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Best Korean food in Chicago. Four thumbs up. Must have their cold noodles. Parking could be a challenge so arrive early.
Here's my buddy's review which I think it's very helpful: http://bit.ly/jRWyd
I am really torn on how to review this place, which I am sure is excellent for Korean food, but as it turns out, Korean is not my cup of tea (or bowl of rice...)
We went with someone who highly recommend a few dishes to try, including the table cooked marinated beef dish and a pork dish, however, I absolutely hate overcooked meat, and that is what this was. The meat is thinly sliced and then cooked until dried out - although not the fault of the restaurant, as I think this is how it's done....it was making me think that I need cheese whiz and bread, because the only other time I have had meat cooked like that was on a philly cheesesteak. I just didn't find the food that tasty, and left smelling of garlic and beef (the downfall of the interactive, cooked at the table, beef jerky)
Oh well, fun to try, portions are huge, ridiculously cheap - and overall, one of those places that I could go back to, but really not my favorite kind of food.
I love this place; between Crisp for lunch/korean chicken wings and here for dinner, you can basically cover all of your korean food cravings (and maybe San Soo Gab San for late late night). but this is the only place i go to once a week
in terms of bbq, you should only order the cha dol bae gi, like 99% percent of the other tables around you. the portions are big enough, not to mention all of the side dishes (more and better than any other place in chicago. and bottomless, of course) and the signature kimchi fried rice at the end (make sure to scrape the best part off the bottom of the pan!). if you have the space, order the cold buckwheat noodles too; a refreshing, palate-cleansing contrast to the stronger korean flavors
the parts of the usual cho sun ok visit that do suck also make it a great experience, like a badge of honor. i'm talking about the long waits in a line that usually spills out the door and crammed "waiting area". and the curt (but efficient) service. and the cozy interior. but really it just means that this place is worth the wait. sit back in line, make some new friends. and if you're a good customer, they'll even give you some love from time to time.
the other thing to watch out: apparently they just turned BYOB! alcohol and korean bbq is a required combo, so make sure to bring your own soju or beer. not wine though; that's just weird
based on the food and the obvious pride they take in their business (mint gum at the end? yes please!), give some love back. and join the club!
Finally a place that does chadal bae gi or beef brisket right. Places like SSGS and Woo Chon cook the brisket over charcoal. But Cho Sun Ok gets it right with the stone bowl. Oh man it was so good and portions were huge too. One order was enough for 2-3 people. Also the kim chee fried rice in the end was a much welcomed bonus.
We also tried the naeng myeong which is noodles in a cold beef broth. It was really refreshing and came in a massive bowl. However, despite the rave reviews, I don't think I'm a huge fan of this dish. Maybe on a hot blistering day it would taste better.
I got to give the place 5 stars for the brisket and for the price. But, knocking it down a notch for the cramped experience, substantial weight, and mediocre sun dubu.
mmmmmmmmmmm.....
just mmmmmm......
I have been wanting to try this place for a long time, and now that I live but a half mile away, I decided it was time.
My boyfriend and I arrived on a Friday night around 7, and were subsequently confused by whether or not we should alert someone as to our presence. We tried to assimilate and not be all American-y and go up to a busy waitress and be like "hello. table for 2 please." So instead we just...waited. Everyone sort of did it by the honor system, and when a table opened up a waitress came over and escorted the people who arrived first to it. It worked out. Teeny waiting area though. Not like that's really important.
We did our homework about Korean barbecue and this restaurant in particular, so we had an idea of what to expect. Namely - service that is quick and to the point. No chit-chat, no reading a list of daily specials, just "you know what you want? ok." It's just about getting the food to the table, ASAP. We ordered the Bulgogi, since I've had that before in college and loved it.
The side dishes were delicious - I used to work at a Korean/Japanese restaurant in college and was delighted to see the familiarity. Apparently there are a few dishes that are so traditional that they are universal at all Korean barbecue places. They were all delicious - try every one! Our bulgogi was wonderful, so deliciously seasoned and tender. The waitress came over and tossed it in the stone pot at the end of the table, and stirred it around every now and then, but we had fun stirring it around too.
When you come here, just don't do anything stupid like we did. My boyfriend wanted to put the rice in the stone bowl (other tables ordered entrees that apparently come with rice in the stone bowl, instead of on the side like ours). I was a little scared to do that, since the waitresses seemed pretty serious and like they would not be amused by a foolish American messing up the entree. He insisted, and I was right: we were subsequently chastised. Oops. I tried to hard to act like I knew what we were going, but it was a definite Korean barbecue FAIL. But you know what? It was delicious our way, so I don't really care so much.
When we were almost finished, the waitress put the check down, and then when we hadn't paid (still eating a little), she came by and tapped the check as if to say "Pay this please, and go away so someone else can sit down!" Haha. So not your typical dining experience. Again, I would never call this "bad service" - different culture, different kind of restaurant, different social norms. I try to fit in and do what is expected as well as I can when I'm having a new dining experience. Still, I'm taking a star down not for *quality* of service, but because I didn't feel exactly relaxed or put at ease in this particular environment. The food though - is exceptional. I plan to return and try something new, something that other yelp-ers are raving about!
