuates, and I have also found that the amount of the more expensive ingredients they use--like certain mushrooms--has decreased. This however, is no reason for me to take off even 0.1 star. Kudos to the healthiest and tastiest restaurants in Chicago! Fabulous place! read more

The starter was okay, the cilantro was overpowering to the whole. As for the Dark Side, the sauce was good and the dish was very filling. Kudos for cleanliness! read more

Amitabul - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I decided to eat here because the menu looked interesting. I'm rating this two stars only because they do have some interesting items on the menu and the red bean rice cake was good. The male (maybe owner is full of himself and rude). So while ordering the male suggested I try the chop chae. I let him know I make this at home (just like kimchi) so I wanted to try something different. I do love japchae! His reply was "not like mine". Uh excuse you how do you know how I make it? Do you not make it how it should be made and that's why you call it "chop chae". Lol do you not use all the same seasoning/sauce blend, sweet potato noodles, etc? I almost left after that but stayed as I was craving some korean food. Plus he made several comments about how great the food is. I ordered the "Amitabul Herb Bi Bim Bop" and considering the dish is named after the restaurant it left much to be desired. It wasn't very flavorful at all and very disappointing. Very watery. Definitely no sesame on it. The sauces on the side are needed because it's very bland. By far the worst bibimbap I've ever had. The rice is also steamed and not crispy as it should be traditionally. I did like they gave a lot of veggies with it, but I wouldn't order again. We also got the mung bean pancakes which were just okay. I've had better vegan korean bibimbap and pancakes. The red bean rice cake was good which would be very hard to mess up because they aren't hard to make. Overall his ego doesn't fit the taste of dishes. Entrees were 1 out of 5. If you like food that's just okay/ bland with a side of arrogance go here. read more

When it comes to designing a menu for health taste and fire they are amazing. Upon entering the atmosphere is warm and each table is full of guest who outwardly are glad to be here. As if sharing a nourishing gastric spiritual meal retreat. Every time I come to Chicago this is my first stop. I usually choose dr k cure all soup and wait for the heat to kick in and bring a pleasant warmth to my body. Today I am venturing to Tibetan high noon and miso soup. The owner is very familiar with his customer base and knows many by name. Another special aspect is that they can prepare special meals to go based on the health challenge. We need to have one of these in every town read more

Amitabul - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I have been to this restaurant many times. It is a vegan's paradise. They have a wide variety of dishes to choose from. I have tried their different dishes though I don't remember the names. I am giving one star short of the best because we drove for around 40 mins to this place which closes at 9:00 pm. We arrived at 8:30pm and they announced they closed at 8:00pm due to short staff. We felt a little bummed out. Hope they have more locations. Would definitely visit again and highly recommended! read more

This was an amazing spot for lunch. I was completely intrigued by the description on the menu that read "Healing Buddhist Spiritual Cuisine." All three of us agreed we understood that description as we finished our meal. The majority of the food is made without oil. It is super fresh and has a pure taste. So many of the Yelp reviews mentioned the peaceful feeling in the dining room and they are spot on. It might be the tranquil music, or the quiet tone taken by the servers, or the care taken in preparing each dish, or maybe the gratitude blessing on the table for us to read. We went on a Saturday at 3 pm and there were about 6 other tables taken. The dining room isn't super huge, so not sure how crowded it would be at dinner time. I had the Dolly and Bill, which had perfectly steamed vegetables that were crunchy with a spicy curry sauce and brown rice. The medium spice had a good amount of heat. My spouse had the vegan pizza. It was good, but seemed dense and more filling in comparison to my dish as the crust was thick. Portions are large and you can easily share. The green fresh juice was really good. You do not notice that dishes are made without oil. I think that lends to the healthy feeling you have after eating here. My only complaint is that the menu doesn't really provide much of a description of the dishes. There's so much more going on than how they describe it! Can't wait to go back to try more things. This was a great find! read more

