I really enjoyed the meal and agree/disagree with some of the opinions expressed above. First, I didn't care for the acorn jelly but did like the salad with which it was served. The judiciously-applied toasted sesame oil notes were just right. The pancakes, both seafood and kimchi, were very tasty, as were the fried dumplings. I think these items compare more than favorably with renditions all across town. The seafood casserole, while it looked and sounded stunning, was a disappointment. I'd never had it before and am glad to have tried it but I can't imagine ever ordering it again. The tofu with spicy pork and kimchi remains one of my favorites at Cho Jung. I also think the panchan, which was excellent across the board, is a vitally important aspect of the food at a Korean restaurant. The panchan items served at Cho Jung are addictive and memorable. I couldn't disagree more with the assertion that it's analogous to cole slaw at a BBQ joint. I believe it's the seoul (sic) of a Korean restaurant.

I thought the soups -- both the soy/tofu and the spicy pollack roe -- were excellent and probably the stand-outs of the evening. I wish we'd all ordered individual bowls of these and a couple of others because I think this is where Cho Jung really excels. These items are favorites of mine at Cho Jung but in our configuration last night, ordering those soups didn't make a whole lot of sense. For a large group that wants to order communally, Cho Jung may not be the best venue. And on that basis, as for the bbq meats, I don't see Cho Jung surpassing any of the top tier Korean live coal BBQ places. It's just not their strength.

In any case, here are a few images from the meal . . .


Fried Dumplings


Kimchi Pancake



Acorn Jelly Salad



Tofu with Spicy Pork and Kimchi



Panchan
I loved so many of these, especially the little fish and the sweet/tart chayote at approximately 7:00 in the picture.



Seafood Casserole



Bulgogi



Kalbi



Spicy Pollack Roe Soup



Spicy Tofu and Soy Soup

I definitely don't want to make apologies for Cho Jung but I think this place really excels, even if that wasn't completely evident last night. Some of the things they do well we got to try and others, we didn't. There were also a few things that kind of clunked but I think that in groups of 6 or fewer, in which everyone orders their own bowls, the strength of this kitchen, its recipes and techniques really shines through.

=R=

gastro gnome wrote:Last night was another lovely LTH event with much eating, lively conversation and some good food. As I always like to do, a rehash of conversation topics overhead: an incongruous twitter-length review of War & Peace, pre-AOL email behavior, a half-million dollar green card, the dangerous nature of pickling, the enigmatic meaning of this emoticom and, surprisingly, sausage pizza.

I do admit that I came into this dinner with some expectations. But expectations can be unfair: anyone expecting me to pull off a happy_stomach performance was sorely disappointed. But we have to thank her for giving us all reason to get together and to her speedy recovery.

First off, I will join with others in complimenting our joke-cracking, chair-lifting, clean-plate-providing waiter Tom. He and the other restaurant staff (of one?) handled our large party with aplomb, making recommendations, pacing the evening, topping off hot tea and water glasses regularly and dealing piping hot bowls of rice late into the dinner.

My impression of the food was mixed. There were highs (both pajeons, pork & tofu, panchan), lows (seafood casserole) and decided ehhhs (acorn starch, all of the 'grilled' meats).

I did enjoy both of the pancakes (though I don't know if anyone really found any seafood), but fried dough is a crowd pleaser. My favorite dish was also the tofu and spicy pork, although I thought that it could have done with a bit more heat and a bit less sweetness. Nothing billed as "spicy" was overly so, although I'm not sure if we got the regular treatment. Pungent is a fine way to describe the soybean soup we were served towards the end. Funky miso shiru might be another way. I liked this but was a bit too full to appreciate it.

I think the seafood casserole was a disappointment. Much of the seafood was overcooked and it deteriorated quickly with noodles gumming up and the 'spicy' sauce reducing down to a paste. It did include some odd sea creatures, some of which Tom could not identify, didn't necessarily like, but assured us were "from the sea."

