BellyQtruly outstanding, unique,truly outstanding, unique, food cooked to perfection, accommodated us when we were delayed and 1 hr late for reservation on Fri night6/14/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat foodI have now been to BellyQ twice for dinner. The food is delicious - everything is really flavorful and tasty and great for sharing. The tables with the grills in them are really nice. The service was great. Both times I was there I found it to be a little loud (as in sometimes hard to hear our server), but otherwise it was great. I would definitely go back again! The banana leaf salmon, I highly recommend.6/14/2013 12:00:00 AMAsian Fusion at its best!This place is where you want to go for Asian fusion... Loved Belly Shack, and great to see an upscale version.6/14/2013 12:00:00 AMSimply spectacularMy wife and I celebrated our 15th Wedding Anniversary with our two sons, aged 9 and 12.
The family-style food service meant that we could all enjoy tasting the variety of intriguing dishes - starter chicken with chili sauce, followed by salmon in a banana leaf with baby back ribs and tea-smoked duck. The Vietnamese donuts with Huckleberry jam, bubble sundae with passion fruit and coconut with two cappuccinos for the adults topped a stellar evening.
Many thanks to owner Bill Kim for providing such a wonderful, unique experience.
Thanks to our server for answering my sons' many questions about the menu.6/11/2013 12:00:00 AMvery inventive and tastyWe really enjoyed everything we tried. The wild boar ramen was a special treat that I think they only have on the menu occasionally. Our waiter was great and helped us navigate the menu and drink menu.6/10/2013 12:00:00 AMworth the tripGreat dining environment, cool vibe. trendy but not pretentious. This is my third time dining here. quality of food is good and consistent. my group shared the salmon, duck breast, chicken & short rib. good variety & portion sizes for group sharing. good cocktails - The Red Lotus is refreshing & fragrant. highly recommend it. great service. only minor comment is that the side dishes came out before the entrees, but not a big deal. Although the location may seem remote, it is worth the trip.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMnice chef-driven take on KoreanPleasantly surprised. Space very cool. Soju cocktail good; also the French red. Usually boring seafood pancake was deconstructed into a crisp chapati like disc topped with limey ceviche; excellent. Kalbi was traditional in taste but meat was very thin, lean, and with smaller bones. Tea smoked duck was awesome, with flat steamed buns that could be used to make a mu shu thing, though the duck meat itself was so luscious I preferred to eat it alone. Chunks of Asian broccoli were a tossed in afterthought. The chef's kimchi was a revelation; instead of the usual acrid gut bomb this was, finally, a sophisticated gazpacho with aged taste, fresh herbal components and crunchy cucumbers. Worth the 4 bucks. Skip dessert. Prices Randolph St. high.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMI have been to BellyQ a fewI have been to BellyQ a few times now and am never disappointed! The food is layered with flavor and makes for a great dining experience. Something as simple as edamame is well dressed in a unique blend of spices/sauce and nothing but yummy. The pork ribs are to die for - they took me back to my mom's kitchen when I was growing up; sweet and tangy and falling off the bone tender. The donuts are ALWAYS my favorite and a must have!!6/7/2013 12:00:00 AMDate nightMy husband and I had a great meal, fabulous service and an overall terrific date night after work. We particularly loved the lemongrass chicken. We look forward to another visit to try other dishes.6/5/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food and drinks. HasGreat food and drinks. Has a different twist on the standard Asian cuisine. Save room for the doughnuts! You will be glad you did.6/4/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat experienceThe food was great, the service quick but not rushed. It is great to have private parking. We just went for lunch and were outside so we don't know how it is for dinner. The place looks big inside but only a few tables outside.6/3/2013 12:00:00 AMIt was a wonderful evening.It was a wonderful evening. Unique offerings in a creative space - terrific !!!6/2/2013 12:00:00 AMA Big Thumbs UpThe food was both flavorful and creative, with many interesting drinks--both alcoholic and non-alcoholic-- to choose from. Not your standard Asian menu, many creative and unusual options. A few dishes seemed a bit salty, but that's the Asian influence (soy and fish sauce components). Prices are moderate, service is attentive and knowledgeable. Atmosphere is modern and inviting, with large wooden tables available for groups.5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMBrunch at Belly QGreat dishes - all impressive; well thought out and presented flavors and components. Well worth it.5/26/2013 12:00:00 AMWe thought it was great! Salmon,We thought it was great! Salmon, duck and Korean ribs wonderful
But go elsewhere for dessert if you want something sweet5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMFood and service were excellent.Food and service were excellent. Would recommend going for a great meal!5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMMy new favorite restaurantOmg, I love this place. The edamame hummus is outrageous - so unique and fresh. Their version of the bi bim bop, with duck breast, was divine. Creative, tasty drinks. Everything is so delicious, fresh and with a twist.5/23/2013 12:00:00 AMOther than the noise levelOther than the noise level making conversation difficult, the food & service was par excellence.5/23/2013 12:00:00 AMWith the advance press andWith the advance press and recommendations from friends, I knew I was headed to a great spot. My friend and I were there for an early lunch. The restaurant was really quite empty, but the staff were nicely vigilant in their service and particularly good about menu questions (my friend is gluten-intolerant). Loved my Thai Duck Rice Bowl, and the Kale/Cauliflower Salad was also outstanding. Will be telling anyone who will listen about the coconut water soft serve with huckleberry granita. Best dessert I've had in a long, long time!5/20/2013 12:00:00 AMTasty food!We had a great dinner at Belly Q. We waited at the bar for the restaurant to open. Patrick the bartender was great. We should have had dinner at the bar, great service, very knowledgable. He made several recommendations and they were perfect!
