So I've kind of been wondering for a while if anyone would ever be wise enough to open an upscale and hip Korean BBQ house in the city. Not that I don't love the traditional ones, but the best ones are usually small and you end up smelling like nothing but meat after. I had always thought it would be a genius idea to open up a higher end type of Korean BBQ including a dressed up atmosphere and offering a fun dining experience to its patrons. Enter
bellyQ. The minute I saw an article about them opening up, I thought "This is it!" and couldn't wait to check it out. We went on their first official weekend. The Hubster made the reservation and I was counting the minutes until I got off work to head over. I am always starving the minute I get off work so the timing was perfect! And because the sun was still out and we were seated next to the large windows, I was able to get some great iPhone shots of everything we ate. Natural light is always the best lighting. =)
photo by: Barry Brecheisen
photo by: Barry Brecheisen
I was extremely pleased with the layout of the restaurant. The decor was industrial and rustic but comfortable and the floor plan is very open and spacious. Not once did I feel suffocated by barbecue smoke. I want to clarify that there are NOT grills at every table. There is a specific section for tables with grills. I think the max seating at the grill tables is a party of 4 people. I'm pretty sure you have to specify if you want to sit at the grill tables ahead of time.
The bar and lounge area is also very nice. It is roomy and a perfect spot for happy hour. I LOVE that they have some wines on tap. You can order by the glass, 1/2 liter, or full liter. The 1/2 liter is PERFECT for me. Tek prefers beer over wine so it's usually just me drinking wine during dinner. I find myself in that situation often where I think one glass is just not enough and a whole bottle to myself just makes me look like an alcoholic. The option of having a 1/2 liter bottle totally rocks my socks! I will definitely have to try their cocktails though. I saw lots of interesting ingredients up at the bar that go into some of the drinks and it got me super curious.
This was the Savory Asian Pancakes. This is a must have! The big chunks of bacon were heaven with the fresh greens. I appreciate any dish that is light and refreshing but still packed with flavor. I never thought kimchi would complement greens like this that well but the flavors of this dish harmonized amazingly. And there is frisee! I've got a thiiiiiing for frisee. I always get super excited when there is frisee in salads or apps.
This is the Almond Caesar Salad. It was highly recommended to us by Chef Kim himself. If I can remember correctly, I believe he said it is made with no eggs unlike most caesar dressings. Instead he uses almond oil. The best part is that they spread the dressing onto each and every leaf so you can eat it with your hands. There are also toasted chick peas that serve as croutons for the salad. I was very surprised that he would recommend a salad when I asked him for an item that we should definitely order. But after tasting it, I completely understood why he told us to get it. It's a little strange but I judge restaurants based on their salads. For some reason I feel that if they have amazing salads on the menu, then the rest of the menu will be out of this world. This theory has not failed me yet.
The Thai Style Fried Chicken was also very tasty. It wasn't really what I had expected when I read it on the menu. I expected deep fried and crunchy but it actually came out soft and moist. The sauce was a little too strong for my taste buds but The Hubster loved it.
Three different sauce options if you want to use them for the grill selections. In my opinion, the meats were flavorful enough. I did however use the middle one (I think it's called the "belly sauce") on my salmon. Not realizing how spicy it was, I think I used a little too much. So be careful not to do that. =)
This relish/slaw also came with our grill selections. It was perfect at cutting through the oils and savory flavors from the meat. I definitely would have eaten more of this if I had room.
How tantalizing does that meat look?!
Here is my salmon drenched in the belly sauce.
Seafood Tofu Hot Pot. I think it was inspired by jjampong because it tasted vaguely like it. We barely got through 1/3 of it because it was our last dish. I took the rest to go and had it Saturday afternoon. Was perfect for my hangover.
I love the seating!
I'll tell you right now, by the time we got to dessert, I was so full I could have curled up into a ball and passed out under the grill. I have never been so grateful for my stretchy yoga pants. I forced myself to just take one tiny scoop of this dessert because as usual I was curious. They call this the "Next Level Boba" because it's not your traditional tapioca pearl shake. We went with the Citrus Ice version because I love anything citrus flavored. Made with vanilla soft serve, yuzu tapioca pearls, and shavings of lemon rind, it packs a punch in flavor! I'm not gunna lie, I am NOT a dessert person, and I never leave room for it in my belly. The minute I tasted this dessert, I couldn't stop myself. I was fighting The Hubster over the last few bites. It's really light and refreshing which is what I prefer when it comes to dessert. This was a slam dunk for me.
Chef Bill Kim. Thank you for the recommendations!
WHAT WE ORDERED: THAI STYLE FRIED CHICKEN, SAVORY ASIAN PANCAKES, ALMOND CAESAR SALAD, BANANA LEAF WRAPPED SALMON, KOREAN SHORT RIB, SEAFOOD TOFU HOT POT, CITRUS ICE NEXT LEVEL BOBA
Everything was amazing and we left very happy. Don't come into this restaurant expecting it to be like a traditional Korean BBQ joint. They take what can be considered traditional and dress it up. If you have had korean food before, the flavors will seem very familiar but different somehow. You may also get a bit of a sticker shock, especially if you are used to going to all you can eat Korean BBQ for $20. But I assure you, the flavors and experience are worth it. Oh and did I mention they have a karaoke room off to the side? I will definitely be going back to give that a whirl. There is also a private room for large parties that is perfect for small celebrations.
Sorry this had nothing to do with fashion. I really want to incorporate some of my random Chicago adventures with you guys. Hopefully you enjoyed it. Just a reminder that the comment section is now located at the top left side of each blog entry! Leave me thoughts on this post and if you liked it! =D
xoxo,
DOS
