Ahjoomah's Apron Korean Restaurant

Ahjoomah's Apron Korean Restaurant delivers fantastic, homestyle Korean food. Every dish we ordered, from the crispy Haemul Pajeon (Seafood Pancake) and the perfectly glazed Korean Fried Chicken Wings to the tender grilled Mackerel and the variety of fresh Banchan, tasted authentic and delicious. The food quality is genuinely outstanding and earns top marks. The only area for improvement during our visit was the service. While polite, the staff seemed a bit slow or distracted, resulting in some delays and a lack of attentiveness. Verdict: Go for the incredible Korean comfort food—it's worth it! Just be prepared to be patient with the dining room flow. This spot is a winner once they smooth out the front-of-house operations.

I love Korean food, but I was really disappointed when I tried this restaurant. The black bean noodles (jajangmyeon) were very disappointing they didn’t taste good at all. The katsu was horrible, honestly the worst katsu I’ve ever had. I’ve tried this dish before and usually love it, but this one felt like a scam. The “katsu sauce” was basically mayonnaise, and it was served cold. It had nothing to do with curry sauce, and even the side salad wasn’t good. The side dishes were also below average. I won’t go again, and I don’t recommend it.

We stumbled upon this Korean spot in Chinatown and I’m so glad we did! We visited on a Tuesday night and were seated right away. The staff was friendly, and they had a great Tuesday special which was half-off noodles. I got the chicken bulgogi, and my friends ordered two noodle dishes. The portions were generous, the flavors were excellent, and our total bill came out to only $45, such a great value for the amount of food we got. The cozy atmosphere reminded me of restaurants I visited while studying abroad in South Korea. Definitely planning to come back!

We went there on Saturday around 1 PM with a reservation for 1:30. We ordered tofu bibimbap, kimchi kimbap, and cod soup. Their banchan selections were all delicious. The tofu bibimbap was tasty, and the cod soup was nice and lightly spicy, perfect for a cold day. The kimchi kimbap was alright, but nothing special, and we didn’t really finish it. They had a half-off deal on kimbap for Saturday. The service was a bit underwhelming, the only time we saw the servers was when they took our order and when we paid. Aside from that, we never received refills on our water, which wasn’t the end of the world since we ordered two more drinks on the side. However, we decided to wrap it up when we finished our drinks. Overall, the food was delicious, but the service was lacking, which I always hate to admit since they were really nice when we did get to talk to them.

4.4/5Legit Korean flavors! The Army Stew is fantastic and feels very traditional. Just a heads-up: the broth is a little salty, so make sure to order plenty of rice to balance it out. Despite that, I’d definitely come back for the authentic taste.

One of my favorite restaurants in the area! Everything was really good, starting from the banchans where there’s a marinated tofu and fish cakes that were delicious. We got the zhajiangmian (black bean sauce noodles), seafood soondoobu, and gingseng chicken soup where the chicken was stuffed with sticky rice—yummy! (But note that the soup flavor is very pure of chicken and ginseng flavors, not much salt, sauce, or spices) The staff was really nice and attentive. Would come back again!

The food was excellent and the staff were so nice! The banchan served with our meal was all very good. I highly recommend the beef gimbap (kimbap) if you are looking for a light lunch option. It was a great, affordable option for Korean food in Chinatown near the plaza!

Decent Korean spot in the heart of Chinatown! Out of the banchan, kimchi jigae, and kimchi pancake, I feel like I was certainly the most impressed by the kimchi pancake. The banchan was okay and the kimchi jigae had decent flavor but was a bit lacking in the meat (which isn’t a huge deal). They have some daily promotions that I might have to check out at some point. I will say the one major plus is you definitely get a ton of food for the amount you pay.

They have different half off items everyday! We got half of bibimbap on monday Seafood pancake was super crispy and a decent amount of seafood

The service at the only reason why there are stars on this review. The wait staff was attentive and they tried our best to sit us. Ahjoomah's Apron is located near the train station and is one of the first restaurants that would welcome you into Chinatown. The ambience and the vibe of the restaurant looks very traditional and very homey. Although, the food is not that good. The scallion seafood pancakes that we ordered came out very burnt. We all each took a bite and could not try to eat any of it. The jjajangmyeon's sauce tasted really good, but the noodles were overcooked and were sticking together. The beef bulgogi and the ramyeon were okay. The server was very nice that he took out the scallion seafood pancake off our bill.

