jU Chicago Reviews

Unfortunately this place did not meet my expectations. I felt the pajun (scallion pancake) and mandoo (dumplings) were excellent, especially for the price. However, the brussel sprouts in the sam gyap sal were not nearly cooked enough - they needed a good char. Similarly, the texture of the bulgogi beef was not nearly chewy enough, and the meat was not well marinated. I did enjoy the accompaniments, but I've honestly made better bulgogi beef at home. Though there were certainly some winners on the menu, I likely will not return.

Best Korean place for dol sut bibimbap!! So good. (Coming from a guy that lived in Korea for 3 years)

Excellent food and service. Ambiance was nice with dimmed lights. Bulgogi was tender and evenly flavored. Kimshi pancakes were flavorful. Would recommend this restaurant to a friend.

The ambience is very dark and classy--although maybe a bit too dark but it really sets the mood! The food is really good, try anything with fish! It's a souped up korean place so go here if you're taking someone new and want something more Americanized. The staff is REALLY helpful too!

Had you ever had authentic Korean food you would know this is far away from Korean. It is even mediocre asian fusion food. Heavy sweet and sour sauce on fried fish, I felt it was bad chinese food.

Tasty authentic Korean food with a highly end feel. Service was good place was a little small but clean which is good. But food was good, only thing is the servings are very small for the price point.

Best bi bim bop in town! Come with a large group and get the scallion pancakes and fried dumplings they are the best ever!!!

Amazing food, great cocktails, reasonable prices. Love it so much.

Food was good /fine enough. Sides of kimchee were not enough for one, let alone share. Shared bathrooms were old, falling apart and not clean.

Went there and was excited for some Korean food. I ordered Kalbi....they were out....what? It was 7pm and practically empty. Thats like going to a hamburger joint and they are out of hamburgers. Then they had the audacity to charge my friend $3 for her flat 7up. Korean food cooked by mexicans. This place is not authentic Korean. Best to go elsewhere.

I like to go with friends to this restaurant with my warmest recommendations. I visit this restaurant often. This recommendation is always successful. The dishes they serve are yummy and the crew is welcoming and cooperative. Whenever we visit this place we pass a cheerful evening. warmly recommended.

This place is good! Fair rates, considerable portions and the staff are always welcoming.

Their dishes are authentic and delicious (I grew up in Korea) - even their banchan (side dishes) were perfect. Jin Ju is a little more expensive than other local Korean restaurants with similarly traditional food, but the atmosphere is completely different. More modern and upscale with a bar, while still being casual.

This was a surprisingly good find, since we just walked in randomly, of the street. Every dish we had was great and the staff were very friendly and had good recommendations.

Would give this a 6 out of 5 stars if I could! Service and food were absolutely great. I went with the soon tofu soup dish for my meal which was awesome. The table shared scallion pancake and kimchi mandoo (which was my favorite). I also had never had a sojutini before, and the lychee one was delicious. Everyone loved their dishes and would definitely come back again!

Jin Ju is a fun little Korean restaurant located in Andersonville. The ambiance is a little dark, so its hard to see your food, or company!?! Either way its a spicy filling experience.

Delicious food and friendly wait staff. Their take on Tar tare is divine! Definitely a must try.

The food was delicious and the service was superb !

We love this Korean restaurant for the intimate, upscale atmosphere, friendly service and truly awesome food. I've never had a bad meal here and consider it a great date place or choice for dining with friends.

We've taken our 3 year old son here too and they've been very friendly with him.

Highly recommend!

The service is regularly swift, great ambience, very friendly staff. I will return again when I arrive here.

I meet friends in this nice place a lot! This is the best place to grab a bite. I go to this spot regularly. The meals are fantastic, the staff members are polite and the prices are affordable. I like meeting in this place over a nice supper.

This is what I get for relying too much on reviews when picking an Asian restaurant. I guess I should have realized that this wasn t going to be what I was expecting since it s located in the Andersonville area. I was trying to find a place with cocktail soju on Yelp, and this came up but there is a HUGE difference between cocktail soju and soju cocktails. The cocktails we ordered were just mediocre, and didn't taste as well blended as cocktail soju--- there's a fine balance!