And like, 95% of the people in the restaurant were Korean - and you know you've got it right when the nationals are eating there.
I've been coming to Cho Sun Ok since I was a young girl. This was one of my grandmother's favorite and became a family tradition to come here everytime we came to Chicago to visit (about twice a year). Now that I live in Chicago, this is the first place I think to take my parents, friends and co-workers. The ONLY reason to come to CSO is for the "cha-dol bae-gi" which is thinly sliced brisket. Chadol is a fattier part of the cow so you'll notice the fat creates a marbel-like pattern.
I've noticed some of the reviews (complaints) about poor service and minor incidents of "racism." Really people - Koreans function better when asked. The concept of "service" is very American - the only country where people tip the way they do. Anyway, this will be more of a Korean BBQ 101 rather than a review.
Once you order, the waitress will come out with a stone grill and a large assortment of traditional side dishes. They'll also bring out side dishes which are meant to be eaten with the meat like the green onion salad, marinated onions, and oil/salt/pepper dip. In addition, they'll give you a bowl of cold greens - I've been scolded many times for not touching the stuff. The waitress tells me each time that it's good to each with the meat to ensure that the fat and cholesteral come out of your system (I wouldn't WebMD her on that).
Once the stone grill is nice and hot, the waitress will come over and start cooking some of the meat. For the more proficient (or the regulars) they'll usually leave you to your own devices - especially if you look like you know what you're doing. Just a note, when grilling Korean bbq - remember it's the one-flip rule. Cook well enough on one side, then flip over and cook on the other - none of that flipping over 5 times to make sure it's done on both sides.
If you're running low on side dishes, it's okay to ask for more. Actually, it's encouraged - the waitresses will act annoyed, but it's a compliment to them because you're letting them know that the sides taste good! After you're done with the meat the waitress will come by and ask if you'd like stir-fryed rice (bokkum-bap). This is the BEST part. She'll mix in all your left over side dishes along with rice and butter. She'll stir all the ingredients in and let the rice simmer on the stone grill until it's ready. Then, take your spoon and dig in!
I've had the bulgogi and galbi at CSO. Doesn't compare to the chadol baegi. I've also had the naegmyun and soondooboo jjigae there - not so great. Just stick with the chadol baegi. $20.95/2 person serving. They give VERY generous poritions.
I love Korean bbq. There, I said it. I am neither Korean, nor really like BBQ'ing, but put those two together and -- voila! CSO is a good place and the closest Korean BBQ to me, so I've been a few times. I tend to agree with the other reviews about the service; not very friendly if you're not of Korean descent. Which, in other nationalities, is deplorable...so why would this be ok here?
However, the dumplings, bulgogi and Korean pancake are somewhat too good to pass up. I'll deal with the hate crime to get my little chopsticks on that BBQ'd up meat. I love the generous amount of sauce and garlic as well, and the kimchee is always nicely spicy.
The major thing I think CSO is missing that other Korean BBQs around provide is the lettuce leaves to wrap the meat in along with the peanut "spread" and garlic. Now THAT is heavenly.
Probably would have given 5 stars if I knew what more of the menu items were. They have a unique offering of items, including some dinners for two that they cook at the table. My boyfriend and I got the marinated beef dinner for two and it was very good. I also got a spicy beef soup appetizer that was very good. They serve at least 8 small bowls of items to mix with your main dish, such as pickles, bean sprouts, rice cakes, potatoes, and more. Overall, a very pleasant experience.
I love Korean bbq and am always up for trying a new Korean restaurant! Having grown up with many Korean friends and traveled to Korea, authentic Korean food is a must! Just be prepared for the usual bbq smell afterwards in your clothes and hair, as it is a charcoal grill!
Of course, we started off with our usual haemul paejon (Korean seafood pancake), which was pretty good! Even though I know how to make it myself, I still love eating it at the restaurant and Cho Sun Ok's is delicious! For the bbq, we ordered our usual bulgogi and galbi, which are marinated pretty well and tasty! It won't disappoint!
Since Korean bbq never really fills you up and you could potentially go broke ordering massive quantities of meat (and clog your arteries!), we ordered Suhn Dubu (pretty good!) and chap chae, which was just so so.
Overall, it was a fun experience with good food and great service! It was a little tough because none of us knew Korean, but we knew just enough to make ordering easier and even though we ordered plenty of food, it didn't empty our wallets!
This is by far thee best Korean restaurant in Chicago. I have been to several such as San Soo Gab San and Cho Sun Ok tops them. If you like Korean BBQ you have to try the bulgogi. The side dishes are amazing as well. This place is small and gets packed. They are extremely reasonable on pricing. For example, bulgogi, rice and sides for two people is only $24.95.
