I walked into Perilla fully intending to grab a few happy hour bites, call it a day, and maybe come…read moreback another time for the "real" experience. Then I saw the KBBQ menu and all bets were off. I immediately pivoted and ordered the chef's tasting set, the Diweji, featuring pork jowl, pork collar, and pork belly, complete with an assortment of banchan. Zero regrets. And here's the part that should tell you everything you need to know: I am a certified radish hater. I avoid it whenever possible. Yet somehow, I found myself repeatedly reaching for the radish banchan and asking for more. Even the soup - which also featured radish - was absolutely delicious. If Perilla can convert someone who actively dislikes radish into a fan for one meal, that's saying something. The soju was exactly what I wanted with Korean barbecue: crisp, clean, and refreshing. I appreciate that it was neutral rather than overly sweet. The flavored, sweeter versions aren't really my thing unless the food is setting my mouth on fire. Speaking of spice, the wings were good: juicy, well-executed, and satisfying but I kept wishing they packed a little more heat. They weren't spicy at all, and a bigger kick would have taken them from very good to unforgettable. As for the meats, the pork jowl was gloriously rich and fatty, exactly what you'd expect from that cut. The pork collar ended up being my favorite: flavorful, tender, and with just the right balance of meat and fat. The pork belly was comforting and familiar - the classic KBBQ staple done well, with beautifully rendered edges and that indulgent quality that makes it a crowd-pleaser for a reason. The set also came with potatoes that were unexpectedly delicious. My only complaint? It was far too much food for one person. The service deserves its own mention. Everyone was warm, attentive, and genuinely kind. The entire meal was delivered with efficiency and a smile, making a solo diner feel completely comfortable lingering and enjoying the experience. What I thought would be a quick happy hour stop turned into one of my favorite meals.

Overall good . Loved the scallion pancake and rice noodle with bulgogi . Dumplings good too…read more Grilled a few meets such as kalbi and short rib both were good but a little fatty. Service was good. Atmosphere sort of clubby, modern, sleek vibe . Recommend .

Love this little spot in Lakeview -- very kind service and the food was great! Perfect place for a…read morequick bite to catch up with friends as it's not too loud and it's BYOB!

I am so surprised by the consistently high reviews here. My friend and I came to grab a weeknight…read moredinner and we were so excited to get Korean food. We ordered a seafood soup, seafood pancake, and a salmon crunch roll. We quickly realized that this was an atypical Korean restaurant experience as we did not receive banchan and there were not many traditional options on the menu. I think that should've been our cue to go, but we stayed and were very disappointed. The service was extremely slow. We had to ask multiple times when it was coming, and when the food finally came out, it was underseasoned and the texture was very off. The seafood pancake tasted deep fried and had chunks of imitation crab. It had the texture of an unrisen focaccia. The soup was tasteless, and the salmon roll was drenched in mayo and eel sauce. They also gave us a "special" hot sauce that tasted like just a mix of sriracha and Tabasco. Small highlights: the ambiance was nice; it seemed clean. Waiter was nice enough. I hate giving bad reviews, but this was quite a shocking meal.

I planned a karaoke night during my sister's bachelorette party at Tak Korean Bistro, and it was…read moresuch a hit! The group had a blast. I had reached out to the restaurant a couple of months in advanced to inquire about rooms. We were a group of 13, and we were recommended to get their largest private room called CheongDam. The room size was worth it. So spacious! It also had great ventilation and an indoor fan to keep the room temperature comfortable. The sound system was great, and I was highly impressed by how sound proof the room was. The main restaurant was super busy, but I really couldn't hear the girls singing from the top of their lungs when I stepped out to use the bathroom. We ordered soju, of course, and a few Korean snacks. The seafood pancake, cheese corn, soy garlic popcorn chicken were excellent. Lastly, customer service was excellent - from planning the event to the service day of. There's a button in the room that you can push for service, and our server was highly attentive. Highly recommend Tak Bistro!

Based solely on karaoke…read more Establishment - my friends and I rented out a room for a birthday celebration and it was such a blast. Disco lights made it a fun environment, the karaoke machine has an insanely large selection of songs across literally every genre imaginable and in multiple languages too. The restaurant itself seems pretty solid with dark lighting in the dining space, but I haven't experienced it for myself. Service - again, only from a karaoke experience. There's a call button we were able to use to have a server come into the room whenever we wanted to order drinks. They were really quick and made sure we got what we needed. Food - nothing to say yet since I didn't get anything. Would maybe like to grab a bite there at some point, but the prices did look kind of expensive. Only one way to find out!

