Jin Ju

I love Jin Ju! I ordered the seafood bibimbap (chu gu mi dol sot bibim bap and WOW– the presentation and taste was absolutely wonderful and blew me off my feet. My husband and I came here on a date and were really impressed by the authentic traditional korean food taste and beautiful display. The service was so wonderful too– everyone was extremely kind and friendly. We also ordered the seafood pajeun and it was SO deliciously crispy! It’s different than other restaurants that serve pajeun– here, they put toppings on it where it adds to the crispiness + gourmet feeling.

I’ve been here many, many times and am just now writing a review! This is such a great place I don’t know where to start. Great service, staff and bar. If you think the food might be a little off the beaten path don’t worry because there is something for everyone and its great. I’m a big fan of the wings. Great date place and as I say they are nothing short of wonderful. Stop by there is you’re in Andersonville.

Refined Korean cuisine in the heart of Andersonville. The décor is chic and modern with dark wood and bright color walls. Check out their party room in the back too. Well done!
Kalbi and KimChi are very delicious, and authentic. Baan Jan are also tasty and well prepared.
I had a glass of Riesling with the meal and it was just perfect.
The service was attentive, friendly and promptly. I highly recommend this place.

Very tasty bibimbap. Great plating and presentation. Ambiance is dark and verging on mysterious, but also can be passing as romantic.

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 entrée 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.

Modern Korean food well done.
This restaurant is really dim and they have a full bar that serves amazing looking cocktails.
I got the bibimbap and *surprise, surprise* it came with banchan and soybean soup.
The banchans are pretty americanized. It consisted (tiny portions of) fermented kimchi, boiled broccoli, and lightly seasoned bean sprouts.
The bibimbap itself is tasty. The veggies are all really fresh. Wish they could’ve put more meat though ;) Wouldn’t mind some more bulgogi.
Service is a little slow but i guess it’s okay coz people who go here are usually looking for the ambience & vibe.

Food was great! We got in around six, just before the rush. Very dim lighting to get you in the romantic mood. Server was very knowledgable about the menu. I would come back any day!

Overall, food was great, but the service was lacking.
My group made a reservation for 7:30 since it was all of our first times there and upon our prompt arrival, there was no one to greet us and guide us to our table. Along with this, our server took quite some time and flagging down to take our orders.
We ordered the Regular Pajun to start, the Dol Sut (Stone Bowl) Bibimbap, Seafood Bibimbap, Yuk Gae Jang, and the Dak Tori Tang. All of the food was delicious, kudos to the chefs!
After finishing our meal and having had out tanker cleared by the busser, our server never came back to check on us. We had to flag him down yet again to get our bill.
FANTASTIC FOOD but really could have better service.

We went here as recommended by a friend of mine… Seating was pretty quick… Lighting not too dim but not too bright either. I can see this place being more appealing to couples related distance of tables from each other as well as candle on table… Music was appropriate for setting. Unfortunately the price was not reasonable for portions if each dish and I felt banchans should have been more and something that should be endless like «bottomless fries» or «unlimited refills» Food wasnt bad but it wasnt special either it just was alright. We tried the Dol Sut Bi Bim Bap which is essentially the warmer served Bi Bim Bap, both of which were delicious when you mix it with the spicy red bean sauce, Kalbi had most flavor and very tender, Bulgogi was alright but the Dak Bulgogi probably wouldn’t been better as spicy pork as opposed to chicken…

My fiancé and I came to Jin Ju thinking it was a sushi restaurant. We were pleasantly surprised to fine this small Korean restaurant tucked away in Andersonville. For starters we ordered the SAM GYUP SAL. It was slicked pork belly with roasted garlic and brussel sprouts. If you’re at all familiar with brussel sprouts you are well aware they aren’t anyone’s favorite food. Yet Jin Ju found a way to make them a delicious addition to this dish without making them unhealthy. Needless to say my first impression was a good one.
For the main dish I had one of my favorite Korean dishes Chap Chea. This is a colorless vermicelli noodle usually served in a sauce with mushrooms, onions, and chicken, pork, or beef. Jin Ju choose beef, roasted red peppers, sesame seed oil, spinach, Shiitake mushrooms, and carrots. It was a truly wonderful and well thought out dish. My one complaints is that it wasn’t quite flavorful enough. My experience with Chap Chea from other Korean restaurants is that it’s a spicy option. Jin Ju made a very tasty entrée that I felt could have had a little more kick. But, if spicy isn’t your think, then I definitely recommend this item.
My fiancé ordered the O Jinga Bokum. It’s a sautéed squid dish with veggies in a red pepper sauce. Now this was a meal with a kick! It had a heat that built up over time making you take a time out to cool your mouth with a drink. But the heat didn’t linger and he was back to eating not long after. The squid was prepared perfectly which is hard to find.
Overall Jin Ju was our happy mistake for a Saturday evening meal. We will definitely be back to try some famous Korean staples as well as their more inventive dishes. Jin Ju make instant fans of of these hungry boys.

Atmosphere was nice and more trendy compared to most Korean restaurants you find but the food is nothing to rave about. Bim bim bop was ok and the kal be was dry. They only provided a few small plate sides. There is way better Korean food in the city for less money.

Came here with some friends for dinner. It’s one of those places that’s pretty solid all around but doesn’t have much of a wow factor. Definitely somewhere I would suggest going back to with friends if we’re craving Korean food, but not somewhere I would immediately think about recommending to people who are interested in dining in the area.
We were there maybe a week or two ago and I basically can’t remember much of the experience at all.