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I am NOT vegan. This place is REALLY good. Everything is so fresh and prepared to order. I was here twice in one weekend and both times it was a great experience. It's a small local place with about 20 tables. Parking can be tricky but it is worth it. They don't serve alcohol but you are welcome to bring your own. I love that. We started with the dumplings. The sauce they serve with them is very tasty and pretty spicy. We had the Hello Dolly and Bill (Super steamed stirred veggies mixed in a special flavor of Chef Bill's secret sauce) and the Dark Side of the Moon (Heavenly oyster mushroom with shitake mushrooms steamed stirred with mystic Asian veggie noodles all mixed over rice noodle and aged Chef Bill's black bean miso sauce will take you to the dark side of the moon. Anytime and any day of your life). I would order both again. I prefered the Dark Side. The service here was excellent. The owner is very active in the crowd and speaks to every table. I look forward to going here again next time I am in Chicago. read more

First off, a disclaimer: I've never had Korean food before my visit here two days ago, so I cannot adequately compare Amitabul to other Korean restaurants. On the STRONG request of my vegan girlfriend, we came here for a late Friday dinner and found many tables open within a warm, inviting interior. We ordered the Mandoo Vegan dumplings, pancakes (can't remember which), the Yin and Yan, and the Spicy Kimchi Bi Bim Bop: everything was absolutely amazing! The dumplings were delicious, the pancakes were quite good, but the Yin and Yan along with the Bi Bam Bop were outstanding! Everything was wonderfully spicy and delicious, and meat was NOT missed (I am an omnivore, btw). The service was very good and attentive without being overbearing, and the prices were quite reasonable. If you've never been here, I strongly suggest making plans to visit: you will not leave disappointed. read more

I was introduced to this place by my friend. When I read reviews, my heart was pounding. OMG - vegan and gluten free. I was so ready to try it on. I was not disappointed. We shared spring rolls and I went with Dr K soup - spicy. I loved it! My overall experience: food was amazing, place had a great vibe and the chef Bill was present and answering all the questions. It definitely was not my first and only visit. Planning on stopping there more often! read more

Amitabul - Appetizer - vegan spring rolls! FYI - dipping sauce was amazing - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I don't know what took me so long to come here. Very calming atmosphere. The dining area is relaxing. I had a nice warming mug of green tea. I ordered the Tibetan High Noon, in medium. Yum! I saw in some reviews that the food was bland?!! I didn't get that at all. It was a very generous portion and I felt satisfied. I will most definitely will be back. So many other things I want to try. read more

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Amitabul was my first vegan dining experience, and I loved it. Two friends and I ordered three entrees and a spring roll appetizer, and it was all delicious. My Dark Side of the Moon was yummy, even if the noodles were crazy slippery and next to impossible to grip with chopsticks. The oddly written menus left me puzzled, and the mantras on the walls induced giggling, but that's really part of the charm. The prices were great, and the service was prompt and friendly. I only wish it were closer to Logan Square. read more

You should have seen how my hubby happily slurped his soup! I should have counted the Mmmmms and Wows that came out of our mouths as dish after steaming dish of glorious vegan food came out of the kitchen and landed on our - our someone else's - table at Amitabul. We started with a dozen Mandoo Vegan Dumplings and it was okay. We had better ones, both at home and at other establishments. But when the server delivered the Dr. K's Cure All Noodle Soup, one whiff of the delectable aroma was enough to make us want to taste it. It is described in the menu as "Chicago's favorite spicy noodle soup with heavenly veggies, seaweed and tofu served with wheat or rice noodles. It's good for cold, flu, hangover and sore throats." I know, I know. The description isn't great and makes you think it would taste medicinal. But it was flavorful and fresh, filled with an array of vegetables, tofu, mushrooms and rice noodles. It was perfectly balanced with just the right amount of spice and saltiness from the broth, the sweetness from the vegetables, and umami from the mushrooms. The crisp-tender veggies played well against the soft rice noodles. We also ordered the Amitabul Original Pancakes, which hit a homer in for us! An order came with four wheat and vegetable pancakes of just the right thickness and size, served with a miso-based dipping sauce. The menu mentioned a plum sauce but we weren't given any. On hindsight, I regret not having asked the server for it because I'm pretty sure that would have given the dish another layer of flavor. The last dish that arrived was the Tibetan High Noon which is hyped as "Spicy Tibetan curry and Chef Bill's special seasoning creates excellent tasting noodles tumbled all over with special Asian veggies that will kick you higher of High Noon in your inner heart." It was well prepared and merited good reviews from around the table. The service was swift and courteous despite the place being busy on a Saturday afternoon. We will definitely be back to try the other dishes on the menu! What a find! read more