Dinner was excellent. We tried many dishes and the flavors were fantastic. Can't wait to go back.5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMWe really enjoyed our diningWe really enjoyed our dining experience at BellyQ. Everything we had from the chicken, bacon pancakes and ribs were top notch. We will be back!5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMWe were seated at our reservationWe were seated at our reservation time. The menu was interesting and somewhat unique. The food was very good - don't miss the edamame beans. The wine list was not extensive but we did have a very nice Sauvignon blanc.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMfriday night diningTasty small plate tasting, perfect meal before going out. Not a meal that would fill you up, but feel comfortable enough to go out. Atmosphere was pleasingly light, I could actually literally see.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMWe went for mother's day brunch.We went for mother's day brunch. The food was fantastic. Service was friendly and accommodating. The restaurant had a DJ playing louder music as we were leaving. It added to a fun atmosphere, but I can also see how it might distract those that wanted a more conversation friendly meal.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMYummy Belly-fullWe loved BellyQ! They have a friendly, efficient, and knowledgeable staff. The food is an upscale twist on Korean barbecue. We especially recommend the Kimchee Hot Pot and the Lamb Shank.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMFun, loud, fantastic foodOnly disappointment was the noise level. I think it was louder than the Rolling Stones concert5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMfar exceeded our expectations..I found this restaurant in Chicago Magazine's top 10 best new restaurants for 2013. I love to try new places and this place did not fall short. The server was outstanding, making recommendations and gauging our needs. The food was outstanding and the cost, reasonable for an upscale place. Try the peanut butter and jelly homemade frozen yogurt....outstanding!!!5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMDelicious!Came here for lunch on a whim with a colleague, and it was wonderful. Great food for a reasonable price, plus good service. Can't believe how empty it was, given the food and the value, but perhaps it picks up at dinnertime. The wait staff was thoughtful and responsive, and we took food home with us because we couldn't part with any leftovers. Yum! I'll definitely be back.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMDIFFERENT KINDA BBQ!!!!The food is so unique and wonderful, we keep on going back!5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMMeat Great, Coffee So So, AttitudeWe liked BellyQ, don't get us wrong, but it was not easy to figure out the menu or alcohol. Call us old fashioned, but we want to know the wine varietal we are ordering by the glass and not rely on the vague descriptions offered. Turns out, one of them was a lovely Argentinaian Malbec. We were asked twice if we had dined there before. I admit to bias against this question, implying you have to learn how to eat there; you are lacking some knowledge; you are not 'in the know; about what is what. Started with generous, well seasoned portion of edamame. I had the ribs, delicious, but not nearly as awe inspiring as the duck, which was a smoke filled revelation. Coffee was weak, and the cup was so hot, that asit ventured to my lips, it burned.5/1/2013 12:00:00 AMGood conceptBill Kim pulled off another good concept. His food is authentically Korean and yet, it has a twist that is quite intriguing. Seafood pancake is a great example - on top of traditional Korean pancake was salmon and calamari ceviche, which worked beautifully. BellyQ beef grilled on the table was quite good and the pickles that came along with the dish was a perfect compliment. Cocktails were also very impressive.4/30/2013 12:00:00 AMThe server was great and helpedThe server was great and helped us with our menu decisions-they were perfect! The food was excellent (and I'm usually not brave about food preparations that are different). The drinks and food, both perfect. It was a fun,delicious way to spend a Friday night!4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food, exceptional valueCame here on a whim, heard it was one of the best spots in Chi, and was overall very pleased. For starters, three of us ate like kings for about $150 where we would expect to spend $300-400 for a restaurant of similar caliber elsewhere. The food is brought to the table as it comes out, which means that one will not end up with a cold dish because somebody screwed up the timing in the kitchen (hey, it happens). Love it.
I am still peeved that I did not order the baby-back pork ribs, which looked and smelled amazing, and appeared to be one of the more popular dishes. I'll be back!
