If you're a Korean ricecake fan, check out Mirim Cafe! Our family orders from Mirim Cafe often, for special occasions, events, get-togethers, and/or for potlucks. Their rice is freshly prepared and housemade, and the selection is of a variety and consistently good. They really do a high level of strict quality control here, and I really appreciate that! They also put the effort into making the platters/party trays aesthetically pleasing. You are more than welcome to call-in or make an order in advance; they'll let you know the pick-up time. Mirim Cafe will also work with you to customize a platter for your functions - just don't be afraid to ask! If you're not in a mood for ricecake, they also have coffee/tea/latte, smoothies, bubble tea, organic juice, Korean tea sets, ice cream, gelato, bing soo/shaved ice, as well as jook (Korean rice porridge). They also have some ready-made items that you can snack or nosh on. There's plenty of parking in this strip plaza lot. +great ricecake! +custom orders! Just call ahead or do an in-person ordering +friendly staff! +parking in the strip plaza lot
Peter S.
What a wonderful hidden gem - a quaint little Korean dduk cafe nestled in an unassuming strip mall (which happens to house one of my favorite Thai restaurants, a nice looking nail salon, and a liquor store with a big selection). The neighborhood has a lot of Korean owned and themed stores, but I never noticed this cafe was here until a few months back when I went to pick up food from Krua Thai. I made note of it, since it looked cute, and hoped to be able to visit when they were open. On new years eve, I was finally able to stop by for tea and snacks - man, am I ever glad we did! The lights were off when I first saw Mirim Cafe, but I could still tell it was a cute little cafe. Now that I've been inside, it's really a sight to behold. The store layout is nice, with lots of snacks and goods on display as you walk in. As we walked in, we were greeted by a friendly lady who warmly welcomed us. As we browsed the various goods, she offered each of us a complementary miniature honey & sesame ggul dduk rice cake. They were among the best I've had, since they were so fresh (I've almost never had it so fresh before), so we ended up buying 10 of them to share. We also picked up some dakgangjeong fried chicken wings, before ordering our drinks. I saw that they prepare other savory favorites, along with hearty dakjuk porridge (I want to try their pumpkin flavor someday). Next time I come here, I would very much like to try their food, but today we just wanted snacks and drinks while waiting for our pickup next-door. The cafe counter is small but neat, showing off more of their light snack and drink options. My fiancee ordered a fresh mango smoothie with boba, our friend got a hot sweet potato latte, and I got a simple hot barley tea. We made our way into the dining area, which was lovingly decorated. It has the feel of an outdoor cafe, but indoors, and accented with gorgeous Korean artwork and sculptures. Sitting down immediately relaxed me, after a little bit of a busy day. It was nice being able to just relax in the comfy seats, and soak up the ambiance. My tea and our friend's latte were served quickly, and piping hot (do be careful when handling or drinking). My tea was quite refreshing, with a strong barley taste. I didn't recognize the brand, but I would definitely get that again. The sweet potato latte was also excellent - bright, sweet, but neither cloyingly or artificially sweet - like something someone might make at home. After a few minutes, the mango smoothie came out, and it was excellent as well. I appreciate that neither drinks were too sweet, opting for the ingredients to stand out, and my barley tea was a nice pick-me-up. When we got home, the treats we got were still delicious. We had the dakgangjeong for breakfast, and I was quite pleased. It reminded me of friend chicken I had in Japan - very VERY lightly seasoned, super crisp, and not oily. This reminds me of homemade extra-fine potato flour fried chicken, which I often miss amid all of the super-spicy / mega-crunchy / "Xtra"-flavored chicken one might get at local chain restaurants. I almost never review a place after my first visit, but I enjoyed Mirim Cafe so much that I felt compelled to give them 5 stars right away. Everything I tasted as incredible, I appreciated how friendly our host was, and I was charmed by the cafe itself. Cozy places like this are therapy for me. I look forward to getting more drinks, food, and groceries (they had some good looking kimchi and dried rice cakes for ddukbokki) in the future.