The food at Han Bat just screams comforting and homemade. It's definitely a hole in the wall spot,…read moreand you definitely need to give it a visit! We both got the soup, but you need to add salt and pepper to the soup to make it to your liking. This gives it that authentic feel to a Korean dish, and I love how they give housemade kimchi and radish on the side as well. The soups were warm, delicious, and soothing with the tender meat and delicate clear noodles. The service was great; it's run by an older Korean lady that seems so sweet when she comes to take your order and makes sure you enjoyed everything. She asked how everything was and even offered more side dishes since we finished it all. The ambiance is very simple there; you're seated and read off a menu on the wall. It's also cash only, so I'd make sure to bring cash! (There is an atm there just in case though). Additionally, there's a small parking lot if you're lucky to get a spot. I'd definitely give this place a try if you're trying to get something comforting and not too heavy!

My boyfriend brought me to this Korean restaurant, and we both enjoyed our meals here! He ordered…read morethe combination soup, and I ordered the ox tail soup. Both were very good. There was a decent amount of meat in both soups. I especially loved the larger ox tail pieces because they had even more flavor. Our soups also came with two kinds of kimchi--radish and napa cabbage. The kimchi had a strong, bold flavor, while the soups themselves were much milder and comforting. After we finished eating, we paid in cash since the restaurant is cash only. Also, according to my boyfriend, they don't offer to-go boxes, so we tried to finish as much of our food as we could.

Price: the price can be a bit intimidating, because it's definitely not AYCE, but for the amount…read moreyou get and when you think about prices at places like Gyu Kaku ($61/person for their lowest AYCE option) versus a flat $130 for Daebak's Wicker Park Combo (thinly sliced brisket, marinated tomahawk kalbi, thinly sliced pork belly, and marinated pork collar + a stew/soup of choice; feeds 3-4 people): it's hard not to at least want to -try- Daebak first before dismissing it. And! They even cook for you?? (Which is a nice break for me, who often ends up being the one cooking at kbbq). I also often find myself eating past the point of discomfort at AYCE because I tell myself I have to make it worth the price, but being able to eat to a satisfying degree and still being able to take home leftovers was a godsend for the following day. I guess it was just a smidge awkward having someone cook right in front of you? But the cook/server didn't linger and only ever came back to cook more when it was clear we were ready. (We had the benefit of a weekday when it was pretty empty, so I'm not sure what the experience will be on their busier nights. I can imagine depending on staffing, there are probably a lot of moments when some tables might get neglected?) Maybe the one meh thing was the corn cheese ~ we typically enjoy the corn cheese at other restaurants, but this one didn't hit the same. Some sides typical to an AYCE is a la carte here, but we were fine with just trying one of them. If we go again, we'll probably try the tteokbokki.

I went to Daebok Korean BBQ on Milwaukee Ave for my sister's birthday yesterday, and if I could…read moregive it negative or zero stars, I would. Strike 1: We had an 8:00PM reservation for six, checked in at 7:50, and weren't seated until 8:20--despite plenty of open tables. Then we waited another 15 minutes before anyone even acknowledged us. Strike 2: We understood service might be slower with a large party nearby, but nonexistent is more accurate. Our server was taking shots with that table while we waited 20+ minutes for water. At the end of the meal, the same server had the nerve to ask us for a positive review in exchange for free meat. Suddenly, the good reviews for this place make a lot more sense. Strike 3: Management was somehow even worse. I asked to speak with a manager and had two different people come over claiming to be one. One was the second server taking shots with the large party--and was visibly intoxicated and slurring his words while handling a table with scissors and open flames. When I called it out, his response was, "I only did one shot." That's not an excuse; it's a liability. The "real" manager was at least pleasant, but ultimately could only remove the automatic gratuity. Do yourself a favor and skip this place. Between the ridiculous wait times, nonexistent service, employees drinking on the job, and complete lack of accountability from management, this was one of the worst restaurant experiences I've had. And for a birthday dinner, it was especially unacceptable.

Perilla Korean Steakhouse -- Chicago…read more We had a very successful brunch at Perilla. The Kimchi Bloody Mary was definitely one of the highlights. Being from New Orleans, I personally like my Bloody Mary a little spicier and with a little more of that NOLA kick, but this was still a really good option and a fun Korean twist on a classic brunch drink. The food was excellent and gave us plenty of variety. The Korean tray was a great choice, along with the bibimbap and avocado toast. Everything came together really well, and there was enough variety that everyone could find something they enjoyed. Overall, it was a great brunch experience with good food, interesting drinks, and a nice atmosphere. Definitely worth checking out if you're looking for something a little different from the typical Chicago brunch. We were looking forward to the Korean donuts unfortunately they sell out early sometimes so if that's something you're getting for For, you might want to get there earlier in the day. We had reservations at 12:30 pm and they were sold out. The service was good.

This was a fun experience. Sitting at the table in front of the kitchen gives you a little view at…read morethe magic behind the meal. The servers and staff are so attentive and helpful. Everything was tasty with great range of textures and full of flavor. I'm sure anything you get will be good here. What we got: Soondubu - This was so good. Comforting, rich and buttery, but not heavy. Also not too spicy. The mushrooms in it were cooked so well--they're plump and bouncy, so it feels like they're sauteed separately or something to give it extra flavor. The tofu is super silky. Really enjoyed this. Scallop - The yuzu with this is chef's kiss! I loved the bright citrus it added to the sweetness of the scallop. Sweet potatoes and bone barrow - This was probably the least standout, but the mustard green kimchi topping is really delicious. The bone marrow is in a butter but that might be the least interesting component compared to how good the mustard greens are and how well the potatoes are cooked.

