24 Hour Korean - Closed?
24 Hour Korean - Closed?
-
-
-
-
-
24 Hour Korean - Closed?
-
Post #1 - December 3rd, 2005, 11:10 pmI drove by 24 hour Korean on Lawrence tonight and it appeared to be closed. There were signs on the door, but I wasn't close enough to read them. Does anyone know if it has closed?
-
-
Post #2 - December 3rd, 2005, 11:42 pmoh...I hope not! They haved this wonderful soup with succulent beef short ribs. That and a hot bowl of rice is definite comfort food for me!
-
-
Post #3 - December 4th, 2005, 11:46 amThey are not closed permanently -- they are moving to another nearby location on Lawrence, if I remember correctly. I took a quick glance at the signs a week or two ago when I was walking by. When I walk to the train tomorrow I will look again and make sure I get the details.
-
-
Post #4 - December 4th, 2005, 8:07 pmUpdate on 24 Hour Korean -- the sign says the restaurant is moving to a space across the street (I think where the Baby Creysi store was) and will reopen the summer of 2006.
-
-
Post #5 - December 7th, 2005, 10:42 amWhere's there another good 24 hour Korean place? Thanks!
-
-
Post #6 - December 7th, 2005, 10:45 amLouisa Chu wrote:Where's there another good 24 hour Korean place? Thanks!
San Soo Gab San
5247 N. Western Ave., Chicago
-
-
Post #7 - December 7th, 2005, 11:05 amHi,
Please note just because it says 24-hour does not mean it is really 24 hour. Psychchef and I went to the Western Avenue location at 5 AM for breakfast to find the place closed for cleaning until approximately 10 AM. This was a weekday, I have heard on the weekends it more accurately reflects its 24-hour status.
The now moving 24-hour location did accomodate us at that early hour. However when we walked in that May morning, the waitress was smoking a cigarette, running a vacuum cleaner and the 12-Days of Christmas was playing on the sound system. Once we were in the door, the cigarette was snuffed, the vacuum put away and the music changed. Voila! Ready for customers!
Since I just spent the last 10 minutes hunting this post down on Chowhound, I will quote it here:
Cathy2 of May 28, 2004 wrote:Hi,
Somedays I reflect on what I do for chow and blush. I willing fight my nature to stay up late, to get up really early for breakfast with a genuine early bird: psychchef. However, good company and good food is always worth the sacrifice.
Almost immediately after I announced the location of our pending breakfast, I received an e-mail from ReneG. He advised the 24-hour-athon encountered 'San Soo Gab San' 24-hour Korean on Western on Saturday morning at 3 AM, when it was really hopping. A few months later, he arrived at 4 AM to find them mopping and not very happy to accomodate them especially as communication was challenging. He recommended either I learn to pronounce a few Korean breakfast dishes or have a plan B to go somewhere else. I immediately telephoned to inquire if indeed they are open 24 hours. The woman confirmed it was open 24 hours. I then asked a more complex question: "I can come at 5 AM to have breakfast, right?" She responded, "No speak english."
When I arrived at 5:15 to find Psychchef in the parking lot, it wasn't very surprising the staff had announced, "Closed for cleaning until 10 AM." Psychchef recommended going to the other 24 Korean on Lawrence Avenue. It's always great to follow someone who knows where Plan B happens to be located.
We walked into the Korean Restaurant to find the waitress vacuuming while listening to the '12 Days of Christmas,' which is almost refreshing to hear in May. Once she saw us, she quickly packed up her cleaning materials, switched music and handed us menus. Gosh, I was hoping Barbra Streisand would sing 'Jingle Bells' next or maybe a bit of Perry Como.
After briefly scanning the menu for any recommended breakfast items, I cautiously inquired what Koreans order for breakfast. Our waitress immediate response was just about anything on the menu. Bulkoki? Yes, then countered for breakfast better BiBim Bap (a bowl of rice with some Bulkoki, bean spouts, spinach, pickled vegetables and often a fried egg). She also suggested soups, which registered with some scant memory of information I had once read.
Meanwhile, Psychchef was flipping through the pages of my trusty guide to Korean food: Home Style Korean Cooking in Pictures by Cho Joong Ok. Our waitress brightened when she saw Jap Chae, which is a noodle dish with mixed vegetables such as string beans, carrots, onion, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, ect. From her expression, this seemed to be an ideal breakfast dish to order. To round things up, I took my cue from our friend Steve Drucker from Atlanta and ordered Hemool Pajun or seafood pancake. We were considering ordering a soup, then decided to order later if necessary.
While waiting for our food, I provided a running commentary of the various personalities and their food interests on the board. The waitress brought the panchan: various kimchi, dried fish, cooked and pickled vegetables. The only thing missing was the marinated raw crab or the little dead fish. I always ask for them in case they are withheld thinking I may be squeamish. No charm on my side extracted these tasty tidbits this morning, oh well. Still it is pleasant to pick at these morsels while waiting for the main course.