I had heard great things about Ahjoomah's Apron before I moved away from Chicago, but unfortunately I never got the chance to check it out. Recently while back visiting, I gave it a try with a friend and it did not disappoint. We ordered an abundance of food (seriously wayyyyy too much for the two of us), but we got to try a number of things. First of all, I would say, despite our over ordering (we planned for leftovers), the portions were seriously generous. The stir-fried squid alone could've easily fed a few people. I loved that they had a pajeon option that featured both seafood (one half) and kimchi (the other half). It was loaded (perhaps a little too loaded as it ended up a bit soft). The banchan were on point. And the kimbap with spam was pretty addictive. The bibim nang myun we did a disservice as we ate the other hot dishes first and it did get a big tangled while it sat. That said, we went on the 'noodle' special day, so it was an affordable add and we made use of the leftovers. Eating there on a weekday lunch made it a little hard to assess the ambiance (fairly quiet), but we had excellent and attentive service.

Back in the Before Days, if you were a U of C student in need of Korean food, you'd have to make the trek up to Lawrence where there is a cluster of Korean restaurants. That informal Koreatown has since changed, with fewer options as it appears that the population center has moved into the suburbs to the northwest. So it's harder to get your kalbi fix up there. Another family member recently discovered this place in Chinatown - much more convenient to the university - and highly recommended it, so we made the short drive from Hyde Park to dine here on our last evening in town. Though it was a Saturday evening and the restaurant was busy, we were fortunate to get seated right away. The group right behind us, who decided that it was more important to smoke one more cigarette before dining so we entered ahead of them, ended up waiting quite a long time before a table opened up. We were seated at one of the tables on the side, which seats 4. In the center of the restaurant there are long tables that probably officially seat 8, but more can be crammed in. Over these tables they've installed a metal structure that allows them to post signs on the sides, but it also gives the place a cramped and compartmentalized feel. Our friendly and attentive server took our order quickly, and it wasn't much longer before the panchan arrived at our table, followed shortly by our main meal. Kimchi and seafood pancake - I think we all expected this to be a mixed dish, but in fact it was a half-and-half pancake. TBH I think it would have been more interesting if the seafood and kimchi were a melange. Still quite good. Tempura shrimp udon - surprisingly large portion. In every other restaurant where we've ordered it, even without requesting, the tempura is served on the side so it stays crisp, but here it was already in the broth. Soggy tempura isn't so nice (we prefer to dip it in the soup). Good flavor, though, and the noodle texture was just right. One nice touch at the end as we packed up the leftover, the server brought a separate container for he noodle so that it wouldn't get too mushy overnight. Stone pot tofu bibimbap - normally I go for beef but have recently discovered tofu bibimbap. I believe it was just $1 more to have it in a stone pot, and the crispy rice that usually forms is always delicious. In this case, inexplicably, that didn't happen even though the bowl seemed pretty warm. The tofu was a medium-soft consistency, and when everything was mixed together it was disintegrated into small pieces resembling cottage cheese. I would have preferred a firm tofu and little more sear on the cakes, but in the end I still really enjoyed this dish. Prices were surprisingly quite reasonable given the quantity of food. As mentioned, the service was excellent. We will certainly be back again.

Ahjoomah's Apron is a nice Korean restaurant nestled in Chinatown. Service was fairly quick, and ordering was easy. My party ordered the seafood and kimchi pancake and army stew. The seafood and kimchi pancake was okay, though a tad too doughy and not as crispy. The army stew, however, had no "spiciness" levels. The army stew is quite spicy if you aren't used to it and difficult to eat without having watered down - definitely not for the faint spice tolerance. Other than the food, the kimchi was not too impressive, and was fairly sour and spicy, a slight hint of salty but not much hints of sweet. Overall, it tasted just "ok."

Second time coming and I will be a regular. No doubt about it. My friend ordered the Kalbi dish and it arrived very quickly. The meat was well seasoned but some parts were rough. I expected thinner cut to be better for chewing purposes. One additional plus is that it also comes with the side dishes. So you didn't have to worry about only eating meat for the price that was paid. One thing I did note is the menu says it comes with ox tail bone broth if you dine in. However our server said we didn't get that but offered rice instead. Different but I didn't think deeply into it.