I love Jin Ju’s contemporary twist on Korean food. We started with the Korean chicken wings in sweet-​spicy sauce, and this appetizer was perfection. Between two people, we shared the spicy beef noodle soup and seafood bim bim bap for dinner. Included were a trio of banchan (side dishes). The soup was extremely flavorful and had wonderful complex flavors. I would order again in a heartbeat. Our waiter offered to mix the bim bim bap for us when it arrived at our table, and it may have been done too maturely. It was too moist and didn’t have the burnt bottoms on the rice. The flavor primary came from the red sauce, and it was on the sweet side. I don’t think it was worth the price.
The restaurant was busy, but not packed on a Saturday night. Service was seamless. It is dark inside, which seemed appropriate for dinner dates, but the noise level is high. We were seated near the front of the restaurant, so close to the couple on our left that it almost felt like we were a group of four. I could hear everything from their conversation. Despite some reservations about the seating, I truly enjoyed the meal and would recommend for anyone looking for a change from typical Korean food.

I recently went to Jin Ju for dinner as a party of 6. The server was friendly — the food was great and the overall experience was really positive. I’ll certainly be back again in the future!

Really my favorite restaurant in Chicago. Here’s why:
1. Excellent, friendly, speedy service. We never wait long for our appetizers, and the main dishes arrive on time and still fresh and hot. Even when they are busy.
2. The AMAZING flavor of everything on the menu. We have tried too many dishes to name (most of which can be made vegetarian, which we really appreciate), and every one of them, no exception, has been out of this world. Just bursting with flavor but subtle enough not to overpower the palate. Not easy when you’re dealing with kimchi and peppers, but these chefs know how to make Korean food right. Super impressive dishes, every one. Although our favorites are the Kimchi Pancake and the vegetarian Jab chae – you just can’t go wrong if you order those.
3. The atmosphere. It’s a calming, dark, intimate setting for a date or a party. Not too loud, but not unnervingly quiet.
My new hubby and I just had a private party here, and the service and execution of the entire 3 hours was far more than we expected. Everyone in our party proclaimed the food «amazing» and that they would be back. I love being able to introduce Jin Ju to people because (1) I know they will come back, and (2) this restaurant deserves to live long and prosper as one of the best in Chicago.
Come in with high expectations and leave with all of those expectations satisfied. Enough said.

Even though it was super busy and very loud, the food was fantastic and the service was very nice and friendly!
I would come back and try the other dishes. I really like a restaurant that gives good portions and this restaurant definitely did that! I liked the variety of the menu too!
Ordered the «sushi» rolls and the miso soup! It was perfect. And my dining mates had the spicy chicken which was perfectly spiced and we’ll presented. Can’t wait to come back and get more food!

The food at Jin Ju is very good. Sushi in the Midwest has come a long way over the past decade and I feel there is always an interest to keep making it better.
Now drill down to Chicago and you will see pockets where sushi places are strong, but most people do not think Andersonville (or for that matter places north of Fullerton) have something of high quality. Jin Ju proves that this is not the case. One can clearly see that they are concerned about quality and have a simple but focused menu. It would probably get 5 stars from me if the restaurant itself was bigger and brighter, it has sort of a dark feel to it. Nonetheless, it is worth the visit.

Hands down top 3 meals of my life! I can’t wait to go back here again and again! Make reservations! I have heard it’s always packed.
We had the chicken wings (life changing), 2 orders of dumplings (steamed and pan fried?), spicy tofu stew (so amazing), some chicken and beef dishes both served with rice. I can’t quite remember what they were called. I wanted to eat like an animal and lick the plates!
The service is amazing! The owners are adorable! I would eat here every single night if it weren’t such a drive for me. The service at the small bar was wonderful too. Everyone was so happy and inviting.
Speaking of bar. Make sure to try the vodka made from sweet potatoes. Just be careful on the amazing martinis. They sneak up on you.

I expected Jin Ju to be a traditional Korean restaurant filled with middle aged Korean people and where a distressed Korean waitress seats you and places a hundred side dishes in front of you. However, I walked into a very dimly lit place, illuminated by a few candles. The first vibe you get is that it is a hip bar, but if you are here for the food, a host will seat you in another area. People in the restaurant were mostly young professional hipsters, mostly in groups of 2 – 5. The slim, 2-​sided menu offered various options. They offered many appetizers including mandoo (dumplings), pajun (thin scallion pancakes), and tegim. We tried the hemul pajun, which was very fresh, simple, and delicious. They offered two soups: mandoo soup and miyuk soup. My friend, who never tried miyuk soup before, loved the miyuk soup.
I ordered the yookgejang, and as it was spicy, I recommend it to people who can tolerate spice. It was very rich and savory, and it really cleared up my head. I was in love. My friend ordered the sanchae bibimbap, and she was in love with the blend of flavors and freshness.
The side dishes were adorable– not really sure about why they chose
The waiters were friendly, and the place wasn’t too loud or too quiet so we could chitter away. The music was calming, yet energetic and I really liked the mood lighting. Dining there was a wonderful way to destress on a Friday night. I would love to try the drinks next time!!!
Tips:
–It’s not a large space, and it’s certainly not a place to go with a mass of people.
–Not Korean BBQ
–the only Vegetarian dish would be the bibimbap. It is not the most vegetarian-​friendly restaurant.

Nicely done. Dumbed down K-​town standards for others. Very nice place – excellent service. I prefer the typical Korean storefront, with the tons of free side dishes and no explanation for clueless white people. I did not care for the fact that the waiter insisted on mixing up my Bim Bop stating that this is how is mother does it – I prefer to eat it separately. Very good value – had a drink each, shared an app, $ 25 plus tip.
If you are around here and want pan asian – this is a good choice