PERILLA Korean American Steakhouse

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Chicago's First Korean Steakhouse

Situated on the Chicago Riverwalk inside the L7 Hotel, PERILLA Korean American Steakhouse occupies a category it essentially created. Billed as Chicago's first Korean steakhouse, the concept fuses the communal, fire-forward energy of Korean BBQ with the structure and reverence of the city's classic steakhouse tradition — table-side grilling included. The result is something the rest of Chicago's dining scene doesn't quite replicate.

Wine Spectator recognized the program with its Award of Excellence in 2025, a nod to a beverage list that ranges from Gaston Chiquet Champagne and Failla Sonoma Coast Chardonnay to Korean soju cocktails and a curated lineup of Chicago craft beers. The kitchen's ambitions have drawn equal attention: chef Andrew Lim was a 2025 Jean Banchet Award finalist for Best Chef, and the restaurant has appeared on Eater's 38 Essential Restaurants in Chicago, The Infatuation's Best New Steakhouse of the Year 2024, and Chicago Magazine's 25 Best Things to Eat Right Now, among others.

What to Expect at the Table

The menu moves across the day with purpose. Breakfast spans a Korean Breakfast Tray — rice, soup, assorted banchan, and a choice of prime ribeye, garlic chicken, or grilled mackerel — alongside American morning plates and signatures like a bulgogi sausage breakfast sandwich on a house-made English muffin. Brunch arrives on weekends with table-side grilling. Lunch draws the Riverwalk power crowd, and dinner is where the Korean steakhouse format fully opens up, with cuts from Creekstone Farms and a pre-theatre prix fixe for those heading to a show nearby.

Sourcing is taken seriously. PERILLA works with Allen Brothers, Fortune Fish, Nichols Farm & Orchard, Publican Quality Bread, Four Star Mushrooms, and Regalis, among others — a purveyor list that reflects a kitchen committed to quality at every level of the plate.

Atmosphere and Occasion

The Riverwalk setting gives PERILLA a backdrop that shifts with the time of day — bright and open at lunch, atmospheric at dinner. The space earned a Jean Banchet finalist nod for Best Restaurant Design in 2024, and it handles the full range: solo business lunches, weekend brunches, special occasion dinners, and private events. Happy hour begins daily at 4pm. A sister restaurant, PERILLA Fare, operates in Chicago's West Loop for those who want to explore the broader Korean American vision the team has built across the city.