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A great , healthy addition to the Chicago Vegan restaurant scene! Amitabul feeds the mind, body, and spirit. A menu of colorful, flavor-filled, healing foods, unprocessed, organic grains and vegetables dishes made fresh daily. Finish off your meal with a rejuvenating juice blend or refreshing smoothie. You'll feel the difference! read more

My boyfriend brought me here on a layover recently, and my world was rocked. This is my new favorite Chicago spot. Two weeks later, I'm back in ORD, with my crew by my side. The food is so amazing, I prioritized dining here again over sleeping on my minimal rest layover, and I felt obligated to introduce my coworkers in the sleepy endeavor. So fresh, so clean, so incredibly flavorful. I love Korean food, and I was pretty sad to think that I may never find a good veg spot, since meat is such a staple in the cuisine. But, man, Amitabul was the most pleasant of surprises. The service is fine. They're nice enough, although a bit on the slow side. But it feels like a yoga studio in here, so what else would be expected. But if you're in the area and in the mood for some delicious, healthful heat, make your way over here. You will not be disappointed. read more

Well, now I have a new spot for lunch on my airport runs. Me vegan mate Thomas asked me to take us to lunch before I dropped him off at O'Hare for a flight to London. So I took the opportunity to go to Amitabul, which is just down the street from the very un-vegan Superdawg. My first question, though, is why would a vegan place be called A-Meat-A-Bul, and not A-Veg-ta-Bul? Our lunch was fantastic. We ordered date tea and ginger tea, which were both quite the taste bud fiesta, and very warming and assuring on a cool afternoon. We ordered the dumplings or "pot stickers", the miso soup, a curried veggie mixture with nuts and mushrooms, and the mushroom bi bim bop. Now I am not a vegan, but I enjoy a great combination of flavors, and none of these dishes disappointed. Ordering the medium "heat" was perfect. It took me to the edge of my heat threshold without destroying flavors. I cannot wait to have the mushroom bi bim bop again. I did get to taste Thomas' "flu soup", their famous antidote to that illness. Great soup, but again the nomenclature. If pea soup, is made from peas, and carrot soup is made from carrots...well you catch my drift. But I would come here for the flu or the miso. We had no issues with service. It was reliable and gracious. The decor is a real hoot, however. You can tell that they took over an old coffee shop, and then sent someone out to a few local yard sales to pick up just the right items to achieve that Goodwill haphazard style. There is a table in the front with graduation pics from the 60's and 70's, a really handsome hippie, and other characters who just could not be family members. It's like carrying around the pics you get in the wallet instead of putting in your own. The walls have some actual Asian graphics, and above our table was a shot of The Dalai Lama with Richard Gere. (I am guessing it was NOT taken there at the restaurant). No-one could accuse these folks of not being original. I love it! I do have to address this phenomenon of mixing religion and cuisine, which only seems prevalent with vegan/vegetarian places. Soul food vegetarian, Victory's Banner, and Amitabul all have this religious or spiritual component. At Amitabul, its Buddhism. There is even a buddhist item on the menu-a type of service, I think. Anyone know of a good Episcopalian dive? read more

