By Jamie Morgan
Photographs by Audrey Cho
If you ask people in Chicago how to get to Koreatown they may give you a hesitant look followed by a sigh before finally spitting out a few cross streets and a couple of places to check out on the North Side. They may even tell you about a restaurant in a suburb 45 minutes away from the city.
It’s not that there’s some hidden secret to hide, it’s because in Illinois, wherever there are Koreans, there is a mini Koreatown.
But if a historian had to locate Chicago’s Koreatown, it would probably be in Albany Park, a neighborhood on Chicago’s northwest side. About 20 years ago there was nothing on this strip that ran up and down Lawrence Avenue from Elston to Western. But in the 1980s, Albany Park became an immigrant hub in Chicago where Koreans, Cambodians, Indians and Yugoslavians all made their mark.
However, in recent years, Chicago’s honorary Seoul Drive has become an assorted compilation of Dunkin’ Donuts, Mexican mini-marts, Italian pasta and pizza places and Middle Eastern bakeries, interspersed between galbi restaurants, Korean bookstores and Korean-owned insurance companies. Almost half of the businesses on this 2.5-mile stretch are Korean-owned, with signs in Korean and English. And the neighborhood has the highest single Korean population in the city with 11.6 percent — although just one neighborhood over in West Ridge it’s 11.4 percent, according to the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission.
The truth is, Koreans have branched to other places in and outside of Chicago. There are now substantial Korean communities in suburbs like Skokie, Glenview, Northbrook and Des Plaines. And when the people moved, the businesses did, too.
“K-town is more dispersed throughout Chicago and the suburbs,” says Eun Young Lee, 25, a youth coordinator for Chicago’s Korean American Resource & Cultural Center. “About eight years ago, most of the people were no longer going into the Chicago K-town to eat or hang out, including adults, but were able to find the same restaurants in the suburbs near their home.”
Lee, says it’s hard for Chicago’s K-town to gain as much attention as the city’s Chinatown or Greektown, where the neighborhoods are dominated by one specific culture. Still, the honorary Seoul Drive street sign at Lawrence Avenue and Spaulding Avenue is just as firmly planted as the Korean music store next to Polish pastry shop. Here are some other “we’re not leaving any time soon” places to check out on Chicago’s North Side neighborhoods in Albany Park, North Park and West Ridge.
The Hot Spot
Moraeshigae
3658 W. Lawrence Ave.
The blacked-out windows and dim sign outside of Moraeshigae — named after a famous Korean drama and meaning “hourglass” — make it easy to pass up. Once inside, however, it’s impossible to forget.
The décor is a mix of natural elements — water, fire and earth — with just a touch of moodiness that’s essential to a good bar atmosphere. From the booths pieced from bamboo logs to the faux greenery strung along the ceiling to the waterfall in the back, Moraeshigae is raw, romantic and rich with detail, just like the TV drama. And it’s pretty much stayed the same since it opened in 1994. The owner, Sutok Im, 54, says that every piece of his bar was a methodical conscious choice to make sure that his bar stayed fresh for his target crowd of college kids who come for the big portions, smooth alcohol and loud music.
The menu, created by Im’s wife who is the head chef, pleases its Korean and non-Korean patrons who linger over spicy fried chicken and watermelon soju as American and Korean hip-hop blares all night.
Im arrived from Seoul in 1982 to study business and opened a string of Korean restaurants in Chicago’s Koreatown, all of which failed and dragged him into debt. He blames the past problems on bad timing and locations.
Moraeshigae turned out to be his “lucky one,” because just two years after its opening he was able to pay back all his debts. And he’s continued to do well, despite the fact that Koreans are moving to Chicago’s outlying suburbs.
Advertising is word-of-mouth and Im has a feeling that his business thrives because he has strayed from the run-of-the-mill Korean barbecue house, which is why commute hating mid-westerners are willing to drive from Schaumberg, IL, into a city 40 minutes away.
“This is not a traditional restaurant,” Im insists. “You cannot find it anywhere [else] out here. … There have been nights where the kitchen opens late and the customers will stand and wait. They are very, very loyal.”
Where To Eat
Kang Nam
Check it out: 4849 N. Kedzie Ave.
About: One of Chicago’s most loved Korean BBQ restaurants in a strip mall off Kedzie Avenue. Was once called Kang Sae, until the new owners bought the restaurant and made some subtle changes.
Claim to Fame: Dedicated to the art of cooking galbi over charcoal instead of gas.
Atmosphere: Traditional family-style restaurant. Lots of booth seating for groups of friends.