I had the octopus dolsot bibimbop, which was pretty good, but mainly cuz I love octopus! I love bibimbop. Service was pretty good. I'm going with three stars instead of four because the drinks sucked and I thought the food was overpriced for what you're getting--- I just don't like paying a lot of Asian food that I know could and should be a lot cheaper. I guess you're paying for the trendy atmosphere though--- I did it and enjoyed the food, but it doesn't mean that I liked having to do it!

Amazing food. I know I will be back many times. The enthusiasm of the waitress helped us make excellent choices on food. It all was perfect

This was the best experience I ve had recently dining out! The staff is so professional and friendly, the atmosphere is warm and inviting, and every part of the meal was outstanding. We will definitely be back and highly recommend.

two days ago was the first time in this magnificent restaurant. But It is surely not the last time. We enjoyed the evening very much with the excellent service, with the exceptional cooking and wine and with the friendly cost. We will definitely go back there in a short time.

It's okay. The atmosphere is really cool, but the food was not good enough to justify the price to me.

Slightly upscale Asian restaurant, but still casual! There is also a nice bar inside. The staff was extremely helpful & attentative, and we were happy with our food selection. I do think the prices are a tad expensive, but I would absolutely come back here.

Love the service and the food! I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves Korean food! Also Every dish can be Vegetarian as you just ask for them to make it without any meat in it.

Delicious and reasonably priced! My favorite items are the Kimchi Pajun, Dol Sut Bi Bim Bap (hot pot, when you order, let it sit for 5 minutes before mixing so the rice on the bottom becomes crispy!), and Kalbi. They accommodate to make many of their dishes vegetarian. Make sure to order some Soju (Korean equivalent to vodka, but so much better!). If you haven't tried, ask for a taster of two to three kinds so you can taste the difference between them!

Amazing Korean food. My favorite were the spicy beef soup and the sea food bibimbap. I hear the kalbi (marinated short ribs) and the squid with chili peppers are great also. And it's always nice getting a bottle of soju.

The service and food here are consistently high quality. It's quiet, which is great (although I'm sad they don't seem to get as much business). They make a wonderful stone bowl bibimbap which perfectly portioned appetizers and VERY well-priced, well-made cocktails. The servers are nothing but hospitable and make every effort to make sure your experience and food are excellent. Highly recommended!

Delicious!!! It was busy when we got there, but we only had to wait 10 minutes. I usually get Bulgogi when I go to Korean restaurants but this time I got the Chap Chae because I wanted to try something new and it was totally worth it!

Traveled 3 hours from Indianapolis to pick up some of this food! Worth the drive. Restaurant had a great social distancing set up inside for takeout. A bit pricey, but for someone who has limited Korean options, I was happy to let it slide and support this business.

Personal favorite was Japchae. Soft chewy noodles, wonderful umami flavor.

Kimbap was fresh and had a comforting taste, a familiar one.

Sides of rice were all perfectly cooked.

Kimchi is a bit spicy but effing delicious.

Kimchi pancakes were a bit oily and had a certain bitter taste at the end (I'm guessing from the oil). It reheated a lot better the next day when I threw ittit with the rest of my leftovers in a fried rice.

Can't wait to go back once the pandemic is over. Good luck!

Always look forward to eating at Jin Ju. They have delicious food and great customer service.

If you like authentic Korean bbq this is the place for you. They have affordable prices and the food is great. The service was great as well. good for big groups.

Reasonable prices and really delicious. We shared 3 entrees and 3 appetizers with 5 people, plus a small bottle of distilled spirits. Everything was great.

My favorite spot for Korean food. Food was super flavorful.

More delicious than Korean food in Korea korean food

Great service, delicious dishes...quality food for reasonable prices. Definitely come here next time you re craving Korean, or want to try something new.

