Conscious Choice: Awaken to Amitabul's Vegan Korean Food

December 2003 | Conscious Dining

Awaken to Amitabul's Vegan Korean Food

by JoAnn Milivojevic

When I think of Korean food, I can’t help but think about a former boyfriend who used to buy kim chee — fermented cabbage. Strongly fragrant doesn’t begin to describe how powerful this food smelled. Eventually, I had to ban him from eating it in my kitchen. So, when I heard about Amitabul, a vegan Korean restaurant, I must say I had some reservations. But as soon I stepped into the casual, tranquil setting, my mind was put at ease.

The Ambience

Located on a busy stretch of north Milwaukee Avenue, the best seats in this house face away from the storefront window and toward a peaceful indoor pond. Water trickles down rocks and settles into a gentle pool with live plants vibrantly growing around it. The vegan philosophy is extended to this setting as the only koi you’ll find here is via a painting on the wall. A few rubber duckies float around the pool, a magnet for children who also love tossing in coins and making a wish.

Gentle flute music wafts through a room reminiscent of a 1970s-ish diner with its brown booths, partial oak paneling, and linoleum flooring. The retro edge is softened with paper lanterns, Chinese prints, sea foam green walls and Asian vases. All in all, it’s a pleasant place to enjoy a meal. It’s a bargain too, especially given the simple but high quality ingredients.

The Menu

In the culinary field for 18 years, executive chef and manager, David Choi, describes his menu as a bland Buddhist monk diet spiced up with lots of garlic, miso, and curry. He also adds herbs and roots for medicinal value. In fact, if you mention you’re feeling sluggish or have a cold, Choi will whip up something specifically to help heal what ails you. But don’t worry, this "food-medicine" goes down really easy — no spoon full of sugar needed.

Attracted by the idea of steamed sweet potato noodles, I tried the Chop Chao Bop ($8), which included three types of mushrooms — shiitake, button, and oyster, and lots of veggies atop of brown rice with beans. The entree arrived in what appeared to be a serving dish. We’re talking super-size vegan entrées — a feast of veggies including cauliflower, broccoli, red peppers, carrots, roots in a plum sauce made-to-order mildly spicy. The flavor was strong but good and I felt so healthy plowing through the dish. My only note on the seasoning is the extreme use of garlic — a bit too much for taste. Too much in the context of knowing you ate garlic the next morning. Also, while most of the veggies were bite sized portions the green and yellow onions were huge chunks. Personally, I don’t enjoy biting down on a huge hunk of onion...but that’s just me.

Other items on the extensive menu include maki rolls such as Jade Maki ($7) made with cucumber, avocado, and spinach, and Energy Maki ($8) consisting of various herbs and roots wrapped in seaweed. There are also homemade juices such as Green Heaven with kiwi, lime, orange pineapple, spinach and cucumber ($6); and starters such as the Amitabul energy sticks ($6) made from whole wheat, rice noodles, nuts and vegetables, dry grilled with a sauce. A perennial favorite, according to Choi, is Dr. K’s cure-all noodle soup ($6). This best seller is purported to be as good for seasonal allergies as it is for hangovers.

Clean Food Factor

The only oil used here is sesame and Choi only uses a few drops of it as a flavoring agent. All the dishes are steamed and sautéed in water. He cites that 90 percent of the ingredients are organic. And the food is prepared with a Buddhist philosophy, that is, mindfully. "I put my focus and my heart into the cooking," explains Choi, "to make sure the plate will enhance energy and provide full flavor to the customer."

Final Word

According to Choi, to meet Buddha in the next life, we need to live consciously in the moment in this life. In this manner, Amitabul takes its name seriously. Amitabul essentially means "awakening." And to be awake, is to be fully conscious in the now. In short, work when you work, drive when you drive, eat when you eat. And, Choi recommends, give full appreciation to the good grace of food including the farmers who raised the crops.

For his customers who remember his Lincoln Park location, Choi stresses that his new site is convenient from the expressway and a mere 15 minutes from his former establishment. Though Milwaukee Avenue is a busy street, parking is plentiful.

Amitabul, 6207 North Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago; 773-774-0276. Tuesday through Thursday from 1:00 to 9:00 pm; Friday from noon to 10:00 pm; Saturday from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm; and Sunday from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm.

JoAnn Milivojevic is a freelance writer whose articles on food, fitness, and travel have appeared in magazines nationwide.

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