Jin Soo Korean bbq / 진수 코리안 바베큐/나일스 한식당/고기 전문점 — Restaurant in Maine Township

Summary: A solid Korean restaurant for both Korean BBQ and non BBQ options.

I made return visit because I was impressed non BBQ options last time I visited during its opening month. It was still nice. I was glad I made return visit with my family. Haemul pajeon was still nice and other foods was good too. I liked Yook gae jang(spicy beef soup) and Dawegji bulgogi (grilled pork with soy sauce) this time.

Korean BBQ is expensive but solid. Beef didn't have enough marveling for my taste, but freshness was definitely noted. Non BBQ options are quite nice for the price. Lunch specials are quite a deal in this age of soaring inflation. I would visit more often if I lived near by.

Foods taste like they were made with care. I enjoyed eating here again. I would definitely make a return visit.

Foods I liked Ggotsal (Boneless short rib) Seng galbi (Short rib) Gyeran-jjim (fluffy steamed omelette) Haemul pajeon (seafood pancake) Yook gae jang (spicy beef soup) Dwaeji bulgogi (grilled pork with soy sauce)

Foods I less liked Chadol (Brisket). It was brisket, but it ain't Chadol. Not thin enough, not fat enough. It was genuine waste of money. I suspect beef was not frozen and hand cut since they didn't want to freeze quality beef. However, cutting for Chadol without freezing it is extremely difficult. Even renown restaurants in Korean bring their beef near freezing point to achieve paper thin thickness.

Tteok galbi (beef patties with soy sauce) Nothing wrong with taste, but portion looks laughably small especially compared to mountain of salads right next to it. (Salads is quite nice. Nice spicy sauce). I would have liked it more if patties were pressed down flat like a pancake. Then at least it wouldn't look so sad.

Last...

The metropolitan Chicago is in no shortage of Korean BBQ restaurants. Unless there is a specific reason that makes it stand out, differentiate from others, or make customers trigger a specific nostalgia there is no reason to give it anything above an average rating. I'm giving this restaurant a below average rating.

The food is average. Choice short rib and average pork belly. Nothing special. Other than the convenience of having them prepare it and serve it (thus the premium price), there is no differentiation. The side dishes are average...I will say that both the cabbage and radish kimchi were not fresh and heavily aged.

The atmosphere was standard for a korean bbq restaurant....this says it all.

The service is what triggered me to give it a below average rating. The non-korean staff was actually friendly and very helpful. It's the elderly korean staff that bothered me. I've been to so many korean bbq restaurants in the states and in Korea to know how the elderly staff operate. They don't care about the customer experience and all they want is for you to eat, pay, and leave. They are direct, indirectly rude, and nudging you to hurry. This is exactly how they treated me and my family on this occasion. You know your at the wrong restaurant when you talk about another restaurant while eating (...one of my faves HoneyPig in Irvine, CA).

Nothing especially positive or negative about this place. But if you just want to eat korean bbq, there are plenty of average choices...

BEST new korean bbq in Chicago, that I actually agree. Lets start with small details why this place is the best. Gyeran-jjim that is served as complimentary. Im going to say this is the best gyeran jjim, better than any bars or korean restaurants that serves this dish. Most of places fail with the fire temperature, so you are left with burnt scraps most of the time. This is my 4th time here already and each time, I havent had that burnt taste or left with huge scrapts left in a pot. Also very nice touch at the top with scallion, sesame oil, carrot and fish egg, which most of places dont do. Really like their scallion, lettuce mix with that spicy sauce. Most of other places will have onions, and because of that, usually contains soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil that makes this salad with a lot of liquids. But here, lettuce and scallions are fresh, as no liquid involved. Its crunchy and spicy, serves as better complimentary at least for me. Quality of meat. I mean it shows on the picture. Nice marbling just shows. I personally really like marinated pork rib, it tastes like I'm in korea. Marination and flavor are definitely the closest I have had in korea. Dipping sauce. They have 4 different sauce, wasabi salt, chimichurri, ssamjang and ponzu. I dont think chimichurri really fits the flavor profile, but other 3 are excellent. It is on the expensive side, but its well worth it.

I just hope the quality...