Best Korean Restaurants in Lincoln Square

Me and my friend went for our birthday and it was an amazing experience. The food and service was excellent throughout our whole experience and we both highly recommend. I personally recommend the salmon first bite to start!

I cried while eating the pumpkin and eggs. My friend also almost cried about how good the food was. 10/10 would recommend. Shoutout my friend and BTS for recommending this glorious establishment. Great way to start day before Moonbyul concert. Shoutout to Moonbyul my beloved.

Jeong was a phenomenal experience from start to finish. The service was warm and welcoming and the food was outstanding. I would highly recommend Jeong for any special occasion!

We ordered the Jampong Mussels, Chef’s Meat Sampler, Doeng Jang Jjgae, and Banchan.. everything tasted good. I mean it tasted as Korean food should, the meat was buttery soft and while I thought it odd to have to order banchan separately… it is unlimited, so there is that. The Jampong Mussels tasted good, but it wasn’t Jampong soup really, it was more Kimchee Jjgae broth with pork (so if you are pescatarian you might want to ask if they can omit or it may not work for you). The cocktails were lovely though (as many people commented… ) I had a Matcha Sour, I believe it was called, so good if you like sweet cocktails and the expresso martini was fantastic. In terms of the ambiance, it’s a nice moody sort of interior. It is dark at night, but because it is a corner restaurant it was nice to see all the night lights come through the windows. All adds to the vibe. All in all would I recommend? If you want to have a Korean experience, but in an elevated atmosphere then yes. The food is good, but was it phenomenal? No… it wasn’t like a Benu (from SF) experience, but could be a nice date night, special occasion, or somewhere you would bring a special guest… that maybe isn’t Korean? Honestly I think the bad reviews were mostly from fellow Koreans, (or at least those who are in the know about Korean food) but like I said it’s very good food, just not anything new or quantity wise, satisfying for the natives.

Highly recommend Palilgu for a casual yet lively dinner! The pork belly and teobokki was amazing. Can't wait to come back and try out the other dishes.