Koreatown, known for its quaint shops and many restaurants, may not be an everyday destination for most Chicagoans outside the square. However, don't let too much time pass before visiting Hourglass, a late-night lounge/restaurant with a deceivingly grim exterior and a cozy, cave-like interior.
Here, cushion-covered tree-stump chairs plunked before tables on the main floor establish the lounge as a place for groups. Faux foliage (or garlands left over from the holidays perhaps?) snakes the room. Salt-rock candles rest on tables, emitting healthy negative ions, which, in turn, cleanse the air. Spacious booths enclosed by stacks of wood create a cabin-like feel, making you scan the room for Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
While welcoming, Hourglass may turn off more sophisticated groups with its Three Six Mafia soundtrack blaring in the background. However, the trendy guests in their 20s wearing skinny jeans and rocking emo haircuts appear unfazed. The clientele, mostly Korean, prefer speaking in their native tongue. Their regular attendance fortifies the authenticity of a Korean menu with English translations.
For starters, your server drops off a bowl of freshly popped popcorn. You'll wash it down with a bottle of OB Lager ($3.50), "the most drinkable" Korean beer, according to its label. The timing of service is a bit off; your order of rice comes after your plate of deep-fried chicken glazed in a spicy sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds. Before tossing a tasty ball of chicken into your mouth, watch out, or risk chomping into a number of tiny bones. First-timers usually throw in the towel after a few pieces, wishing they were boneless, but the flavor is enough to make you want to persevere. While fried chicken is the lounge's signature dish, the menu also features a number of seafood and pork entrees ($12-$15).
Centerstage Reviewer: David-Anthony Gonzalez
