I was back at Cho Jung again 2 more times (Wednesday and Friday) for lunch last week . . .


Raw Egg
Both times, I finally remembered to ask for the raw egg for my soondubu, and my request was happily accomodated. In both cases, it was brought out with the panchan at the beginning of the meal. It really makes a huge difference to the end product when you can mix the raw egg into the soondubu while it's still bubbling hot. It thickens it and adds a noticeable level of additional richness.

At the Friday lunch, Pigmon asked about the raw egg and was told that for Korean customers, the raw egg is brought by default. Others have to request it. He, I and the women who runs the place (owner?) all chuckled about that.

At the Wednesday lunch, were treated to an appetizer that I'd never seen before at Cho Jung. It reminded me a bit of the boussam at San Soo Gab San. It consisted of the following components . . .


Spicy Pork



Raw Napa Cabbage Leaves



Jalapeno Peppers and Thick Hot Sauce/Paste

We didn't need them but we were kindly given instructions for making wraps with these components. They were really good, as the pork was nicely cooked and the hot paste had a lot of flavor.


Mandu
At the Wednesday lunch, I was with my brother, who was really in the mood for dumplings, so we ordered the fried mandu, which were tasty, as usual.

At the Friday lunch, we were started out with another complimentary offering I'd never seen before at Cho Jung . . .


"Juice" with Pickled/fermented Daikon
We were instructed to drink the juice, which tasted just like pickle juice, although less salty and entirely palatable. I'm not sure what gives it the pink color (maybe beet?) and I forgot to ask. The daikon was tasty and very fizzy.



Thick Soybean Paste Soup
Neither Pigmon nor I knew what this soup was and when he asked about it, we were brought out a small bowl for sampling, which was very nice. It was deeply-flavored but not super intense. It was almost peanuty but without any sweetness. I'm pretty sure we were told that it's a vegan soup, which includes tofu, fermented soybean paste, scallions and onions.



Fermented Soybeans
These are the beans from which the soup pictured above is made. We didn't taste them on their own, which we should have.



Kelp
This was a very funky part of the panchan, which initially tasted to me like it had some sort of animal in it but I don't think it does.



Cucumber
This one is turning out to be one of my favorites of the panchan that are regularly offered at Cho Jung.



Green Beans
These snappy beans were tasty but the soft, sweet garlic served with them was stellar and stole the show.



Spicy Beef with Leek Soup
This soup contained glass noodles and as the pic shows, it was roiling boldly when it hit the table. I didn't taste it but I do plan on ordering it for myself at an upcoming visit.

=R=

Ronnie,
The pictures look delicious! The pickled daikon is called dongchimi, which is eaten during wintertime. Sometimes, the cold broth can be eaten with noodles, kind of like naengmyun. The fermented soybean paste soup is a stronger cousin of daengjang (Korean miso), which is called chungookjang. Chungookjang is very similar to Japanese natto.
I'm super hungry now. Too bad I live about 2.5 hours from Cho Jung!

Sharona wrote:Ronnie,
The pictures look delicious! The pickled daikon is called dongchimi, which is eaten during wintertime. Sometimes, the cold broth can be eaten with noodles, kind of like naengmyun. The fermented soybean paste soup is a stronger cousin of daengjang (Korean miso), which is called chungookjang. Chungookjang is very similar to Japanese natto.
I'm super hungry now. Too bad I live about 2.5 hours from Cho Jung!

Thank you Sharona, for filling in some of the blanks. I really appreciate it. I feel like such a neophyte when it comes to Korean cuisine, even though I eat it fairly often. I think that's in part because the of language barrier I encounter at times. We were told the name of the soybean paste soup -- chungookjang -- but not seeing it written, it was hard for me to remember. Now, I'll remember it.

Thanks!

=R=

First time out with the video feature of a new camera, so forgive the sloppiness, lousy focus, etc. but I thought it still might be useful to post these . . .


