Amitabul

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Linda Borbas Becker

Joined 3 years ago

Good vegan Korean food. What makes this Korean restaurant unique, is that they prepare authentic Korean cuisine which is usually known for very high fat and sodium content. Not this place. I'm a professional pilot and really watch my diet, so one day while I was in Chicago and in search of a vegetarian place, I stumbled across Amitabul which later I found to be frequented by many locals. After speaking with several customers in the restaurant, I learned they are "regulars". That made me feel better. I wasn't feeling the greatest the day I went in there (head cold/chest congestion) and just asked the waiter for soup. He asked which kind, and I told him "I don't care, I feel lousy and need a pick me up." He practically did a medical evaluation on me right there asking me questions about what I feel, 20 minutes later he brought me out a soup combination of shiitake mushroom, seaweed and god only knows what. I scarffed it down and asked for a to-go bowl of it also. Made me feel real good on the inside and tolerated the rest of the week's worth of flying! For what it's worth, I do think that this soup had some medicinal value.

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SPW

Joined 3 years ago

Great tasting healthy food. Don't expect a trendy restaurant, but the food is always great tasting. I always walk out feeling like my body is rejuvenated. You have to try the soups, they can cure anything...

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thewidgetqueen

Joined 5 years ago

I hate veggies, but I love Amitabul veggies!. Amitabul was a pleasant surprise, I'm a vegetarian and try to support any local veg restaurants when I can. The food here contains nothing artificial, they stir fry with water not oil, use organic produce, don't use sugar, and they have some amazing tasting curries. They have a variety of teas and juices. I had the ginger tea which will wake up your senses right away. My fiance had the date tea and couldn't get enough. For our entree I had the Tibetan High Noon which was a noodle stir fry with special tibetan curry with an assortment of stir fried veggies, you can pick whether you want it mild, medium, or spicy, I went with the spicy and it wasn't too harsh to eat. It clears your sinuses though. The taste of the curry is nothing like I've ever had. One thing I will say: I'm Chicago's pickiest eater in the world. I'm a vegetarian that HATES vegetables, never ate a whole salad in my life. But I tried eating the veggies with the curry and they were amazing. I was stunned. I even ate the cauliflower, and I will make any excuse known to man to not eat the stuff normally.

To those that want to stuff their faces with dead animal for every meal this is not the place to do it. Though my very carnivorous fiance loved his Chop Chae Bop(steamed sweet potato noodles, 3 kinds of mushroom, with veggies)

It's a small low key place, and the owners play traditional Buddhist music which is calming.

I'm going to go to Amitabul any chance I can get. It beats the usual blandness of vegan dishes you usually get at restaurants(chicago diner, *cough*) in the city.

Doesn't Recommend

hmmmichelle

Joined 6 years ago

Zero Stars If I Could. I'm so confused... this was the worst food I ever had! Granted I'm not a vegetarian but really!?!? I would imagine people would like the food at Amitabul IF they didn't have taste buds. Just because something is healthy it doesn't mean it has to be tasteless.

Not my thing at all.

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Korean-vegan spot at the northern edge of the city.. In Short
Padded booths, a mock waterfall and traditional Asian tunes welcome Norwood Park dwellers with adventuresome, heat-seeking palates. Amitabul (Korean for "awaken") specializes in vegan fare, including curries, stir-fry veggies, noodles, shiitake pancakes and soups. Tempeh-veggie stir-fry, buckwheat-chive pancakes and chop chae bop with glassy-looking sweet potato noodles, mushrooms and assorted vegetables are among the entrees.

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vfrben

Joined 11 years ago

Awesome food!. Great food and a welcome addition to the area. Amitabul is run by super people whose main concern is providing the healthiest food possible... and they succeed with flying colors!

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ppiszek

Joined 11 years ago

A vegan alternative for NW Chicago. First, let me state that I am an omniviorous eater. That being said, I found Amitabul to be a most refreshing breath of fresh air for an area of the city not usually known for exotic cuisine. My personal favorite is a dish called "Wolfmans Dreamed Treats" which contains various nuts and large chunks of potato, radish, carrot,mushrooms, and veggies garnished with miso sauce which gives the dish some zing. It's as tasty and just as hearty as any meat based stew. The atmosphere is relaxing but not necessarily romantic. Chefs Bill and Dave are very friendly usually coming out to visit their patrons making sure that his dishes are to your satisfaction.