Joong Boo is pretty great! I'm a bit obsessed with their snack corner, especially the spicy marinated pork--it's sweet and savory and saucy and lasted me two meals! I also recently tried the bibimbap and the sundubu jjigae, which was their discounted special ($10 instead of $12). The bibimbap came in a huge bowl and was fresh but the rice wasn't warm. It came with miso soup and kimchi on the side. My sundubu jjigae came bubbling in its bowl (v nice for a colder day!) and was full of flavor and lovely soft tofu. Surprising to me, though, was that it also included little seafood bits! I think they were mainly little pieces of squid and maybe clam. Pretty tasty and satisfying though. This market is a bit cramped but does have a lot of specials and fresh veggies and oh so many different types of ramen. There seem to be some discounts on some of the prepared food later in the evening, close to closing time. I'd definitely be a regular if I lived closer!
Julia X.
Ah, my beloved Joong Boo, my favorite Korean grocery store in the city. Love that it is nearish to a blue line stop (Belmont, the one near Logan Square), and that it has the Snack Corner food court. They also carry tons of items like fresh produce and face masks and whatnot, so you really can't go wrong. My favorite grocery items to buy here: organic mushrooms (they have so many kinds!), tofu, sashimi, East Asian sauces, dried seaweed, various greens, fresh tteok (seems like they get theirs from Nakwon Tteok House). I will say that sometimes they randomly stop carrying brands (rip that miso with the little boy on it that I liked) and the aisles are very small, so try to avoid peak times. The Snack corner (hours: 10am-7pm) is also basically a must-visit every time because they have a lot of korean food options at super reasonable prices. The portions are also generous. My favorites: nakji bokkeum (no. 20), soon doobu (no. 4), kimari. The mandu shop right outside also has amazing, giant, fluffy red bean buns. The snack corner only has 5 tables, so definitely try to come at an off time (though I have yet to find out exactly when that is lol - probably right at 10 or weird afternoon times, or right near closing). Sometimes they run out of napkins, too, so be prepared. If you are a big group I would also recommend ordering all together at once since they seem pretty short staffed so the person taking orders sometimes leaves after taking one, with a big gap in between. Sure, the ambiance isn't great and I would say the food is solid but not amazing (definitely found the beef in some dishes to be dry and old), but for those prices and those portions it's pretty dang good.
Lydia
Tasted just like the markets in Seoul! Comfort food to the max. Soo filling and
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Anna R.
Wonderful Asian food market to get those special ingredients needed when cooking Asian. Their market is also full of wonderful gadgets and gizmos. Reasonably priced lunch meals. I was underwhelmed by their Ox bone soup. It lacked flavor, which surprised me. The portion provided was good but the soup was missing something and soy sauce did not help the flavor. It tasted very diluted and bland. However there was adequate meat and other ingredients, which upped my star rating but even the meat lacked flavor. Very bland soup. The accompaniments, kimchee and salad were good. Disappointed that the soup did not deliver the wow I was expecting after seeing all the other wonderful items in the store.
benita chavez
Gooog
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Xiao Meow
Such a great value! Cheap and good quality. I like the tofu soup $10 because it’s on sale this week (usually $12)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Niqua L.
I didn't know my mandoo was the size of a globe lol filled w meat and veggies. A little on the dry side so next time I'll add some sauce to it.
Michiyo T.
A lot of fresh vegetables and fruits. Staff are always nice and kind. Definitely recommend this supermarket.
Toni M.
All time favorite store with lunch too! Favorite Kimchi in the city.. Nice selection of hot prepared meals as well and special price on sashimi tray on Wednesday and Friday. Run don't walk to JBM!
B H
Haha, what if it takes 30 minutes to get a bowl of rice cake ramen?
Very good Korean food. Frequent by a lot of Koreans & yuppies. Good food at good prices.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Bulgogi
Rita S.