I went here with my girlfriend last night and we had a great experience. The server, Mike, was very attentive and knowledgeable on drinks to order based on what we were looking for. He recommended a cocktail that had a spicy kick to it that was fantastic, as well as a ginger one (I believe called the Gin-Ju) that was also great. For appetizers we ordered the wings, which are a must-try - I could probably just eat a couple orders of these and be happy. We also tried some dumplings which were really good, although the sauce could have used a little more flavor. The Chap Chae I ordered as an entree was extremely tasty - the noodles were great and the beef was so flavorful. my girlfriend ordered the Bi Bim Bap, which we really liked as well - we wished there was a little more meat in there, but still good. Our server Mike was great at recommending dishes based on what we described, and our water was constantly filled up which is always a plus. We absolutely will be back.

This was a wonderful experience! The steamed dumplings, bi bim bap and their cocktails are top notch! Highly recommended

Very good food and decent cocktails. This is (in spite of the almost entirely white staff) from a culinary standpoint a "Korean" place. By that I mean not "Asian", Korean. The menu is focused on the classics, but they definitely take special requests. Be prepared to linger, as the service is relaxed.

Delicious Korean food, excellent apps, great prices, though the beer selection is limited.

The people are all very friendly, the food is always hot and exactly what you want.

Great Food The Chicken Wings and Bulgogi are awesome.

My preferred location for delicious Korean food. this place is absolutely outstanding.

Jin Ju is most certainly the best find we ve had in three years. It s so good, we ve been there twice in the last two weeks. The food is delicious, be sure to order numerous appetizers to experience the variety. The wings, scallion pancake with and without kimchi, the gnocchi (they call them something else, the big plate ribeye steak is incredible. The service was great, had the same server both times, he is a hoot, not to mention very attentive and helpful. We had the opportunity to meet the owner last evening and she just makes the experience even better. Five Stars isn t enough to tell of our experience.

Friendly, helpful staff. I ordered a vegetarian dish and they asked if I wanted it vegan. I didn't, but it's nice to know they thought to ask, and it shows they care about their customers' dietary needs.

Also, the "sojutinis" are tasty.

I really liked this place, especially the vibe and the bi bim bap

Great food, simple menu. Started with the chicken wings appetizer which were some of the best wings I've ever had. I had the seafood (spicy and delicious) Bi Bim Bap as an entree. My only complaint is that it is pricy here, but worth it for quality food.

One of our favorite Korean restaurants. Check out those appetizers- fried chicken, savory pancake, tempura maki rolls, mandoo dumplings,etc. Entrees are equally satisfying.

The ambiance is good, they are practicing social distancing and the food was good too. All the employees wore face masks. Although it didn t seem that people were social distancing at the bar. All in all good experience.

I enjoy going to this place for sit-down meals. Delivery via UberEats is awful, however.

The food is excellent, I've tried a few items and enjoyed them all. However I usually just get the Bibimbap: it's hard the beat the value of food per dollar.

Not knowing what to expect Jin Ju surely didn't disappoint. Service was professional, friendly and quick. The Sojutini was fresh and a nice touch to this contemporary Korean restaurant. Bibimbap remained hot the entire meal. The seafood was cooked perfect and was full of flavor. Recommend the bibimbap or bulgogi bowl. Overall a fantastic experience.

Clean, contemporary, comfortable ambiance, and quaint. Food was good and banchan/Korean side dishes were small but tasty.

Date night on a Tuesday at Jin Ju. We happen to find this place after looking for another restaurant that did not look appealing to us. Dinner and service was wonderful - definitely try the pancake, banchan, and bim bop in a hot stone. Food was paired with Hite -- perfection.

We were walking by so fast we almost missed the entrance, and I'm glad we didn't. Super delicious modern Korean food with creative fusion-inspired cocktails and friendly, welcoming staff.

Cocktails were good and are definitely the way to go, as the wine and beer list is short and a bit uninspiring. Most of the cocktails are mad with a Korean sweet potato alcohol, which is pretty cool. For apps we got the scallion pancake and the kimchi monchee, both delicious. Recommend the hot pot Bi Bim Bap for an entree, although the Bulgogi was good as well.

Been here twice now. Both times were absolutely delicious. Be prepared to spend a lot. It's worth it though

Friendly, Quick Service. Nice atmosphere. Good food.

