My Chicago son (#3 of 4) and his fiancee were talking very complimentarily about this restaurant called Parachute Hi Fi over in the Irving Park area of Chicago. They said it's basically a Korean restaurant with not much Korean food on the menu, but is really good. That immediately sparked my curiosity. I said let's go, it sounds interesting. We all met at 8:00 at Parachute that sorta, kinda sometimes takes reservations; and we did not have one. Not to fear, as the greeter-seater got us three stools at the bar, which by the way, were the best seats in the house. Parachutes menu was all over the place but my son particularly pointed out their hamburger, and I (then) knew why: Living in Los Angeles for a k-billion years, my favorite hamburger was at a restaurant called My Father's Office, owned by Sang Yoon, a Korean chef. His off-beat burgers were sensational! The burger here at Parachute were equally off-beat, so I immediately ordered it. Damn, was it delicious! There were so many things going on here that my head was buzzing, trying to put all these flavors together? And yes, their burger rivaled Chef Yoons burger in L.A.! The burger came cut in two with each side resting in mayo and BBQ sauce. Wow, was it bizarre, offbeat, unique, atypical and the adjectives keep on going; but the adverb used on the burger was - MESSY, and I loved it. I didn't need napkins to stay clean, I needed a beach towel. The fries I ordered were fantastic along with their banana based ketchup which again was strangely weird but excellent. My OB Korean beer paired perfectly with my "Perfect Storm" hamburger. My son and his fiancee went with a salad and Pad Thai Noodles with shrimp which was equally as delicious as my meal. Parachute Hi Fi was definitely an anomaly that I enjoyed very (very) much. And, yes, I'll be back! read more

Parachute Hi Fi - The scene of the crime - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Inventive, flavorful, international food (heavily but not exclusively Korean focused) with super interesting cocktails, very limited wine by the glass, some beer offerings in an almost 1970's era Michigan finished basement setting with a DJ. Not clubby though. It was busy early on a Sunday evening with a variety of diners and party sizes. The revolving, small menu had a lot of interesting sounding dishes. We would have gotten more but some of the smaller bites were pricey. Understood because the quality and execution but that's my reality. You might need to look up or get educated by staff as to some of the ingredients and presentations as the menu does t go into detail. Ask away - they're happy to help. I will stop in again for limited noshing while trying more cocktails -- everything is that interesting and good. Might like a more explanatory menu but it's not that overwhelming or anything. Recommended -- especially if you've watched Chef Beverly cook on TV over the years. She deserves the support ! Chef Johnny too! read more

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We didn't have a reservation, so we walked in and ended up waiting just under two hours. It was easy to see why this place gets so busy. The space is intimate with limited seating, yet still comfortable. The food was delicious--we ordered a variety of dishes to share along with drinks, and everything was enjoyable. The service was attentive and friendly. Very good experience overall. Parking is available along Elston, but it's street parking, so plan accordingly. read more

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I checked out Parachute Hi-Fi on a Sunday evening in May, having found it via a Yelpsearch just an hour before. As someone whose hometown boasts a world class Japanese-inspired kissa, I was curious to see how this place stacked up. The space itself is cozy but busy at seven o'clock on a Sunday night. I felt welcomed, and I appreciated the host who was friendly and quickly picked up my social situation that night, which turned the pressure down. However, the experience was a bit of a mixed bag as it relates to the food and audio setup. I had the tofu sushi rolls (rice inside tofu flats, served rolled and cold) -- not great, unfortunately. The texture was off for me, the temp real icky for me, and the flavor not there. My date had kimchi fried rice, and was also not a dish to blow us away. As an overall place to come, Parachute is a "food first" spot, which isn't a bad thing if you're just looking for a bite. I'd probably come back for the fries and a seat by the window, but a meal wouldn't be in the cards. As for the sound -- the vinyl lounge aspect is what drew me in. Well, the speaker looks cool, but if it was playing music, it was unnoticed. I was expecting more of a hi-fi experience, especially given the name. But it was so low-key, I almost wondered if the system was just for looks or ambiance rather than being part of the experienced, which I wanted. read more

