Chungkiwa Restaurant

Absolutely fantastic service and food. Best Korean place in all of Chicago. We drove and hour to get here and will be coming back regularly. The ambiance was interesting and not what you would expect in a traditional Korean place (not really kid appropriate). They actually came to our table and asked if the food was good and then offered to exchange any dish if there was something we didn’t like. How often does hat happen? They have some ice cream free at the end and gave my wife a stuffed dog to keep! Interesting final touch!

This is my second visit since three years ago, I would rate this restaurant ¹⁰⁄₅ stars if Unilocal allowed. The food was delicious, I’m very satisfied. The customer service was great, the waitress checked-​in on us every 10 minutes. We even received free water and icecream cones after we finished our meal! Everything was just amazing about this restaurant, it would be perfect if they had more comfortable booths and bigger tables. Love this place, long drive but definitely will come back for more!

Amazing food and the atmosphere is welcoming. Totally authentic. Best Korean pancake I’ve ever had! The owner is so accommodating and friendly. The menu has an amazing selection of traditional Korean BBQ and fresh seafood dishes. Highly recommend!

Not a Chicago native, this Korean restaurant was recommended to our group when we specified wanting «Korean bbq.» It will certainly go down in the books as one of the most unique dining experiences of my life; read on.
Upon entering, the setting wasn’t very welcoming as we were the only patrons in the restaurant, no music playing, and there were many sculptures and other art pieces that seemed ‘out of place.’ It certainly gave us a lot to talk about and look at. I was 1 of 2 Korean-​speaking people in our group and our waiter was beyond conversational throughout the experience. It was clear that he took pride in the restaurant, from the food to the artwork. He gave us great recommendations (ie. scallion pancakes are very crispy, the meat is super fresh, all food is prepared to order) and he was right — we were all very pleased with the food. He checked in on us very frequently and even proceeded to showcase some other historical artwork and a collector’s item sword. But that’s not all, we each received a different STUFFED ANIMAL at the end of it all as a parting gift. And MINI DRUMSTICK ice cream cones for dessert.
As many have said, the service was above average and the food was great. Our group could not stop talking about it even after we left.

Simple: great food, great service, great price. If you are looking for a good Korean meal come here. You’re welcome for saving your time; now you don’t need to read any more reviews, your decision has been made… go here!

Great friendly service! We came in a quiet night and had the best time. Owner was so great, he came by to say hi to our baby niece.
Pork belly was so great! An kalbi was also awesome! Will never go to any kalbi place ever again!
Ten stars! Is that even possible? Will definitely come back! Soon!

Yippee yippee yay YAY! This is my new go-​to korean bbq spot (10 – 15 minutes further than Koreana). Been here twice and both times left super duper HAPPY!
Service: If one have been to a number of Korean spots, often times, you will have these «I hate life» waitresses/​servers. They may get the job done, but sometimes, this pissy attitude can kill one’s appetite/​vibe. You won’t find that here. Even if you’re not Korean (Yes I said it, I’m being real here), the sincerity and service at Chungkiwa is excellent. Language barrier aside, the two guys working here are fantastic!
Food: That raw beef dish was so bombdizzle (I’m an adventurous eater while my fiancée isn’t) that my Fifi actually ended up eating half of it.
That GALBI!!! dang, soo good, marbly-​great. Better portion that most places to boot!
The soups could be better though :/​
Spring onions for the wraps was mostly lettuce and other greens — different mix compared to other places

Food is really good, very less option for vegans but still the option r very good. Quantity for the price is really good, their behavior is also out of context too good to believe until n unless you have experience it. On request they prepared the non veg dishes by removing the meat item for the vegans. Food quality and quantity is really really good. If staying near this Restaurent then definitely you should try it.

Amazing Korean Food! I have been to many Korean restaurants all over Chicago, suburbs, even all over Hawaii, and I would have to say that this will be one of my favorite top 3. I only say ‘top 3′ not only because of the amazing food, but because of the atmosphere. Every table has its own unique artistry within an enclosed booth. Which is also why it would be a perfect ‘date’ place. The owner is the only chef and he uses only the highest quality meats and vegetables. The seasoning on the food uses no msg, and it isn’t overly salty like other Korean restaurants. The chef truly IS a chef! We came here because we couldn’t find the original place we were planning on going to. This is one of those ‘good’ mistakes. I am REALLY impressed! Upon Arriving we received little gifts and the Chef/​owner handed them to us greeting «Happy New Year!» He seems like a very humble and peaceful man. I could go on about this place but I’ll just leave it at this. You DEFINITELY HAVE TO TRY THIS PLACE!
Oh By the way, the service is amazing!

Probably the best kbbq in the Chicago area. Perfectly marbled bulgogi, tender Kalbi, and well marinated chicken. A little pricey but the goal here is quality. Leagues above the AYCE places in the area.

My fiancé and I were looking for Korean in Mt Prospect and found this lovely place. We had such as an enjoyable time. Very unassuming décor and friendly servers. Our Christmas treats were very unexpected and fun! Tasty food.

We are not Korean, but this has been one of the best food I have ever had. Also the best service ever!

I have to say this place has the best service I’ve ever seen in a while. The food is nice, has a variety of selections and between my two visits all our orders have been authentic and delicious. What I liked the most again is their attitude. The sever /​owner at this restaurant went above and beyond when they deliver our dishes, and upon learning my boyfriends sore throat even offered us juice on the house. Definitely recommended if anyone is in the area.

