Rice 'N Bread: American and Korean diner
Located two blocks from Wrigley Field, Rice ‘N Bread is unique to the area. While Wrigleyville is home to dozens of restaurants that cater towards the beer and burger-loving crowd, Rice ‘N Bread has been a local favorite since 1959. Formerly known as Hamburger King, the restaurant has classic American diner dishes with a Korean twist. Rice ‘N Bread serves breakfast all day and also has a large dinner menu. They have diner staples such as omelets, pancakes, and burgers, and traditional Korean dishes such as Bulgogi, Bibimbop, and fried rice with kimchi.
I’ve been on a Korean-American food kick for awhile (Have you tried bopNgrill or Del Seoul? Some of my favorites!) and wanted to try Rice ‘N Bread after seeing their 4.5/5 star reviews on Yelp. My friends and I stopped in on Saturday evening and were seated immediately. I had read enough Yelp reviews to know that splitting a few entrees was the best option, so we settled on the Bulgogi, DonGalbi, and DanDak.
Bulgogi is a classic Korean dish that resembles stir fry. It consists of thinly sliced beef that is cooked in a sweet soy sauce and served with vegetables and a side of kimchi and rice. The beef came out on a sizzling platter and was perfectly cooked. It was delicious when paired with the kimchi.
The next dish we tried was the DonGalbi, which is a marinated pork rib that is braised and then grilled in a sweet soy sauce. It was also served with a bowl of rice and kimchi. Although the meat was good, it was a bit too sweet for my taste and my least favorite of the three.
Finally, the star of the meal was the DanDak, or fried chicken. DanDak is categorized as a type of TwiGim, which is a Korean word for deep-fried. Rice ‘N Bread serves two types of fried chicken: DanDak and BulDak. The BulDak is the spicier version, while our choice was on the mild side. The chicken was crisp and fresh and my friends and I fought for the last few pieces.
If you’re near Wrigley and want something besides burgers and fries, I highly recommend Rice ‘N Bread. I look forward to returning soon to get another order of DanDak paired with a side of fried eggs for breakfast. After all, everything tastes better with an egg on it!
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