Parachute Hi Fi - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My friend and I are big foodies and so we wanted to branch out of our typical dinner spots and try something new. I always see Parachute here and there in people's faves in the city so thought we'd try it out. It's a pretty small space as it seems more so of a bar than a restaurant. Even though there is a good bit of options on the menu, it was actually pretty difficult for us to come up with what we wanted to order. We were pretty scarred by Bar La Rue's burger so we were hesitant but thought we'd give it a try here. The salmon belly was actually the star of the show. It was really fresh and had a cream cheese filling that made it taste like Panda Express cream cheese rangoon! The burger wasn't bad but it wasn't anything special. I felt like it was on the oilier side and the meat patty was a bit dry. The fondue cheese was okay but I didn't love it. We ordered a side of fries which were your standard wedge fries with a sweet banana ketchup that had a five spice aroma to it. Overall, nice and clean restaurant to chit chat over some bar food and drinks but I don't think I'd be back for a full on dinner. read more

Parachute Hi Fi - parachute burger x fries w banana ketchup - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My friend and I came on a Friday night around 6:45 and it was pretty packed seating wise. We had a reservation and were seated in a 'lounge' type seat where you had to crouch or lean into the table. It was awkward for us so we asked to get seated at the bar which was much more comfortable! Inside is super cozy and the ambiance is very 'hip'. It seemed like they had a live dj which was cool. This place definitely feels more like the local 'neighborhood' spot. The menu is pretty small. Nothing stood out to us but we came for the salmon nigiri. We decided to get the fries and the burger. The salmon nigiri was good! There is a layer of wasabi cream cheese under the salmon and it had a soy-mushroom glaze. This was super yummy and tastes almost like a cream cheese wonton. The burger was cooked really well and the cheese was nice and melty and paired perfectly with the burger. Service was pretty fast! Overall, I don't think I'd go out of my way to come here but if I'm in the area and want a burger, I would stop in for the burger deal they have that comes with soju (Fridays and Sundays only). read more

Parachute Hi Fi - Parachute Hi Fi Burger - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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It's not big in size and the food menu is also small, but what you get is outstanding. The music component is interesting since they have a DJ playing music on display. They have quite a drink menu too. They take a few reservations each night but the rest of the seating is for walk ins. I started with perfectly shucked oysters with remarkable sauces of horseradish dashi and chojjang sauce. I don't know what they were exactly but wow were they good! My son wanted to come here for the burger which is cut in half and served face down in melted cheddar beer cheese. He loved it! I really liked the Tteokbokki pad Thai and shrimp. We were intrigued with the fries with banana ketchup! For drinks I had a Aooni IPA and my son had a blueberry Roselle G &T. It's a taste sensation with great drinks! read more

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They don't accept reservations and we arrived shorty after they opened without having to wait. I was really surprised by that but it quickly filled up by the time we were done eating. At the time of our dinner, there was one server taken care of the entire dining room. Our server was great. Although it's still small in there, he handled all the tables perfectly. There was an issue with one of dishes and took care of it without any hesitation. My only complaint is that they don't allow you to change the dish up. If you don't a certain ingredient in your food, tough luck, you're getting it regardless. My wife ordered their Chicken Karaage. This dish was really good. The chicken was perfectly fried, very tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. It was served with honey mayo and sweet & spicy sauce. Both sauces were excellent. I ordered their Parachute cheeseburger. I didn't want onion or pickles on my cheeseburger, but I was told I couldn't modify my dish. The burger was served cut in half, with the cut side faced down on a cheddar beer cheese and then topped with bordelaise. The burger was really delicious. The onions were also really tasty. Still wish they would allow you to exclude some stuff you really don't want in your food. I also ordered Kimchi Spam stone bowl rice with a fried egg. This one was unfortunately not the greatest. If saw about half of the rice was not edible. It was too hard and a lot of my bites included the hard rice. I love rice and most places execute rice dishes perfectly. This one let me down. I would definitely be returning, but would pass on this dish next time. read more

