Time changes, and with time comes the closing of great restaurants. It disheartens me to review Belly Shack without the opportunities for readers to try it, but with hope and more time, there can be future Belly Shacks or a re-opening.
After a day filled with fun winter Chicago activities, my boyfriend and I searched for a restaurant to end the night. After reviewing the Michelin guidebook, we stumbled upon Belly Shack, a Korean/Puerto Rican mash-up restaurant. What enticed us to Belly Shack, is the casual ambiance with a unique twist.
Let's take a look at what this restaurant has to offer, and review what was good, great and ultimately, the best. First off, drinks!
Passion Fruit Lemonade and Jasmine Green Tea
Review: Great
I am a sucker for quality drinks. I feel that they create an atmosphere for the rest of the meal when they are presented. It was a snowy day, and after being in the cold for such a long time, I was looking forward to a warm drink. The Jasmine Green Tea is phenomenal. The tea is brewed to perfection, the presentation is crisp, and there is even honey on the side. The portion was generous and I was nicely surprised, as many restaurants provide only a mug of tea with a tea bag.
The Passion Fruit Lemonade is delicious as well. A sweet, tangy combination of passion fruit and lemons make it a nice citrus drink when eating savory entrees. It comes in a small pitcher which leads to roughly 4-5 cups of this fruity lemonade.
The Belly Bowl with Korean BBQ Beef
Review: Great
After a long day of walking, your muscles are sore, and your stomach is completely empty. In desperate need of carbs and protein, this Belly Bowl will fill your belly (no pun intended). Based off bibimbap, this delicious Belly Bowl consists of steamed Jasmine Rice, Daikon-Carrot Slaw, Greens, Lentils, fried egg and the most valued Korean barbecue beef. The fried egg was perfectly cooked, and the sweet spicy sauce ties the ingredients together. I highly recommend this dish when pretty hungry.
Korean Beef Steamed Buns
Review: Best
These buns were the best part of the meal hands down. These buns consist of the Korean BBQ Beef, Kimchi, Sesame Paste, and Scallions. The buns were proportioned well, and the textures were different, bringing the buns together. The soft bun, combined with the savory rich meat topped with spicy Kimchi and finished with Scallions is a delicious thought out meal. I recommend this dish even if you don't like buns or never have tried them before. These buns will definitely bring buns to a whole new standard.
The Boricura
Review: Good
This Boircua consists of a fried plantain buns and served with rice, and Korean BBQ Beef. First off, how unique is this? Fried plantains as a bread? Genious! Initially, I was hesitant to try this sandwich. I've tried plantains before, but never fried, and most of all, never as the bread of a sandwich. To my pleasant surprise, this sandwich was delicious!
The crunchy shell of the plantains combined with the soft rice and savory Korean Beef complemented each other well. The sandwich was not messy, and before I knew it, disappeared from my hands. I highly recommend this sandwich as the ultimate Korean/Puerto Rican fusion.
Vanilla Soft Serve with Caramel and Vietnamese Cinnamon
Review: Good
Nothing is better than Vanilla Soft Serve, right? Well, Vanilla Soft Serve with Caramel and Vietnamese Cinnamon may just top soft serve by itself. The sweet caramel paired with the tangy cinnamon gives the soft serve a nice kick, and vanilla soft serve a run for its money. I recommend this soft serve for a sweet ending to a great meal at the Belly Shack.
Overview
While the Belly Shack is unfortunately closed, I hope this provides an insight into the delicious meals they have served the Chicago population for over seven years. If you ever stumble upon anything similar to Belly Shack, I highly recommend trying it out, and find out what you think is good, great and ultimately, the best.
Good:
Vanilla Soft Serve with Caramel and Vietnamese Cinnamon
The Boricura
Great:
Passion Fruit Lemonade
Jasmine Green Tea
The Belly Bowl with Korean BBQ Beef
Best:
Korean Beef Steamed Buns