I'm not sure we ordered to this restaurant's strengths, to be quite honest. I sure didn't know a lot about the gems of the menu, save for what was posted here. And I had a hard time figuring out which item on the menu was the sundubu jigae, the most praised of the items. Suffice it to say, I think we took some recommendations from Tom (the seafood casserole) and pointed to some menu items that looked interesting (acorn starch). If I gather, this place's best foot might be soups, but these seemed to come in individual sized portions that would have been difficult to share.

Anyway, the bulgogi and kalbi were decidedly average. If you go, I would pass on these in favor of other menu items. I don't have a ton of experience with Korean barbecue, but a live fire usually means a good product. Griddled versions don't really do it for me.

I had a soul-warming meal on a cold, rainy day in Korea that consisted of dolsot bibimbap and a gingery chicken soup with bone-in chicken parts that stands out in my mind - so I can definitely dig non Korean-bbq food. I look forward to returning here as the weather gets colder and diving into some soups and other menu items.

gg,

I posted at about the same moment as you did but our thoughts on Cho Jung are viritually identical. It was a nice showing last night with some highs and lows but not really representative of what the place is really all about.

=R=

Well, if we didn't have what shows the restaurant off to its best, and it gets poor marks here as a result, then that's another reason to think that the way in which news of it seeped out has served both it and the LTHForum community poorly. If posts had been made by those going to the restaurant over time, there would be a body of reports identifying its strengths and weaknesses stretching back for the better part of a year. (That is, I assume from the snow shown in one picture that the private dinners held there go back at least to the early months of 2009. But the point holds even if they only go back to the summer.) Instead, that information seems to have been lost to the LTHForum community.

As it is, it's hard for me not to feel that a certain emperor's clothes effect was at work here, the secrecy and perceived cachet of the "discovery" and the private nature of the events held there convincing those attending that they were having something much more special than it proved to be in the cold light of day (so to speak).

Mike G wrote:it's hard for me not to feel that a certain emperor's clothes effect was at work here, the secrecy and perceived cachet of the "discovery" and the private nature of the events held there convincing those attending that they were having something much more special than it proved to be in the cold light of day (so to speak).

I know the few times I've gone over the last year since Pigmon brought me were not covert. It was just a couple good friends having lunch on occasion. If you want to deem that "private nature" I suppose you could but you'd be misinterpreting the spirit. We went particularly for the sundubu jigae which I feel is among the best soups in town. They had a flavored dry nori as panchan that was addictive as well but the other food was not the attraction. I wasn't sworn to secrecy, just don't feel compelled to post about every meal I eat. For some reason, it got by me.

Mike G wrote:Well, if we didn't have what shows the restaurant off to its best, and it gets poor marks here as a result, then that's another reason to think that the way in which news of it seeped out has served both it and the LTHForum community poorly. If posts had been made by those going to the restaurant over time, there would be a body of reports identifying its strengths and weaknesses stretching back for the better part of a year. (That is, I assume from the snow shown in one picture that the private dinners held there go back at least to the early months of 2009. But the point holds even if they only go back to the summer.) Instead, that information seems to have been lost to the LTHForum community.

As it is, it's hard for me not to feel that a certain emperor's clothes effect was at work here, the secrecy and perceived cachet of the "discovery" and the private nature of the events held there convincing those attending that they were having something much more special than it proved to be in the cold light of day (so to speak).

If you feel comfortable connecting these 2 things, so be it but I feel they have absolutely nothing to do with each other. I'd leave it at the place may not be as good as accomodating big groups as it is at accomodating small ones. The restaurant is what the restaurant is. Our reporting has no bearing on that.

Perhaps I should be held responsible since I did most of the ordering. Next time, I'll know I should just stay home.

=R=

I'm sorry I wasn't able to make the dinner. Thank you to gastro gnome for taking the lead and to everyone who made it for the team effort in navigating the menu and reporting on your experience.

Mike G wrote:Well, if we didn't have what shows the restaurant off to its best, and it gets poor marks here as a result, then that's another reason to think that the way in which news of it seeped out has served both it and the LTHForum community poorly. If posts had been made by those going to the restaurant over time, there would be a body of reports identifying its strengths and weaknesses stretching back for the better part of a year.

