love love love this place!!!!!! exactly my type of vibe and food :) i pick up my csa in albany park and always bike past han bat around 10 am so when i was feeling hungover on saturday morning, i knew what was the cure. first off, soup for breakfast is supreme and han bat's hours are heroic. when i came in around 10, there were a couple other tables full and one auntie serving everyone (what a fearless icon!!!). everyone else seemed to be like regulars stopping in on a saturday tradition cause it seemed like the auntie recognized everyone and knew what they wanted to order secondly, the banchan and tea were KILLER. both the kimchi and radish were well fermented, properly salted, and actually spicy! my biggest qualm with korean food sometimes is that it can be too sweet (yes even the kimchi at some spots), but this was just perfect. and the portions of banchan she gave me for one person were so sizable!!! and generous!! i ended up going with the second soup since wanted to try a variety of meats. there was so much meat in this soup...... it was insane. i wouldn't say everything is of the most top tier quality, but it was tasty. the SOUP THOUGH. was the star of the show...... SO CREAMY SO MEATY SO DIVINE and curing. literally a hug in a bowl. would get this time and time again, especially in the winter whenever i feel like i need to warm up! read more

My friend and I came here for the first time after trying the Han Bat in LA and it did not disappoint. We both ordered the Brisket Beef Soup which comes with Kimchi and Radish Kimchi as side dishes. I recommend adding the green onions, salt, & pepper to taste which all three are included in your meal. Han Bat has the best Sul Lung Tang and it pairs so well with the Radish Kimchi. If you are looking for Sul Lung Tang served at your grandma's home type of atmosphere, this is the best place to be! read more

Chicago can be bone chilling. And fortunately, Koreans know a thing or two about delicious foods that both warm the body and soul. And one of those dishes happen to be sullungtang. This is THE place to get sullungtang. I used to eat here all the time growing up and always remembered it being packed. My visit here this time around was less crowded but the flavor that I grew up enjoying was still there. The sullungtang was just what I needed to warm myself up. Rich but clean beef flavors, brightness from the scallions, and the world class kkakdduggi that I missed so much. I actually mix in some of the kimchi juice with my soup to bring some spice and extra seasoning, as the sullungtang is unseasoned when it comes to your table (adjust seasoning to your liking). It'll help if you speak Korean. Bring cash. Ask for extra kkakdduggi. And be hungry. read more

I first went to Han Bat with a friend of mine in January. I love Korean food, but had never had traditional Korean bone broth soup before. Since it was a frigid day my friend suggested Han Bat. I got the flank beef soup and it was seriously one of the most delicious and comforting meals I've had in Chicago. The broth itself is bland, but you get a cellar of salt and pepper to season to taste. It's incredible how just a little bit of salt brings the broth to life. Needless to say, that visit in January wasn't my last. If I lived closer I would seriously eat there each week. read more

Very good, real homey bone broth soup, multiple options of different types of soup with different meat options and parts of beef. Would recommend for anyone who wants a taste of Korea in the Chicagoland area. read more

Han Bat Restaurant - The beef brisket soup - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The best seolleongtang in Chicago! It's a Korean broth that is made from ox bones and brisket. It's perfect food to eat on a rainy, snowy, or cold day. The soup can be a little bland which is normal. You will just need to add all the condiments (salt, pepper, red pepper paste, chopped spring onions) to make it taste better according to your personal taste. Make sure you load them up in your broth in the beginning because they take it away from you so they can use it for other tables or to restock. The broth has clear noodles in it too and it's served with a bowl of rice. They only accept cash here! read more

Han Bat Restaurant - Seolleongtang - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place has the best Korean stews in Chicago. If iou haven't tried, you should! I've only ordered pick up but everytime I order from here I get sul lung tang which is ox tail soup. This is a good cure all when your sick and much tastier than chicken noodle soup. I love to have this all year round and it tastes so good here. You can tell the broth has been cooked with the ox tail for a long time and they put beef and some tripe in the soup. It is a mild soup that you flavor with some salt and easily once of the most popular. The kimchi and kimchi radish that comes with is so delicious and made fresh. I love sul lung tang so much in haven't ventured off the menu but my family who come from the suburbs to this location loved the other items. read more

Soup is delicious, we ordered large beef tail, flank and the 2nd on the menu. All with great taste, tail is slightly difficult to chew. Recommend to add lots of black pepper. Kimchi is also the best I've had among Korean restaurants. Great option in this miserable winter. read more

Han Bat Restaurant - 2nd on the menu - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