Such kind service and I loved the inside--felt like a cozy place to gather with friends and stay a while. The banchan can be refilled as much as you wish, and the menu has many options. However, the food was very much just ok. Most notably we asked for the tteokbokki to be mild bc some in our party are a bit sensitive to spicy food, and it came out basically tasteless. Also, while the champong noodles were perfectly chewy and we were pleasantly surprised to see crab mixed in, the broth was not quite hitting the spot. The broth reminded me of shin ramen flavoring packet and didn't have that seafood flavor that I was hoping for. It could just be that this restaurant's style of cooking is not what my friends and I prefer, but we agreed we probably would not be in a rush to come back.

I wanted to eat Jajangmyeon so I looked up Korean restaurant to eat here in Chicago and found this restaurant. This restaurant located in the chinatown. We went here last night. We also ordered not only Jajangmyeon but also galbitang. Both of the entrees were decent size. The broth to the galbitang has an airy homemade taste, which was delicious. The banchan were great, I liked the seaweed one the most. The staff were nice and friendly. The service was fast.

Went in for an early dinner & had an amazing time! Portions were generous, staff were the right amount of attentive, and the vibes were so cozy. 10/10 recommend :)

Second round here, so I tried some new things. There's a slight changed in the side dishes, but I'm glad to see my favorite egg plant is still there. I ordered chicken bibimbop this time around and was surprised to see how much chicken it comes with; however I do prefer shrimp over chicken. I think I'll order beef during my next visit. The bulgogi is great, nothing too surprising about that. And the seafood pancake came in a large portion( similar to last time). Again, I'm not a huge of pancakes, so I personally think it's a big heavy and oily. But it does come in a portion with a good amount of seafood. The service is great as before. The environment was very comfortable. It does tend to get very loud as more customers come in. I hope I'll be able to try more options in the future. And PLEASE consider adding cushions to the chairs, it gets very uncomfortable after sitting for awhile.

This was my first time at Ahjoomah's Apron and it will definitely not be the last. I've been wanting to try for the longest time and it was simply devine. The little dishes that comes with the meals was so fresh and delicious. The beef bulgogi was so tender and flavorful. The pork belly melts in your mouth. Everything about that lunch was fantastic. The service was absolutely phenomenal. Our server was so knowledgeable and kind. Very polite and such a nice young man. And the place was dark but not too dark yet there was dividers that gave us some privacy. Ambiance was great. I highly recommend this little gem in the heart of Chinatown for some delicious Korean food! What a treat!

Everything was so good and had that home cooked taste but plated so nicely. I would definitely come back. The staff was very friendly. The kalbi was my favorite. Keep an eye out on what their specials are for the day so you can score a deal!

Absolutely incredible authentic Korean cuisine. From the very first bite of banchan I knew this was going to be an incredible meal. The kimbap was prepared with such care - the ingredients were FRESH (trust me, you can tell when they are not) and wrapped beautifully. The jajangmyun noodles (a personal favorite of mine) had the most delicious sauce, better than any I've tried. The portions are very, very large for the price you pay; you won't be leaving hungry. They have a great selection of authentic Korean dishes (and soju!), I can't recommend this restaurant enough. And a HUGE shoutout to the staff, they truly were a highlight of the night with their generous hospitality and care.

Such a great experience here. not only was the food AMAZINGGGG, but service was above and beyond. Everything was delicious except for beef bulgogi-- would definitely skip on that one. So much foooood such a good food coma. The staff was so friendly and let us stay and finish up our meal as they were closing up. Small place to eat at but pretty good setup for big parties etc. Would 100% return if ever in the area and would recommend to everyone. super yummmmmmm.

