On the corner of Western and Berwyn lies the Korean BBQ restaurant San Soo Gab San. Its parking lot is constantly full throughout the weekend, with cars waiting for others to relinquish a parking spot, even during the late hours (the restaurant closes at 5AM, only to open back up at 10AM).
With the restaurant constantly being showcased on Chicago nightlife shows and being the topic of a lot of different restaurant conversations on the northside, I decided to stop on by and see what the fuss is all about. After all, it’s only just 10 minutes away from Northeastern Illinois University.
And to my surprise, the restaurant is quite worth the hype.
The restaurant is way bigger on the inside; once in, you’re taken a bit back by the size of the place. San Soo Gab San is part Korean grill and part sushi bar, with two slightly different dining areas to tell them apart. The ambience is quite nice, since people are talking lowly, making quick chit chat while either waiting for their food or stuffing their faces with BBQ.
After we placed our orders however, was when the real surprise came. The hostess came out with a bowl of rice and wonton soup to start us off. Before we had a chance to finish those two dishes, however, the march of seemingly endless food began.
For an appetizer, we started off with Goon Mandu, which are fried dumplings with vegetables and beef inside. (Note: Right off the bat, I recommend that if you’re only going with only one other person and you’re going to try the barbeque, skip the appetizer unless you want to take some leftovers home.
We happily munched down on the plentiful dumplings while waiting for the meat. One of the grill workers came over with a fire pit—an actual, live fire pit—and placed it into the hole in the center of our table. My friend and I were in surprise at not only how close we were to the action, but how hot the thing was.
Next, the hostess came out with about 15 or more side dishes that came along with the BBQ. These ranged from various noodles, vegetables, egg and tofu dishes. Then the hostess came out with the meat. We ordered the Wang Kal Bi, which were marinated short ribs. They gave us a nice large plate of small boneless strips along with a pair of tongs.
Now, on to the grilling—the most fun part about our experience at San Soo Gab San. The flames jumped as we placed the meat on the grill and started cooking (they also gave us large leafs of lettuce for us to make wraps). Between the appetizers, BBQ, rice, soup and side dishes, we were stuffed early. Sadly enough, we didn’t even get a chance to try all of the side dishes!
The pricing isn’t too shabby, either. Most of the BBQ dishes are around the $20 range and the appetizers can go from either $4 to $16. The various stews, soups, rice dishes, salads and casseroles are also reasonably priced. Be advised, the most expensive things on the menu are on the sushi side of the restaurant.
The only downside was the service at the restaurant. Our hostess wasn’t exactly rude, but she was very quiet along with the rest of the servers in the restaurant. She only smiled when we were slowly grilling our meat and came along to quicken up the process. Also, because of the tiny parking area out in front (one that’s full all weekend), it’s best that you and your friends either take public transportation or a taxi; otherwise, you’ll be waiting forever for a parking spot.
Overall, San Soo Gab San is a very enjoyable restaurant. Its main grilling attraction is an experience that’s best if you share it with a friend, two friends or even 10 friends. And with its pricing and location, it’s a real fun place to go late at night.