Koryo

Koryo was a great, unique restaurant in the neighborhood. They just shut down and retooled it into another generic sushi restaurant. Unfortunate, in my opinion, because there are more than enough sushi places.

Only had sushi and salad, but thought it was pretty good and I hope it stays around.
Never seems to be busy, not sure why…
I highly recommend a salad as well. Mine was really fresh– with ginger dressing.
They also have a deal (pretty sure it’s daily) — spend over 10 $ and you get their chef’s roll «of the day» –was really good when I went!
Go to avoid waits at Pingpong or Wakamono.

Popped in here for a quick «rainbow special» after the big event was chaotically falling apart. Not very crowded, interesting hippish décor that was metallic and sleek, different from the other places on the strip. The waitress was very nice and attentive, offering us seconds and bringing us more sides even when we didn’t intend to ask for them! Pretty stuffed for 21 $ for two people! The food was an interesting mix, not a Korean expert but I though it was a good balance of hot, bitter, bland. Regular menu looks a little more expensive.

I guess I was spoiled by my Korean friends taking me to the authentic, family style Korean joints. Koryo is the trendy version of all that. I left feeling that the food was just ok, and basically felt like I spent more money on something half as good as the places out in K-​town. Ultimately not worth it, but maybe it would be good for Korean beginners.

i would normally give 4 or 4.5 stars for this joint. however, the Unilocal writers who have no conscious of food seem to hate this place. they seem to LOVE the aged fish at wakamono because it’s «hip» and hate the freshness at koryo because it’s not «hip»… really? get over the sushi «it» craze…
underrated by Unilocal writers for sure,
the place, named by chicago magazine as one of the best new restaurants of chicago, is one of the best BYOB joints ive seen in the city.
the prices may look steep, but for some reason the check is ALWAYS surprisingly inexpensive. my first check for 2 was $ 33 and the second was $ 21, both being satisfied.
the food, for the price, is incredible. the tuna tataki appetizer of 5 slices of fresh tuna filet over vegetables and a spicy mayo dressing seem to be a steal for $ 7.50; being surprisingly fresh and flavorful. the avocado salad is a perfect summer course with it’s crisp, clean, and simple ingredients of tossed mixed greens, ginger purée dressing, and avocado. the 99 cent hand rolls (one per person) are a steal for a dollar and need to be ordered!
the rolls satisfy, not being out of this world, but definitely fresh and flavorful.
only downfall is atmosphere. go with a good conversation date, or a good mix of people. the place is always empty, SO SAD, and the servers can barely speak english. i think the places lack of customers is highly contributed by it’s offset location and over priced entrée prices (even though not many order entrees at a japanese/​sushi joint).
STRONGLY recommended as one of my top BYOB spots in town.
better than coast, wakamono, ping pong, and those nearby.
PLEASE GO! i do not want to see this place close, for it focuses on the food and in this pretentious neighborhood… atmosphere overpowers food.

I love the «Bul Go Gi.» I really like this place. They bring you all these fun things when you sit down — little apps. The place has a cool vibe and the food is great, especially for a neighborhood joint. It never seems too busy when I go by. I hope it sticks around. Check it out.

Koryo is a nuevo Korean restaurant with a sleek and trendy ambiance. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who wants to be introduced to Korean food.
Most Koreans in Chicago know that the best authentic Korean food will be at the dives with the grouchy wait staff. In the past, I would have said that no self respecting Korean would come to a place like this. However, I think Koryo is a great date place. I like the look, very charming and cute.
It’s been a while since I was last here, but the food is pretty good. I had the haemul tang, which is a spicy korean seafood stew. It was pretty good, actually. I was impressed.
My friend got the bibimbop. I didn’t try it, but he claims it was great. I don’t think they gave him enough hot sauce.
My biggest gripe about places like this is that they skimp on the banchan. What is Korean food without banchan? That’s like eating tortilla chips without salsa!

Something has happened to Koryo. I’ve been here several times before and always loved my meal. The second star is for my fond memories of Koryo. My experience last Friday left me doubting I’ll ever return.
First, when my friend called for reservations, no one answered the phone and the answering machine was full. We should have taken the hint. We were one of only two tables at 8:00 on a Friday night. Not a good sign. When we asked our server, Greg, for appetizer recommendations, he told us to stay away from «anything Japanese,» as they had a new chef and Japanese was «not his thing.» They are planning to update the menu accordingly.
Oddly, however, Greg suggested that we order a sushi roll as an appetizer. Um, Greg? Last time I checked, sushi was Japanese.
The table was sticky.
I’ve had some great sake cocktails at Koryo before, but there was just a wine list on the table. When I asked Greg for a cocktail menu, he said that «something happened a few nights ago» and they could not serve alcohol that evening. Oh dear. He told us that we could go across the street to get a bottle, but there would be a $ 7 corkage fee. I don’t know, maybe there’s an ordinance that would prohibit them from not charging us any corkage fee, but it would seem to me that if the reason you’re not serving alcohol is because your liquor license has been SUSPENDED, the corkage would be gratis.
We ordered steamed mandu for an appetizer. When it arrived, Greg announced that it wasn’t what we had ordered, he didn’t know what it was, and that «he» –presumably the chef — had ordered the wrong kind of mandu. Greg thought it looked like kim chee mandu. It wasn’t.
The entrees, chicken bi bim bop and bulgoki, were fine, but by this point Greg had killed my appetite (no small feat). On one hand, I appreciated Greg’s honesty, but on the other, he was clearly unhappy with the restaurant, the management, or his job. I realize that none of this was his fault, but it was a little TMI. He all but told us to just go somewhere else. We should have.

