Chicago Northern Suburbs β This Spot Has My #1 Korean Cold Noodle π
Went on an autumn trip to the northern suburbs, and a friend randomly picked this highly rated Korean spot. 4.8 stars β menu has spicy pork ribs, Korean soups, AND Korean BBQ β perfect for the indecisive π Walked in and spotted several tables of Korean customers, including a lively group of ajummas chatting away β felt like we stepped into a K-drama. Knew we were in the right place. π Chicago Galbi House π 340 W Half Day Rd, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089 π Korean Cold Noodles β pretty much every table had a bowl! Even though it was chilly, we still ordered one. And YES β it was amazing!! The noodles were coated in a spicy-sour sauce, ice-cold, super refreshing. Thin-sliced pickled radish and a few sweet crunchy pear slices added great texture. You can choose between two noodle types β we went with the soft, thin buckwheat noodles. Most Korean cold noodles are submerged in broth β this one was more like "mixed cold noodles", with thick sauce clinging to every strand (you know what I mean?). By the end, barely any sauce left in the bowl. This is hands-down my favorite Korean cold noodle dish so far. π SPICY BRAISED PORK BACK RIB β even the sides were delicious! A mountain of spicy pork ribs β tender, fall-off-the-bone, super flavorful. Spicy but not that fermented cabbage spice β I really liked it. And the sides? Chefβs kiss: sweet soft pumpkin, fiddlehead ferns under the ribs (perfect with rice),ζ¨θ³, cabbage... so much variety. Menu says 2-person serving β honestly enough for 4! Definitely order this. βΌοΈ Tip: Everyone gets a bowl of rice β you can choose between white or purple rice. The purple rice was SO and fragrant, mixed with grains β perfect pairing with the spicy ribs. I wouldnβt recommend ordering another rice dish like bibimbap β even though their hot stone bibimbap is pretty good. π₯ We also ordered the cod fish hotpot. Compared to the other dishes, this one was just okay β fish was tender but not very flavorful. βΌοΈ Tip: If youβre ordering the spicy ribs, just add a small soup β enough variety. This place is known for BBQ, but honestly the non-BBQ dishes are just as solid. At the end, the ajusshi server gave us free ice cream cones β chocolate + ube swirl β icy, not too sweet, perfect palate cleanser! Before leaving, I shamelessly asked for another cone, specifically ube-only β and he happily obliged. A truly satisfying day of autumn fattening π #ChicagoEats #ChicagoFoodie #Chicago #KoreanFood #ColdNoodles #KoreanRestaurant