Soondubu @ Cho Jung 12.0104



Spicy Beef with Leek Soup @ Cho Jung 12.0106

=R=

stevez wrote:I had a great lunch today at Cho Jung with the LTH North Lunch Group. Besides the great panchan, the highlight for me (as is usually the case) was the Soon Dubu Jigae served bubbling hot.

ronnie_suburban wrote:What I love about Cho Jung is that because of what they specialize in, you can dine there solo and still enjoy the best of what they have to offer. Some panchan and a bowl of soondubu or pollack roe soup is a fantastic lunch.

I’m right with you guys. Having tasted several versions of soondubu jigae (soft tofu soup) around Chicago over the last few years, I’d definitely cast my vote for Cho Jung. A few years back, I had high hopes of doing a soondubu roundup post but after one lackluster effort after another, I didn’t think it would have been at all useful to write up.

Soondubu jigae is an elemental soup essentially comprised of little more than soft/silken tofu, water or stock (just water at most restaurants), usually seafood (shrimp, mussels, oysters), maybe some vegetables such as mushrooms, egg, a bit of scallion, and Korean chili paste (Gochujang) or powder (kochu karu). Other versions can also be found such as mushroom, meat, kimchee, or some combination. You would think that most versions of this basic soup would have the ability to satisfy most. But almost nothing could be further from the truth. The dish is greatly elevated when steps are taken such as making your own silken tofu (soondubu), serving the boiling bowl with a whole raw egg on the side so as to be added by the customer to their liking, or by using pristine/fresh/live shellfish. Unfortunately, most places making soondubu jigae don’t take these efforts. In fact, I’m not aware of any restaurant in Greater Chicago that makes its own soft tofu. Cho Dang in Mount Prospect (Their Naperville location is now closed) is the only place I’m aware of in Chicagoland that serves their bowl with a raw whole egg on the side without being solicited.
Although Cho Jung isn't necessarily serving up their soondubu jigae with pristine seafood (who is?), they've loaded the bowl with what I believe is minced squid (I believe ronnie_suburban thought it might be snails?) to help beautifully reinforce their broth to a level surpassed by nobody else around. This might be hard to notice at first since the stone bowl (dolsot) is nothing more than a boiling cauldron and is virtually impossible to taste any of its nuances. But if patient, (after about 15-20 minutes) the bowl will obviously cool down to then reveal its true depth (or non-depth) of flavors.

If you enjoy your soup spicy, it’s a good idea to request it be to be made that way from your server. Many places have a tendency to dumb down the spice element for its non-Asian clientele - a completely logical and understandable hedge from their point of view. I've never asked Cho Jung if they're using the enjoyable soft tofu being made at Super H Mart but I'd bet they do.

Usually, the better soondubu joints will automatically serve a whole raw egg on the side so the customer can integrate it into the soup to their own liking (beaten, poached, raw). As Ronnie mentioned above, places like Cho Jung seem to reflexively serve their Korean/Asian clientele a raw egg at the same time as the soup while for the rest of us, the kitchen will usually integrate the egg into the soup beforehand - often times resulting in an overcooked egg. In some establishments, the server will crack the egg in the bowl for you tableside clearly as a courteous gesture.

Lastly, a quality side bowl of rice is critical for a good soondubu jigae experience (as well as most Asian dishes, for that matter). Dipping a spoonful of quality rice into a flavorful and spicy bowl of soondubu is the most enjoyable part about this meal for me. Poor rice can easily destroy the whole experience. If it weren't for Cho Dang’s marginal rice, they would be on a par with Cho Jung.

I'm hoping either ReneG or tatterdemalion post some pictures of Beverly Soon Tofu in Los Angeles from a previous trip we made there a few years back. This is the only place I’m aware (along with So Kong Dong directly across the street in Koreatown although I’m sure there’s others out there) that make their own soft tofu in-house. Both truly make kick-ass versions of this classic Korean soup. Either of these places is completely worthy of going out of your way for if you happen to be in L.A.