So so so so so so good. Went to LA a couple months ago and our favorite sullung tang place there was Han Bat. I was floored to find the same place here in Chicago. Not sure if they're affiliated with each other, but holy s*** this place did not disappoint. The kimchi is amazing. Reminds me of my best friend's grandmother's kimchi. Better than anything you'll find in a big supermarket chain. The sullung tang is really so good. $10 for the extra large bowl (any meats of your choice), you really cant beat this deal. And honestly, they gave us so much meat, we almost didn't finish it all. Almost. Will be back. Often. If you wake up with a hangover, stumble on over here. Your pain will be replaced by an intense desire for naps. OH YEAH, cash only!!!!!!!!!!!! If you forget, there's an ATM at the liquor store across the street. read more

Han Bat Restaurant - Extra large bowl; assorted meats. $10. - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

OMG. I only want to eat here. For. Ever. These bone soups are so delicious. They only serve sulungtang soups and there are several types with different meats. Broth is milky from boiling the bones for hours. All so very delicious. The kimchi (cabbage and radish) were both the best. Ever. This place was packed with every table occupied and turned over several times while we were eating. I also saw several takeout orders too. We were are so happy to have found our way in here. read more

Han Bat Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

7pm Friday night, we were the only non Koreans in the entire restaurant. And it was full. I heard through the grapevine that this place has reopened, and I never even fathomed a place like this could exist in Chicago anymore, ex-Korean neighborhood or not. But I love that there is enough clientele here for a place like Han Bat to only serve their two things and do it well, without having to add BS bibimbap or bulgolgi to their menu to stay afloat. There is no frills. You order seolleongtang with your option of beef parts (or their like one other soup), maybe some tendons. You get your two side dishes, kimchi and radish(that is a killer radish kimchi, btw), your rice, your soup in like... under 2 mins. You add your own green onion and salt (careful, it's not big grain kosher so don't ruin your soup by adding too much), you eat, you pay cash, then you leave. No frills. No one is rushing you, but it's not exactly a place where you order a mountain of food and stay for hours and drink and chat, either. They are busy with quick turnover. I'll probably stick with brisket&flank next time, because the tripe/weirdparts I wanted still had some off odor to them. And I wish the soup was piping hot. But you bet I will be back over and over again on cold spring/fall days! There's a parking lot! And ample street parking. read more

Quality has gone down, kimchi tasted blander and less marinated. The lady refused to give our table of 4 more than 2 small plates of green onion to eat with our soup - she said 'no more.' Soup taste was still ok read more

Changed ownership. suddenly price changed without any notice. I used to like this place but not worth it.

It feels like grandma's to say the least. It's got the old korean vintage feel to it. Personally love dumping tons of scallions in my bowl. Definitely changes the profile of the bowl. Make sure you eat it with their cabbage and radish kimchi. Like the fact they offer more broth for you too. You know it's good when it's a hit amongst the Korean senior citizens. read more

Hanbat has its good days and bad days (as I'm sure most restaurants do) but the soup and kimchi quality here can really go from mediocre to outstanding with each visit. Seollungtang (beef bone soup) is one of my FAVORITE Korean dishes and at Hanbat I always stick with the same bowl (#1 - beef flank soup). The last time I went; service was decent, the soup tasted hearty/rich with lots of meat and less noodles, and both the traditional/napa kimchi and radish kimchi were pretty bomb. I think it was one my favorite Hanbat meals in a while, despite having to share a table with a random group of 6 when the restaurant started to fill up. However, the last couple times before that were just okay which is why I decided on a 3 star average. Sometimes the soup can be really oily, bland, or old; and the kimchi will taste like it has been sitting outside for days (very fermented instead of fresh). If you want to dine here, note that service is never great and at best it's just decent. The woman taking the order/serving/watching the counter will never ask if you need water or more kimchi but she gets very upset if you don't tip at least 20+%. Now, I'm definitely all for supporting local Korean businesses but it's still rather unsettling to have her look at you and say "this is it" after you tip. This only happened once ($2 tip on a $20 meal) but it was still an uncomfortable feeling. If you're into seollungtang give them a try. BUT know that you're going to get below average service. Important note- this place is CASH ONLY. They do have a small parking space available. read more

I love love this place. It's my favorite comfort food and breakfast. I come here every time I visit chicago. The lady in the front is a very nice older lady, make sure you tip her extra. read more

On a cold night, the soup here will bring you back from the brink. I am obsessed with the little salt jars on the table that let you season your own broth to be exactly to your taste. The broth is magic. Can't wait to come back. read more

It's back!! The kimchee and radish just like you remembered it. Solong tang and ox tail soup-best in Chicago! Renovations give it a cleaner look. Enjoy! read more