Fan: Binnie Hyuck, 35, a freelance grant writer, was introduced to Kang Nam by a Korean friend a couple of months ago and has been back four times since. “I’m not used to eating Korean foods,” says Hyuck, “but I think anyone would enjoy the galbi, it’s barbecue without all the many bones!”
Ssyal Ginseng House
Check it out: 4201 W. Lawrence Ave.
About: Soups served boiling hot with an array of banchan. The manager suggests throwing all the side dishes in for a thicker stew.
Claim to Fame: Samgaetang (ginseng chicken soup) warms the soul during frosty Chicago winters.
Atmosphere: Relaxing, cozy atmosphere where you can hear fellow diners discussing the heated presidential elections.
Fan: Frequent patron Brian Cho, 43, says “It’s very close to back home in Korea and how my mom and grand-mom used to make samgaetang.”
Also Try:
San Soo Gap San at 5247 N. Western Ave.
Open 24/7. Good for first-timers to Korean food. During the day they’ll talk you through the menu, but at 2 a.m. when the clubbers come through, you’re on your own.
Song Do Buffet at 4918 N. Lincoln Ave.
Go for the fresh noodles. Stay for the friendly smiles.
Where To Hang
Java N Mug
Check it out: 3247 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.
About: Serves coffee and bubble tea. Has a nice rotation of Korean comics and magazines to read at your leisure.
Claim to Fame: A creamy caramel macchiato that coffee and non-coffee lovers can both enjoy.
Atmosphere: Mixed young clientele from high school to 30-somethings. The smooth jazz playing in the background makes for a good casual first date.
Fan: Margaret Sanchez, 18, a Truman Community College student, always goes for the mango bubble tea, and “will never turn back!” she says.
Also Try:
Outdoor Café at 3257 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.
Wide selection of bubble tea and Korean desserts.
WHERE TO DRINK
Orange Café
Check it out: 5639 N. Lincoln Ave.
About: Korean and Japanese fusion restaurant and bar. Mussells and beer bongs. Spicy squid and Soju.
Claim to Fame: Bloggers rave about their Korean yogurt soju.
Atmosphere: Traditional, fun bar setting with Korean hip-hop music. They got rid of the karaoke though.
Fan: Eun Young Lee, 25, says “Orange is more like a bar. And their food is really good. The others are laid-back and kind of posh.”
Also Try:
Jin Ju Restaurant & Bar at 5203 N Clark St.
Upscale dining is complemented by fancy sojutini cocktails.
Get The Goods
Chicago Food Corporation
3333 N. Kimball Ave.
Buy some Korean yogurt or grab dumpling soup to go. It’s bumper to bumper on the weekends, but will supply all your needs.
Super H Mart
801 Civic Center Dr.
Immense supermarket known for its fresh produce, seafood department and food court.
Arirang Supermarket
4017 W. Lawrence Ave.
Good prices, wide variety, a fully stocked freezer section and many items available in bulk.
City Resource
It’s not just about the food. Chicago’s Korean community is also known for its grassroots activism.
KRCC
Founded in 1994 by a group of young Korean Americans, the Korean American Resource & Cultural Center is all about assisting immigrants. With programs geared toward educating Korean American youth, as well as offering free ESL classes and assistance with processes such as naturalization, financial aid and scholarships, KRCC’s mission is to empower the community through education, social service, organizing and advocacy.
It also serves as a place where Koreans can stay connected to their culture while adjusting to American life.
“Assimilation is good,” says KRCC youth coordinator Eun Young Lee. “But sometimes you need to be around familiar people too.”
KAN-WIN
Korean American Women in Need opened in 1990 after the founders recognized the need to address domestic violence in the Korean community.
“KAN-WIN is the only organization in the Midwest specifically providing services for Korean- and Chinese-speaking immigrant women and children survivors of domestic violence,” says Jenny Choi, who focuses on policy advocacy work for the organization.
Among the nonprofit’s initiatives are a transitional housing program that includes life and job skills development, a support group for DV survivors and their children, legal and social service advocacy and a 24-hour crisis hotline that provides information as well as emergency shelter placement and referrals.
Tune In
With more than 45,000 Korean Americans living in the greater Chicago area, Korean-language media has a thriving audience
Chicago Korean Broadcasting, Inc.
• Airs on 1330 AM from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday
• Mix of news and pop music
Korean Christian Broadcasting System
• Airs on 1590 AM from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. daily
• Christian broadcast for Koreans
Korea Times
• The affiliate Korean-language newspaper of the Korea Times, Los Angeles
• Published Monday through Saturday
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