I have read some of the other reviews that speak of the waitstaff being racist...that is not the case. I am white and get treated well. They also do not speak a lot of English...so people need to keep that in mind. This is authentic Korean food and it is well worth the money. Go and let the food speak for itself.
If you like Korean BBQ, this is the place for you. I've eaten there and ordered carry out, and both were great experiences. If you're a vegetarian keep in mind that nearly everything on the menu is cooked with meat, however they kindly obliged my vegetarian friend the night we went and made her dish without. Best of all, it's BYOB and there is a Jewel right next door if you can't shop ahead of time.
I love this meal even more because of the little side dishes that are brought out before your actual meal. They even give them to you when you order carry out! Fantastic kimchi (I always ask for more), and many other interesting things to try.
I've had the Ojingeo Bokkeum and Jab Chae, and my boyfriend had the Bul-Go-gi. All were very good. My only complaint was the squid in the Ojingeo Bokkeum was very tough, but that type of squid is typical in Korean food so I knew it was not because of the restaurant. The flavors in the dish were very good I just didn't find the squid appetizing. I'm dying to go back with my boyfriend and do the tabletop cooking.
Great Korean restaurant in Chicago. A diamond in the rough. Make sure you get some soju and the cold buckwheat noodles in a broth.
This place is hard to find parking tho. Check out this post from one of my compadres: http://tinyurl.com/kneq44
Yay I'm a fan. I'd give them at least 3.5 stars for sure.
Came here last night with my sister and had a good time.
Food was good and came out quickly. The servers have a no nonsense approach which is nice. Compared to other Korean restaurants, prices (according to my sister) are pretty inexpensive. And you get a plethora of banchan (side dishes) which i like.
Cons are that seating area is small and might feel a bit crowded. You don't really notice once you start eating though. Bathroom is really small (smallest i've ever seen) and you have to walk through the kitchen to get to it. Their banchan is good, but some could have been better, I thought. And... they forgot my bo-rhee-cha (hot barley tea) and i love my hot barley tea.
Overall, I had a good experience and I'd be back again. :)
Let me stipulate for you LA or fob Korean folk, that this is a great Korean restaurant *for the Midwest*. You can't compare the Korean food in Chicago to LA or Korea. It's like comparing McD's to Charlie Trotter's.
I'm not normally a fan of chadolbaegi (the unmarinated meat) but this is the only place that I will eat it and love it. Their nengmyung is also really good, both the soupy kind and the spicy non-soupy kind. I LOVE their side dishes. I could sit there and eat rice and just that and be happy. Also good: the seafood pancake and the kimchi jigae.
The only thing I've had there that I didn't like was the bulgogi. Your average Korean mom makes it a lot better.
It's a small space that fills up fast for dinner. Service isn't exactly perky and friendly, but I haven't had issues with them being too rude either. But then I have low expectations for Korean restaurants. They aren't being racist (though some are) but in this case, they're pretty chilly toward everyone. My clothes don't reek as much leaving here as it does from other places like Sansoogabsan. Speaking of clothes, NEVER enter into a Korean restaurant wearing something that you can't just throw in the wash. Even in the dead of winter, I will leave my coat in the car.
As far as food quality goes, this place is one of the best that Chicago has to offer. I always, without fail, waddle out of here looking like I'm carrying a food baby. mmm mmm good.
2 reasons I'm not giving 5 stars...
There are better Korean places in LA...much better.
If you're not Korean, you will be treated like a 2nd class citizen. I don't know who they treat worse, other Asian ethnicities (which I am) or non-Asians.
Other than that, food is pretty good, price is damn good for a Korean place (and dinner place), atmosphere very good for family albeit kind of cramped and service ok (they seem to not like to pour a FULL glass of water).
To you people who say I shouldn't compare LA asian places to Chicago asian places, I ask...why not? Cho Sun Ok is owned by Koreans but the food is made by Mexicans. Sounds just like your typical LA Korean restaurant, why should I rate either one differently.
Don't get me started on Asian food in other Midwest cities (I'm looking at you MIlwaukee). At least for places in Chicago, I'm not wishing Yelp had negative stars to give.
Summary - Cho Sun Ok is an excellent restaurant that will fulfill both Korean and non-Korean's needs for authentic, basic Korean food. Though the menus lacks a tad (due to the fact that some Korean food can be a little TOO authentic for the Midwest palate), it's definitely a place YOU (Korean food lover) should go and a place I'd go back to (and I still do) again.
Korean pancake appetizer - Pretty good
Small dishes (not sure what this is usually called) - Good variety but I've had better
Pork bulgogi (spelled wrong) - A little leaner meat than I usually like but good
Galbi - Good but not great
Buckwheat cold noodle - Really good if you're into that type of thing
Stone-cooked meat - I think this is really good, even if you're not using an authentic cooker
Various tofu soups - Not as good as other places in Chicago, a little lacking in spiciness (probably they assume if you're not Korean you won't want it spicy). But it's worth the price if you're really really craving it.