Shopping for Asian food items -Korean, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese cooking? JB has a great variety of food (packed, sea, produce, frozen) all fitting nicely in the shelves. Some narrow spaces has never been an issue for me. Dry ingredients are still something I go for than raw ones, especially if it is for broth and soup base. Going around meal time at the Kimball store branch? Then, it may be your lucky day. Try one of the two choices: Steaming homemade bao (pretty generous in size), as soon as you leave the store, or order K-prepared food ranging from soups, ramen, combos in the snack food area in the back. It is a cozy little space.
Amy D.
!!! CHEAPER THAN HMART !!! It's the same type of Korean food and decent quality, just cheaper. This place is a must for nearby residents. Their restaurant inside has great food with very generous portions. I recommend trying any of their menu items! I'll definitely be back for their bulk frozen dumplings, rice cakes, and vegan onigiri. - AT
Rosanna T.
Finding good Asian food outside of California feels like such a difficulty feat, but it was accomplished here! Not a korean person in sight but I got the BiBimBap and it was on point! I was missing some good Asian food while my stop in Chicago and it did not disappoint. The only thing I hoped that I could dine in next time but the space is tiny.
Mona T.
A very solid, well-stocked, and reasonably priced grocery store for Korean and miscellaneous Asian staples. It also has 2 "snack corners" inside and outside the building (inside one is for traditional Korean dishes; outside one is for dumplings and giant mandoos). The dumpling/mandoo stand stopped selling dumplings by the time I got there around 6:30pm, so I'll try to get there earlier in the future to try those. Instead, I got the kimchi mandoo, which is huge and contained pork and kimchi pieces. The mandoo exterior was soft and plushy, and the interior was spicy from the kimchi but otherwise pretty bland in flavor and texture. From the inside snack corner, I got a takeout order of Bulgogi, which came with rice and small side dishes of kimchi and japchae. This was pretty good-- the bulgogi was a little overcooked but overall flavorful and delicious. The japchae had good flavor and texture as well, and paired well with everything.-- Price (relative to peers): 4.5/5Food: 4.5/5Ambience: N/AService: N/AOverall Value: 4.5/5
Joong Boo is pretty great! I'm a bit obsessed with their snack corner, especially the spicy marinated pork--it's sweet and savory and saucy and lasted me two meals! I also recently tried the bibimbap and the sundubu jjigae, which was their discounted special ($10 instead of $12). The bibimbap came in a huge bowl and was fresh but the rice wasn't warm. It came with miso soup and kimchi on the side. My sundubu jjigae came bubbling in its bowl (v nice for a colder day!) and was full of flavor and lovely soft tofu. Surprising to me, though, was that it also included little seafood bits! I think they were mainly little pieces of squid and maybe clam. Pretty tasty and satisfying though. This market is a bit cramped but does have a lot of specials and fresh veggies and oh so many different types of ramen. There seem to be some discounts on some of the prepared food later in the evening, close to closing time. I'd definitely be a regular if I lived closer!
Ah, my beloved Joong Boo, my favorite Korean grocery store in the city. Love that it is nearish to a blue line stop (Belmont, the one near Logan Square), and that it has the Snack Corner food court. They also carry tons of items like fresh produce and face masks and whatnot, so you really can't go wrong. My favorite grocery items to buy here: organic mushrooms (they have so many kinds!), tofu, sashimi, East Asian sauces, dried seaweed, various greens, fresh tteok (seems like they get theirs from Nakwon Tteok House). I will say that sometimes they randomly stop carrying brands (rip that miso with the little boy on it that I liked) and the aisles are very small, so try to avoid peak times. The Snack corner (hours: 10am-7pm) is also basically a must-visit every time because they have a lot of korean food options at super reasonable prices. The portions are also generous. My favorites: nakji bokkeum (no. 20), soon doobu (no. 4), kimari. The mandu shop right outside also has amazing, giant, fluffy red bean buns. The snack corner only has 5 tables, so definitely try to come at an off time (though I have yet to find out exactly when that is lol - probably right at 10 or weird afternoon times, or right near closing). Sometimes they run out of napkins, too, so be prepared. If you are a big group I would also recommend ordering all together at once since they seem pretty short staffed so the person taking orders sometimes leaves after taking one, with a big gap in between. Sure, the ambiance isn't great and I would say the food is solid but not amazing (definitely found the beef in some dishes to be dry and old), but for those prices and those portions it's pretty dang good.