This place has the best solung tang, Korean bone broth soup with beef...so so good, especially on a cold winter day. Totally authentic, true Korean hospitality with a mom and pop feel. Excellent in-house, homemade crunchy, fresh, flavorful kimchee and kakdughee (spicy radish). Everything was spot-on and the warm barley tea tasted so good. Cash only but totally feels like a mom and pop place you would find in a restaurant alley in Korea. I crave this place and it hits the spot. I had it with the brisket and inhaled it. Such a nice lady. The best. Will be back again for sure, especially with this cold weather. read more

This soup has excellent flavor and was cooked very well. Easy to see they have their product finely tuned. Not being familiar with seolleongtang or other Korean soups, it felt like an authentic and unique experience. And the kimchi was very good too. read more

Ambiance? Eh, maybe a 5/10 - it's brighter than a gas station in there. Service? 8/10 - I mean, it's not hard to refill barley tea and bring over scallions and kimchi. Food? 10/10. BEST seulongtang ever. Give me that beef tongue! 2 Kimchi options are so on point. Got to love restaurants that do one thing, and do that one thing to perfection. read more

I'm all about the food. That's really all that matters to me when I eat. Ambience and service? I'll take it or leave it. This place serves absolutely DELICIOUS food! Soo Yook is a plate of meat (tongue and brisket) and is a must with your soup. It will be too much food but you'll eat it all anyway. All of the soups are good and the one you choose will be based on personal preference. The ladies that work here are hustlers. The three times I've been here the service has been quick and accurate. read more

This was our first time having seolleongtang and this place was great for it. For people thinking "it's bland soup" look on the table around you. There's salt, gochujang, and green onion for your tasting pleasure. Use it, it makes an already delicious bowl of soup even better! The couple who own the place are very nice and welcoming. I will definitely come back. read more

Han Bat is back, and no one told me for 4 months! I absolutely love this place! Home-cooked Korean beef soups! Super reasonable pricing, and they don't skimp on the ingredients at all! I had the beef soup with different kinds of meat cuts, and I was in heaven. Their ban chan is also simple, but fabulous. Their kimchi is so good that they could probably open up a shop and sell just kimchi, and they'd probably make a bundle. In fact, they get asked to sell just the kimchi, but nothing doing. Just about everything on the table including your soup is refillable should a quart of soup and a bowl of rice and unlimited ban chan not be enough for you. Good place to eat alone or with the family and friends. A lot of people don't know they've reopened so you better get in there before the crowds find out! It's still a dive so don't expect a five star setting, just five star food. read more

I love this tiny mom pop restaurant. Their menu consists of 12 different noodle soups and each is delicious. My personal favorite is their spicy beef and vegetable soup. My other favorites are their combination with flank, brisket, spleen, tripe, honeycomb and beef tail soup. The beef tongue soup is also very good. I also love their Korean hot tea and complimentary kimchi with spicy radish. Service is very good and I have never encountered rudeness from the hardworking female owner. Korean behavior is emotionally reserved, but do not mistake it for rudeness. Remember to bring only CASH! read more

Han Bat Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Best place in Chicago for sullungtang. The sullungtang speaks for itself, but the kimchi at Hanbat is the real winner and perfect compliment. The kimchi is the perfect balance of crunchiness, spice & flavor, and juiciness. The waitress asked me if I wanted some sullungtang with my kimchi because I had so much. Cash only, but they have an ATM inside. There is also a parking lot. read more

Pretty limited selections when it comes to the menu, but all the staff are amazing. Most of the customers are Korean which proves the restaurant cooks really authentic Korean food. read more

Han Bat Restaurant - Ordered the tongue soup: very delicious and comes with lots of meat - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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As a Korean American, here are my feelings toward Han Bat Restaurant: LOOOVEEEEE It is as Korean as Korean gets in America. After I was done with the meal of yummy bone soup, I went to the bathroom. In Korean, signs read "please put the toilet paper in the garbage" but there were no English translations. Man, that's pretty Korean. If you are not Korean but want to try delicious authentic Korean soup here, it would be to your benefit to go with a Korean person.... I could take you. :-D Cash only BUT prices are really affordable $7.50 ish per soup. Trust me, it's quite filling. Okay, ready for the best part, you Korean food lovers out there? They make their own kimchi. I can't tell you how many times I've been to Korean restaurant where they serve me gross, over-fermented kimchi. (Many. Many times). Han Bat serves fresh AMAZING (and gingery) kimchi that almost makes the $7.50 price worth it alone. Now that's some good kimchi. read more