Marinating - Seems adequate, not sure how to judge this one I'll let the real Koreans tell you yelpers how it is, but al the meats are marinated enough to taste good
My boyfriend and I went to this place last night. OMG, the food was out of this world. We did the recom. on yelp and did the un-marinated beef. We also got dumplings. 10 for $4.00 hello.
It is not the grill type place, they give you stoneware to cook on. the fried rice takes you back a bit, oh so good.
I still can not stop thinking about this place. I live in Brookfeild and I would go thru rush hour to get this.
Yes, there is a line. Worth waiting for!! Woo Hooo
Heed the advice of others and go with someone who is Korean or else you will be totally ignored just like you were the year back when you wore that blue velvet dress and mary janes to the Homecoming dance. (Oh wait, was that just me?) I expected icy service, but being ignored when people were lining up waiting for a table and we were finished eating??
Aside from the fact that we had to wait for our check or 25+ minutes tonight after asking for it for 3 times, the bulgogi was delicious. The dumpling soup was piping hot and tasty. Another major disappointment was that the Jab Chae was missing the shredded beef, but otherwise, was very good.
Seems like you take your chances here if you aren't Korean or a regular! Unfortunately, my awesome entourage doesn't include any Koreans at this moment in time. I guess that'll need to change so I can make a return trip to Cho Sun Ok and REALLY enjoy myself.
Outstanding.
The Food:
Delicious. The best cha dol bae gi (unmarinated beef) I have had, memorably good complimentary apps, and phenomenal jab chae (vermicelli noodles with beef).
The Ambiance:
Cleaner, comfier and friendlier than San Soo Gab San and other gruff, hurried Korean BBQ places. Reminded me of Kuni, the Japanese place in Evanston, in it's solid old school charm.
While San Soo Gab San and its ilk are great for amusing big groups or out of town guests, Cho Sun Ok is a no-brainer step-up for those who are over the craziness of the bigger places and care more about the food.
I have no problem journeying out of the city for good, authentic Asian food. Cho Sun Ok totally hit the spot for me.
Like the other Yelpers mentioned, the cha dol bae gi (unmarinated thin sliced beef) is your reason to go. The boyfriend and I shared an order for 2 and were so impressed by the portions! The kimchee fried rice that they made in the end (using our leftover side dishes.. ingenius!) was also delicious. Washed down all that red meat with some selleongtang (beef broth with noodles) and OB (huge bottles! only $5! win!) We came home with enough leftovers for another meal, all for less than $50 total!
My worst fear when going to Korean restaurants is the disappointed looks I get when the waitresses realize that I'm not Korean (and usually I am subsequently ignored)... but not here! Stellar service even though we spoke English (gasp) only. Will definitely go back again.
Okay, I grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, so we NEVER ate out at a Korean restaurant growing up. The great thing about Chicago is that there are some decent places to get Korean food. Some are pretty nasty (not the food, but the cleanliness of the place), and I generally skip any restaurant around Lawrence area, because a lot of restaurants there are dingy, dirty, and in bad need of a spring cleaning and a makeover.
I love Cho Sun Ok b/c I love their mul nang myun which you can ask to be halved into two separate bowls. I love that you can order some soups as appetizers at $4, and I do love their meat. I'm not that crazy about their fried rice they make for you at the end of your meat, but I really do love their soups. The place seems quite clean to me and it's consistent good grub.
Cha dol bae gi is the way to go here, it's the unmarinated beef slices that you cook at your table-a little range is brought to your table with a stone pot with oil in it. Ask for some naeng-myun, cold buckwheat noodles, it goes well with the meat. I'm usually near bursting at this point but the best part is when the servers come by at the end and dump everything in plus rice. You don't want to mess with their mojo-a friend of mine thought he could do it but it turned out bad, let them do their thing, and enjoy as much of the rice as you can.
I want to note on their new look. I know they remodeled a long time ago but I'm still surprised by it. They used to have stuffed game birds near the ceiling, which makes me wonder if the pheasant and other game birds are off the menu. The phone booths are now closets, which is a good use of the space, I guess-I'm kind of surprised they didn't try to turn it into a really skinny booth.
It's weird to see a lot more non-Korean people here. I've been here a few times with family and it was always a little hole in the wall kind of place and I think word of mouth started to spread. I've never really had issues with their service-although I'm Korean and when I eat at Korean places I don't really put a lot of stock into table service, be advised though, the busier it gets the more you'll have to do to get the attention of someone who works there.
During our frequent trips to the North Center area, we've passed a number of restaurants that we have been telling ourselves that we would stop at, but never get around to. This goes for all neighborhoods, but this summer particularly we seemed to find ourselves in North Center a lot. So one Friday after the hustle of the 9-5, we headed on over to a little corner spot on Lincoln, just north of Irving Park Rd., called Cho Sun Ok. I've been hankering for a Korean fix for a while, and this put me to rest.