PIGMON wrote:

stevez wrote:I had a great lunch today at Cho Jung with the LTH North Lunch Group. Besides the great panchan, the highlight for me (as is usually the case) was the Soon Dubu Jigae served bubbling hot.

ronnie_suburban wrote:What I love about Cho Jung is that because of what they specialize in, you can dine there solo and still enjoy the best of what they have to offer. Some panchan and a bowl of soondubu or pollack roe soup is a fantastic lunch.

I’m right with you guys. Having tasted several versions of soondubu jigae (soft tofu soup) around Chicago over the last few years, I’d definitely cast my vote for Cho Jung. A few years back, I had high hopes of doing a soondubu roundup post but after one lackluster effort after another, I didn’t think it would have been at all useful to write up.

Soondubu jigae is an elemental soup essentially comprised of little more than soft/silken tofu, water or stock (just water at most restaurants), usually seafood (shrimp, mussels, oysters), maybe some vegetables such as mushrooms, egg, a bit of scallion, and Korean chili paste (Gochujang) or powder (kochu karu). Other versions can also be found such as mushroom, meat, kimchee, or some combination. You would think that most versions of this basic soup would have the ability to satisfy most. But almost nothing could be further from the truth. The dish is greatly elevated when steps are taken such as making your own silken tofu (soondubu), serving the boiling bowl with a whole raw egg on the side so as to be added by the customer to their liking, or by using pristine/fresh/live shellfish. Unfortunately, most places making soondubu jigae don’t take these efforts. In fact, I’m not aware of any restaurant in Greater Chicago that makes its own soft tofu. Cho Dang in Mount Prospect (Their Naperville location is now closed) is the only place I’m aware of in Chicagoland that serves their bowl with a raw whole egg on the side without being solicited.
Although Cho Jung isn't necessarily serving up their soondubu jigae with pristine seafood (who is?), they've loaded the bowl with what I believe is minced squid (I believe ronnie_suburban thought it might be snails?) to help beautifully reinforce their broth to a level surpassed by nobody else around. This might be hard to notice at first since the stone bowl (dolsot) is nothing more than a boiling cauldron and is virtually impossible to taste any of its nuances. But if patient, (after about 15-20 minutes) the bowl will obviously cool down to then reveal its true depth (or non-depth) of flavors.

If you enjoy your soup spicy, it’s a good idea to request it be to be made that way from your server. Many places have a tendency to dumb down the spice element for its non-Asian clientele - a completely logical and understandable hedge from their point of view. I've never asked Cho Jung if they're using the enjoyable soft tofu being made at Super H Mart but I'd bet they do.

Usually, the better soondubu joints will automatically serve a whole raw egg on the side so the customer can integrate it into the soup to their own liking (beaten, poached, raw). As Ronnie mentioned above, places like Cho Jung seem to reflexively serve their Korean/Asian clientele a raw egg at the same time as the soup while for the rest of us, the kitchen will usually integrate the egg into the soup beforehand - often times resulting in an overcooked egg. In some establishments, the server will crack the egg in the bowl for you tableside clearly as a courteous gesture.

Lastly, a quality side bowl of rice is critical for a good soondubu jigae experience (as well as most Asian dishes, for that matter). Dipping a spoonful of quality rice into a flavorful and spicy bowl of soondubu is the most enjoyable part about this meal for me. Poor rice can easily destroy the whole experience. If it weren't for Cho Dang’s marginal rice, they would be on a par with Cho Jung.

I'm hoping either ReneG or tatterdemalion post some pictures of Beverly Soon Tofu in Los Angeles from a previous trip we made there a few years back. This is the only place I’m aware (along with So Kong Dong directly across the street in Koreatown although I’m sure there’s others out there) that make their own soft tofu in-house. Both truly make kick-ass versions of this classic Korean soup. Either of these places is completely worthy of going out of your way for if you happen to be in L.A.