The first dish to arrive was the seafood pancake, which on this occasion was really squid concentrated. The round pancake was cut into 8 wedges which we dipped in a soy based sauce. This is maybe my 5th different seafood pancake, which all share the same characteristic: a somewhat soft center, which reminds me of an undercooked somewhat raw American pancake. This pancake also had a quantity of red and green peppers present for color, maybe too much color as I would have preferred more seafood. Nonetheless, a reasonable breakfast selection.
The Jap Chae arrived which looked very similar to what my book suggested except there were also pieces of marinated beef which I identified as Bulkoki. Again, they also had more red and green peppers which I was not too excited about. The heavy sweet pepper presence sort of dampened other flavors. If I ordered this again from this place, I would request they hold back on the sweet peppers. In this reduced pepper version, I would expect to like this dish more in the future.
No matter what, it was thrilling to try the 24-hour Korean experience in a truly odd hour. I look forward to my next very early morning breakfast experience in the very near future.
Regards,
Cathy2
San Soo Gab San
5297 N. Western
Chicago, IL
(773) 334-1589
Korean Restaurant (according to reverse look up on anywho.com)
a.k.a. "The Other 24-Hour Korean on Lawrence Ave"
2659 West Lawrence Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625
773/878-2095Cathy2
"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast
-
-
Post #8 - December 7th, 2005, 11:53 amHi Cathy - that's so funny - I just finished reading that post - and wanted to post about their not quite 24-hour hours as well. I just called and they said they close at 6AM and re-open at 10AM - but I'd take those times as approximate.
Let me also add their number and hours to the address kindly provided above by nr706:
San Soo Gab San
5247 N. Western Ave.
Chicago, IL, USA
773-334-1589
Open 7 days, 10AM - 6AM
-
-
Post #9 - December 13th, 2005, 11:34 amReminds one of the old* joke:
Of course we are open 24 hours, just not all in a row.
*goes back to the time of Two Old Crows, a vaudevill act we that was on one of great-grampa's gramaphone records we used to listen to on an old, I kid you not, Victrola...
A similar comment was found scribble on the side of a Pythagorean notebook, around the time of Pliny the Elder, to wit..."Of course we are open a full sundial, just not a contigous arc"Unchain your lunch money!
-
-
Post #10 - December 14th, 2005, 3:02 amepoomay wrote:Update on 24 Hour Korean -- the sign says the restaurant is moving to a space across the street (I think where the Baby Creysi store was) and will reopen the summer of 2006.
Just to be clear, this is the place usually just called Korean Restaurant (aka Hanguk Gwan) at 2659 W. Lawrence?
-
-
Post #11 - December 14th, 2005, 6:43 amYes, that's the place.
-
-
-
Post #12 - May 5th, 2006, 4:36 amany news on the reopening? Has anyone seen the building lately? Does it look like it's getting ready to open?!!!!!??!?!?
can't wait!
-
-
-
Post #13 - May 5th, 2006, 11:49 am^ why the anticipation? certainly not for its food.
-
-
-
Post #14 - May 5th, 2006, 2:14 pmWhile I agree that there are better Korean Spots in terms of the overall food quality, however I particularly favor the Chicken Bulgogi at 24hr Korean Restaurant, in fact as I’ve posted before, I dream about it. I don’t know why, I just do. I tried to make some at home, tried many other restaurants, and it was good but never quite what I dream about…
The 24hr aspect is great; I often get done with a film editing session at 4:00a.m. and need something good… Other 24hr places aren’t actually 24hr. I’ve been San Soo Gab San late night, but within business hours, I still felt somehow unwelcome and didn’t get friendly service!
Friendly service! They are always happy to see me and remembered me at korean restaurant. Always give me heaping portions of my favorite panchan, and sometimes even bring out special dishes.
And above all I’ve yet to find a place with large dishes and 15-20 panchan for such a great price! If I remember correctly a BBQ dish there was somewhere in the hood of $6-10 while most other places run along the lines of $15, and honestly I always got more meat at Korean Restaurant.
That said, what do you not like about it? They don’t have grills on the table, but I don’t mind that at all. While grilling on the table is fun the food isn’t necessarily better, In fact I prefer to let the pros cook my food.
-
-
-
Post #15 - May 5th, 2006, 2:56 pmtrue, not smelling like smoke after eating (despite it being meat flavored smoke) is always a bonus. the grill-it-yourself aspect is fun, but i never understood why people like it so much in korean restaurants. you're eating out, relax and let the pros do it for you.
-
-
Post #16 - May 5th, 2006, 5:40 pmlaikom wrote:any news on the reopening? Has anyone seen the building lately? Does it look like it's getting ready to open?!!!!!??!?!?
Last time I took note, which was a month or so ago, there was a sign on the old doorway which said they were moving (pretty much) across the street. There didn't appear to be activity at the new address.
Enjoy,
Gary
-
-
-
Post #17 - May 6th, 2006, 12:10 pmG Wiv wrote: There didn't appear to be activity at the new address.
.