I don't actually think the group would have benefitted from an "older" Cho Jung thread. First, threads dating back multiple years with pages of posts don't always contain substantial information on the establishment's strengths and weaknesses (or any substance at all). Often times, this big picture information actually isn't available on LTH unless there's a dutiful "regular" reporting (and, again, substantially) on the restaurant over time or unless a large group dinner is held there and the restaurant is put to that kind of test.

Most of the people who have posted on Cho Jung (happened not to attend Tuesday's dinner, Ron being the one exception, I believe) have visited the restaurant multiple times over at least several months if not years stretching back to its previous city incarnation. Therefore, the existing posts are summaries of experiences and therefore more aptly identify (if not in the actual number of posts) the restaurant's strengths and weaknesses--the strengths being the panchan, pajeon and stews and the weaknesses being BBQ fare and, well, anything not a strength.

I should also say that it was not my intention for this dinner to be a coronation of a non-GNR GNR. As someone who organizes a fair amount of LTH events (I think), I invite LTHers to join me for meals because I very much enjoy the company and also for the "ordering power." These group meals may be at "proven," celebrated restaurants (e.g. Sun Wah, TAC Quick) but also at restaurants about which the greater LTH community (of which I count myself a part) for whatever reasons have little information and are curious in exploring deeply in a way only larger groups can (e.g. the Cho Jung dinner, the dinner I organized at Otom a while back...). Actually, the majority of time, I probably know only as much about the restaurant in question or (more likely) less than most people in the group I've gathered. I was just as curious as anyone else to see how Cho Jung would deliver both in terms of the breadth and quality of its menu/food and also service with such a large group. It seems like it was a mixed bag, and, we as a community, only know this because a dozen or so people headed out there and tried it out.

Mike G wrote:As it is, it's hard for me not to feel that a certain emperor's clothes effect was at work here, the secrecy and perceived cachet of the "discovery" and the private nature of the events held there convincing those attending that they were having something much more special than it proved to be in the cold light of day (so to speak).

It's quite funny to me the secrecy, privacy, conspiracy and even mere discovery that's been read into this situation. There were no secret meals being had at Cho Jung. People on LTH become friends offline and choose to eat together without inviting other people or posting about it. I suppose one may argue some kind of community obligation to report on each better-than-average meal one has, but the recent surfacing of Cho Jung on the board wasn't pre-meditated or otherwise choreographed. I just happened to be the one with enough time on my hands to write about it. I fully intend to go back to Cho Jung with the understanding that future meals may be as excellent as my first one there and maybe not. If, based on a few posts about the restaurant, you chose to expect that a meal there would be revelatory and flawless, that seems to me to be a matter of the credence you lend to posters (either LTHers generally or the specific posters in the Cho Jung thread) than any trickery by the people reporting on the restaurant.

I am not sure that secrecy is at issue: after all every lunch or dinner that people have with others on the board need not be posted or need not be an "event." There are many groups of friends who hang out without it becoming a public meal.

Still, I can't help but feel disappointed. Even the pancakes, while good, were not exceptional compared to what one finds elsewhere. I didn't have the tofu because of a health concern. This dish seemed to be the consensus winner. I enjoyed the pollack soup with roe, which had a lovely texture and aroma, even though by my standards the fish itself was dry and overcooked. We did order quite a fair number of dishes and while it is possible that we missed the great ones, the ratio of so-so dishes to wow dishes was not what one wished for. I left with the impression that I had before seeing the original thread: a decent suburban Korean restaurant that is not a destination restaurant. However, the service was excellent and because it is literally within walking distance of my house, I might go for lunch and report back.

I don't know what people are referring to with respect to secrecy or privacy, but I think that happy_stomach's first post about Cho Jung (especially her first paragraph) was such a strongly worded recommendation of Cho Jung that, at least for me, it dialed my expectations upward, and I probably read too much into her praise and cajoled myself into believing that this was somewhat more of a find than it was (at least during my one visit). That was my (mis)interpretation of someone else's words, so I'll take the blame for that. (BTW, I'm not criticizing happy_stomach, but perhaps she got caught up in a moment of passion and that was reflected in her post. There's nothing wrong with that.)