A hobby of ours, as lame as it sounds, is that when we are walking "off the eaten path, in Chicago" we tend to stop at as many restaurants as we find fitting just to grab a take out menu. We had stopped at this particular restaurant around the beginning of June to grab a souvenir menu, and were taken back by the joyous aroma of sizzling meat and marinade, and noticed it was "one of those table top stove" type of places. This usually means only good things.
So on this particular day, we made the trek back to indulge in a little Korean cuisine. We arrived at this BYOB at around 5 o'clock, which seemed to be perfect. We walked in, and were seated right away. Shortly through our appetizer, and from then, on we noticed that there was a steady stream of at least two people waiting to be seated. So I guess we lucked out.
As I mentioned, we started off with an appetizer. We kept it simple and order the fried dumplings. We were expecting just the normal 6 piece serving for two, so we were surprised at the plate they brought out, which consisted of about 10 pieces. These weren't anything particular special. They actually reminded me so much of some frozen Korean dumplings that I bought from this Asian supermarket in Schaumberg (at Roselle and Higgins roads) and cooked at home. These were, ehhh, ok, but not needed.
Also, prior to the appetizers, Korean restaurants bring out a large number of small pre-appetizers, the size of tea cups, ranging from seaweed salads, to kimche, to some jelly cakes and sweet potatoes. We didn't think about this before we ordered the dumplings, and could have gotten by with out them. Oh well, now we know.
The great thing about this place is that they do dinner meals, meaning that you can order one thing for a group of six, and do family style dining. That seemed to be popular with the rest of the restaurant patrons, so we went with it, choosing the Bulgogi - a mixture of marinated beef, green onions, garlic, sesame oil, and a sugary soy sauce mix. At that point, the waitress sparks up the table top grill, adjust the heat, and walks away. Now that the fire has started less than two feet away from me, I'm sucked into the burning glow sitting underneath the stone cooking slab. I cannot wait to see what they bring out and what kind of smells it will emit.
Shortly after the fire is started the waitress comes out with a plate of greens and bright healthy looking, thinly sliced beef, soaking in a dark sauce. She throws the contents of the platter onto the cooker, stirs it up a bit and walks away. There must have been a down draft because the warm, meaty air was blowing straight onto Lois. I love a woman who smells of exotic foods. Every few minutes, the waitress would come by, toss around the meat, and walk away, leaving us picking at our appetizers, and eyeballing the goodness that's to come. Finally after about 15 minutes, she quietly informs us that it is ready to eat, and we can help ourselves. Lois, never really got the whole chop stick thing down (she's Polish, so it makes sense), so we had to wait while they found the only fork in the restaurant, but once that arrived, we started to dig in. The Korean sticky rice is the perfect substance to eat with this dish. The meat was so flavorful, sweet, tangy, chewy, juicy and hot. Each bite was better than the last.
A side note -- we guessed this restaurant was the real deal when we noticed that all but about 5 percent of the patrons were Korean. In our minds, that gave the food a definite seal of authenticity. Combine that with some reasonable prices (about $35 for the whole extravaganza) and we had a successful dining experience.
I love Cho Sun Ok's food. Truly.
My favorite/recommended dishes are ojinguh bokkeum (squid) and cha dol bae gi (unmarinated beef). I don't really like their haemul pajeon (seafood pancake), though. And of course the waitresses make kimchi bokkumbap for you at the end. YUM.
On a side note, especially for non-Koreans, the waitresses might appear to rude or in a rush. It's usually packed on the weekends and they are always rushing, sometimes you have to really try to get their attention instead of waiting on them to come to you. They don't speak English well, there have been times where they misunderstood one of our guests and became irritated. I'm a bit more understanding than some people, so fair warning. But without a doubt, the food here is great.
Being Korean and a little bit broke, it's always nice to find a place that serves good, authentic food at an affordable price. That's why I love this restaurant. My biggest complaint is how small it is. It gets pretty crowded at dinnertime. The wait is never too terrible (maybe around 20 mins?) but the restaurant is so small that there is really nowhere to wait. Also, it's awkward to get around the tables/chairs, especially when people are sitting in them. I'd say it's worth it though, for the food. I took my family here when they came to visit and they are still talking about how good the yook geh jang was. The service is ok. Sometimes they won't come by for a long time, which is strange especially when it's packed. You'd think they'd come by more often to try and get you to leave.
My wife and I ate at this restaurant last Sunday in the late afternoon. I did my homework (thanks yelpers!) so we arrived after the lunch rush but before the dinner rush - even then, it was still pretty crowded but there were a few tables open.
We were seated very promptly and given menus. I knew that we would try #6 (the non-marinated beef) and just leave it at that for the visit. For the both of us, it was more than enough food.
Upon hearing our order, the waitress moved the burner to the side of the table - *plonk* - and walked away. We smiled, having read the reviews and understanding what we were in for. I sort of felt the same way I feel when I'm in line for a roller coaster ride in an amusement park :-)
The sides arrived - very good stuff and lots of it - and then the meat and the onions/jalepe~nos/garlic/paste. What is that paste? It looks like curry paste - were we supposed to use that to cook the meat? Oh well, maybe next time.
