This review is solely based on delivered food. It was interesting discovering the place for the first time. I was there to visit the bakery across the hall from them, when the name CM Chicken caught my eye. I was super weirded out by the fact that it was *inside* a mall, and still don't know exactly how I feel about it yet. Chicken n' beer places in my mind are usually "late-night" hangout spots that focus more on the drinking aspect if it, and malls are something I don't usually associate with late nights. Then again, it might just be nothing more than my personal preconceived notion. What do I know about how kids these days hang out, right? I do, however, consider it an amazing convenience to have a chicken place that's 10 minutes away from me that I can get Dash delivered any time I want. Most of the reviewer and all the photos they've posted gives me a rough idea that most of you have already tried the KFC -- Korean Fried Chicken of it all. As you may or may not know, there are plenty of competing brands out there. There also are varieties to choose from within each brand. CM differentiates themselves with their "Snow" chickens and "Green Onion" chickens. Add to that, this particular location, I've found has a very expansive menu, offering some of very traditional Korean style "anju" -- think bar grubs -- that gets me nostalgic. But, I'm not here to talk about that. I'm here to rant and rave about the CM Tong Dak today! Koreans call it the "Yet Nal Tong Dak," which roughly translates into "old school fried whole chicken." This is the stuff that gets us, gen-X'ers nostalgic about our childhoods back in Korea, where "salaryman" dads would bring home a giant brown-bagged chicken on their monthly pay day to treat the kids to a special dinner. We're talking '60s thru '80s, where Korea was not quite the first world country it is today, and was still being rebuilt. They didn't have access to crazy varieties of spices like today, so the only thing they used to fry up chickens was with basic flour plus salt n' pepper. Naturally, we have access to more spices that we can use to spice up the flavor, which is what CM does with theirs. In that, it's not exactly the same flavor as what I can recall from my childhood, but sure adds more flavor to it. As long as the method in which they're fried mimics the old, I'm happy. The differences between these kinds and any other KFCs are mainly two things; batter has to be super thin, so that you can get super crispy skin, and it must be fried whole, without being chopped apart. If you're some kind of a fried chicken connoisseur, let me tell ya, you *MUST* try these kinds of KFCs. Crispy skin with super moist, tender, juicy meat is crazy satisfying. This cannot be done if you were to chop the chicken up into multiple pieces, and can only be accomplished by deep frying the whole chicken. Add some pickled radish and salt/pepper for dipping, then accompany with some light beer to wash it down? Mm mmm mmmmm..!!! At my first visit, it definitely helped to be Korean, speaking Korean to the owner when I first discovered the place. He was super attentive in explaining what his schtick was all about. He could immediate tell that I come from the old world, where I would be less interested in all the side menus he'd created, so he only wasted his efforts in explaining what I should be focused on, which naturally was chicken. He could immediately tell that I was interested in CM Tong Dak, so he made sure to explain to me that it takes extra amount of time to cook up this types of chicken, so that I can manage my expectations when ordering. I didn't think I'd ever come to a mall to sit down and order a whole chicken to hoover down, so it didn't bother me. Plus all things considered, I was super impressed with the amount of time it took to get the Dash order delivered a few times. It would have taken me 15 minutes go, pick up, then another 15 minutes to come back. Delivery didn't take much longer than half hour from the time I ordered, and chickens were super hot both times. I was just exchanging a thought with my wife during tonight's dinner that we have it "easy" now, compared to what we would have had to have done, when we lived in less accessible places. People who live in large metropolitan areas with wide variety of ethnic cultures should *NOT* take these accessibilities for granted. Everyone should realize that there are plenty of semi-rural places all over the States, where immigrants yearn to replicate their favorite foods from memories, and be thankful for knowing what you know and having what you have. Alright, that last part was definitely an old man ranting. Forget the unnecessary preaching, but please do try the Tong Dak. You won't regret it!! read more

Snow onion chicken was the best (just like at the other locations). Soy garlic was pretty solid as well. Their non-chicken menu items aren't as good. The jjajang ddukbokki was basically just all sauce. The seafood pancakes weren't horrible, but a bit below average. The udon noodles were decent. I'd still recommend just sticking to fried chicken. Service was fantastic. Our waiter was super friendly and helpful. The restaurant felt a bit run-down. The tables were clean, but the menus were falling apart and sticky. The napkin dispensers also felt pretty gross... read more

