All I heard from friends was talk, talk, talk about this wonderful Chef Bill Kim and his fantastic restaurants—Urbanbelly and Belly Shack—and how wonderful the food was. Blah, blah, blah. Okay! Enough already! So I went.
And now, ladies and gentleman, I can say that I have become one of "them." I have officially crossed over and I am now a faithful Chef Kim follower and graciously bow at his Urbanbelly alter. And what made me a believer? A simple bowl of ramen. What makes his ramen different and irresistible isn't so much the food component floating in the bowl, but the pho broth itself. This broth has such amazing complexity and depth that you would be happy to enjoy it all by itself. Seriously, it's so flavorful and delicious and will make you very happy and satisfied. In fact, during my last visit to the restaurant I inquired sheepishly if they might add a "tank of Pho" to the menu. My server simply smiled as if she had heard that request a thousand times before. Then, suddenly from the back of my head I heard a soft voice whisper, "It's the Pho, bro." Yes, indeed.
Urbanbelly
3053 N. California Avenue, Chicago, IL
urbanbellychicago.com