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Home / Businesses / Ssyal

Ssyal

Super GemMayfair · Korean Community-sourced, unverified
📍 4201 W Lawrence Ave, Chicago, IL 60630

The name Ssyal means "seed" in Korean — the owners have said they wanted the restaurant to sprout as a genuine outpost of real Korean cooking in Chicago, and it's been doing exactly that since 1988.

★★★★★ 4.7 (1,739 reviews) via Google
Super GemChicago Exclusive GemDish Gem$$
The samgyetang arrives with a whole bird in the bowl and a broth that tastes like it's been doing this a long time — because it has.
📈 Scores in the top 9% of Chicago Exclusive Gems on ChicagoSpecials.com

Everything centers on samgyetang, ginseng chicken soup with roots documented back to 1541 in the Korean town of Yeongju, long prized for the quality of its ginseng. Ssyal's version stuffs a whole Cornish hen with glutinous rice, jujubes, garlic, and ginseng root, then simmers it into a broth reviewers consistently call restorative rather than just tasty — Eater's own Chicago guide specifically calls the fame here justified. The dining room itself is deliberately quiet, soft instrumental music in the background, which The Infatuation's writers compared to a spa day in soup form.

Beyond the samgyetang, the dolsot bibimbap arrives in a properly sizzling stone bowl with a crisp rice layer on the bottom, and the dakdori tang — a spicy chicken and potato stew — has its own loyal following. The Michelin Guide has recommended it, alongside coverage from ABC7 and the Chicago Tribune.

📸 See more of Ssyal

Specials at Ssyal

(2)

Ssyal

Super Gem
Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup)
MayfairCommunity
Website

Ssyal

Super Gem
Samgyetang
MayfairCommunity

Hours

Mon-Sat11AM-8:40PM
Sun Closed
📅 Reservations 📅 Reservations not available 🥡 Takeout unconfirmed 📞 (773) 427-5296 📋 View Menu / Website

Amenities & accessibility

📅Reservations accepted
🚶Walk-in only
❔Takeout: unverified
❔Wheelchair access: unverified

Location

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