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This place was so good, and I was so hungry I forgot to take pictures! We got here around 9pm on a Thursday. We rolled in with a group of 9, without reservations and were able to get seated. Food/service was great. Our server was super kind, and food came out pretty quickly. We got karaage, nigiri, a cheeseburger, french fries, the pad thai which was FIRE and a bunch of other small plates. I really enjoyed the vibes, the music and overall experience. Definitely check it out! read more

This place was so awesome! It's the kind of spot you bring an out of towner to in order to show them the hidden spots of Chicago. It's a bit farther north in Avondale but is worth the trek. They don't take reservations so even with our larger party we had to wait about an hour to be seated. Our server was really nice and gave us some great recommendations. Overall all the food was really unique and delicious. The burger was a bit too messy but had great flavor. My milk punch was insanely delicious. To top it all off there was a live dj! Definitely would come back read more

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We had so much fun having dinner here! We walked in on a Friday night (no reservations accepted) and immediately loved the ambiance of the restaurant. It's a tiny restaurant with a cozy and intimate vibe, and there was a DJ spinning vinyl live inside the bar. The menu is small, and our server recommended to order 3-4 dishes for two people. We tried the salmon nigiri, burger, kimchi fried rice, and the tteokbokki pad thai. Personally, I wouldn't order the salmon nigiri again because the pieces were huge and soaked in a sweet sauce. They were good, but not my style. Everything else was great! The burger was of course amazing. The kimchi fried rice was more of a dolsot bibimbap that you mix yourself but was delicious nonetheless and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The absolute stand out item that we tried was the tteokbokki pad thai. I'm still thinking about it. Get it with shrimp! Overall, service, ambiance, and food were all outstanding. This is the perfect spot to start your Friday night in Chicago! read more

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Decided to lyft away from downtown Chicago and try this spot on our last night there. The inside of the restaurant is small but quaint and homey. Service was incredible and the live music playing was chill and a vibe! Got the mandarin orange salad, pad thai, chicken karage, and kimchi fried rice. Everything was delicious! Our favorite was definitely the pad thai - loved the long ddukboki noodles they use. I also got one of their specialty cocktails (forgot which one) and it was refreshing and unique. So glad to end our trip on such a high note here! read more

Parachute Hi Fi - Kimchi fried rice and pad thai - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Got the wasabi sesame crackers, French fries with banana ketchup, sparkling lemonade, tofu pockets, and the burger with cheese all were so freaking good. Beverly Kim you will always be famous read more

This place is definitely a vibe for a drink or two, loved the ambiance. I heard a lot about the food but nothing really stuck out. The burger was good. The fried chicken had a really good sauce. The spam and kimchi bowl was ok, if you like spam. The fries were good. I will say the deal that they had on the burger that day was good. You get a beer,shot of soju and the burger for $20 I believe. Staff is very friendly. read more

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We stopped in around 7:30pm on a Thursday night and didn't have trouble getting a table for two. Right when you walk in, you feel like you're in another world. The decor is well thought and immersive. There's a variety of seating options, nice lighting (lots of cool lampshades), and hip details all over. The music was fun and appealing - Korean Wax night. The audio was good and it wasn't too loud, which I always appreciate. We had a few cocktails, they were all well-balanced and not too sweet. For dinner we had the salmon nigiri, pad Thai, and burger. It was all very good! The salmon nigiri came with 6 large pieces. They had the perfect amount of wasabi cream and the dish was rich and flavorful. Good balance of rice, sauce, and salmon. This might've been my favorite dish, but it's hard to choose. The pad thai was delicious. Also, a lot of flavor, on the saltier side, but I really liked it. The rice noodles/cake had a nice texture and I liked the nuts. Finally, the smashburger - yummy, rich and messy. If you are in the mood for a fatty burger, you won't be disappointed. We finished the meal with a generous slice of a matcha cake roll. Very good- not too sweet. Overall, we were very pleased with the experience and plan to come back. read more