Anyway, I don't think anyone can take the credit or the blame for ordering the other night -- I think we ordered based upon what was recommended in the Cho Jung thread (the pajeon in particular was lauded) as well as based upon on our server's recommendations. In truth, there were only a handful of dishes discussed on the Cho Jung thread, so it was natural for us to venture away from those and delve deeper into the menu in order to suit the needs of a group this big. We knew going in that the meat dishes were not a strong point; but I believe they were ordered, again, upon the recommendation of our server as well as to balance out the meal, which at that point, had been heavy on seafood. Anyway, they were not prepared well, coals or no coals. As for the seafood casserole, which I don't think anyone liked, it was again, strongly recommended by our server who practically jumped up and down while suggesting this dish for us. In retrospect, he was a nice guy, but kind of a goofball, so maybe we overrelied upon someone with good intentions but perhaps not the best palate.

My feelings on Cho Jung is that it's a nice place, there is some care taken with certain preparations, but I'm not sure it's worth going there at every possible opportunity by whatever means necessary, or to make a special trip.

GAF wrote:I am not sure that secrecy is at issue: after all every lunch or dinner that people have with others on the board need not be posted or need not be an "event." There are many groups of friends who hang out without it becoming a public meal.

Still, I can't help but feel disappointed. Even the pancakes, while good, were not exceptional compared to what one finds elsewhere. I didn't have the tofu because of a health concern. This dish seemed to be the consensus winner. I enjoyed the pollack soup with roe, which had a lovely texture and aroma, even though by my standards the fish itself was dry and overcooked. We did order quite a fair number of dishes and while it is possible that we missed the great ones, the ratio of so-so dishes to wow dishes was not what one wished for. I left with the impression that I had before seeing the original thread: a decent suburban Korean restaurant that is not a destination restaurant. However, the service was excellent and because it is literally within walking distance of my house, I might go for lunch and report back.

I disagree about the pancakes and the pollack roe soup but that's the coin of the realm around here. We're not all going to agree about individual dishes. Btw, I don't think there is any fish in the soup -- it's strictly roe and the sacks break up into individual eggs when cooked. I've never had this dish anywhere else but that's what I enjoy about Cho Jung -- it's not just another Korean bbq joint. It's different and it's definitely not bbq.

I really wish I'd encouraged people to order a couple of the other soups, the spicy squid and a few other dishes I've had at Cho Jung that I thought were great (documented here). I haven't been there so often that I remember them well enough to order them on the spot, so I apologize for not being better prepared or providing better guidance. I certainly don't care if people like the place or not (I have no horse in this race) but I hate to think that they would dismiss it based on this one meal or the fact that I didn't guide them well. I'm certainly no expert on Korean food but there are items served here that I've never had anywhere else and many of them are wonderful.

=R=

Mike G wrote:Anyway, they seem like nice folks trying harder than many Korean spots, the waiter was very good, and the place was very empty, I'm glad the LTH community as a whole got the chance to try it because going sooner rather than later may be good advice.

Tom (the waiter) did tell us that business had been slow recently but this business is more than 15 years old and is in its second, larger location. I don't believe that they're anywhere near being on their way out. In any event, I think it's somewhat irresponsible to imply that they are.

=R=

What did we see, four other people the whole night? These are hard times. A lot of places that did fine in the good years may be struggling now.

If you like a place, encourage people to go there... including by posting at LTHForum.

I didn't realize it was an obligation to post. I guess I didn't read the small print on the contract.

ronnie_suburban wrote:Perhaps I should be held responsible since I did most of the ordering. Next time, I'll know I should just stay home.

Don't have me to blame this time, do you?

-Dan

ronnie_suburban wrote:I disagree about the pancakes and the pollack roe soup but that's the coin of the realm around here. We're not all going to agree about individual dishes. Btw, I don't think there is any fish in the soup -- it's strictly roe and the sacks break up into individual eggs when cooked. I've never had this dish anywhere else but that's what I enjoy about Cho Jung -- it's not just another Korean bbq joint. It's different and it's definitely not bbq.