A giant bowl of salad-like mixture was also brought. I guess that was just actually salad, and we ate it like that.
I *thought* I knew how to cook the meat, but after a while of seeing us filling the grill with only one layer of meat, the waitress walked over, grabbed a big mound of meat, dropped it on the grill, and moved it around a bit. So *that's* how you do it. Next time we know.
The place was filling up. There were a few non-Koreans there when we walked in, but when I looked up 10 minutes later, we were the only non-Koreans left in the joint (and all the table except the one by the door were full.) The line was starting outside, as we expected it would.
So, we cooked the rest of the meat as quickly as possible, and the waitress came over and started the kimchee fried rice. She let it sit for a while so I let it sit too - I like burnt rice :-)
She did come to stir it up once - rice flew around the table and my wife and I smile at each other knowingly.
We ate some of the fried rice and decided we'd "do as the romans do" (even though the place was packed and nearly every Korean seemed to be really taking their time - especially a table next to us that was filled with senior citizens), so I flagged the waitress. She came over, seemed to acknowledge that we wanted to box up the rest of the fried rice (no more meat left - yum!), then disappeared and was back to running from table to table. I flagged another waitress about 5 minutes later after not being successful making eye-contact (I guess that doesn't work in the culture or something?) and was clear that we needed our check and our fried rice to take away. After that attempt, a different waitress came over with a typical Asian food box (you know the kind I mean - like from a Chinese restaurant) and boxed up the fried rice. There was no way I was getting up to walk over and ask for the check - sorry. I don't mind paying at the register, but I firmly believe that the check should be brought to the table - all cultural boundaries as they are.
We paid and left, but not without saying goodbye and having a few waitresses thank us for coming in. I thought that was kind of nice, considering all of the harsh reviews I've read about this place.
We had a great time and ate a lot of great food, plus had tons of fried rice for another meal at home.
Seriously, for all you haters - do your research before trying out a restaurant. As said by other reviewers, this place is known for the food, not the service, and you need to understand that it's a "get in, eat, get out" type of place before you arrive.
Don't expect anyone to walk you through how to do anything. If you aren't sure, just "do nothing" and someone will come to help. Then you will know what to do next time.
About food odors: my jeans smelled a bit like food when I left, but not my shirt - not at all. It was nothing anywhere near how smelly my clothing was after we ate at a Korean BBQ on west Laurence that had a grill/ventilation/etc.
My advice - if you don't want your clothes to smell like food, keep throwing the meat on the grill and don't let it sit empty or it will smoke. You will have the same problem in your own kitchen - It's not the restaurant's fault if you don't know how to cook :-)
Give this place a try - you'll like it.
This was a completely unique experience. It would be a great place to bring a first date, or a group of friends.
The meat, though I did not eat it, was extremely fresh and sliced thin, and they cook it as a community meal right there in front of you...
Assorted sauces.
I got a tofu spicy soup with clams, complete with clam shells. The beers (HITE brand) were cold and the Korean shots were taken with fresh squeezed limes.
Service is incredible.
MAKE a reservation!! This place gets busy busy.
Visiting from New York, I was taken here by mochimaker. We were the only customers not eating barbecue; instead, we ordered yukaejang and bibimnaengmyun. Both dishes were very tasty and the panchan was more bounteous than I have come to expect, living in New York.
Sadly, they only served OB, even though the beer glasses have Hite labels.
I'm gonna update this just to shut down the complainers.
Probably the best Korean in the city, but you gotta wait, and you gotta know what you're ordering.
Here's a hint - get the chadulgui. It's what all the Koreans come to this place for. Thinly sliced beef, NOT marinated.
Cook it. Put it on the scallions. Dunk in the oil, grab a marinated onion, then pop the whole thing (scallions included) into your mouth. Heaven.
Polish it off with a couple bottles of OB or soju, and you're good to go.
If it's too "ethnic", or they're too "mean", they go somewhere else. Cho Sun Ok is the best, always worth the wait, because it's always good.
I'm not sure the complaints here - maybe its more central Lincoln Square location attracts a… Read more »
I've been going to this place for over 10 years now and I still love this place. Their "cha dol bae gi" is really worth trying if you haven't already. The only downside is that their waitresses seem to be somewhat forgetful, mainly because the place is always super crowded and super busy. Feel free to double park in the small parking lot around the corner of the building. The restaurant owner will tell you when to pull your car out for someone else to get out.
Well, son, let me tell you: if you've never had Korean BBQ, Cho Sun Ok is a good place to start. And if you don't know what to expect and aren't sure if you should try it, I'll put it to you like this: do you love grilled meat, and do you fantastize about a server bringing out like 30 dishes that look like the stuff the Klingons would eat on Star Trek: The Next Generation? Well of course you do!
