Cho Sun Ok: User Reviews

A fine Korean joint
By Joe1701D from Bucktown, April 20, 2009

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A quality Korean restaurant. Try the kalbi, duk mandoo kook, chop chae, kimchi jigae, mul nayng myung and all the little side dishes (panchans).

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simply Da Best in Chicago
By metro from chi-town, June 7, 2008

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there is always a line after 5:00; any day of the week. The best kalbi.

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Fab food, great value, service eh? do I really care about the bathrooms? Definitely worth the wait..
By SBaker from Evanston, March 17, 2008

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Cho Sun Ok is a small one-room restaurant.. Despite the sometimes long wait, the intoxicating aroma of soy, garlic mixed with a little spice and sweetness makes you stand in line with the rest of the folks waiting to get in.. As I have found with most "authentic" ethic-type restaurants, service is not always the best and yes, bathrooms are sometimes also not the best, but the food typically is absolutely delicious, authentic and reasonably priced. As for the food, we ordered both the unmarinated and marinated meat with some octopus thrown in.. Everything was so tasty and the portions were huge. We favored a couple of the little side dishes and all I had to do was ask the waitress (who was very busy) if we could have a little more and she came back a few minutes later with heaping bowls for us. The best part was the "fried rice" they create for you from your table leftovers on the cooking stone.. amazing flavor and just the perfect way to end a meal.. This is certainly not a Lettuce Entertain You type of restaurant, but if you come with a little bit of patience, a good appetite and some friends, you will not be disappointed by this dining experience.

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Bottom of the Barrel for Korean Dining! NOT RECOMMENDED.
By sweetpea from Ravenswood, November 18, 2007

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Service could not be worse; rude, and indifferent. Panchans were not spicy & small selection. Had to ask several times, until we received some of the "good" Panchan. As for the "Cook-at-Table Dinners", we were not allowed to cook our own and servers quickly cooked our meat with no style. We were also not provided with a plate of spliced green onions as were other 'regular' diners. (we like onions too!). Also not really impressed with the 'stone-top' cooking vs. real over-the-coals BBQ. And, very suprised that no Diners were provided lettuce leaves for roll-ups of the BBQ meat, as at other Korean BBQ's. We're thru trying different Korean restaurants - and will stick with the best - Kang Nam - where for same price you get EVERYTHING included: korean pancake,salad & soup, and all the wonderful (good) Korean panchans -- and all diners are treated like welcome guests and not a burden!

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The place is what you'd...
By R.S.Woz from Chitown, IL, July 30, 2007

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The place is what you'd expect atmosphere wise from an uptown restaurant. Coming here is about eating Korean food the way most neighborhood folks would eat in Seoul. Its also not a gourmet restaurant in the Chicago sense of the word. This is a place to experience decent food served Korean style. I'd recommend the Cha-dol Gui, it's a version of bulgogi beef and a house special. They listed Cha-dol Gui as dinner for 2, but the portion can surely serve 3 to 4. Like any cultural experience, appreciating customs and languages will go along way.

My boyfriend and I often...
By jenpenquin from Chicago, IL, July 8, 2007

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My boyfriend and I often see a long line of people waiting outside this restaurant and decided to try it on Friday. We watied for more than an hour to get in, and the wait was not worth it. There is too much fat on the beef. The potato pancake was not good. This place is not small table friendly. There are only a few small tables and they won't seat you even if you have been waiting for a whil.e Overall, I think there are better Korean food in the city.

As w/ most restaurants, Cho...
By J from Chicago, IL, June 30, 2007

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As w/ most restaurants, Cho Sun Ok does some things very well. CSO's specialty is their "cha-deul-bae-gee" or the thinly sliced (non-marinated) beef that you cook on the stone slab on your table and then dip in various sauces. This is different from kalbi which comes pre-marinated, so don't confuse the two - they are different dishes each - both excellent depending on mood. And what they are most well knownb for is the what they do w/ the left overs - they mix is all together w/ a spicy concoction and voila - a nice post-meal dish that will leave your tastebuds satisfied. Yes, their service sucks but hence the value - this isn't trotters. Go for the cha-deul-bae-gee and ending mix dish and you'll know why many koreans love Cho Sun Ok.

Cho Sun Ok is hands-down...
By Bill from Chicago, IL, November 25, 2006

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Cho Sun Ok is hands-down one of the best Korean restaurants in Chicago. Their galbi is more fairly priced and better tasting than many others; their panchan, esp. the green onions and potatoes, are fantastic; and if you go with a Korean person, service is no issue. Go here.

Worst restroom, bad location,little service,...
By ann from Chicago , IL, August 24, 2006

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Worst restroom, bad location,little service, no atmosphere, O.K.food...