Al tang is one of my favorite soups. And they are acually in a lot of places that I'm sure you've been to, Ronnie! Chicago Food (Joong Boo), San Soo Gap San, and I think Haewoondae as well! Maybe it has just slipped your eyes, especially when there is kalbi to order!

CrazyC wrote:Al tang is one of my favorite soups. And they are acually in a lot of places that I'm sure you've been to, Ronnie! Chicago Food (Joong Boo), San Soo Gap San, and I think Haewoondae as well! Maybe it has just slipped your eyes, especially when there is kalbi to order!

Thanks for reminding me! I always pass Joong Boo and rebuke myself for passing it twice a day six years ago when I lived in Lakeview & worked in the 'burbs, but never checking it out...I guess I hadn't really "discovered" Korean food back then, but I wish I had at least stopped in looking for cheap Kikkoman or something

Now that I live & work in the core of the city, I don't make it up that way very often...until tomorrow, that is, while running some errands. Hot damn, I'm having a big bowl of altang for lunch!

CrazyC wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:I disagree about the pancakes and the pollack roe soup but that's the coin of the realm around here. We're not all going to agree about individual dishes. Btw, I don't think there is any fish in the soup -- it's strictly roe and the sacks break up into individual eggs when cooked. I've never had this dish anywhere else but that's what I enjoy about Cho Jung -- it's not just another Korean bbq joint. It's different and it's definitely not bbq.

Al tang is one of my favorite soups. And they are acually in a lot of places that I'm sure you've been to, Ronnie! Chicago Food (Joong Boo), San Soo Gap San, and I think Haewoondae as well! Maybe it has just slipped your eyes, especially when there is kalbi to order!

You're absolutely right, CrazyC. I've been to all 3 of those places and didn't know that any of them offered this soup. I'll have to check their versions out asap.

=R=

Just for the record, the Pollack soup did have hunks of pollack in it. I liked it very much, except for the fish itself.

Mike G wrote:Well, if we didn't have what shows the restaurant off to its best, and it gets poor marks here as a result, then that's another reason to think that the way in which news of it seeped out has served both it and the LTHForum community poorly. If posts had been made by those going to the restaurant over time, there would be a body of reports identifying its strengths and weaknesses stretching back for the better part of a year.

I believe I was first to recommend Cho Jung, back in 2006, mentioning pea pancakes, miso soup and dolsot bibimbop. Your group doesn't seem to have ordered those.

I have not been there lately, but I admit I was surprised to see the LTH dinner there attracting so many city dwellers. I think Cho Jung is better than "good for the suburbs," and therefore put it in my index to worthwhile suburban spots, but I wouldn't say its food is worth driving long miles past other Korean restaurants for.

The complaints about a lack of "wow" factor do raise the question, though, how good must a restaurant be before it "merits" an LTH event? If somebody plans an event in the suburbs, must the restaurant be "worth" Chicago residents' drive from the city? It doesn't seem to me that city restaurants chosen for LTH gatherings are necessarily held to such high standards with respect to suburbanites' driving time.

I wouldn't say its food is worth driving long miles past other Korean restaurants for

I agree!

That said, I don't think there's any "must" about events and how far people will go for what. You and I both drove to Milwaukee for a dinner, long ago, to cite one extreme (Old Town Serbian). Plan one, make it sound enticing and unusual, and see who comes out for it. That's the only standard to go by, I think.

Mike G wrote:

I wouldn't say its food is worth driving long miles past other Korean restaurants for

I agree!

That said, I don't think there's any "must" about events and how far people will go for what. You and I both drove to Milwaukee for a dinner, long ago, to cite one extreme (Old Town Serbian). Plan one, make it sound enticing and unusual, and see who comes out for it. That's the only standard to go by, I think.

Not to speak for happy_stomach but I think this was simply an instance of her going to a place, really enjoying it and wanting to share it with others. In my mind, that's a fantastic reason to arrange and/or attend a dinner like this one.

=R=