This place was as good as it could get!
I’m a huge fan of Korean food but just realized all of the Korean bbq places I’ve been to (even living right next to Korea town in Dallas) paled in comparison to Chungkiwa. First, the décor. Yes, it is very odd and eclectic. The booth we sat at had a naked female statue, a moose coat hanger and a picture of a baby scratching it’s ass. Across from us was a bronze statue of a man decapitating another man with what appeared to be an axe. Oh yeah, he was also naked. Okay, but I’m not here to eat the decoration. Stuff like that really doesn’t hinder a good dining experience. But, the service which does play a role in how I truly feel about a restaurant was EXQUISITE! From the moment we walked in, my date and I were greeted by the most genuine, humble and attentive waiter and owner. So please tip well if you receive the same exceptional attention during your eating experience.
We ordered korean dumplings, bulgogi, pork belly and split a bottle of soju for about 75 bucks. It was a lot more expensive compared to the other places that Unilocal pulled up but so worth the money! The beef bulgogi wasn’t stained dark brown like I’ve seen so many times, but bright red and looked actually like beef, surrounded by a light marinade. The result was that it was easily the best bulgogi I’ve ever had. Apparently we ordered a pound, but it felt less because it was so delicate, light and tender. I also appreciated that the meat plates came out with raw vegetables so you could throw them on the hot grill. The pork belly was as delicious as it sounds, simple, no seasoning but turning into something magical once you cook it and then dip it in the sesame oil and salt and pepper mixture. All of the banchans and rice were perfect. Most of the banchans were recently made. This place is the true definition of quality is way better than quantity! I’m kinda craving it again tonight…
Cool note: Most of the tables are private booths, which we loved because it made it feel like we were at our own private restaurant. Great ventilation here too. Just saying. I hate smelling like smoke for the rest of the day.

Nice exotic atmosphere, great food and service!
Ingredients seemed very fresh, and meat was in high quality.
I heard they do not use MSG at all, and I think they really don’t!
The best part of this place for me is that the dishes are not too salty compared to dishes of other Korean restaurants.

Must try Yuk-​hwee & los– BBQ.
Best servers in Chicagoland and high quality of meats & Korean cuisine ()d”

Awesome food… very warm n prompt services… What more can u ask… its really a nice place for food…

Seafood pancake was great. Spicy beef and BBQ pork belly were even better. Legit portions and spicy. I’ll be coming back here. Also, Kim Chee was delicious.

Chungkiwa is a bit of a mixed bag for me. On one hand, the flavors are pretty spot on, everything seems to be made out of good ingredients, the dishes are presented well — however the portions are a bit small, lacking in meat, and the prices are quite high. The dishes are also not very memorable in flavor — satisfying but you wouldn’t recognize them in a blind taste test against other local Korean restaurants. The service is relatively good, the food temperature and cooking speed is good, the dining areas are comfortable and decorated quite a bit (although I don’t exactly understand the theme), the noise level isn’t too high although the background music isn’t Korean themed.
I was served 6 banchan here, all fresh and light tasting — a little small on portion size although we were offered refills — nothing unusual you haven’t tried elsewhere.
The hot pot bibimbap had a light flavor to it with nicely crisped rice. The fried end was prominent in this dish but I wish that the sliced beef was more noticable. The lightly sauteed and seasoned vegetables did provide nice texture contrast in the dish.
Jang gook bop had a good body to the broth with just the right amount of rice in the soup.
Kalbi tang casserole was mixed for me – I wish the beef had more flavor and the sesame oil was a little strong but the vermicelli in the dish did add a nice touch.
Sam kyup sal — The slices of pork belly were prepared well, fatty but still having a bouncy texture to the meat and crispy edges. The taste of sesame was prominent in this dish but it worked well. Still, a bit expensive for the amount of meat you’re getting.
The meal ended with Lil’Drums, which appropriately matches the mixed East-​West feel I got from this restaurant.
Overall, it’s a place I would return to for the quality of the food — but still wish that the prices would be just a little lower.

I know practically nothing about Korean food. What I do know is that every culture has something amazing to offer so I decided to go for it when my friends suggested this joint.
From the looks of it doesn’t seem like it has any potential. I live so close to it and never realized it was there. Its in that weird plazza on algonquin by busse. Who would ever think that this fantastic korean place is there. Well I am so glad I ran into this place.
A fun fact about this place. You can cook the food yourself in front of you or you can order it be cooked in the back. I sugested we have it cooked in the back. I am not the best cook and frankly I am not sure how much I am bound to eff it up.
My friend ordered 4 orders of bulgogi, 2 with the bone and 2 without. One loves the bone one and my other friend opts for the other. I think they taste exactly the same but hey what do I know? I am from south east europe, all we know is tomatoes and feta cheese. They were fantastic. It was blesses with some great seasoning and a fun like teriyaki sauce. Lohoved it!
They give you so many little dishes with the food. They are more like sides or sauces. Some of them are really good, some are just too spicey for me. (I genuinely feel bad for the dishwasher)
Now the best part of this place. The service!!! Our server was attentive, humble, sweet and efficient. I was really impressed. I loved everything about this place. Cant wait to fo there again.