Tasted just like the markets in Seoul! Comfort food to the max. Soo filling and
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wonderful Asian food market to get those special ingredients needed when cooking Asian. Their market is also full of wonderful gadgets and gizmos. Reasonably priced lunch meals. I was underwhelmed by their Ox bone soup. It lacked flavor, which surprised me. The portion provided was good but the soup was missing something and soy sauce did not help the flavor. It tasted very diluted and bland. However there was adequate meat and other ingredients, which upped my star rating but even the meat lacked flavor. Very bland soup. The accompaniments, kimchee and salad were good. Disappointed that the soup did not deliver the wow I was expecting after seeing all the other wonderful items in the store.
Gooog
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Such a great value! Cheap and good quality. I like the tofu soup $10 because it’s on sale this week (usually $12)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I didn't know my mandoo was the size of a globe lol filled w meat and veggies. A little on the dry side so next time I'll add some sauce to it.
A lot of fresh vegetables and fruits. Staff are always nice and kind. Definitely recommend this supermarket.
All time favorite store with lunch too! Favorite Kimchi in the city.. Nice selection of hot prepared meals as well and special price on sashimi tray on Wednesday and Friday. Run don't walk to JBM!
Haha, what if it takes 30 minutes to get a bowl of rice cake ramen?
Restaurantji Recommends
Very good Korean food. Frequent by a lot of Koreans & yuppies. Good food at good prices.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Bulgogi
Shopping for Asian food items -Korean, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese cooking? JB has a great variety of food (packed, sea, produce, frozen) all fitting nicely in the shelves. Some narrow spaces has never been an issue for me. Dry ingredients are still something I go for than raw ones, especially if it is for broth and soup base. Going around meal time at the Kimball store branch? Then, it may be your lucky day. Try one of the two choices: Steaming homemade bao (pretty generous in size), as soon as you leave the store, or order K-prepared food ranging from soups, ramen, combos in the snack food area in the back. It is a cozy little space.
!!! CHEAPER THAN HMART !!! It's the same type of Korean food and decent quality, just cheaper. This place is a must for nearby residents. Their restaurant inside has great food with very generous portions. I recommend trying any of their menu items! I'll definitely be back for their bulk frozen dumplings, rice cakes, and vegan onigiri. - AT
Finding good Asian food outside of California feels like such a difficulty feat, but it was accomplished here! Not a korean person in sight but I got the BiBimBap and it was on point! I was missing some good Asian food while my stop in Chicago and it did not disappoint. The only thing I hoped that I could dine in next time but the space is tiny.
A very solid, well-stocked, and reasonably priced grocery store for Korean and miscellaneous Asian staples. It also has 2 "snack corners" inside and outside the building (inside one is for traditional Korean dishes; outside one is for dumplings and giant mandoos). The dumpling/mandoo stand stopped selling dumplings by the time I got there around 6:30pm, so I'll try to get there earlier in the future to try those. Instead, I got the kimchi mandoo, which is huge and contained pork and kimchi pieces. The mandoo exterior was soft and plushy, and the interior was spicy from the kimchi but otherwise pretty bland in flavor and texture. From the inside snack corner, I got a takeout order of Bulgogi, which came with rice and small side dishes of kimchi and japchae. This was pretty good-- the bulgogi was a little overcooked but overall flavorful and delicious. The japchae had good flavor and texture as well, and paired well with everything.-- Price (relative to peers): 4.5/5Food: 4.5/5Ambience: N/AService: N/AOverall Value: 4.5/5