After the Saturday shit show, i got the brilliant idea of getting seol leong tang afterwards. I used to go clubbing in Kangnam till like 6 am and get seol leong tang every single time. The inside is a total dive. I actually found the service to be relatively nice compared to San soo gap san or Cho sun oak. Kimchee and kkadugi are also very good. It's pretty much required that seol leong tang places have good kimchee if they want to do well. It's a very aggresively seasoned, fresh tasting kimchi. Just like how I like it. The portions are pretty big. If you mix the soup with the rice they give you; it's very very filling. Make sure you mix in some hot sauce and use plenty of green onions as well. I got the brisket and tendon. The tendon was downright soft and gelatinous. Not what I expected...I was thinking chewy like cartilage. Overall I just like to keep it to just brisket. Best seol leong tang in Chicago. Best hang over food too. Right up there with menudo for Mexicans and...hmmm i wonder if there is wiki entry for international hangover foods.... They also have a private parking lot, which is very convenient. Give it a try for sure. read more

I have been craving Korean lately, so I stopped by for dinner today and ordered the bone broth brisket soup. The elderly woman, who I believe is the owner, was very kind and offered me second and third helpings of the kimchi and radish side dishes. Everything was delectable, including the barely tea that came with the meal. If you are looking for a "mom and pop" restaurant that serves great food at a reasonable price, there is no better place that I can think of. Sadly, it seems many of these type of restaurants have been closing down as of late. Hopefully this one will be around for years to come. read more

The only (dingy, but long-standing) sul-long-tang house in Chicago K-town. sul long tang, oxtail soup, can be treated much like 'pho' here. Request specific cuts of meat (beef), toss in a coupla pinches of sea salt and voila: you have one of the most treasured brothy soups in Korean cuisine. Except it looks AND tastes like dishwater. you know.. the stuff in your kitchen sink after you rinse out all your dirty tupperware: opaquely white, a bit thick, pungent smelling. At sul long tang houses, panchans are held back and scarce. you may get a coupla kimchis, but don't expect a 10 dish seafood spread to arrive from the kitchen. Han Bat's Added bonus: Penguin Ice Cream is right next door! sul long tang + cha dol baegi baffle me. every Korean chic i know digs this but... i just have to marry mine, i don't have to like what she slurps. read more

I just drove by this location and it looked like it might be open again (3/30/2016) -- can anyone confirm? Would love to have Hanbat back again, miss their Sullangtang immensely! Edit: It is open, just placed my order :-) read more

Good soup, terrible service. I was torn before giving them a two star rating as I rarely do so. But to me 3 star means "not so great but I would prob still come back" if nothing else is available. But I really don't see myself coming back... Let's start with the food. It was interesting to try something so authentic. We tried the flank and the brisket soups. The meat was tender, melt in your mouth, and is quite similar to what the cooked beef in Vietnamese pho. The broth came unseasoned, and salt and green onions were provided on the table. There was a bowl of rice and 2 types of kimchi. The cabbage kimchi was good, though I have had better homemade baechu kimchi where I could taste the shrimp and crab in the seasoning. The kkakdugi or cubed radish kimchi was bland and too sour. Now to the horrendous service. We walked in at 11 on a Sunday morning. There were 2 groups in the restaurants, one already finished their meal waiting for the check. The middle age lady server just stared at us, and only pointed to a table after I said "table for 2 please?". The weird thing was how later on, we witnessed her greeting everyone else. Now they all happened to be Korean... I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt, that maybe she was shy to Americans. But it never got better. I asked about the items on the menu; she answered curtly trying to rush us along. We got our food, and while I was still seasoning my soup she came by to take away the onion bowl. Hm, I didn't think green onion was all that expensive ... and all the other tables kept their bowls until the end of he meal. Wtf! We had to ask for a refill of kimchi even though she saw we were all out and our large-size soups were more than half full. No tea refill. We finished our meal and waited for her to come by and give us the check to no avail. Finally we just got up to the counter to pay her. I gave a 10% tip for the crappy service. She immediately said "only this?" and didn't even try to hide a sully face. I actually wanted to take back that 10%, but my companion decided to keep the peace by adding another 5%, and her expression changed back to normal! Utterly shameless. We also witnessed her clean a table by grabbing the used napkins, dippin them into the left over tea in the guest's cup and used that to wipe the table. Maybe the napkin was barely used, maybe the guest didn't touch the tea... but still!!! That was just gross. What if the previous guest spit in the napkin? Is that all over my table? Anyhow, soup was okay, but I would rather have my beef soup come seasoned like in pho, and not deal with unpleasant server. Now keep in mind this rating is based on our experience at this restaurant. They might be super nice and respectful to other customers, and I am sure those would give them excellent reviews. This was our experience however, of an unwelcoming visit and a shameless server. Someone please tell her that tips are for good service and not mandatory like sale tax. If she Wants tips like what is given in a typical American restaurant she better start raising the customer service standard. read more