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I am still baffled as to why I paid $23 for a small bowl of hot rice with a few chunks of spam - or - $28 for the worst Pad Thai I've ever eaten with a few pieces of undercooked shrimp mixed in. The vibes in the space were fun and the music was entertaining but the service and food delivery were painfully slow. We were sat at 5:30, it was still quiet. Toward the end of the meal as we were barely finishing our main entrees (which came out with at least 10 minutes between each), we were handed the bill and a forced apology when our server told us they limit seat times and we were at the end of ours. read more

We stopped by for dinner a few weeks ago, having tried the original Parachute twice many years ago. The space looks good, and while it is not a full-blown listening lounge typical of the places where I have done this sort of thing (Tokyo, Miami, Chicago downtown), I like the sound system and the overall vibe Parachute Hi Fi seems to be going for. We came on a Wednesday, so we tried the bing bread (still money), the kimchi fried rice, and the burger. It feels criminal that some places feel the need to charge extra--SEVEN DOLLARS EXTRA--for a side of fries when I've already ordered a burger, so $26 in total ($19 plus the $7) for a burger and fries left my wife and I feeling a little raw. The burger was good, but it wasn't $26 good pal! The drinks were good, although I'm not sure that's because I liked the drinks or the names of the drinks more. ("Blueberry Pancakes" is the name of a cocktail, for example.) I'm guessing I will be back, if anything for drinks and an order of the bread on a Wednesday. An interesting twist on the original space. read more

I absolutely adore this spot, & I think it's so cool when restaurants combine music with food!! The vibes are more laid back than the previous parachute restaurant, which I appreciate. The food was yummy, full of modern Korean- American interpretation. The greek salad martini is in the running for my favorite cocktail in the city! read more

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My friends took me to this restaurant for a birthday dinner. When I walked in the staff was friendly and wished me a happy birthday. Then they brought out a celebratory drink. The food was great, I'd been in for drinks before and the food didn't disappoint. The music was also amazing. It seriously made me want to get my own record player. I'll definitely be back. This immediately went into my top 5 special occasion spots in Chicago. read more

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I'm sad this is a four star review instead of five stars. Let me be very clear, the food is excellent. The service was good but the waitress and bartender were a little overwhelmed. One or two more waiters would have made a huge difference. This was formerly a Michelin starred restaurant and then it changed concept with the same owners/chef. The price was of a Michelin star but the service was not. The food was great like I said but even for a Michelin star restaurant (which it's not) it was a bit pricey. It's possible we caught them on a bad night or someone called in sick. Things happen. But the difference between a good or great experience and an epic one is still in the little details. It's a loud busy place but that's part of the concept. I did enjoy our evening but in a town like Chicago that has some incredible restaurants this came up just a bit short. read more

When I walked in, I thought I'd get a spot pretty quick considering I was the 2nd in line. The bar was full as were the tables. About 15 two top tables and 12 bar seats. Nobody got up for 45 minutes. I couldn't believe I actually waited, but I had to try this TikTok famous burger. Burger came out in 10 minutes which is great. It was pretty good. 4 stars for the atmosphere. The DJ was spinning what sounded like Soviet Union-esque house music you could really enjoy. Burger was a 3.5. I'll go back and try some of their other menu items. Probably won't go before 9:00pm though. read more

Parachute Hi Fi - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Incredible atmosphere. Attentive service that lets you just hang and enjoy the vibe. Listening room/ living room/ cozy bar. You forget the rest of the city as the music's playing and the kitchens clanging. And the ice is shaking. And the people are chattering. BEST burger in the city. Delicious fermented sesame dressing on the gem salad. Fries are thick and what you want from them. Kimchi fried rice is delicious and not over the top condimented. read more

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We went in for a drink before dinner at their sister restaurant, Aneyla. We ordered 2 cocktails and sake. The favorite drink was the Greek Salad. Very unique and savory. I would definitely go back for it. We also ordered the bing bread (only served on Wednesdays) to munch on and it was delicious. read more