Ashley Baik
My kids and I are very disappointed with this place. My kids and I love the rice cake so, we ordered a box of rice cake or we buy small packages in the store very often. We ordered a box of Kyung Dan rice cake at this place but I've never had this kind of Kyung Dan before. It was made by Mung Bean and Red bean. What a surprise!!! I paid $30 with tax(9.95%). The taste is SO sweet and the amount is too small. The woman, I think she is the owner, did not seem welcome when I first went in and order kyung Dan. I shouldn't order from this place.
Hye Yoon
Worst service i've ever seen. too expensive compare to other place.
Elaine Sine
Lovely selection and great atmosphere!
Caroline Kim
Love the service
KC SUNG
Korean traditional cakes & drinks
Silas John
The place is beautiful and gives you the feel of Korea. However, I would suggest them to start serving good mochi(ice cream).
Sarah P.
Great place to get Korean rice cakes in the suburbs.
Tai D.
Incredibly cute cafe! I actually don't know much about Korean rice cakes, but the staff here was so friendly and helped me figure out what I wanted to get. I got to sample one of the smaller rice cake balls. I also tried a rice cake filled with red bean. Everything was delicious. They also have porridge to try out. I actually expected the porridge to be sweet, but they're more on the savory side. I'd recommend trying to red bean porridge and the sesame porridge. Great for a cold winter day! I'm glad I was able to come here to try out some fantastic Korean treats.
When you are craving for Korean rice cakes, teas, some Korean style porriages and drinks, this place is good to go. Prices are decent and the place has good seats to stay for a while to rest.
J H
most authentic korean cafe/tea house in Chicago. they have a wide menu and everything is delicious
Karen K.
Very friendly service but I actually wanted to like this place more than I did. I expected fresh rice cakes and different variety of options but they didn't seem to have too much when I went in. They have a bigger menu than most places and I wish they had pictures because some of the items are hard to imagine when it seems super unique (ex. Rice cake pizza? Sounds intriguing). The lady at the counter is ridiculously nice and even gave a free bowl of abalone soup just for me to try. I'd be willing to come back to try their shaved ice. I hear that's really good here but if you're looking for fresh rice cakes, not the place to go
David V.
I love this cafe. It's a really enjoyable atmosphere that serves the best rice cake in Chicago. The teas and desserts are unique and probably can't be found anywhere else.
misun hollimon
When you buy small snack from here, you need check expiration date^^
If you're a Korean ricecake fan, check out Mirim Cafe! Our family orders from Mirim Cafe often, for special occasions, events, get-togethers, and/or for potlucks. Their rice is freshly prepared and housemade, and the selection is of a variety and consistently good. They really do a high level of strict quality control here, and I really appreciate that! They also put the effort into making the platters/party trays aesthetically pleasing. You are more than welcome to call-in or make an order in advance; they'll let you know the pick-up time. Mirim Cafe will also work with you to customize a platter for your functions - just don't be afraid to ask! If you're not in a mood for ricecake, they also have coffee/tea/latte, smoothies, bubble tea, organic juice, Korean tea sets, ice cream, gelato, bing soo/shaved ice, as well as jook (Korean rice porridge). They also have some ready-made items that you can snack or nosh on. There's plenty of parking in this strip plaza lot. +great ricecake! +custom orders! Just call ahead or do an in-person ordering +friendly staff! +parking in the strip plaza lot
What a wonderful hidden gem - a quaint little Korean dduk cafe nestled in an unassuming strip mall (which happens to house one of my favorite Thai restaurants, a nice looking nail salon, and a liquor store with a big selection). The neighborhood has a lot of Korean owned and themed stores, but I never noticed this cafe was here until a few months back when I went to pick up food from Krua Thai. I made note of it, since it looked cute, and hoped to be able to visit when they were open. On new years eve, I was finally able to stop by for tea and snacks - man, am I ever glad we did! The lights were off when I first saw Mirim Cafe, but I could still tell it was a cute little cafe. Now that I've been inside, it's really a sight to behold. The store layout is nice, with lots of snacks and goods on display as you walk in. As we walked in, we were greeted by a friendly lady who warmly welcomed us. As we browsed the various goods, she offered each of us a complementary miniature honey & sesame ggul dduk rice cake. They were among the best I've had, since they were so fresh (I've almost never had it so fresh before), so we ended up buying 10 of them to share. We