Jibek Jolu - Chicago

We are hosting an exchange student from Kazakhstan and, after four months in the US, she was missing her dishes from home. So on our trip to Chicago, we wanted to find a place that served Central Asian cuisine. I'm excited to say that the whole experience was outstanding. She had the Manty, and my wife and I each tried the Lagman dishes. The meal was by far the best we had in the city, and our student said it tasted like home. Even after our student returns to Kazakhstan, my wife and I have already decided that we'll make this a must-do on our yearly trips. Thank you for sharing a piece of your culture with us, and a piece of home with a teenager who is thousands of miles away from it.

It's my first time trying kryzgyz food and I loved the plov and the shashlik. The quality of the meat was too good. Also, try the honey cake in dessert. It really tastes awesome. The staff were also really nice and had interest in explaining to you the cuisine

For the most part the food here was outrageously delicious. We never tried central Asian cuisine before so we ordered quite a bit! Some things were a bit undersalted but seasoning in general was fantastic. The Plov was underwhelming but the Chicken Tabaka and lamb chops were amazing. Get a side of roasted potatoes, they are so flavorful and delicious! Also their pierogis are the best I’ve had in awhile, couldn’t stop reaching for them. The space is small and cozy, the staff is kind but very slow to service. There were many times we had to keep requesting water refills and we had to flag down a staff member if we needed anything as they don’t check in even when it’s not just. Again, they were very kind just not very attentive. We’ll definitely be back because the food is out of this world!

Wow. Truly an incredible immersive experience in a cuisine and culture I have never been exposed to. The ambiance and food were top notch along with the service. It’s worth the trip, while the flavors are not unfamiliar, they are uniquely paired.

Small, cute restaurant with tasty dishes. We started with green tea served in a cute purple teapot. My husband had the Samsy app (baked pastry filled with beef and onions), which he liked a lot (1 serving 1 Samsy). He then had the Pelmeni soup, with about 12 small beef filled dumplings. As his main dish, he had the Plov with beef (yes, he loves beef). Tons of rice, not that much meat, but he loved it. I had the Manty (steamed), which was good, but a hefty portion (5, so my husband ate 2 of them). I ate them with the sour cream that came with my husband's soup instead of the priprava sauce with which it was served. Service was fast and friendly. Definitely go there hungry to take advantage of the large portions.