I've been back to Cho Jung a few times since the last round of posts and have some additional thoughts -- and images -- to share . . .

The minced seafood in the soondubu at Cho Jung seems to vary. On my most recent visit there was definitely octopus. Other times, as Pigmon posted above, I thought it might be whelks. In any case, the minced seafood provides a substantial, satisfying foundation for the soup.

I don't eat a lot of rice, so I occasionally take it for granted. However, after reading Pigmon's post above I thought that I should pay a bit more attention to the rice served with the soups at Cho Jung. First of all, it is presented very formally. The covered metal serving bowl is placed -- with 2 hands -- very deliberately on the table in front of each diner. The rice itself is cooked very well. It's fluffy but not mushy. This allows for easy portioning with each spoonful and good absorption of broth once the spoonful of rice is submerged in the soup.

For me, the raw egg is key, especially when the soup is ordered spicy. The richness of the egg counters the spiciness very well and its silkiness unifies the whole bowl. Unfortunately, at Cho Jung the raw egg still proves to be elusive. At one recent visit, even though I requested a raw egg, my soup was served with a partially cooked egg already in it. The result is that the cooked egg, not being in liquid form, cannot be mixed into the soup. For me, this definitely detracts from the enjoyment, though, at Cho Jung the soup is so good, it's not a deal-breaker.

The folks at Cho Jung could not be kinder. Recognizing me (as someone with a penchant for spilling on myself), the owner brought me a cloth napkin so that I could tuck it into my shirt and protect it from spills. My own mom never did that for me.

The other day, forced to leave the office early with a head cold, I stopped at Cho Jung for a hot bowl on my way home. As usual, lunch was terrific and I was served a few panchan that I cannot remember having seen there before . . .


Panchan



Little Fishies



Shredded Potato



Soondubu Jigae

For about 45 minutes after I ate this delectable, piping hot bowl of soup, I felt better than I'd felt in days. My sinuses were clear and I could breathe again. After that, my cold returned but only briefly. By the time I went to bed that night, my cold had almost entirely dissapated. Ah, the curative power of soondubu!

=R=

On my short list of Korean to try. Thanks for the update.
I would assume that the cooked egg is a result of the local Health Department and ordinances.
A group of us ate at Wooil last Fall and the food was Westernized Korean, even though I explained what we wanted. -Dick
BTW, solution, bring your own egg and have at it!

budrichard wrote:On my short list of Korean to try. Thanks for the update.
I would assume that the cooked egg is a result of the local Health Department and ordinances.
A group of us ate at Wooil last Fall and the food was Westernized Korean, even though I explained what we wanted. -Dick
BTW, solution, bring your own egg and have at it!

As was posted upthread, they usually do provide it, upon request. And for Koreans, we were told, it's provided by default. I think that on this past visit, there was nothing more than a communication glitch between the kitchen and the dining room.

=R=

I met Pigmon at Cho Jung earlier this week, where we had yet another very fine lunch. The array of panchan was nice, as always. A few items I'd not seen before at Cho Jung appeared on the table . . .


Pancake with Greens
Not quite a typical pajeon. It incorporated some fresh salad greens but other than that, I'm not really sure how its ingredients differed from the pajeon one can order from the menu at Cho Jung. This panchan-sized portion was tasty. It was lightly crispy on the outside and pleasantly soft on the interior.



Omelet
I'd not had this at Cho Jung before but I remember having a slightly wetter version at Hae Woon Dae, where it can be ordered from the menu. Here, it was served with the panchan.



Scallions
I can't recall ever having had this before but given how many dishes at Cho Jung incorporate scallions, it's makes perfect sense that they'd find their way into a panchan.



Salad
I've been served this mixture of grain (barley?) and beans before but I cannot remember where. In any case, this mixture was one mere component in a larger dish. The mixture was placed on top of a bowl of fresh salad greens . . .



