Amitabul traces back to Jim's Grill, a north side Chicago diner Bill Choi ran with his brother Dave, serving burgers and eggs. When monks from the brothers' Buddhist temple started bringing in vegetables for Bill to prepare a vegan Bi Bim Bop, the dish caught on and pushed Bill toward opening a restaurant built around it.
That restaurant, now in Norwood Park, calls itself Korean spiritual vegan cuisine — Choi's merging of traditional Korean preparation, including fermentation techniques he learned as a boy from his mother and grandmother in Seoul, with Western tastes. The menu runs through Bi Bim Bop, noodle soups like Dr. K's Cure All, stir-fried dishes such as Green and Greener Nirvana and Dark Side of the Moon, mandoo dumplings, vegan sushi rolls, and pancakes, with dish names that carry the kitchen's own sense of humor.
Regulars describe the space as calm and welcoming, with a staff that keeps people coming back.
That restaurant, now in Norwood Park, calls itself Korean spiritual vegan cuisine — Choi's merging of traditional Korean preparation, including fermentation techniques he learned as a boy from his mother and grandmother in Seoul, with Western tastes. The menu runs through Bi Bim Bop, noodle soups like Dr. K's Cure All, stir-fried dishes such as Green and Greener Nirvana and Dark Side of the Moon, mandoo dumplings, vegan sushi rolls, and pancakes, with dish names that carry the kitchen's own sense of humor.
Regulars describe the space as calm and welcoming, with a staff that keeps people coming back.