Ssyal - Chicago Korean Restaurant

"Feeling under the weather? A bowl of Ssyal’s samgye-tang, or ginseng chicken soup, should do the trick. An entire Cornish hen is stuffed with glutinous rice, jujubes, garlic, and ginseng root and then simmered to produce the nourishing broth. It’s served with sweet brown rice and mixed greens." - Ashok Selvam

"This Albany Park institution has been around since 1988, and is most famous for samgyetang, its signature ginseng chicken soup. The fame is justified: their whole cornish hen stuffed with rice and sweet jujubes is fall-off-the-bone tender and floats in a rejuvenating, light broth. But while the soup is a must-order, everything is a hit, like the sweet galbi or dakdori tang, a spicy chicken stew with potatoes and carrots. Syaal’s chill, casual space is often filled with people quietly eating to a soft instrumental soundtrack—the perfect environment for a chicken soup spa treatment." - john ringor, adrian kane

"Yes, this 40-year-old Korean institution in Albany Park is famous for its wonderful ginseng chicken. But Ssayl also has some great BBQ dishes on their menu. Like tender galbi, spicy pork bulgogi, and heavily marinated beef bulgogi that’s sitting in a sweet sauce with carrots and onions. It all comes with a delightful spread of banchan, which your friendly server is always quick to replenish in case you run low on macaroni salad or kimchi. The casual space is really relaxing, and filled with people quietly eating to the sounds of soft instrumental music. So come here instead of booking that hour-long session in a  float tank. " - adrian kane, john ringor

"Samgyetang is stress relief in a bowl, and Ssyal in Albany Park makes an excellent version of this rejuvenating Korean soup. After the first spoonful, you’ll already feel as relaxed and carefree as the cornish hen that's floating peacefully in the white ginseng broth. It’s light, slightly herbal, and pairs perfectly with the nutty brown rice and sweet jujubes stuffed inside of the hen. " - josh barnett, john ringor

"Ssyal is an Albany Park institution that's been around since 1988, most famous for samgyetang, its signature Korean ginseng chicken soup. And that fame is justified: the whole cornish hen stuffed with rice and sweet jujubes, floating in a light broth, is tender and comforting. While the rejuvenating soup is a must-order, Ssyal has other tasty dishes on their menu, too. Like sweet galbi and spicy dakdori tang, a sinus-clearing spicy chicken stew with potatoes and carrots. The casual space is very chill, often filled with people quietly eating to a soft instrumental soundtrack. " - john ringor, adrian kane