The dishes I refer to are the ban chan, the many mysterious side dishes that are a part of every meal here. You may recognize one of them as kim chi, but the rest are seriously like sci-fi set dressing. But all delicious. There's one that's sort of like potato salad but has apples in it, I think. Another looks like strips of tofu but I believe it's called "fish cakes." I could eat nothing but the fish cakes and walk out of here happy.
The many meats you can order at Cho Sun OK are very good, but not the best around (I prefer San Soo Gab San, I find their meat just a bit juicier and more savory.) But the ban chan at Cho Sun Ok seem fresher and more flavorful than any I've had. The jab chae noodles are wicked good, too.
You suburban Kraft mac n cheese types might look upon a meal like this with fear and derision. Well, man up, I tell you! For, as the Klingons say, "Mch'tab keuklich!" Yeah, actually they don't say that, I just made it up. Sucker!
Ask any Korean about their top choices for grilled meat or neng-myun (buckwheat noodles in cold broth) they'll invariably mention Cho Sun Ok. Even when they never fail to add, "but it's overrun with non-Koreans," this place is an exception to the rule that a place filled with just the 'natives' is the most authentic. It's been in business for close to three decades, and I've been coming for 10 years and the food hasn't changed one bit.
Know what you're getting into. The serving staff (most of them have been on staff for years) are trained to do one thing -- take your order, bring your food, and correct your mistakes when you're fumbling at the grill. If you expected anything beyond that... like checking up on you to see if you needed anything else, or making small chat... you'll be sorely disappointed. Now, for things that they are trained to do, they are ruthlessly efficient... and they have to be. It's a tiny join with rapid turnovers, and they've gotten this to a science -- you'll observe they have the optimum number of servers to be as efficient as possible while avoiding colliding into each other in the tiny space. None of the Koreans will complain, and you shoudn't either. Ah, and don't be taken aback if they scurry up to yoru table, snatch the tong from your inept hands and throw a jaw-dropping amount of meat onto the hot grill, give it a quick stir or two and scurry away without saying a word. That's because if you don't keep an ample amount of food covering the grill surface, the au jus will eventually burn and smoke up.
Another misconception is that non-Koreans are treated like second class citizens. Not true. The barebones service applies to everyone, young and old, light and dark skinned. I'm a Korean. I know. It's just the way it is, and it's not to be rude, but just how it is.
Enough glowing raves were said about the BBQ, but people also forget about their delicious side dishes. Yes, these are typical of the fare that grace the table at just about any Korean restaurants, but Cho Sun Ok's are delicate (not salty, sugary or overly spicy), free of MSGs and thoughtfully made. The "kimchi in cold broth" that is served per person that accompanies their BBQ is a good example. I've known pregnant children who had cravings specifically for this stuff.
Speaking of cold broth, another thing most non-Koreans miss is the naeng-myun. There's several kind (spicy one without broth, or the one in cold broth) but I'm talking about the latter. Yes, cold buckwheat noodle soup sounds weird, and it definitely isn't as palatable as our BBQ meat, but it's an indispensible delicacy for the summer weather for Koreans, and Cho Sun Ok's reputed be one of the best restaurants for this in the city. If you come during lunch hours, you'll see many Koreans happily slurping away with their faces buried in the big bowl. Hint: you would normally season it up with the vinegar (~2 tbs), korean mustard (~1-2 tsp)and hot pepper paste (optional) that accompany the dish.
It's one of the rare places that deserves a five star for its authenticity and the general awesomeness of the food. For most of my (Korean) friends, this is their favorite restaurants in Chicago.
Hands down THE BEST korean food in Chicago. All local Koreans know and go to this place and considering its my favorite food and I've been to almost every korean restaurant in Chicago, this is the best. Albeit, I've been going here a while so they know me, but for those who are going for the first time, you arent going here for the service, you're going for the food. The best part is the end when they mix everything together on the pan - in order to get this, you have to order from the Bbq menu and cook the meat.
$32 including tip for TWO plus plenty of leftovers for friend's hubby
Awesome chadolbaegi. They don't give you lettuce, but the housemade dwenjang is killer and the kimchi fried rice they finish you off with is also great. The doraji banchan was totes fresh. Tasted like my grandma just yanked them up from her garden. Wish the serving ahjummas were a bit less talkative, but this is about as close as you get to an authentic Korean restaurant in a city that's usually disappointing in its offerings of the real stuff.
It's been some time since I've eaten here. I could never forget the experience, though, partly because I am in love with Korean BBQ! My two dinner mates and I ordered the pajeon and the bulgogi. First of all, they're portions are HUGE! Those two dishes stuffed the three of us and we still had leftovers. The pajeon was delicious and everything I could ask for in this dish. The bulbogi was good, but does not stand out from other bulgogi I've had. The banchan was also very tasty.
I was a bit disappointed to find out that if you just order the bulgogi and not the chadolgogi, they bring the rice out with the meat so you don't get the fried rice at the end! Also, I think they would benefit greatly if they just made the place a little larger...
