Urban Belly: Upscale Noodles in Chicago

Urban Bellyis a noodle and dumpling restaurant in the Chicago neighborhood of Avondale. Chef Bill Kim, of fine dining fame at Le Lan, Charlie Trotter’s, and Trio, among others, opened this counter-service gem tucked inside of a small strip-mall near Belmont and California Ave (3053 N. California Ave.). The restaurant offers a well-balanced menu of noodles and dumplings of Korean inspiration. Each day, Urban Belly offers seasonal kimchi and a dumpling special. The dumplings are well worth the visit and feature all sorts of flavors and ingredients, from lamb and brandy to foie gras. The noodles are spectacular as well. I suggest the rice noodles with hominy, kimchi, and spicy pork broth. The noodles have a delightfully glutinous texture and are perfect with the spicy broth.

Urban Belly is a counter service restaurant. After ordering you can sit at one of four long tables in the small and minimalist dining room. Instead of chairs Urban Belly has short stools made of old Chinese Elmwood. Eating at Urban Belly on a busy night is a surprisingly enjoyable communal experience, as complete strangers interact around the long dining tables. Urban Belly is B.Y.O.B. Although the menu is pricier than most other counter service restaurants, the quality of food and atmosphere at Urban Belly justifies the price tag. If you live in Chicago, or are planning to visit soon, put Urban Belly on your list of places to eat!

Bill Kim also recently opened Belly Shack in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood, another counter service restaurant offering his unique takes on a myriad of street foods of Asian and Latin-American inspiration.

Shrimp Udon at Urban Belly in Chicago

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