I tried CM Chicken for the first time today - it was absolutely excellent. It's located inside of the Hawthorn Mall outside of the AMC Theaters - you can dine in or carry out. I didn't try the Korean fried chicken, but I did try the Original Spicy Tteok-Bokki - very delicious and a nice spice level to it. Portion size was also generous and included 2 fried dumplings. We also tried the ramen which was decent, but the Tteok-Bokki certainly was the star of the meal. Service was very good - the owner was super friendly and explained what things on the menu were. Inside decor is pretty cool as well - definitely a lot of homage to K-Pop if that's your thing. I'd recommend a visit for sure. read more

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Food taste so good! Got the three pieces original chicken combo. So tasty. Tofu was very good favors, like what fresh tofu, soft and firm inside and full of flavor outside. The seaweed roll has rice noodles inside, different than what I had it other places (meat and shrimp), but still delicious. Service is okay, fast and easy The location is perfect, next to AMC movie theater, great for before or after movie. read more

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First review in many years... I (Indian) spent a long trying to be seated. Dressed posh. Server noticed me but just ignored me. Could've said it'll be a wait, or that he'll be with me shortly or any of the stuff staff is obliged to do in a restaurant. He noticed me a second time but kept doing what he was doing. I walk out and an east Asian family passes me, and the bloke is very pleasant to them seats them immediately. I'm hungry so I wonder maybe just be patient. So I walk back in and he doesn't look happy but seats me. Immediately feel unwelcome but I'm starving. As I sit he says know what you want, I asked him a question about what he'd recommend he just threw his hands up and patronizingly pushed a menu and said, well "you're the one who has to order." And just walks away. I hope this f***ing place gets looted and this racist a**hole loses his teeth in the process. Never been angry in a restaurant but I'm seething with rage. What century is this? If his degenerate can't be professional he doesn't deserve to have any jobs. How hard is to avoid actively making people feel unwelcome when not doing that is the easiest part of your job? read more

CM Chicken - "Welcome! Unless you're an Indian!" (Which I am) - Korean Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

The food was very good. We got garlic spicy and honey garlic. Very yummy sauces and the chicken stayed crispy even the the next day

We have ordered take out and dined in here. The take out was really great and stayed crispy even with the car trip home. When we dined in here recently, and I really liked how they decorated the place reminiscent of places in Korea! However, I feel that the food quality was not great. The soy garlic sauce vas good and savoury. Sadly, the charcoal chicken didn't really have much of that smokey flavour that you get from grilling. The honey garlic chicken was soggy and not good. The best things were the waffle fries! I appreciated that they gave us gloves to wear to eat the kfc! The staff was nice, however they had the poor girl running front of house tables and carry out all on her own! Get more staff please! read more

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Stopped in right before lunchtime rush... I was checking out the menu outside and almost figured out my order then the owner stepped out and offered to sort out best method of ordering Basically pick bone in or out and wing/drumstick. Then sauces. I chose honey garlic. Then you can also have it twice fried. Which I opted for. My intention was eat half and take the remaining home but could not stop eating them. Comes with side of sweet and sour radish and cabbage. This offsets the oil from the chicken. Chicken was steaming hot and savory throughout. They give you plastic gloves so you don't get your fingers all sticky. The decorations range from BTS posters to my childhood manga series Mazinger Z - pronounced zet The owner was so friendly and checked in couple of times. With so many chicken variations, will visit soon. read more

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We love this place- it's so clean, they team is kind, and the food is wonderful. It's also a fun spot for kids!

So here's the thing. Last time I tried the other location the chicken had been downgraded. But this place has stayed consistent! They may not have bubble tea like their other location, but they make up for it with excellent service, flavorful food, and a nice atmosphere. This is the location I normally go to now, but maybe I'll try the other one again sometime. read more

Got to meet the owner the day we went he was so kind it was a random day drive into Illinois looking for a place to eat n found this one And man we are glad we did read more

I loved the space and how big it was. The music was great and being served was good. I ordered a 7- piece bone in wing and it was pretty pricey. I paid $15.99 but the chicken was super fresh, hot, crispy and juicy. Nice size pieces but still not worth the price. I would've said a smidge lower. I ordered a boba with added on popping boba only to get jellies and was told their version of popping boba was the jellies. Didn't make sense to me. Also I requested non dairy options but my drink surely wasn't dairy free. It was whole milk and messed up my whole stomach. read more

CM Chicken - Inside - Korean Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

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Food was so good! Service was fast and the atmosphere was very nice! Chicken and ramen were tasty