I personally have no problem with the service. I appreciated the promptness and efficiency. I'm not a fan of servers who give you fake smiles and stay to chat-- just take my order, bring my food fast, and keep my cup filled I could have sworn that our server filled my water from like 3 feet away! I was astounded as I watched the stream of water fly form her pitcher into my cup like those jumping water fountains at Navy Pier. That, my friend, is skill.
Delicious.
Have eaten here several times. The food is okay. My complaint is more with the service. It tends to be rude and rushed even for Korean standards.
Whenever we come with Korean friends, the service is a much friendlier. However, when we come by ourselves, the service is poor.
For Korean food with better service I recommend San Soo Gap San. If you need to come here, I suggest bringing Korean people with you.
This was my first experience of Korean cuisine. If this is what an authentic Korean restaurant is like, I will gladly take an Americanized place.
As other people have alluded to, the waitstaff is, well, racist, to be quite frank. Maybe that's ok with you and you'll tolerate being treated like an inferior if the food is good and cheap. Well, I lived in the south for 2 years and did not experience such blatant disrespect. The beauty of living in the 21st century is I don't have to patronize a racist establishment. I have choices. Our group of 5 came before a Korean couple, and although the Korean couple tried to advocate for us, the waitress sat them first. We waited probably 20 minutes before anyone even talked to us (the place was crowded, but still, not even going ask us how many, or say how long the wait is?)
Now, let's discuss the menu. As a Vegan, my choices were greatly limited (disappointing, as Asian restaurants usually have a lot for me). I told Ms. Waitress that I wanted the fermented bean paste stew (that was one of two things on the menu that did not list meat or seafood). She basically said that non-Koreans don't like it, and I shouldn't get it. Um, again, I'm Vegan. I eat bean stuff all the time. I was willing to try it. I told her that I don't eat meat or seafood and I wanted it. Despite my insistence, she told me to get some other stew, but without the meat and seafood. It was a little spicy, which was fine, but made me think "Did she assume I wanted spicy because I had brown skin?" Anyway, what she and the menu failed to mention was that this stuff had eggs in it. WTF? When she came back around, I told her I didn't eat eggs. She said, "You said no meat or seafood, not eggs." I told her that I didn't know it had eggs. She didn't take it back.
So I essentially paid $16 for rice and veggies (we split the bill 5 ways). I mean, all the little veggie bowls they left on the table were good but man, $16? Not worth it.
The sucky thing about being Vegan is that you can't always do "authentic" restaurants. Such was sadly the case here. But if you're a Vegan and do go, be forewarned, say you don't want eggs either (they sneak it in a lot of stuff).
This place totally is satisfying every time I go. Meat eaters must order cha-dol-bae-gi. Thin slices of meat, grilled right in front of you - dip it in sesame oil sauce or eat it rolled up in a piece of lettuce. After the meat's done, a hearty looking waitress will hustle over to your table and will make fried rice right in front of your face! So so delicious, you can't stop eating. I've stuffed myself silly at Cho Sun Ok many many times...
Other menu items are quite good too. I've had the noodles in cold broth (neng-myun) before and it blew my mind how tasty and authentic it was. Ban-chan, by far, is the best among all the Korean restaurants in the city.
The only downside is the wait. This place overflows with folks constantly. I once waited outside in the rain for an hour before getting a table. But it was so worth it.
Oh, when you go, look for what looks like cabinet doors stuck on the walls as decoration. Not sure if they still got that but they made interesting, somewhat hilarious, interior decoration.
Definitely go with a Korean - not only will they be able to tell you what's in all the little dishes, they can keep up with the seemingly impatient staff.
Also, leave jackets/extra clothes in the car, since they will smell like whatever you ate for a good long time after you've pooped out the meal.
Let me clarify something to all the haters out there. The icy service you get here is common for Korean dive restaurants. You come here for the food, not the experience. Although, I kind of like being able to cook my own meat on the stone grill.
Anyway... Cho Sun Ok is a tiny little Korean dive with super authentic food, terrible service and lots of smoke. This is not the place for Kalbi, but Cha Dul Bae Gi - thinly sliced unmarinated beef cooked table side. It helps if you come here with someone Korean because the servers don't speak English. I speak at Korean at a fifth grade level and barely got by.
Their banchan offerings and kimchee fried rice were my favorite parts of the meal. My mom recommends their chigaes and naengmyuns too.
If you are new to Korean food, I would suggest a visit to Solga before coming here.
Also, when dining at a Korean restaurant, never wear cashmere or any nicer clothing as the smell of Korean food tends to linger. It's safer to wear something you can just throw in the wash... such as your "winter pants."
Chicago, IL
Category: Korean
Neighborhood: Albany Park
Category: Korean
Neighborhood: Lincoln Square
Category: Korean
Neighborhood: Lincoln Square
Category: Korean
Neighborhood: North Park
Category: Korean
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