Salad
. . . next, a potent, salty stew of shredded meat and firm tofu was placed in the bowl and all the components were stirred together. On its own, the saltiness of the stew would have been overwhelming but once it was mixed with the other ingredients, it was very nicely balanced and delicious. I really appreciated that our server (the owner?) brought this out for us with the panchan. I'm not sure what it was called or if it can even be ordered.



Soondubu Jigae with Raw Egg
I just cannot get enough of this dish at Cho Jung. It's so delicious and soul-satisfying. Again this time, the raw egg was brought out (with the panchan) as we requested.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:
Omelet
I'd not had this at Cho Jung before but I remember having a slightly wetter version at Hae Woon Dae, where it can be ordered from the menu. Here, it was served with the panchan.

If I'm not mistaken, this side dish is called Gyeran Jjim or Korean egg custard. It's made with eggs mixed with water, then adding fish sauce, carrots, and scallion. Steamed for several minutes.

PIGMON wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:
Omelet
I'd not had this at Cho Jung before but I remember having a slightly wetter version at Hae Woon Dae, where it can be ordered from the menu. Here, it was served with the panchan.

If I'm not mistaken, this side dish is called Gyeran Jjim or Korean egg custard. It's made with eggs mixed with water, then adding fish sauce, carrots, and scallion. Steamed for several minutes.

That would explain the noticeably pleasant saltiness. Thanks.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

PIGMON wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:
Omelet
I'd not had this at Cho Jung before but I remember having a slightly wetter version at Hae Woon Dae, where it can be ordered from the menu. Here, it was served with the panchan.

If I'm not mistaken, this side dish is called Gyeran Jjim or Korean egg custard. It's made with eggs mixed with water, then adding fish sauce, carrots, and scallion. Steamed for several minutes.

That would explain the noticeably pleasant saltiness. Thanks.

=R=

My grandmother made it with little tiny brined shrimp or saewoo jut when I was a wee one. I loved to dump spoonfuls of it over my rice bowl and mix it all up and eat.

I had another great lunch today at Cho Jung. I went with my beloved soondubu (served with raw egg) but tastes of the spicy beef soup and spicy pork neck soup -- ordered by my companions -- have me thinking that I may be branching out a bit more in the future. I've had both these soups in the past and enjoyed them but I've been so "locked in" lately on the soondubu that I unwisely strayed from them.

Also, I wanted to mention that Cho Jung is closed on Mondays. I doubt this is a new development but figured it was worth mentioning since it was news to me when I showed up there for lunch last Monday.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:Also, I wanted to mention that Cho Jung is closed on Mondays. I doubt this is a new development but figured it was worth mentioning since it was news to me when I showed up there for lunch last Monday.

Don't feel so bad Ron. I have the same problem when I show up at Kabul House on Mondays.

Not surprisingly, I was back again at Cho Jung last week for lunch, where I enjoyed some items I haven't documented and/or had before . . .


Greens Pancake
This was similar to the pancake documented upthread but this version really packed some spice. It was served with the panchan.



Mushrooms
This lightly marinated salad was served with the panchan. It was slightly acidic. Some of the mushrooms were meaty and some were delicate. I'd never seen this before but I'd love to see it again.



Brown Rice with Beans
This mixture of rices and beans was served with our soups.



Spicy Pork Neck Soup
As promised upthread, I did branch out and went with this excellent, intensely flavorful bowl. The broth was rich and spicy, and the succulent, tender pork was easy to suck right off the bones. The "spice" garnishing the bowl was actually ground sesame seeds. Phenomenal.