Soup is wonderful here. The kimchee was very tasty. I didn't order those salleongtae. and opted for the spicy beef and vegetable soup which was really good. I hope to get back and try much more. The owner is really nice and she works so hard. Chicago and it's buildings nearby are not aesthetically pleasing so it is funny that this no nonsense place exists in such a strip mall. Cash only. This place deserves to be frequented. read more

OMG I cant wait till they open back up! They really are an amazing institution for soup and a one of a kind restaurant. For the veterans that have not tried the oxtail, you are missing out. They serve it with a side of ponzu and wasabi that helps to balance the richness of the oxtail and by the way they serve you 6 to 8 perfectly cooked pieces of the most tender oxtail you'll ever have in a soup. If the owners are reading this review, please open soon! I miss you, seriously! read more

Han Bat Restaurant - Me amd my dad with the oxtail. - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place was closed nearly three years with no sign of hope of re-opening or re-locating. I was able to confirm this place is back open and nothing has changed. The indoor space, decor, food, prices and owner is still exactly how they left it. This is the only seolleongtang () restaurant within Chicago proper. It's a smaller venue, seating up to maybe maximum 25-30 people at a time. There is no frills. They only serve soups. Perhaps my taste buds are biased due to limited seollongtang places, but the bone broth is very good here. Rich bone broth without it being too fatty with glass noodle. Their only side dishes are kakdugi () and kimchi, which are also the best in the city. When you get your bone broth soup, you put as much green onion, salt and red pepper to taste. These condiments sit at the table. It is served with rice. You can eat the rice separately, but merge all my rice into the soup and eat with the noodle. You can also add some of the radish kimchi juice into your soup. However you'd like it. The soups are good for breakfast, lunch and dinner. read more

Just when I thought I'd never get a bowl of authentic sulungtang in Chicago, I met good people that took me here unplanned. Thank God - b/c it changed my Chicagoan life. My life regained its meaning, and the stars were once again perfectly aligned. The sulungtang here is straight up authentic. Sure, the place could use a little help from an interior designer, and the service could be a little more friendly. But those are not things you expect of a hole-in-a-wall Korean restaurant that specializes in just a couple of no-frills traditional dishes. I do wish that the portion was a bit bigger, only b/c when you finish the last spoonful, you're left wanting more. GREAT kimchi, too. Both bakchoy and radish. read more

Absolute gem when it comes to Korean Seul Leung Tang. No one does it better... at least in Chicago. I've read some of the negatives and they were all non-Koreans that do not know any better! This is exactly how it's suppose to taste. Don't post negatives cuz they serve what they advertised. It's like going to a taco joint and saying "I thought the shell would be soft?" ... it's supposed to be hard! Their kimchi is also near perfect. Again, exactly how it's supposed to taste. It would rival my grand-mother's if she were still alive. read more

In search of dolsot bibimbap, I found that I'd veered off course upon arrival at Han Bat. "We have soups only." Good Yelp work on my part. It does help to actually read the reviews. But soup is not a bad second choice, particularly when it's Sul lung tang (a traditional Korean ox bone soup). It's simple, hearty, and ideal for a bleak Chicago winter day when not even a 27-minute shower can warm you up. Like many Korean dishes, there's a ritual to eating it, and everyone has their own. The bowl of broth, noodles, and (maybe) beef arrives at your table in simple form; you have an arsenal of rice, green onions, sea salt, and red pepper paste to give it your own personal spin. Go easy on the salt and it's a very healthy, filling meal. Savvy Koreans love it for hangovers, but it's comfort food ideal for many occasions. 8 bucks gets you a heaping bowl, plenty of kimchi, and a bottomless cup of tea. Dining out without an ounce of caloric or monetary induced guilt. Very much a hole in the wall, but you're here for simple soup, not caviar. read more

This is definitely THE best 'sul long tang' place in Chicago. The 'kimchi + kak-tu-ki' is so good that I've seen people come in to buy just these (which at the time they did not allow, but may have changed since). One thing noone here has mentioned yet, is that you have two options for the noodles that go into the soup. The first is 'dang-myun' which is clear noodles. The second is 'gook-su' which is rice noodles. There is no consensus choice between the two, and it really depends on your preference. I honestly switch back and forth every visit depending on my mood that day :P read more