Got chicken dumplings, spicy gizzards, sweet spicy chicken, radishes and kimchi. The main reason I order from this place is the gizzards, only place near me that has them. Everything was good, nicely packaged to go, still warm and timely. Will order again. read more

The service at CM Chicken was absolutely amazing! The staff was so attentive and friendly. Our server (or maybe the manager) noticed we might need a phone stand and brought one to us without even being asked -- such a thoughtful gesture! The food was delicious, fresh, and beautifully presented. Everything about this place was perfect -- great food, great service, and a very warm atmosphere. Definitely coming back again! read more

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Nice place, the waiter was very friendly and warns you what is spicy. Though my hubby can handle heat and asked to try their hotter sauce. My son loved mild ramen and the mozzarella Korean corn dog. Cute interior. Something fun to try is you like fried chicken and Asian flavors. read more

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We love this location! The owner is so friendly and funny. The food is 10/10 every time. Portions are fair in size for what you pay which we love. Try their desserts! read more

CM Chicken - Menu - Korean Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

I placed an online order from google, which is their preferred method for a box of drumsticks (7pcs), it came with 5pcs only. I called to confirm, and the response I got was, "I am sorry that you feel that way, but we updated our manu 2 months ago." What a BS response. I will never order from this place again. read more

CM Chicken - Korean Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

The owner of this place is really great and hospitable. Good portion sizes, I've had really great luck here with the Chi-bop, which is some of the best bibimbop i've had. I love coming here! read more

My first time checking out CM chicken, it happens to be in the mall, by TLJ. Their menu seems extensive and all looked pretty good. I tried their lunch special chi-bop with sesame sweet chili sauce for $12. The chicken was mostly white meat so it's a bit dry. The breading isn't bad but also doesn't stand out and not very crunchy. The meat is just one loosely-packed layer on a thin layer of shredded cabbage, then the bowl is mostly filled with very mediocre white rice--the rice is generic long grain rice that is a bit dry and probably more suited for fried rice than for Bop --it's definitely not Korean oily rice. The sweet chili sauce is pretty good, not spicy at all. Overall I think the value is not very good for the size and quality, especially for a lunch special. But willing to try again only their chicken-only dishes. No rice. read more

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This place is too good! Love their sweet-spicy fried chicken, kimchi, and plum wine. Wished the offered boba teas. We usually get the 3 drumstick combo, which is more than adequate. It comes with a side of white rice and coleslaw. I imagine the chicken isn't that great leftover so it's good that it can be consumed in one sitting. The waiter is super friendly and eager to make your dining experience good. We eat here so often, the server recognizes us. Despite working mostly solo, the service is quick. I always look forward to eating here! read more

Sorry @Bonchon but CM Chicken has become my new obsession! The staff is so friendly, they remembered me after my first visit. Who doesn't love being greeted like you are a VIP customer? They always recommend the best options; believe me, I am very indecisive lol. They have a bonfire and outdoor seating. Along with a bubble tea/boba bar. My favorite dishes include garlic soy tikku (covered in sweet/soy sauce) & garlic soy chicken. The garlic spicy chicken is too hot for me to handle. There is ample seating but they are always packed. Carry out options available. read more

Everything we ordered was so good. Their Chickens are incomparable. I want to try all their menu. Customer service was exceptional and gives you that friendly environment vibes. This is our go to restaurant every-time we go to Vernon Hills. read more

Amazing food and experience , it was so delicious and the owner is extremely nice, would reccomend

Food is half decent but nothing special and certainly not worth the money or the incredibly uncomfortable experience I had with the staff. Came in asking about takeout and got shoved in the direction of the menu, like, physically pushed, like I wasn't just looking at it five seconds ago. Thanks, man, that wasn't my question! Prices were higher than the menu itself described (which I didn't get to find out until I looked at my receipt after paying) and the owner was needlessly rude to me and all of the other people I came with who were nothing but polite. He also singled out the one asian friend I came with solely because of his race and made him so personally uncomfortable he was afraid to talk about it until we were out of the store. Labeled all the takeout bags with the genders of the people ordering for whatever reason, "MAN" and "LADY", except for the one that read "LASY"... nice. Don't come here unless you want to be shoved around and pointed and laughed at for no reason in exchange for some unimpressive fried chicken that isn't worth the price they're actually gonna charge you. read more

CM chicken is always good even when we order for pick up! We got it for pick up today and the chicken and onion rings stayed crisp even when we got back. The chicken is always delicious and the onion rings were great! Must get the pickled radish with your order if you like sweet pickled veggie. The service is good as usual. The ambiance is really nice for dine in as well if you do choose to eat in person. read more

$10.99 lunch specials on weekdays until 2 PM was a good way to try the place. I went with the rice bowl with chicken. It was excellent definitely fresh and made to order. Chicken was great and non greasy. I chose the spicy garlic sauce which had a nice kick to it without being overpowering. The robot delivering the food to the table is an overkill but fun for the kids to watch. Located within the mall next to AMC makes it a good spot for a bite to eat before or after the movies. read more

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Great Experience, food comes out fast and the service is on point! Staff is always very warm and welcoming!