Before we left, "the lady" proudly showed us that Cho Jung is listed in Jennifer Olvera's Food Lovers' Guide to Chicago: Best Local Specialties, Markets, Recipes, Restaurants & Events. She directed us to page 206 of the book, where the listing resides. It was really cool seeing how happy she was to get that kind of recognition.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:
Mushrooms
This lightly marinated salad was served with the panchan. It was slightly acidic. Some of the mushrooms were meaty and some were delicate. I'd never seen this before but I'd love to see it again.

The other thing worth mentioning about this dish was that, unlike the rest of the panchan, it was served warm.

Made my first visit to Cho Jung recently.



Raw egg on the side, all's right with the world.

As much as I liked the soondubu jigae, the panchan might have impressed me more. One of my favorites was a simple but inspired pairing of crunchy sweet peppers with deeply flavored and intensely salty doenjang (soybean paste).



Cho Jung
952 Harlem Ave
Glenview IL
847-724-1111

I was there for lunch yesterday and had the Soon dubu. This was the second time I have had it. I enjoyed it tremendously both times. Both times I was not given an egg on the side. I asked the waitress about the raw egg and she told me it was already in the Soon dubu and with the spoon showed me the yolk, which I promptly mixed in. This time I was asked if I wanted the Soon dubu spicy, to which I replied yes.

I agree that the Panchan were excellent and very fresh tasting. I was by myself and the combination of the Soon dubu and the Panchan was simply too much food for me, although I did finish every drop of the Soon dubu, the pickled cucumber the pancake with greens and the sweet peppers.

I stopped at Super H after lunch and as I walked in through the produce section, the first thing I saw was a display with bags of those small sweet peppers pictured above. They really were delicious.

bw77 wrote:I stopped at Super H after lunch and as I walked in through the produce section, the first thing I saw was a display with bags of those small sweet peppers pictured above. They really were delicious.

I've seen those bags of small sweet peppers at Costco and Whole Paycheck too.
They make great appetizer-sized stuffed peppers, at my holiday parties. I've stuffed them with cheese for an homage to the Vienna naschmarkt the year we were there just prior to the holidays, and used them to make a version of chiles en nogada, and as one of the rings in my "five golden rings" pasta dish (calamarata pasta, shrimp [which coil up], and the peppers sliced crosswise in a saffron cream sauce). Very tasty and versatile.

No surprise; great stuff at Cho Jung again today. In addition to several of the usual orders (pictured upthread), we were served a few panchan I don't recall being served before at Cho Jung . . .


Peapods & Garlic



Raw Greens



Slight more bitter, cooked greens



Nori Planks (sauce in background)



Nori Canape



Ramps with Chili Sauce

You just never know what delicious surprises might be in store for you at Cho Jung.

=R=

Karen wrote:Cho Jung is destination dining among those in the know when it comes to Korean food in the north suburbs. It isn’t much to look at, but the food is best eaten on the premises.

I think that's generally true of Korean food -- especially the style of cuisine served at Cho Jung -- because hot bubbling soups in earthenware vessels do not travel well. Cho Jung's one of the few places where I go for lunch and don't even bother asking anyone at the office if they want me to bring something back for them.

=R=

Excellent lunch today. Was skeptical of the rave reviews from but must agree the quality is amazing.
We had the Spicy Cod Stew, 5 Grain Rice in Pumpkin (of special interst to the vegans) and Seafood/Leek pancake. All recommended but the jewels were the side dishes. Such care and balance. None of the flavors were "too much". Korean food is the definition of strong, but even raw garlic in context with other ingredients should never be "too much".

Wife is original Korean and we travel often to LA and Seoul. Cho Jung is equal to the best restaurants anywhere.

My only worry is; can a Korean restaurant survive in Chicago without the ubiquitous Kal Bee? Will the masses show up without the Highland Park rolls, the Spicy Tuna, the Beef Ribs? We do not need another Thai Sushi place. We need a restaurant like this one.