Really interesting menu, good service and a fun, energetic atmosphere. I haven't had much Korean food in the past, but I really enjoyed Jin Ju and will definitely be back to explore more on the menu.

Never blown me away, and far too pricey for what it is - in my opinion.

So, this may be biased to my own tastes & preferences towards/against Korean food (depends how you read it); however, outside of the presentation being beautiful every time I've been, I have never been blown away by their food. Bibimbap and Bulgogi have been my regular dishes, but paying $13-$17 for Bibimbap always feels like I am paying $1.5-$3 too much for the meal.

This place has never upset/disappointed me with their food (not really), I'm just never blown away or thinking, "Yeah, that was worth every cent."

Explosions of taste and flavor, and wonderful service!

YES!!

Perfect cocktails, perfect food, love!! Highly reccomended!!!

Very helpful with food restrictions. Good food, too!

over priced. not as many free banchan as at a regular Korean restaurant. The food was good, and it wasn't far. so there's that.

Has become our neighborhood go to. Friendly staff, never difficult to get into, solid food. What else can you ask for?

Great tasting, reasonably priced food. interesting cocktails. Extra cold large beer perfect for summer.

This restaurant has been around for a few years but has recently updated it's decour. My appreciation for it has grown over time for consistently great Korean food with an upscale feel and friendly staff. It has become one of my favorite Andersoville restaurants.

This restaurant is absolutely one of the most pleasant restaurants in the region. Anytime I come to this place I am absolutely glad. They keep their very high standard service and the topmost level of cooking they offer. You definitely will enjoy this this place. Warmly recommended.

Amazing food. Always delicious. The bulgoggi is drool worthy. And the sobu cocktails are smooth and different. Not a cheap meal, but it's so worth it.

I can say Jin Ju is a hidden gem (jin ju literally means pearl in Korean) of Korean food in Northern Chicago area. Grown up in Korea ~30yrs, the foods here are authentic Korean and the best Korean food I had experienced through entire my life in U.S.

As someone who grew up eating authentic Korean cuisine, it was refreshing to find a place in Chicago that serves just the right amount of authenticity mixed with ingenuity. The food is unique and tasty and the atmosphere is cozy and classy. I will definitely be back!

One of my favorites in Chicago. The dolsot bibimbap is delicious. Don't miss the Korean chicken wings (DAK GAN JANG) or the Mandoo. Friendly vibe, neighborhood restaurant and excellent cocktails!

I'm sorry but my food was not okay. Just dont order dak dori tang.

Excellent service, loved the pajeon there. Clean and quite authentic

After having an underwhelming experience at Passerotto, Jinju was an awesome beyond expectations experience. Food was awesome and service awesome as well. Soju cocktails were delicious and I loved how they asked if I wanted it sweeter or more dry (since I like my drinks more sweet). It hit more close to home for me being a Korean American. All very familiar flavors. All the dishes we got were delish and I would recommend them all. I would totally come back to this place to try other things.

Jin Ju does a great job with their take on Korean dishes and soju drinks. The staff is friendly and attentive. The chic space is perfect for small groups or a date. The spice/pungency level is mild. If you've never had Korean cuisine this would be an excellent introduction. If you're looking for authenticity, you might be a little disappointed. However that does not take away from the quality of the dishes or the lovely presentations. I've been here several times and always enjoy. FYI, there are no grills on the tables, this is not a Korean BBQ joint. It is however a lovely restaurant with delicious Korean fare and really great drinks.

They have mediocre food for really high price. Do not recommend here at all. Go to more authentic places around H mart and Joongboo mart that taste like real Korean food and are cheaper. You are paying for the atmosphere.

Horrible. Dont ever order the dakdoritang. Worst I ever had. Watery with a few tiny of chicken. Total ripoff

My favorite restaurant in Andersonville. The dolsot bibimbap is to die for as are the kimchee mandoo. Reservations are recommended. Great service, great drinks. Check it out now!

Chic and hip. Food was delicious! Was worried that it was too cool to be good Korean, but it was amazing! Felt authentic.