Fast, friendly service with amazing fried chicken. Ramen and udon noodles were also very delicious. A highly recommended meal after watching a movie! read more

CM Chicken - Korean Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

I always been a fan of CM chicken! My favorite was the Glenview location as that was the most consistent service and food until this place opened up! It is much closer to me and their chicken and service are equally good. We went here about a month or so ago, the portion size was great here. We were surprised by how big the drums are! Hopefully they stays that way. Flavor wise, it is very comparable to the other locations I have tried. - snow onion is always a good option as we love the contrast of the creamy sauce and the onion on the chicken. The staff was very friendly, provided us extra sauce to go. The restaurant was also spacious. Definitely would visit again. read more

CM Chicken - Garlic Spicy Chicken - Korean Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

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I would give this place one thousand stars if I could. I live in North Carolina, and have been dreaming of Chicken and Boba since we attempted to come at New Years, but it was closed. After eight months of pining for CM Chicken, my dreams just came true. Greeted by friendly staff, you are quickly waited on and given a free tray of pickled radish, which me and my boyfriend decimated. Our honey garlic chicken paired perfectly with rice, crispy and juicy and flavorful. Boba isn't the ultimate best i've tried, but was still a wonderful accompaniment to our meal. These plates are large and meant for sharing, so don't let the high prices turn you off! One plate of chicken and two bowls of rice were enough for us. It is tempting to move to this state just for CM Chicken. I will be back for many years to come. read more

CM Chicken - Honey Garlic Tikku Chicken - Korean Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

Extremely cute place and yummy food! Fried chicken was hot, crunchy and juicy. Great service as well. She was very patient with us and didn't rush us knowing it was our first time there, we will definitely be back here. read more

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Good, consistent tasty food. Serves wasn't bad. Is spicy thou didn't try the ramen but heard its very popular

Food was amazing and the guy serving us was very sweet ! The service was pretty quick as well. read more

CM Chicken - Honey Garlic Chicken - Korean Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

So glad that we stopped in. The service was friendly and quick. The chef, I'm assuming the owner was walking around to the tables and chatting up folks, so off to a nice start. I wanted to try a little of everything but we started with a kimchi pancake which was a little bigger than I'm used to seeing but it was warm, delicious and the dipping sauce was very tasty and not over whelming at all, My main entree was the chicken drumsticks with the shockingly hot sauce. The chef said it was the hottest sauce on the menu. From the first bite I was blown back by the flavor, the sauce is sticky but it had a great sweet and sour balance to it which was nice. I love heat so I didn't think the spice level was overwhelming but it was no joke either, don't touch your eyes! The chicken itself was so perfectly cooked and juicy all the way through. Did I mention that you get 7 large drumsticks in your order? Great value. I can't wait to come back and try more of the menu. read more

CM Chicken - Chicken drumsticks with shockingly hot sauce. - Korean Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

I love the aesthetic of the restaurant, friendly service , and tasty food!! I often recommend it to everyone I know. read more

CM Chicken - Korean Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

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The service and chicken was really good and the place was spacious and cute inside. The garlic honey wings were the favorite out of three flavors we ordered. read more

CM Chicken - Spicy wings - Korean Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

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Always excellent service, friendly staff, delicious food and wonderful atmosphere here at CM Chicken in Hawthorn Mall. Lee and his staff are great and truly make us feel at home. The kimchi pancake and jumbo fried shrimp are some of our favorites. We have never been disappointed here. Love the cute decor and Korean music and videos. We will definitely be back for more! read more

CM Chicken - Korean Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

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Food was ok. Portion was small. Big turn off when there was 22% service charge added on.

First time trying a Korean chicken and the are great! The food was great and the service is great too. The ambiance is good and great for family to go too. I tried the spicy bulgogi sauce for me chicken drumstick and it was good! Wife had the chi-bop with the spicy chili and it was good too. Would recommend this place and would come back again to try different dish! read more