We were seated pretty quickly, but the service was literally the worst I've ever experienced. It took forever to order and then forever to get our food. I think they actually forgot about us, so we had to go up to the waiters so many times, and then they would still forget our food or requests. We didn't even get our banchan until halfway through our meal. It was incredibly frustrating because we would see these new tables be seated, and they would immediately get their banchan and food. And this is before we even got our food. We probably waited for over an hour in total for everything. A lot of our entrees also came late, so we're glad we shared everything cuz otherwise, some of us would be hangry and starving the whole meal. We also tried to cancel our bossam, but then they said to give them five minutes, and that turned into 15 minutes. The bossam is actually one of the worst I've had and wasn't at all what I was expecting. It was overly marinated and fatty, and it's supposed to be really light and refreshing. I think I enjoyed the jjajangmyeon the most, but maybe it's cuz we were absolutely starving after all the wait. Even getting water and the check just took soo long. They completely overlooked our table as we watched all the tables around us get served. They def did look busy, but it's just outrageous.

Dropped in for an early dinner with a friend when the place was quite empty. We ordered a cheese pajeon, Jajangmyeon, and kimchi jjigae. All incredibly delicious! They also have daily specials and that day had half off liquor (we got some refreshing makgeolli). Fun music and cozy vibes inside the restaurant, would definitely go again.

This's located in Chinatown next to the fire station, the ambience is cozy! It's like a mom and pop restaurant, it's not a cook at your table type Korean restaurant! We ordered a couple beers, seafood kimchi pancake for appetizer, which is a pretty big portion to share! We got the pork belly as entree to share! It came with all the side dishes, and condiments! Everything was pretty good, one thing is that I wished they would've grilled the pork belly instead of frying it as how it's supposed to be. But overall, I would revisit this restaurant again!! They also have diff specials throughout the week, and happy hour, price is very reasonable!

I have no complaints about this place. Our service was phenomenal. Our food was phenomenal. The ambiance was quiet and all of the decorations were cute and welcoming. I ordered the Buldak and it was so rich in flavor with the most tender chicken. The perfect level of spice where your nose slightly runs but you revel in it. After eating we paid, left our tip, and when I went back later to order a Soju for the road I was welcomed back in and given it on the house. Phenomenal experience will be going again.

Located in Chinatown, about in between Chinatown Square and "old Chinatown." This is a nice change of pace from all of the dim sum, hot pot, and other kinds of Chinese food here. We actually came here after a hangover, so the food tasted fantastic. We ordered just the right amount of food to fill all of us up. There were 3 of us. We ordered the seafood pancake, kimchi pancake, bulgogi, and soup. Sorry I can't remember the exact soup since I didn't order it. The pricing was definitely exorbitant for pancakes, they shouldn't be as high as $19. Bulgogi was also overpriced, current cost is $28. Honestly, you could go to SGD or some other other Korean places in Glenview and pay $2-4 less for the same dishes. Service was good and we got our food fast. Overall it's about a 3 for me. Portion size was adequate but they're ripping you off in prices.

Friday special: Half off 1-set dinner for two was excellent. Pork belly was cooked tender. Came with flavorful dipping sauce. Also several side dishes. See photos. Clean cozy atmosphere. Friendly service. Meter street parking. Or, park in the parking lot. If you park in the lot, get your ticket validated at the restaurant.

For a place serving this quality of food, it should be considered a staple of Chicago. There are Four things that set this place apart: The super friendly staff who will help first timers understand the menu. The cozy home like feel in the middle of a bustling Chinatown street. The amount of Vegetarian/ Vegan options. Most importantly the Banchan aka The Side dishes. The portion sizes are massive. So come in with the intention to share, and occasionally stare at what the other tables are having. The Vegetarian Dumplings, though sounds lame, is so darn good, you will not be able to resist yourself. I snarffed the entire plate while my vegetarian wife was half way through her first dumpling. Honestly anything you order is awesome. However, for Beginners, I would highly recommend the Dolsot Bibimbap. Fun mix or rice and veggies and meat sizzling away in the hot stone bowl. We've tried something new everytime we have been there and honestly never once had a bad experience. the Ramyun, Kimchi pancakes, and Jajangmyeon are all phenomenal. Its. great meal. And like coming home from your own Ahjoomah's home, you will leave a lat fuller and happier than when you walked in. I would highly recommend this spot, especially for the vegetarian/ vegan crowd whose main gripe is a lack of options. Here your main gripe would be telling your friends to stay away from your food!!! On a scale of 1-5, I would rate it an uber and 4 n a half hour nap.