also picked up some dakgangjeong fried chicken wings, before ordering our drinks. I saw that they prepare other savory favorites, along with hearty dakjuk porridge (I want to try their pumpkin flavor someday). Next time I come here, I would very much like to try their food, but today we just wanted snacks and drinks while waiting for our pickup next-door. The cafe counter is small but neat, showing off more of their light snack and drink options. My fiancee ordered a fresh mango smoothie with boba, our friend got a hot sweet potato latte, and I got a simple hot barley tea. We made our way into the dining area, which was lovingly decorated. It has the feel of an outdoor cafe, but indoors, and accented with gorgeous Korean artwork and sculptures. Sitting down immediately relaxed me, after a little bit of a busy day. It was nice being able to just relax in the comfy seats, and soak up the ambiance. My tea and our friend's latte were served quickly, and piping hot (do be careful when handling or drinking). My tea was quite refreshing, with a strong barley taste. I didn't recognize the brand, but I would definitely get that again. The sweet potato latte was also excellent - bright, sweet, but neither cloyingly or artificially sweet - like something someone might make at home. After a few minutes, the mango smoothie came out, and it was excellent as well. I appreciate that neither drinks were too sweet, opting for the ingredients to stand out, and my barley tea was a nice pick-me-up. When we got home, the treats we got were still delicious. We had the dakgangjeong for breakfast, and I was quite pleased. It reminded me of friend chicken I had in Japan - very VERY lightly seasoned, super crisp, and not oily. This reminds me of homemade extra-fine potato flour fried chicken, which I often miss amid all of the super-spicy / mega-crunchy / "Xtra"-flavored chicken one might get at local chain restaurants. I almost never review a place after my first visit, but I enjoyed Mirim Cafe so much that I felt compelled to give them 5 stars right away. Everything I tasted as incredible, I appreciated how friendly our host was, and I was charmed by the cafe itself. Cozy places like this are therapy for me. I look forward to getting more drinks, food, and groceries (they had some good looking kimchi and dried rice cakes for ddukbokki) in the future.
My kids and I are very disappointed with this place. My kids and I love the rice cake so, we ordered a box of rice cake or we buy small packages in the store very often. We ordered a box of Kyung Dan rice cake at this place but I've never had this kind of Kyung Dan before. It was made by Mung Bean and Red bean. What a surprise!!! I paid $30 with tax(9.95%). The taste is SO sweet and the amount is too small. The woman, I think she is the owner, did not seem welcome when I first went in and order kyung Dan. I shouldn't order from this place.
Worst service i've ever seen. too expensive compare to other place.
Lovely selection and great atmosphere!
Love the service
Korean traditional cakes & drinks
The place is beautiful and gives you the feel of Korea. However, I would suggest them to start serving good mochi(ice cream).
Great place to get Korean rice cakes in the suburbs.
Incredibly cute cafe! I actually don't know much about Korean rice cakes, but the staff here was so friendly and helped me figure out what I wanted to get. I got to sample one of the smaller rice cake balls. I also tried a rice cake filled with red bean. Everything was delicious. They also have porridge to try out. I actually expected the porridge to be sweet, but they're more on the savory side. I'd recommend trying to red bean porridge and the sesame porridge. Great for a cold winter day! I'm glad I was able to come here to try out some fantastic Korean treats.
Restaurantji Recommends
When you are craving for Korean rice cakes, teas, some Korean style porriages and drinks, this place is good to go. Prices are decent and the place has good seats to stay for a while to rest.
most authentic korean cafe/tea house in Chicago. they have a wide menu and everything is delicious
Very friendly service but I actually wanted to like this place more than I did. I expected fresh rice cakes and different variety of options but they didn't seem to have too much when I went in. They have a bigger menu than most places and I wish they had pictures because some of the items are hard to imagine when it seems super unique (ex. Rice cake pizza? Sounds intriguing). The lady at the counter is ridiculously nice and even gave a free bowl of abalone soup just for me to try. I'd be willing to come back to try their shaved ice. I hear that's really good here but if you're looking for fresh rice cakes, not the place to go
I love this cafe. It's a really enjoyable atmosphere that serves the best rice cake in Chicago. The teas and desserts are unique and probably can't be found anywhere else.
When you buy small snack from here, you need check expiration date^^