PERILLA fare — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

I really wanted to like this place. The vibe was 100/10. I absolutely loved the interior paintings and the artwork displayed throughout the restaurant. The vibe is romantic and sexy, yet homey. Now, onto the food. I'm a big lover of KBBQ and have tried many spots, but this place was a disappointment. I love fine dining when it makes sense, like those places where you just want to say, "Take my money!" But not this place. My boyfriend took me here as one of our early dates, and this place has been on my list to try. We ordered kimchi fried rice with spam ($18), Chef's Tasting Plates ($75), and Grill Accompaniments ($15). I was thrown off at the cost of the grill accompaniments because these usually come included with KBBQ. The grill accompaniments included banchan (side dishes), ssam (wraps with a few lettuces and 2 perilla leaves, which is ironic the fact that the restaurant is named Perilla), and scallion muchim. It all felt catered toward non-Koreans. The radish soup that they served before the meal was very salty, and I usually like my food salty and spicy. My bf and I each got a cocktail, and I think mine was called an old friend? It was a soju and yuja cocktail, which was the highlight of this meal. When they brought out the spread for the Chef's Tasting Plates, my bf and I couldn't help but laugh at the portion sizes. The presentation was quite shocking. I usually take pictures of everything, but I think I was quite stunned that day. The Chef's Tasting Plates included 2 cubes of Miyazaki A5 Wagyu. Quite the beauty, but 2 pieces?! We couldn't help but giggle during this entire meal. After this came the 4 pieces of dwenjang (soybean) cured pork belly. Once again, I was speechless and forgot to take pics/vids. The Wagyu was delicious, but what a freaking tease. Kimchi fried rice was extremely buttery and salty from a THICC overload of spam. Honestly, I like my kimchi fried rice way more, and my bf agrees. The USDA Prime Ribeye Cap- also delicious, but a tease. Fine dining is a vibe, but I personally wouldn't come back. When you eat something yummy, you want to take your friends and family. If I took my parents there, I'd get slapped for unnecessary spending on things they can make better at home. Still a fun and hilarious experience. I would experience it once, just for the experience. One last thing, they charge for kitchen support for grilling the meats... (which we weren't aware of, maybe missed it on their menu- idk). The struggle was real, and I've never had such a CRISPY beef brisket lol. Our server was nice, but his cooking was not it. Marinated USDA prime ribeye was also CRISPY. My bf and I kept locking eyes cause I wanted to take over SO bad. Vibe 100/10, Food: T_T,...

Perilla is one of those rare restaurants that manages to feel both incredibly personal and effortlessly cool. From the moment I arrived, I was struck by the warm energy of the space — not just from the modern, art-forward interior (more on that later), but from the people.

The hostesses and waitstaff were genuinely outstanding — accommodating, intuitive, and impressively well-versed in the menu. Their guidance throughout the meal made a huge difference and set the tone for what turned out to be an exceptional evening. I’ll admit, I was a little bummed to miss out on getting a seat at Nokori - their handroll bar — clearly a hot ticket, and for good reason. (Pro tip: make your reservation early!) Nevertheless, the menu at Perilla quickly turned that regret into excitement.

One of the highlights was the beet tartare, served with perilla leaves for wrapping. This dish was both visually stunning and texturally complex — earthy, lightly seasoned beets with the egg yolk jam and crunch of crumbled pistachios, all wrapped in the herbaceous, slightly minty bite of perilla. It was thoughtful, refined, and deeply satisfying — the kind of dish that redefines what plant-forward can be.

The blistered shishito peppers were another standout — charred to perfection, with that elusive mix of smokiness and umami, and anchored by the salty crunch of crispy anchovies and toasted almonds that gave each bite a delicious depth. It’s a small plate that punches well above its weight.

And then, the soondubu — a rich, comforting bowl of silken tofu with shortrib, mushrooms and soft egg, swimming in a spicy, savory broth that was both grounding and bold. It felt traditional in its soul, but elevated in execution. A dish that warms you from the inside out and makes you feel at home without ever having it before.

Adding to the sensory experience is the captivating artwork of David Heo, which lines the space with bold colors, layered narratives, and a modern cultural lens that mirrors the food itself. His work gives Perilla an unmistakable character — contemporary, expressive, and unmistakably Korean-American.

Perilla isn’t just about great food — it’s about intention, atmosphere, and care in every detail. Whether you’re a first-timer or a regular, you’ll feel like you’re in the hands of a team that truly loves what they do. I’ll definitely be back — and next time, I’m nabbing that seat at Nokori.

Shoutout to my bartender and server that sent over an unexpected sip of prosecco to go with my neat mezcal...

Really bad food and service. Long story if you want to hear about it.

We were told that if we ordered the non bbq dish we'll get seated right away. A guy escorted us to the bar area in the back as if there were seats available. When we got there he didn't see any availability so he said sorry we don't have seats. You guys can just stand by the bar and order drinks first. After explaining to us, he turned around and said oh look a seat opened up. He just gave us the menu and we were left to head towards where he pointed to the available area which had NO seats just bar tables. We had to take a chair from the people sitting next to us and it was only one chair. But we were left to organize our "eating" area. We took the paper towels and utensils from nearby tables and had to steal another chair from another table for our two top. Truly self service or bad service???

We ordered kimchi stew and bean paste stew. Kimchi stew was like literally someone dumping kimchi in and diluted it with water. What about seasoning?? Can you source better kimchi for the soup? Bean paste stew was the WORST. It was so salty that it was inedible. I had to dilute the stew with my drinking water. Even so it was still so salty that I just gave up and scooped out the veggies to eat. Someone didn't measure their miso paste right! It doesn't have to be authentic it just has to taste good. Which this place fails horribly. Husband said at least kimchi stew still tasted better than H-mart which meant it was edible but it's not Cho Sun Ok level if you know what I mean.

On top of that I informed the waitress that the soup was salty because she asked how everything was. She kindly apologized and said she'll inform the chef (it was her first day at the restaurant so I was being pretty calm about expressing how salty it was). She later came back and told me that the manager is waiting for me at the bar if I would like to speak with him. Wow! Not blaiming the new waitress because she was pleasant but shouldn't the manager come to me to apologize for the salty soup???? It sounded like I was called in for a trouble that I had caused. At this point I was extremely peeved. I asked for the check, paid for everything, and tipped like normal. Did not stop at the bar to talk to the manager because they don't deserve to hear my feedback at the restaurant if they don't make the effort to drop by to talk about their...