Parachute Hi Fi - Greek Salad cocktail - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

fantastically unassuming and great vibe... imagine chilling in a laid back basement with chill music. not pretentious with a small casually set menu containing lots of words that i needed to google (but our bartender was excited to jump in to fill in the gaps). but don't be fooled: they shined with sophisticated without being overcomplicated tastes-- both with their food offerings (get the veggies and spicy dip) and drinks (get pepper jelly cocktail). loved it all and will be back as soon as i can!! read more

Small menu that makes perfect sense. Drinks are uniquely on point. Staff that keeps the experience on high. Amazing every time.

I want to like Beverly, but another Parachute iteration doesn't leave me liking her anymore. Hifi is better than the original but every dish was just missing one thing that would have made it great. I wouldn't come back but if these were fixed I would. Oranga salad - great nostalgia and dressing, but 99% lettuce. Need more oranges, noodles and some chicken would have been great. Salmon nigiri was interesting but too large to eat. Pad Thai tasted great but not nearly enough noodles. Burger was just mid, not seasoned, and way too much sauce. Cocktails sounded great but in execution were severely lacking. read more

Such a good vibe instead. A dj was playing but the music took a backseat to the great food. Server was really knowledgeable and fun. Only downside was having a larger group and slightly small/low tables, but it would depend on where you sat. Fun place to go and try a bunch of dishes! read more

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Cool techno vibe here. After waiting 20ish mins, I was seated at the bar. Placed my order and the food came shortly after. I was pretty exited to try this burger due to the uniqueness. Unfortunately the taste didn't match the look. The meat wasn't very flavorful and was inconsistent as some parts were pink and others were burnt. The bun was also inconsistent as the center top bun felt stale compared to the soft exterior. And to no surprise the bottom bun became soggy quickly after hitting the plate. Neither the bordelaise or cheddar fondue had a strong flavor, but the pickles and onions were tasty. Nice to try something different than your typical smash burger, but the lack of consistency really hurt this burger. read more

Parachute Hi Fi - Parachute cheeseburger - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Wow, totally different Korean experience. I was expecting Kpop but was greeted with eclectic vibey music which totally describes the menu! Younger and more DTE than the previous Parachute, this one Crash Landed in my heart and tummy (referring to Netflix's Crash Landing on You) We ordered the Kimchi fried rice (crunchy soft tasty) Tofu puffs (very diverse taste) and the sauce for the veggie dip is phenomenal! Cross between Bagoong and gochujang. Best part were the cocktails. Also had tteokboki pad thai which I never thought could marry each other but they paired nice. Menu is ever changing but always is Daebak! read more

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I never had the pleasure of seeing this chef duo at the original parachute, but I came running the first few weeks they opened Parachute HiFi. The burger is as good as you can imagine, the melted fondue sauce on the plate is an amazing complement to the burger without making it "heavy". The pad Thai was probably the best I've ever had, not traditional but oh my goodness, I am still dreaming about those noodles. Small space, get there early if you don't want to wait a long time. We were sat at the bar and the staff were great, attentive and friendly without being invasive. read more

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The server knew every detail of the menu, made recommendations that were spot on. We ordered the Greek Salad martini and the coquito, both were so delicious. The DJ played Sade, it was so moody in there. Great date spot night. read more

Parachute Hi Fi - Menu - Korean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Vibe was pretty good but a bit too DIY for the expectations. We ordered our entire meal under the assumption it would be coursed. First came the salmon sashimi which was incredible. Second we received the famous burger. The fondue on the burgers plate was more of a Deschanel which was unfortunate. Next came the oysters. We were surprised to get such a light dish after the burger considering the flow of the meal and the relative time to prepare each dish. I also experienced a large amount of sand in the one I ate. The last dish was essentially chicken nuggets. The protein was overcooked, underseasoned, and confused. The sauces were great and possibly the inspiration for the dish. The first listed cocktail on the menu was the Greek salad martini. It didn't work, possibly because of the juice from the pepperonis garnish leaking in.. possibly not. though. I truly expected better read more