Unfortunately, nearly everything had fish paste, shrimp paste, oyster sauce, or whatever in it. It's extremely hard to have something vegetarian here. The dumplings were good thouh

We stopped by casually on a Saturday afternoon, there was no wait and it wasn't too busy so we were seated immediately. It's a quaint but spacious space, the only downside is they don't have a public restroom. It's for employees only. As far as the food goes the potion sizes are pretty big. One bowl would have fed my sister and I. We ordered the kimchi kimbap which was just okay. We also ordered the la bokki, the flavor was good and it had a nice spice. Additionally, we had the garlic wings which were also pretty good. Overall we had a nice experience.

Nice cozy ambiance and a wide array of menu options! I got the kimchi pork belly which was massive and sooo good. It wasn't too spicy thankfully, and the meat was super tender. The wait time was a bit long (25 mins) but other than that it was a great dining experience!

We ordered take-out here on a chilly day. Ahjoomah's Apron is a women-owned establishment in Chinatown serving Korean staples. Was craving some hearty soup and this hit the spot for us. For the take-out order, the time estimate was accurate and the package was nicely done to avoid any spills. I also enjoyed all the banchan packaging, but the selection seemed more limited than if you dined in. Each soup comes with 4 side dishes and rice. Boodae chigae - I can't say I'm no expert, but it had most of the toppings I was looking for - a lot of spam, sausage, tofu, kimchi and ramen noodles. The kimchi flavor was crazy strong and it was a mild spicy for me (which I of course added extra spice too). The broth consistency was thinner, but overall it tasted good. Haejangguk (Hang Over Soup) - contains beef rib meat, napa, bean sprouts, radish, and OX blood in spicy broth. Again, not very spicy at all. The beef rib was tender though. I didn't see many pieces of the OX blood of thee radish, but still a solid soup to us.

I am currently sitting in the restaurant, and this is what I've already experienced: I ordered a dolsot bibimbap and the first time they brought it over, it was missing the bulgogi and the dolsot had done absolutely nothing to the rice. I let them know and they immediately took it away and gave me some bulgogi in it. However, as I started eating it (about four bites in since they added the bulgogi) I found a thin but unstretchy, 4 inch long strip of white plastic in the dish--I had to fish it out of my teeth. They brought out a new one for me, but again the dolsot did nothing to crisp the rice. To make up the mess ups, they gave us complimentary mochi ice cream. The sides were really good, though. In retrospect, I have never, every been so disgusted at a restaurant before. After a while, the serving staff even avoided eye contact, possibly because they were afraid that something else was once again messed up--which wouldn't help me at all if they weren't willing to fix it. I can get over a lot of stuff (like charging a whole dollar more for a dolsot that doesn't do anything extra for the dish, or forgetting an ingredient), but the whole melted plastic strip deal and not comping my meal after everything that happened was kind of bad service.

Food was tasty and I loved the quiet atmosphere. My daughter loves for us to try new foods and we had a yummy feast.

I really wish Chicago had more of an authentic Asian restaurant scene. There are so many fusion spots and "cool asian restaurants" that are for the vibes without any of the mom-and-pop shops sadly. I'm from LA and used to a lot of that and I think they would bode well here! Anyway, Ahjoomah's is the only place that really is close enough to me in the city for me to get some Korean food that I'm used to. They have good side dishes and their seol long tang usually hits. In LA this would be very mediocre but any time I am craving Korean food it usually is enough to satisfy the craving! I usually order take-out/delivery so can't say much about the service or restaurant itself.

Had a poor experience yesterday with another Korean restaurant (check my previous review) so we had to redeem our Korean food experience. Went here around 4:45 and we're out before 5:30 pm! Great food! Attentive and fast service! Staff are very efficient. Their seafood pancake, unlike others I had tried, is not greasy. Love the jajamyeon. Their kimchi fried rice is very flavorful and tasty with natural flavors - not salty or loaded with msg. I just wish they had cocktails.

Went with my daughter for New years Lunar eve. Had the Kimchi Chigae which appears like a soup but is more like a stew. Slightly spicy broth, with some Kimchi, some veggies, and makes your nose run a bit. Excellent! They also served about a half dozen sides like boiled potatoes, tofu, cabbage, something that looked like squid , but wasnt. Wish my daughter was around I could be more exact. Plenty of rice. The entree was the pork belly which was great, lil smoky, lil crackly, served with some scallions, & onions. Very tasty. Those also came with rice and soy, jalapeños & white onions, etc. I havent done a lot of Korean but enjoyed it. Service was good but not in a rush. Definitely a place to check out.

