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BYOB: Bbop Lounge
The spot: The nice thing about newly opened Korean barbecue BBop Lounge ( hours | maps | Reviews) is that if you’re a control freak, you can cook your own food on gas grills right at your table in this modern, minimalist space. If, however, you’re too lazy, unable or uninterested in grilling yourself (we’ll call you Type B), the chefs will take care of it for you. “We’re definitely a lot more service oriented than the traditional Korean restaurants, or we should be, at least,” restaurant partner Okcha McDonald says. The menu is still fairly traditional, filled with popular items such as chap chae, clear cellophane noodles in a soy-sesame based sauce with vegetables and an option to add meat ($11-$12.50); bi bim bop ($11-$12.50); and kalbi, or Korean short ribs ($20).
The bottle: BBop Lounge will likely have a liquor license by spring, McDonald says, so take advantage of the BYO status (with no corkage fee) soon. McDonald recommends beer with Korean barbecue, specifically Korean beer—if you can find it. Calls to nearby liquor stores all turned up the same answer: no Korean beer. So plan ahead and make a trip to Avondale, where Asian food market Chicago Food Corp. (3333 N. Kimball Ave. 773-478-5566) sells six-packs of popular Korean beers Hite and OB ($5.09 each). OB is a pale lager, and Hite is more of a golden-colored lager; both are commonly found on tap in Korea. If you’re in a pinch and need a place nearby, we like Galleria Liquors (1559 N. Wells St. 312-867-7070). You’ll have to settle for Stella Artois ($10.99 for a six-pack)—it’s not Korean, but its crispness will make a fine match for Korean ’cue. -- Emily Hiser Lobdell is a Metromix special contributor. ] metromix@tribune.com
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