The only negative thing I would say about this place is that they need to teach their back servers / bussers to crumb & wipe the tables. Great server, though!4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food and nice atmosphere.Great food and nice atmosphere. Main recommendation for improvement based on our party's experience is related to service specific related to drink orders. The typical wait for a beverage - which was mostly bottled beer - was 10 to 15 minutes. Food service was very good.4/25/2013 12:00:00 AMI'll go right to the end.I'll go right to the end. The donuts with soft served paired with a hot alcoholic tea drink was just incredible. We also had the lamb shank, noodle salad and a pancake, all delicious. Our server was very knowledgeable and gave us good recommendations and steered us to the right amount of food.4/23/2013 12:00:00 AMLove this restaurant. LoveLove this restaurant. Love this food. Love the Red Lotus drink. Loved the waiter but the food came out slowly and lunch took way too long. Can't wait to go back!4/23/2013 12:00:00 AMWe went for brunch and lovedWe went for brunch and loved it! Their version of eggs benedict was great and I was amazed by the tempura egg. The fingerling potatoes were like dessert.4/21/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent and the manager,Excellent and the manager, Danielle was superb!! Our party grew from a 4 to a 6 and she was very accommodating. Would recommend!!!4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMWe went before a Hawks gameWe went before a Hawks game and it was perfect. The waiter was very helpful in describing the dishes. Get the bacon and kimchi pancakes!4/15/2013 12:00:00 AMFood, ambiance and serviceFood, ambiance and service is great! However, note the menu is a very Americanized version of Korean fare. So, do not come here expecting traditional Korean food/table grilling BBQ. Chef's kimchi is not like authentic spicy traditional Korean kimchi. Knowledgeable and friendly waitstaff. Rosita, Floating Sun and The Brooklyn cocktails were delicious. Ramen special on Monday night was very flavorful and a large portion - enough to share for two people. Noise level is energetic and bustling.4/15/2013 12:00:00 AMThe brunch was amazing, definitelyThe brunch was amazing, definitely going back for dinner and brunch again.4/14/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent dining experience.Dining was a wonderful experience. The food was fantastic and our service superb. Can't say enough good things about Selena!4/14/2013 12:00:00 AMFrom the minute we walkedFrom the minute we walked in our service was outstanding and it carried out flawlessly throughout the night. The food and drinks lived up to the service. The soba noodle salad with shrimp was my favorite of the evening. Get the red lotus cocktail. Besides being beautiful with the shiso leaf and the basil seeds, it's delicious.4/14/2013 12:00:00 AMGET IN THE QUEUE AT BELLY QI read about Belly Q in Food and Wine magazine and had to come and try. We were in Chicago for business so it fit in perfectly coming from Florida. The food was RIDICULOUS! UNREAL! We have told everyone about you and look forward to returning many, many times. We had lotus flower cocktails, wine, tea; we had the spicy chicken, shrimp, Belly Q beef, lamb shank, duck, and soft serve passion fruit with pineapple gele! OUtrageously delicous! The service was incredible as well, our server was Chippa? The most gracious server. I apologize for getting her name wrong. Also, the manager was awesome, he and I are both ASU Sun Devils, as I am a native of Scottsdale, Arizona now living in Jacksonville, Florida. Well done!4/14/2013 12:00:00 AMMy two visits to BellyQ wereMy two visits to BellyQ were both very consistent - great food and service. It's family style servings, so easy to try a number of their items. Our favorites - Thai Fried Chicken, Tofo hot pot (take your pick), beef short ribs and the duck breast. Just average - the pancakes and salmon.4/11/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was delicious! Our waiterFood was delicious! Our waiter was knowledgeable about all the dishes. We selected just about everything he recommended and we were delighted! We will definitely be returning and recommending this to our friends.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMI loved it! The food was amazing.I loved it! The food was amazing. So many great items to try. While I enjoyed the table top grilling, once was enough. If I go back, I will just have them prepare. Also, I wish the bar menu offered a little more variety but even without drinks, we had a great time.4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMChicago is very fortunateChicago is very fortunate to have Bill Kim in this town.3/31/2013 12:00:00 AMBrunch was excellent! WeBrunch was excellent! We will go back for dinner at some point too.3/31/2013 12:00:00 AMWe dined early at Belly QWe dined early at Belly Q before a Blackhawks game because of the convenient location and favorable press. The dining room was not noisy yet because it was only full. All four of us were pleasantly surprised at how good the service and food were. The food was creative, well seasoned and sufficiently spicy, and the menu offered something for everyone: meat, seafood, poultry and vegetables. Our group especially enjoyed the poached shrimps, slaws, baby back ribs and soba noodles. Now if the bar would pour a better drink (quantity not quality), Belly Q would be perfect!3/29/2013 12:00:00 AM