I visited last week with a friend while I was in town. We came to China town to get hotpot, which would be my first time, and since there was a 3 hour wait at Happy Lamb, we opted for Ahjoomah's. Even though it was 7ish on a Friday evening, we were able to be seated immediately. My friend had been before, so he suggested we get the cheese pancake in addition to the hotpot. We opted for the Boodae Jun-Gol: Korean Army Stew. It featured bacon, spam, tofu, and spam, plus a bunch of veggies, rice cakes, and noodles. We also received sides of kimchi, bok choy, fish cakes, broccoli, and seaweed, to allow you to change the flavors with each bowl, or even bite, you take. First, the cheese pancake arrived. A thin pizza-like dish with a side of soy sauce. Light, fluffy, and definitely cheesy. It was good, but nothing mind-blowing. Not a lot depth--a bit one-dimensional. Then the hotpot arrived. We each poured ourselves a bowl and I realized how little of a dent we put into the pot. It seemed like it would be a challenge for two people to finish it. I got a first bite with sausage, noodles, and plenty of broth... And it was amazing. Literally one of the best things I've every eaten. The perfect level of spice--enough to feel a bit of burn, but not so much it overpowers the other flavors; tons of meat and tofu to provide protection and delicious flavor; warmed me fully from inside out on a cold day. Over the course of the next couple hours, we drained probably three quarters of the pot before the place was about to close, and we were both quite full. We definitely made our way further through the dish than I initially thought, but I genuinely think that dish could feed three people. Overall, the price seemed fairly standard, the service was good, and while the pancake wasn't amazing, the hotpot definitely was. My mouth's watering just thinking about it.

When weather in Chicago hits 90 degrees, naeungmyun is the way to go. Ironically, we also ordered the mushroom soup which is hot (and spicy). Both dishes were flavorful and I got my fair share of banchan, also known as Korean side dishes. My only quip is that the spice level on the mushroom soup isn't consistent (this time it was way spicier) and the egg in my naeungmyun was overly cooked and the yolk wasn't jammy. Would recommend the mushroom soup for two.

We got the Friday lunch special with grilled pork belly. It was delicious and fresh. The staff were very friendly. We were so stuffed.

This is definitely one of the spots to hit up especially on Thursday! They have half off liquor and they have an intoxicating number of options for soju (mint chocolate?!? WHAT!!!) and popular choices of imported beer as well. A bottle of Cass half off to accompany with spicy Korean foods was beyond refreshing The mushroom soup had a good number of different types of mushrooms. My favorites were wood ear and shiitake mushrooms, and they definitely don't skimp on you. There were plenty of foods for 2 and we still had leftover. The soup had plenty of umami flavor and was on the spicier side for sure. They used a lot of Korean pepper gochugaru coupled with black pepper and jalapeños, so if you're not a fan of heat you should get the non spicy version.

Been here so many times and the must get is the seafood jampongg noodles. The noodles are so bouncy with amazing texture and flavorful broth. If it was just the noodles it would have been a 5 star. My disappointment prompting this review was of the kalbi short ribs. For the price, it was small portions. Which is not really an issue as long as if it was good. The problem was it was so charred and essentially burnt that I literally could not tell what flavor it was other than... burnt. For 43$ I would expect at least flavorful ribs and instead I got a black dish. I quickly took off all the short ribs from the grill it was on to prevent any more cooking, but it was already too late as it was probably burnt beyond repair in the kitchen. Such a disappointment. It left such a bad taste in my mouth and literally ended up throwing the ribs away despite the $$.

Great food. I was brought here by a friend/coworker who lived in Korea for a few years so I know it is legit. The clientele when I ate here was mostly Asian so that is good recommendation as well. I ordered my standby, hot rock bibimbap with tofu. It was delicious. They are also very generous with sides. So overall, if you are in the mood for Korean, don't hesitate to try this place. Just a warning, it is a smallish and busy place so there's a wait for seats but also for service. Otherwise take it to go.