What a gem to hide an authentic Korean restaurant in the heart of pilsen. Thank you for bringing…read morediverse culture to a culture filled community! Love this. Visiting bobijoa was such a good pick - I ordered the Gogi burger and a bottle of rice wine. The burger darn near melted in your mouth. The textures from the slaw and sauce were perfection on its own. The fries were home cut and not store bought so I loved that. I do wish they'd put sea salt or a homemade seasoning on the fry to up it a bit. Otherwise no complaints. The prices are affordable and the atmosphere is calm and chill. You can go with a friend or bring a book to read. Either way you're in for a treat.

I LOVE BOBI JOA!!! Been coming for years. I love all their food. Service is kind. Ambiance is…read morepeaceful. It's self service (bussing and getting utensils) you pay at the counter. They have pictures on their menu which I also enjoy. I've had the chicken wings (sweet n spicy), their kimchi fries, their bibimbop, bulgogi bap (favorite!!!), burger, kimchi fried rice (fav), japchae noodles, Soondooboo (another big fav), and Yukejang (favorite soup in the winter time, the beef is so soft) their Seafood Pajeon is also delicious- recommend eating there though cause its crispy, along with the fries and chicken wings. And lastly the Hotteoks are a nice sweet n savory dessert. Favorite place in the neighborhood.

All the meat and accompaniments were amazing and fresh! Grill was the perfect temperature for us to…read morecook our food to our liking, marinated beef was amazing! An amazing spot for a get together for great food! Only complaint is that it was a little warm inside with no air and the grills going but otherwise an amazing time!

Wow.... is a really strange place. It's a really dirty and…read moreunsanitary place Never eat in a place like this. The food is tasteless, and there are places covered in grease stains. When you go in, the smell of meat is stale It's a place where breathing is impossible.

INCREDIBLE! The food, vibes, and service were 10/10…read more This place has immaculate energy. When we went, the DJ was playing such great music and the whole atmosphere was so fun. The food was delicious; my standouts were definitely the handrolls and the burger, but truly everything we tried was so tasty. Such a great spot for tasty food, music, and a fun night out. Would absolutely recommend!

Atmosphere is definitely the reason to come here. Lowkey exterior, beautiful interior, and a sound…read moresystem that plays music clearly and loudly but, somehow, at a normal enough level that you can still talk to the person next to you. The food is quite good, but maybe a bit too expensive, in my opinion. Still, this place was pretty much full on a random weekday evening!

Del Seoul - Chicago Sometimes the best food finds happen…read morewhen you're simply walking by and your nose says, "Wait a minute... what's cooking in there?" That's exactly how we ended up at Del Seoul! We were walking by, saw the food, smelled all that goodness, and knew we had to stop. Even one of the diners told us the food was good and that we would enjoy it. That was all the confirmation we needed! Del Seoul is a quaint little spot with a dining area that isn't very large, along with additional seating on the side. When you enter, you place your order at the counter. One thing to know if you're dining with a group: everyone in your party must be present when ordering. We had a group of four, and they prepared a table for us. Ordering was easy, and Reilly was very friendly and helpful, which made our first visit even better. We started with the Kimchi Fries for the table. I didn't really taste much of the kimchi flavor, but the fries were still good. We also grabbed a bottle of Mango Soju to share. It wasn't overly sweet, and we decided shots were the way to go. Cheers! For my meal, I ordered the Bulgogi Bento Box, which came with grilled, thinly sliced flatiron steak with sautéed onions, an egg and scallion omelette, mixed greens with ginger vinaigrette, and steamed rice. The bulgogi was the star for me. The steak was tender, flavorful, and very tasty, and everything in the bento box worked well together. Definitely a satisfying meal! What started as a simple walk-by turned into a delicious Chicago food stop. If you're a Chicago native or visiting the city like I am, give Del Seoul a try. Sometimes you just have to follow the aroma! Five stars from me!

This is a casual counter-service spot where you order first, grab a seat, and they bring the food…read moreto your table. The vibes were laid back and perfect for a quick meal. 7/10. Service was great. They explained where everything was. 8/10. The tacos were good, but nothing really stood out. 7/10. They were a little too heavy on the slaw and mayo for my taste. The Sesame-Chili Shrimp Taco was my favorite. The shrimp stayed crispy and had the best flavor. The Sambal Fish Taco was a little soggy, while the Kalbi, BBQ Pork, and BBQ Chicken were all on the drier side. I honestly still prefer traditional Mexican tacos over these. The K-Town Chicken Wings (7.5/10) were my favorite item. They weren't breaded, but the sweet soy, chili, and garlic glaze was delicious. The skin had a nice firm bite, which I really liked.