Parachute HiFi
Korean restaurant · Avondale
3500 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
Highlights
Parachute HiFi is a laid-back Avondale spot serving bold Korean-American bites, inventive cocktails, and spinning vinyl for a perfect midweek vibe.
Parachute HiFi is a laid-back Avondale spot serving bold Korean-American bites, inventive cocktails, and spinning vinyl for a perfect midweek vibe.
"After closing in March, Parachute is back and has transformed into a full-fledged listening bar. It’s a fun and fresh remix in the restaurant’s original Avondale location, with Korean food and drinks that are as exciting as the hifi records echoing in the charming basement-esque space. Hank Williams classics and Korean oldies crackle as friends sit on gnome-shaped stools, eating burgers dipped in cheese and bordelaise or chewy tteokbokki pad thai. At the bar, couples showered in disco ball sparkles dig through a bingsu cocktail’s Fruity Pebbles and shaved makgeolli ice. And though Parachute’s beloved scallion bing bread is back only on Wednesdays (we’ll take it), you’ll still want to see what jams are playing here on any night." - adrian kane, john ringor, veda kilaru, nick allen, john ringor, john ringor, john ringor, john ringor, john ringor, john ringor, john ringor, nick allen, nick allen, nick allen, john ringor, nick allen, john ringor, john ringor, john ringor, john ringor,
"Opened in 2014; closed for two years in 2022, then five months in 2024 When Parachute first opened in 2014, it turned its neighborhood into a destination. The chef had just finished her stint on Top Chef, and her new restaurant defined a new generation of Korean American food in Chicago. It adapted a few times in its 10 years of operation before closing, and now the owners have rebranded the original space as a listening bar. New concepts can be hard to accept, but if all of life’s evolutions came with Parachute Hi-Fi’s boozy bingsu, tteokbokki pad thai, and neighborhood bar charm, we’d welcome change with open arms." - anne cruz
"This Korean listening bar is what we call basement chic—it’s decorated with old radios and a whole lot of wood paneling, an aesthetic worthy of Midwestern Luxe magazine. Fun vinyl is always crackling through the speakers, and they have excellent snacks and drinks, like a bingsu cocktail that tastes like Fruity Pebbles. Just know that the rules of “the comfy couch” apply—Parachute HiFi is a first come, first serve spot. Arrive early in the night to grab a place to hang." - nick allen
"Parachute was an influential Korean restaurant that earned a Michelin star and a James Beard Award for chefs Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark. They’ve decided to go more casual with Parachute HiFi, which mixes street food with a listening bar feel. Find a decadent burger swimming in comte fondue, or tteokbokki served in pad Thai. No, this new rendition of Parachute isn’t traditional Korean, but the food is executed at a high level." - Ashok Selvam
"A revamped listening bar in Chicago, part of the city's vibrant audio-focused venues." - Lisa Shames