-
-
-
Post #18 - May 6th, 2006, 12:21 pmWell, I have to say that it is odd for a restaurant not to be ready to go at the start of summer since that is when most of the business is done.
My guess would be that they were caught doing work without a permit and the city issued a stop work order.
Gary, did you notic any work permits posted outside the new location?
-
-
Post #19 - May 7th, 2006, 2:00 pmBefore shopping at HarvesTime today, we went farther down the block and looked in the window of the alleged new location. We shop at HarvesTime two or three times a week but are on foot farther west only a couple or so times per month.
There has been no visible work in the main room in months. Signs from the children's clothing store still hang on wall rack mounts. The tables, chairs and a couple of pieces of stainless steel equipment are stacked up the way thay have been for months, probably from right after moving out of the old location. There is still no sign of building permits. I have never seen a stop-work order there unlike the one in the window of the closed Cafe Restaurant Sarajevo that used to be across Washtenaw from the 24-hour Korean. Meanwhile the old building along with much of the rest of the block has been demolished, and foundations are curing for the new building going up.
-
-
Post #20 - May 15th, 2006, 5:53 pmI walk by the storefront (formerly known as "Baby Kresy") and check out what's going on inside fairly regularly. Most recently they've set up the tables and chairs toward the back of the place and there are a few black plastic garbage bags filled with what the Kresy folks left behind.
Also, and I hope this means what I hope it means, the former "321 Cellphone Store" has vacated the corner spot and moved down the block.
Of course, what I'm hoping is the Korean Restaurant will be taking over both spaces and will be opening soon.
My hope is that this is why they had to be closed until "Next Summer."
Dreaming of their barbecue pork bulgogi.
-
-
-
Post #21 - May 23rd, 2006, 10:29 amWhen the time comes, i'd like to set up an event for middle of the night trip. Any allnighters interested in this?
-
-
-
Post #22 - July 7th, 2006, 4:49 pmI've been by 24 Hour Korean time and time again.
No sign of life beyond the windows.
Nothing has changed inside in months - nor the signs in the window that promise a Summer 2006 re-opening.
Summer's nearly half gone.
I've recently been to Woo Chon, Kang Nam and San Soo Gap San - none of them come close to replicating the charm (did I just write that???) of 24 Hr.
*sigh*
-
-
-
Post #23 - July 8th, 2006, 1:44 amgood to know that i'm not the only one who is disapointed. I guess I'm not crazy for thinking there is charm to the place. I've always been one for the more layed back places (less stuffy) with great food. I sigh as well.. .
-
-
-
Post #24 - April 17th, 2007, 7:17 amI walked past the storefront that used to have the sign promising "24 Hour Korean Open Summer 2006" -- since then, there's been little activity in the storefront and the signs eventually came down from the windows.
I'd hoped that what would happen is that 24 Hour would end up taking over not only the Baby Creysi storefront - but, also the defunct cell phone store storefront.
I was warned that such thinking was very "pie in the sky."
Looks like pies are airborne.
Yesterday I noticed there are new signs in not ONLY the Baby Creysi storefront - but, also in that corner storefront where cellphones used to be sold that read:
24 HOUR KOREAN WILL BE OPEN SOON!
-
-
Post #25 - April 17th, 2007, 10:18 amTruelife- This is good news indeed. I too found the old place kind of charming. Thanks for keeping us updated.
This and the news of Sunshine reopening have just made my laid-back-diner loving heart quite happy.
I am interested to see what the reopening of each brings.
-
-
Post #26 - July 18th, 2007, 12:49 pmI was walking down Lawrence the other afternoon and saw that there were a couple of people coming outside the space that has been promising, "KOREAN RESTAURANT WILL BE RE-OPENING SOON!" since April.
Well, one of the people standing out front was the owner of the restaurant. She told me that they are indeed re-opening "soon" - but her architect is still waiting for the permits to come through.
She told me they are indeed taking over the two storefronts (formerly 'Baby Cresy' and the mobile phone store) and will have a patio for outdoor seating as well.
All good news I think.
-
-
Post #27 - August 15th, 2007, 5:48 pmI walked past the promised location of the 24 hour Korean Restaurant tonight. A new sign in the window (of the former cell phone store) is advertising space available for lease. The paper sign stating that the Korean Restaurant will be opening soon is still in the window also.
-
-
-
Post #28 - September 8th, 2007, 3:47 amAnd i wait... Very impatiently...
-
-
-
Post #29 - January 18th, 2012, 7:17 pmIts Jan 18, 2012 & Chicago Korean Restaurant Still hasn't reopened across the street. WHY????????????????
If anyone knows the whereabouts of this restaurant or if they relocated somewhere else please send me an email VictorPaulDiaz@Gmail.com
This was one of the best!
THANK YOU!!
-
-
-
Post #30 - January 18th, 2012, 7:46 pmYou may be kidding, but at this point i don't think it's going to be reopening! I wish too, now that i live right around the corner from where it was going to be.Part of the secret of a success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.
-Mark Twain
-