The food was pretty good, but the wait was unbelievable. As soon as we got to the restaurant, we were seated. One out in we had finally revived our appetizers. Hour 2 in and we got our food. This was unbelievable. Never eating here again read more

I went here for the first time last night and I was amazed. First of I was amazed cause I used to drive right past this place at least once a week for six months and I never knew that it was there. Second was that the location is not in an area where you expect to find a restaurant that serves delicious food, let alone delicious vegetarian food. Third, every other person who came into this place was greeted by name... Okay, so I was really indecisive about what I wanted to get, luckily they had a combo platter which included my choice of tea, soup and desert, plus a surprise entree. Perfect! I could make some small decisions and leave the main one up to the chef. What I got was a kind of kimchee inspired meal...it had sooooo many vegetables and rice noodles. I thought the serving size was a bit big, but since it was so good and almost all vegetables I ate the whole thing. Mmmmmm.... My boyfriend got a sweet curry dish...I tried it and it was also tasty and sweet and had lots and lots of fruit in it...very good. I saw other people order soup, and that makes me want to get soup the next time I come in there. I want to go back already. read more

My husband has been ranting and raving about this Vegan place , so finally he brought me here to eat some soup with him . I ordered the red vegetable soup it said on the menu good for colds or hangovers.... my husband ordered a different soup forgot the name but the bowls that they brought out to us were HuGe portions !! My husband thought I didn't like it but I did , I just couldn't finish such a huge bowl ... nice people nice location Fresh food oh and we enjoyed the pot stickers too ... really lovely place read more

Amitabul - Soup that makes you feel better from hangover or flu!!! Dr. K's soup! - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

1st off... call before you go... verify they are open... they seem to close at a whim. 2nd the decor is lacking but it's about the AMAZING food anyway. 3rd waitstaff can be a bit stand-offish until you've been there a few times... but again... it's about the AMAZING food. 4th if the menu says it is spicy... it is.... do not be fooled... prepare for sweating and nose running. I despise mushrooms-as in dry heave. The 1st meal I had there had mushrooms in it (most dishes do)but I planned to flick them to my friends plate (who loves mushrooms.) I did try one since this restaurant was a new experience for me. I have no idea what type of mushrooms they use... but they tasted great-texture perfect... to my friends dismay since he was looking forward to extra shrooms. I actually called my little brother after wards to brag of my mushroom eating. The 1st thing he asked was "What?! No dry heaving?!" Nope ;-) We had soy pancakes as an appetizer which is a meal in itself... they have grated veggies in them! I have also had Dr. K's soup. So good! sorry I can not remember all the names of items I have had... but I have not been disappointed! read more

If you are a "meat and potato" loving person, this is NOT your place. This is a Korean owned Vegan restaurant...it is more Vegan cuisine than traditional Korean cuisine. It's good, it used to be better. Which is sad. The portions used to be much bigger and tastier. It's very close to my house, which is worth a star. When I'm in the mood for a good healthy, meat-less, spicy soup, I go here, but it is becoming less and less as there are much tastier Vegan places opening up. I do like their soups and they have a Ginger-Citron tea, I really like. read more

I can totally understand the "love it" or "hate it" mentality that makes up a lot of the reviews here.....Luckily I went with a friend who was a "regular" -- she even had the owner make her meals for the week and she paid a flat fee (like Nutrisystem or something?) -- so she told me what she thought was very good and what she thought I should maybe steer clear from on my first visit there. I took her advice and I absolutely loved my dish. She ordered a soup that I tasted and I didn't care for it too much, although it certainly wasn't inedible. Everything I have ordered there was amazing....I feel like if I had never tasted her soup dish, I would have given 5 stars. I wish I lived closer, I'd eat there more often. read more