Authentic Korean food in the heart of Lincoln Park. I had the shredded beef soup. The chili powder complemented all the spice and flavor, rather than overpowering it. The all-​you-​can-​eat side dishes are a plus. The service was spectacular; my waitress was very friendly and attentive. You can probably eat enjoy Korean cuisine for less on Lawrence, but what more can you ask for in a trendy restaurant in Lincoln Park?

Not too shabby, not too shabby at all. My husband and I stopped in for dinner at Koryo on Saturday night and actually were pleasantly surprised.
The restaurant was bigger than I expected. I live right around the block from this place and pass it constantly but for some reason it looks alot smaller on the outside. The place actually stretches all the way back. Nice atmosphere inside and very serene. Service was a bit slow but the food was decent.
We ordered the mussels as an appetizer. They were tasty but the 4 oysters looked very sparse on the big plate. The wine the server suggested for me to try tasted like cough syrup. Think I’ll just go with the Riesling the next time I go back. I ordered the spicy calamari dish. Not a good way to go… it was spicy but the calamari tasted like rubber. My husbands pork dish on the other hand was awesome. Spicy and tasty… I know this since I spent more time working on his plate then mine.
I’m glad I checked out Koryo and I’ll definitely be back but I’ll just steer clear of the calamari and the medicinal plum wine.

I definitely give Koryo props for trying — they want to be a trendy hotspot and they are listed on
and even the Web site makes it look quite hip! Sadly though, not too many people have taken notice of this place. It’s definitely pretty good, which makes it a great last-​minute place when you don’t have a res in place (which makes its listing on opentable kind of well, pointless). The bulgogi, kalbi and bi bim bap are all great and I get cravings for the spicy tuna salad. I’d recommend checking Koryo out.

Koryo is a mirror image of 80% of the other asian restaurants in the area. The food is very good, the décor is very hip and trendy and the service was fine. I don’t know why this place wasn’t packed like the Ping Pong’s and Joy’s of the world.
As in the other reviews of Koryo, i would have to give it a thumbs up for keeping up with the Jones’… I think this is a great spot if you can’t get a reso at your favorite sushi/​asian spot in the city.

Not too shabby! Not known for their BBQ – as they don’ thave any grills on the tables. but mostly for the other dishes. for example, we got the kimchee pancake, my boyfriend got the bi bim bop (rice with veggies), and I got the yuk ke jang (spicy soup). It was all decent. not too great, but not too shabby!

very nice Korean BBQ spot. was BYOB when it first opened — miss that! but the cocktails are ok. i love the little variety of free appetizers like seaweed they give you. the décor is nicer and more upscale, this is no storefront.
i don’t know much about Korean (much less Korean BBQ) but i have been here 3 times and i always enjoyed myself.

I have only been there once but my kimchee soup with meat and tofu was good, super spicy which I like. Haven’t tried other dishes though. The only thing is that therestaurant itself is kept pretty dark with black lights and cold minimalism setting that makes the place resemble more a bar/​club than a restaurant.

Great bulgogi and bi bim bop. Fun, hip décor, and more upscale than the average Korean BBQ joint. However, the kalbi pales in comparison to the traditional Korean BBQ — its fatty and a bit tough. Otherwise, though a great find. Rarely crowded and nice staff. Love the watermelon soju cocktail — tastes like a jolly rancher!

Koryo offers modern upscale décor and great bi-​bim-​bop, but you’ll find higher prices than other Korean Restaurants around Lawrence Avenue. Service was friendly.

The dishes I’ve had here were wonderful. I especially recommend the grilled beef with lettuce (for wrapping). Good atmosphere, but a little slow with the service.

A lot of dishes are hit and miss here. The best dish I’ve had here so far is kimchee chige, a spicy stew with cabbage, tofu and pork. Big enough for two, it’s a great steamy dish to comfort you in the winter. Some of the other dishes suffer from blandness, a crime in Korean cuisine.

Decent Korean food — swanky atmosphere — go there on Tuesdays when they give out a dinner discount on the food; the bulgoki is pretty good and the mochi is great (ice cream balls covered in flour) and their calamari with the red spicy sauce is a must try, too