We made it there Friday night. It was good, but I don't think you can count me as an addict. Both the Soondubu and the seafood pancake had a lot of rather gristly cephalopod which set me off. I asked for the Soondubu spicy, but it really wasn't. The panchan was of very high quality, but I don't think e had anything particularly novel: potato salad, Kimchi, radish, cucumber, sprouts... Zucchini and Bok Choy were the only ones I haven't seen at every other Korean joint, and while repaired, certainly not earth shattering

It's definitely better then I have had in the burbs... But I was hearing stories of wonder from this thread. I'll try again.

Earlier today at Cho Jung . . .


Cho Jung receives their GNR Certificate

=R=

Surprised no one else has mentioned it, but major cheap eats writeup by Kevin Pang in yesterday's Tribune. Might be a little harder to get a table for a while.

-Will

Stopped by for lunch on Saturday. Soondubu was good as always. My wife had the grilled mackeral which she enjoyed. The panchan were so good and fresh that we actually finished them all. I remarked that there were 6 or 7 empty bowls on the table. I don't think we have managed that before.

There were seven tables with customers. I don't think I have seen it that full before.

oh LTH, you are the greatest.

My stomach is still sighing contentedly, hours after my first meal at Cho Jung. This is the second recommendation I have picked up from the forum, and I am beyond grateful I did. That banchan is the best -- so fresh and tasty. Are most of them quick pickled? There was a refreshing crunch to them that I've never experienced before. Everything else was the greatest. Greatest seafood pancake, greatest spicy pork neck stew. I tried to order more, but the waitress bent her head concernedly, and said I would probably be full with what I had. She was right. I look forward to leftovers for breakfast tomorrow!

Thanks again for the great recommend. It rained pretty hard today, and the warmth of this home cooking tucked me in for the rest of the evening.

Oh boy. Went last night. Nevermind the fact that they have removed their BYO policy, which is a big deal to me, but unfortunately I found the food a far cry from the last few times I've been there. I'm not sure if they were having an off night, or what, but wow it was a big drop down from previous visits. The banchan were ordinary and uninspiring. The kalbi was fine, though the portion size left a lot to be desired. The bulgogi was sweet and lacked other flavor. The dol sot bibimbop was excellent and by far the best thing we ate. The seafood pancakes were good, but lacked seafood other than occasional drops of octopus. Finally the spicy squid was cloying and tremendously oily - a dish I usually love but found this difficult to eat. I'm hesitant even to post this, and maybe a return visit is necessary, but I'm curious to hear if other recent visitors had similar experiences. Yikes.

mattshafferHP wrote:Oh boy. Went last night. Nevermind the fact that they have removed their BYO policy, which is a big deal to me, but unfortunately I found the food a far cry from the last few times I've been there. I'm not sure if they were having an off night, or what, but wow it was a big drop down from previous visits. The banchan were ordinary and uninspiring. The kalbi was fine, though the portion size left a lot to be desired. The bulgogi was sweet and lacked other flavor. The dol sot bibimbop was excellent and by far the best thing we ate. The seafood pancakes were good, but lacked seafood other than occasional drops of octopus. Finally the spicy squid was cloying and tremendously oily - a dish I usually love but found this difficult to eat. I'm hesitant even to post this, and maybe a return visit is necessary, but I'm curious to hear if other recent visitors had similar experiences. Yikes.

My recent weekday lunch visits have been solid. I've never byo'd there because they sell alcohol, so I wasn't even aware of this change (plus, I'm almost always there for lunch). I never order kalbi or bulgogi (have tried them, though) because those are just not things they specialize in at Cho Jung, and they're way better elsewhere. To me, this is a soups and stews restaurant. Of course, if you've ordered these items in the past and enjoyed them, then perhaps it was an off night. But I've been there several times in the past few months and the 4-5 soups I regularly order at lunch have been excellent, just as they've always been.

=R=

Thanks Ronnie. I certainly wasn't trying to bash. On our next visit we will stick to the soups/stews. In fact there was a seafood stew on the menu that looked quite interesting.