Overpriced for average tasting food. My husband and I came here around 3pm on a Sunday and it was empty. Got some complimentary banchan (side dishes), which we devoured. Pretty tasty but nothing unique to set it apart from other korean restaurants. The service was prompt and the food came out pretty quickly. We had gotten the la bokki (ramen+tteokbokki) and beef bulgogi. The la bokki was delicious and the rice cakes were cooked perfectly. The bulgogi did not taste like authentic korean bulgogi. The marinade was off, and on top of that, the dish was a whopping $25?! The meat was also very crumbly. Definitely will not be back.

This place has good Korean food with several different types of kimchi that they serve prior to giving the food which was fun! I liked the Ramyun Soon Tofu a lot, but will warn that the portions are very big and one dish seemed to be enough for 2!! The Bibimpop in my opinion was very flavorless and wouldn't recommend! Overall, this is a great place for some delicious Korean food!

At first glance, the prices of the entrees seem a little steep, but they are more than justified by the size of the portions, quality of the food, and wide array of side dishes which accompany the meal. I would highly recommend the Fried Pork Belly with Kimchi! It was loaded with flavor. The large beer I ordered was indeed quite a large bottle, and my wife and I were able to share it. It was at least as much as two regular sized bottles, if not more. The space is a little cramped, so hopefully you're dining with folks you don't mind being a little cozy with!

ahjoomahsapron has been my go-to comfort Korean Homestyle restaurant for a good 5 years now. Their food always hit the spot for especially with Chicago weather lately and a crowd pleaser for ones visting from out of town. My favs: kimchi seafood pancake haemul jun gol (spicy seafood hotpot) bossam (pork belly cabbage wrap) Cost (imo based on times I went) the more, the merrier 2-3ppl: 30-40$/each 4-6ppl: 25-30$/each

I don't know much about "authentic" Korean food but I'll have to say that I loved everything about my dinner here. Food was well portioned, came with your classic sides and service was great.

TLDR- I found hair in the food twice in a row. I really, really wanted to like Ahjoomah's apron. I am Korean and one thing Chicago is missing is good, accessible Korean food in the city. Havig lived in large Korean population cities like LA and NYC, downtown Chicago certain lacks options. So when I first discovered Ahjoomah's Apron, I was thrilled. I ordered Jjampong the first time and had a decent experience. However, when I ordered Bosam, that's when the nightmare began. The bosam didn't taste good, but most importantly what ruined my experience was hair found in their garlic they have on side. I tried to forget about it and some time has passed. I recently ordered stir fried pork belly with Kimchi. I thought the food tasted pretty good and I was going to move on after giving solid 4 stars. Then, today, I opened an unopened leftover kimchi they provided as a side dish and as I was approaching the bottom of the container, I found a long strand of hair stuck to the side that looks nothing like my hair (plus it was buried all the way in the bottom- see pic). This was once again a horrifying experience. I take pride as a Korean person not just for the taste of Korean dishes but also for the cleanliness of Korean restaurants and supermarkets like Perilla and H mart. However, my experience with Ahjoomah's Apron with two consecutive hair experiences has been a big disappointment. It's clear that the restaurant is not hygienic and I will not be ordering from nor going there.

Has high potential. I got the hangover soup and the bossam. The workers were nice and accommodating. I would say definitely on the pricier side. The galbi was $50+ the banchan itself was good and they give you a place of condiments with your bossam wrap: spicy sauce, raw oysters, pickled radish, garlic, jalapeño, and salted shrimp. Their ginger drink is definitely antiseptic feeling once you drink it.

Service was quick.... My son really likes Korean and I am not crazy about it. They have a whole bunch of sides which could be a meal by itself. I got the shrimp bibinbop and my son got some bean and pork noodles . Since these were lunch specials so I think we got half off of one order ... I wasn't allowed to use my free Mochi coupon with Yelp checkin. Disappointing! I won't be back because Korean food is my least favorite after Chinese and love mostly all good food.