It's my first time here. I tried the super shiitake wonder noodle soup. My 5 star rating is a serious 5 stars. I am a vegetarian who loves Asian cuisines. I have eaten at almost every good vegan Asian restaurant in nyc. This place reminds me of them. It my new found fave in Chicago. The food quality is amazing. My noodle soup has atleast 13 vegetables including rice cake and tofu. It has veggies you don't normally see in a vegetable soup. I will let that be a mystery. My suggestion- don't be shy to order soy sauce and chili sauce to make your dish tailored to your taste. The focus of this place is on food that heals. The dishes don't seem to be made with a commercial mindset but with spiritual healing objective instead. I am so glad to have found this place. The music is v calming, so is the atmosphere of this place. Overall a great place to come with family/friends/special someone for a good meal. Recommend. read more

Amitabul - SUPER SHITAKE WONDER NOODLE SOUP - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Awesome vegan Korean food! Love their Yin and Yan rice cakes. Even though I'm not a fan of gochuchan these were really good because they don't have a fishy flavor offsetting it. The original pancakes were good too- wasn't super special though so I would probably try a different version instead next time. Nice aesthetics and friendly owner and staff! read more

Amitabul - Yin and Yan rice cakes- 4/5 really good but not very many rice cakes - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Each dish is loaded with fruit and veg, and they're perfectly prepared. The miso sauce is incred. Can we go there please now? read more

One of the few places that indulge my "when I say hot, try to make me throw up" query. Great veg and tofu dishes, always had a blast coming here. read more

amitabul is one of my favorite places. First of all, CALL BEFORE YOU COME. too many times have i driven there and found it to be closed. also if you go once and you dont like it, dont give up. ive been going for about 8 years now and i love it more each time. the food is extremely healthy and delicous, and its vegan! the mandoo noodle soup is a great "cure all" soup and youll have enough for three days! the service is a little off from time to time, but dont give up! read more

Ask me where I want to go out to eat and the answer of "anything vegan" will never come out of my mouth. OK, so I like meat. However, I'm starting to appreciate vegetarian/vegan dishes more. Recommend: Tibetan High Noon or Amitabul Energy Nut. The soups are good, but I'd rather stick with the noodle dishes. The High Noon came "mildly" spicy. I like spicy foods and found it to be great. If you are not so much on spicy, take it down a notch. You have the option to. The Energy Nut wasn't as spicy, but still good. The portions are rather large at it's possible that two people can eat off one plate. The veggies are cooked perfectly...not too crunchy and not to soft. I do question how such simple ingredients could taste soo good? The tea...get a glass...trust me. The tea is wonderful. This isn't a swank place and the location isn't exactly ideal. However it is worth the effort on getting out there. read more

Korean vegan! . The owners/chefs are really helpful. They will make anything to order. The vegetables are always perfectly cooked - still crisp and fresh tasting. My favorite appetizers are the steamed dumplings and the Energy Sticks. Try the Wolfman's Dream Treats, the pancakes, or the Buddha 3-Luck. The portions are LARGE. Close early so call before you go. Hard to find parking. Just south of Nagel and Devon on Milwaukee. read more

Love it. And I'm not vegan or vegetarian and find myself craving some of the mushroom dishes. Of course, it's close to Superdawgs, so I have to divide my time between this fantastic place where my vegan friends like to go--and Superdawgs where I'd have to sneak off from the vegans to go to. read more

The New Year greeted me with a horrible flu and head cold. My appetite was next to nothing and my head was very congested. I did feel like I should eat something and I remembered seeing Dr. K's Cure all Noodle Soup on the website a while back when I first looked into the restaurant. I knew this was exactly what I needed. We got the soup to go and they packaged it carefully-one container of broth and the other veggies and noodles. It was perfect-nice and spicy to clear out my head and healthy to replenish my energy. It was large enough that I was able to get 4 servings out of it (I did add a little hot water to the broth -it's a bit salty for my taste). I honestly felt rejuvenated after this soup. Thank you Amitabul for helping me through my illness. I'm looking forward to trying more healing dishes. read more