Worth the visit, didn't have to wait too long. We were a table of 2, walked in around 6:30pm on a Friday night. - maybe 30 minutes max. The bad thing is you have to wait there/there is no putting your number down. Would go back but would order diff things to try some of the other stuff. It got a bit loud for my taste but it's very like hip and cool inside - The matcha latte cocktail was excellent. They have fun cocktails that taste like other foods - Tteobokki Pad Thai - different, very interesting. Tasty and has that pad Thai seasoning and sauce but I think I was just expecting more gochujang since it was made with rice cakes - Salmon nigiri - sauce was great but there's cream cheese that's just totally unnecessary. I thought that kind of ruined it. It's also a lot of rice - Burger - it was a bit over done but still good. The toppings esp cheese fondue were nice, made for a messy burger though. Glad I tried it, but def don't need to order it again - Fries - solid, nothing special themselves but the banana ketchup is! I was surprised by how much I liked it and the amount of banana flavor that came through read more

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This is a cool little spot! The drinks especially are an experience at this restaurant. So many interesting flavors! We enjoyed our meal and would definitely go back to try some other items and enjoy the ambiance and cool music. read more

We came in Friday for dinner and sat at the bar, which was a cool spot to watch service. The space and atmosphere is cool in a very chill way. The staff are all friendly and attentive. The food is great. I hope they do well so I can keep coming back. read more

I was reading food reviews on Reddit and someone posted this was the best experience they had in 2024 so I just had to give it a shot. They don't have a parking lot but there is plenty of street parking. Place is small so you can't make reservations and we went on a Saturday so it was packed. We waited about 30-45 min in the vestibule area and it was fine. We met a bunch of people as we waited in line and it was fun. Bathrooms were clean and stocked with soap and paper towels. The food is awesome here. As you can see from my photos, I ordered a bunch of stuff of the menu. The two items that impressed us were the sashimi and fried chicken. I had to order the sashimi twice it was that good. Atmosphere was great, music wasn't too loud and was decent. Our server was impressive, it looked like he was the only one taking the orders and he stayed busy with a smile the entire time. They have a large drink menu and nonalcoholic options. Will definitely be back. Great vibe, great atmosphere and even a greater food. read more

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Cool vibe spot and food was good. Because there is a DJ on site, it was kind of loud to have good conversation. Food portions were a bit small for the price, but everything had great flavor read more

Good. Food was top notch. The three of us were there for about 90 minutes and spent $400 on drinks and appetizers. Loved the pad Thai and oysters. We were bummed that the staff were dry and were abrupt. They just said what do you want. Didn't ask about how we were doing or the fact that we were there for a 50th birthday. It's a bar!! Make some small talk They wanted us in and out. I'd go back but not too soon. . . .we took a work client there and she felt the same way. read more

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So impressed! The food was even better than expected. We came for the burger but didn't expect the sushi we ordered for an app to be this good, too. Awesome drinks, friendly bartender, overall fantastic vibes. Will be back. I was expecting a wait but we went around 6:30 pm on a Thursday and plenty of open tables + seats at the bar... there was a short wait when we left so key is to arrive before the crowd. read more

Parachute Hi-Fi is a brilliant evolution of a beloved restaurant by two of the most exciting chefs and beautiful human beings in the cosmos- Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark. The food was a delicious mash-up, remix of Korean flavors with 21st century vision of what it means to eat in today's intercultural moment- and the musical themes of jazz improvisation, soulful blues, honest hip-hop, earnest pop - are playing in the background with a great DJ spinning vinyl bringing awesome vibes and all reflected on the fun and exciting menu as well. I love love love this restaurant. The oysters, the sushi, the salad with a delicious black sesame paste dressing, the out of this world cocktails, the chicken karaage, the tofu pockets, the re-imagined pad Thai, a thick juicy hamburger, and the desserts were all yum. (Note the famous Bing bread is back but only on Wednesdays!!!) read more