There aren't many delicious authentic Korean cuisines in the south side of Chicago, but Ahjoomah's apron is definitely one! I was craving kimbap for a few months and am so glad they have it here! The rice is so soft and there is always a generous amount of filling in each bite. We also ordered kimchi fried rice. The kimchi, buttered rice combined with the soft fried egg makes it a must-order for me whenever I come here The food here is consistently delicious and the service is always friendly and quick. I highly recommend

The Korean ahjoomah: an icon, a beauty, a significant character in every good Korean drama. Identifiable by their tight perms, flowery articles of clothing, and love of Haneunim himself, ahjoomahs uphold Korean tradition and serve as a symbol of the inverted age pyramid. I have never been served by an ahjoomah at this restaurant, nor have I seen one there, but maybe one day... While it may not be the best Korean food I've ever had, it's still pretty good and they have a lot of variety of dishes, making this the perfect one-stop shop for your typical Korean food craving. The prices can be steep but the portions are large and I never leave feeling hungry. Service is great too - I once saw a server help a brotha out on a lonely Valentine's day and offer a free soda. I would recommend going on Tuesdays because they have a half-off special on all soups, a deal which I think would please the ancestors, but any day is a good day for Ahjoomah's in my opinion. Sitting in the window is cool too since you can take off your shoes and really embrace your inner ahjoomah. All to say, Ahjoomah's does the trick when you want some Korean food near Chinatown and the candies they give you after paying are yummy. The YangNyum Chicken was just okay, the ricecake + dumpling soup was also just okay, the Sel-Long Tang and Yookgae Jang are pretty good though.

Cozy place in Chinatown with truly authentic Korean food. ATMOSPHERE/ARCHITECTURE: 9/10 Inside, there is a modern aesthetic with a traditional feel coursing through the interior. I find it a perfect fusion and a great place to go dine in with a group of friends. The interior is spacious and seats 30-40. SERVICE: 9/10 Service was excellent. The food came fast, the staff was knowledgeable and friendly, making for a great experience. FOOD: 9/10 Having dined with a friend who lived in Korea for over 3 years, he obviously led our group with what to order and overall, in his opinion, the food was very authentic as to traditional Korean dishes. As for my opinion, I have noted it on several dishes here. Budae Jiggae - 9/10 - So-called "army soup" this came out of Korea in the Korean War era and typically was made up of many assorted items from army rations, from ramen to spam fused with Korean items like kimchi. This is a soulful, warm dish that really makes for a great start to the meal or end of the meal. Beef Bulgolgi - 9/10 - If you have gone to any Korean restaurant at any point in time, there is no doubt that you know what beef bulgolgi is. In case you don't though, it is essentially beef that has been marinated in a Korean barbeque sauce that leans on the sweet side. This bulgolgi is no disappointment. The right flavor is all there and the meat is tender as you would want it to be. Korean Fried Chicken - 9/10 - Another craze that has seeped into and is taking over the western world is that of Korean fried chicken. Their spin on fried chicken has a sweet soy garlic sauce with the chicken fried crispy and the sauce forming a nice shell coating each piece. Even more on trend and the ultimate east-west fusion is the additional of melted American cheese on top. As for me, I am not the biggest fan of this, but it's an option. VALUE: 10/10 Amazing value. I thought I was going to leave with a light wallet from here after filling my stomach. Let's say I left stomach full and wallet heavy. PROBABILITY OF RETURN: 10/10 Definitely want to come back here soon. TO EAT OR NOT TO EAT: Eat, please. Your stomach compels you. OVERALL: 10/10

Moved from LA ktown to Chi, so was nice to see a Korean place close to the Loop. But for Korean food nearby the city, would just recommend So Gong Dong inside the Hmart near Greektown instead. Taste was fine, quantity and price, not so much. The kimbap is ok, just overpriced for the six pieces given. The jjajangmyun (black noodles) is also ok. But quantity was super limited for the price. Also not an expensive dish to make, so wasn't sure why the noodles were so lacking.

Although I've dined in at this Korean restaurant, I have not been impressed enough to write a review UNTIL I made a pick-up order of their Japchae - Korean noodle dish with sweet potato noodles and vegetables. I was impressed because they included in the carry out order some of their Bonchon in little plastic cups - Kimchi, sautéed broccoli, and other pickled vegetables. Love it! The japchae was YUMMY? I would give this dish a four-star! Good portion. I wouldn't give an overall four-star because the entrées I tried while dining in were not as impressive, but I will come and try other dishes to be more thorough. But definitely order a carry out from here!