Probably one of the best meals I've had here in my trip to Chicago. I'm staying here for a few weeks so I've been able to try a few spots and this one stood out. The quality of the food is just 10/10. Everything tastes wonderful. I got the borsch and pelmeni. This was my first time trying borsch and I'm really glad it was from here because it was delicious. The pelmeni was delicious and we also had tea which was perfectly brewed. It's such a cozy meal for a cold day. I highly recommend this spot! read more

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I love this restaurant. The borscht is great, and kabobs flavorful. Please bring back the amazing jibek jolu special cucumber and meat dish! It was my favorite, and goes off and on the menu periodically. read more

This was really a great experience. The staff were very friendly and the food was excellent. They serve truly authentic dishes that do not disappoint. Taste bud explosion! It's a beautiful place as well. I highly recommend trying it. read more

Ok so we have gone to jibek quite a few times and I have to say the location on Lincoln does have better flavor food compared to the glenview location. Service is also better on Lincoln maybe because it is a smaller place so you get the food faster? Less space to run around so you get your food hot. The glenview location is beautiful so if you're taking anyone to impress I would go there otherwise we will be sticking to the Lincoln location! read more

Excellent restaurant with a great service , delicious variety of eclectic dishes representing the cuisine of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Russia, and Georgia, including some favorites of the Pan-Asian cuisine , Greek and Italian staples, and drinks from Moldova, New Zealand , and France. The decor was lovely, and my branzino was so good that I ate it all before taking a picture. I certainly will be back to try authentic Kyrghiz and Uzbek dishes! read more

Feels like a very authentic small mom-and pop restaurant. We got the following for take-out: Manty: only 5 pieces for $16! It was very tasty, got the steamed ones but def need the sauce Morkovcha: very nice appetizer, refreshing and crisp carrot strips with spices and seasonings Borscht: very hearty tomato-y/vegetabley soup, sour cream adds an interesting dimension to it. I'm used to drinking the cold Borscht at supermarkets made from beets, so this was a very different but pleasant experience! Lula shashlik - good, meat was on the dry side and kind of bland side Chicken shashlik - very tender and juicy chicken, I actually might like this more than the Lula and I'm usually a beef/lamb person when it comes to kebabs Classic lagman with beef - very good, beef was a little tough, but the noodles were delicious though. Overall, the dish seemed very similar to other Asian noodle stir fry dishes Honey cake - excellent, would order this again read more

Jibek Jolu offers plenty of indigenous Russian and Uzbek dishes at reasonable prices. While coming up from the south side took nearly an hour, it was all made up for with free side street parking. They do not require reservations as there are plenty of seating and they weren't busy. I recommend trying the Assorti Traditional Dishes to get tastings of a variety of dumplings, rice, noodles and veggies without needing to commit to full meal portion. Among the seven trays, I really liked the meatballs, manty, and lagman. I don't really recommend the Kuurdak with choice of lamb meat as it was stir fried too dry and hard. read more

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As a Russian who grew up on central Asian foods, I can confirm that this is the real deal. However, I removed a star because a lot of the items on the menu that we wanted were sold out. The manti were juicy, as were the shishkabobs. Somewhat slow service but that makes up in quality of food. read more

Jibek Jolu - Shashlik Chicken - Russian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

overall enjoyable experience staff forgot a few orders, said that plov was no longer available but still served it to ppl that came after us!?? shashlik not bad, tomato salad not bad, lagman was just ok in my opinion, gavurdak amazing!!! russian honey cake amazing, would come back, but def. not the best uzbek place i've had read more

Small, cute restaurant with tasty dishes. We started with green tea served in a cute purple teapot. My husband had the Samsy app (baked pastry filled with beef and onions), which he liked a lot (1 serving = 1 Samsy). He then had the Pelmeni soup, with about 12 small beef filled dumplings. As his main dish, he had the Plov with beef (yes, he loves beef). Tons of rice, not that much meat, but he loved it. I had the Manty (steamed), which was good, but a hefty portion (5, so my husband ate 2 of them). I ate them with the sour cream that came with my husband's soup instead of the priprava sauce with which it was served. Service was fast and friendly. Definitely go there hungry to take advantage of the large portions. read more

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Favorite place!!! I love Jibek Jolu. Definitely come here if you havent before to try something new and tasty :) Central Asian food is uncommon in the US. A few tips: - Reserve a table if you are coming during rush hours such as Friday evening - Order Assorti dish!!! Or Lagman (that handmade pasta... yum!) To the restaurant: Please keep it up! Keep the fair prices and good chefs ‍‍ read more

Jibek Jolu - Assorti Traditional Dishes - Russian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Pros: They have excellent food! My husband studied in Belarus and missed the food he used to get from there. We went to this place and he was truly satisfied at how authentic and similar the taste of the food was. I got the skewer with the chicken and potatoes and the cabbage salads. The potatoes were seasoned to perfection and the cabbage salad tasted like a better version of coleslaw! Cons: They don't have a parking lot unfortunately and the chicken wasn't quite as great as I thought it would be but they're more known for their lamb and beef! It's not a huge restaurant but it fits around 30-40 people in the restaurant! Overall: I enjoyed the small restaurant and the ambiance that they have created! If you want to taste authentic food they've got it here! read more

Jibek Jolu - Roasted Baby Potatoes, chicken, and Cabbage salad - Russian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Good, but overpriced for what it is. The beef plov was great, albeit a small portion, but the hand pulled noodles dish wasn't particularly flavorful. The dumpling soup broth tasted like chicken noodle soup mix, though the dumplings were quite good. It took way too long to be served for how few people were in the restaurant / picking up food. Bai Cafe is the far superior alternative. read more

Authentic (or rather yummy IMO) Krygz food. We had the Chebureki, Samsy, Manty, lamb plov, lagman, boso lagman, compot (surprisingly refreshing), honey cake (was not coffee than honey!) and Tashkent chai. Full tummy and in food coma after! read more

Just ate here. Nice place. The restaurant is a small one decorated to imitate the style of eating in a tent without going overboard. Food is excellent. See pictures. Total for 3 entrees, 3 appetizers- 50 bucks! Would I return? Yup!!! read more

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I had a really great experience eating here - the food and service was very good. I ordered/tasted: Markovachka - Excellent quick pickled carrots that are a touch spicy. Chicken plov: Very delicious Beef cutlets (Katleta) - excellent tasting, they came with a gravy on top that was savory and delicious. Borscht - Excellent, comparable to the delicious soup my grandma used to make. Honey Cake - Flavorful, but I personally found it a tad dense. The interior is decorated like you're inside a yurt, it's a nice touch. I will definitely be back! read more

The food was delicious. The service was good. We didn't know what to expect from Kyrgyz cuisine and were pleasantly surprised. The flavors are subtle but delicious. Don't pass up the Honey Cake! read more

Their food is so delicious, it feels so homemade. Everything you get is top quality and you know that they spent a lot of time, putting the flavors and cooking it so that the flavors really develop. The noodles are unreal, they are hand pulled. All of their dumplings are the fantastic. Their soups are unreal and even just the plain rice tastes so good. I love this place! read more

The food is absolutely delicious. Our table ordered different dishes and we all shared. I highly recommend doing this and trying something new. read more

It's nice to be back "home" and experience that pure Russian attitude, where you're allowed to maintain a poker face while talking to the staff. Smile and they will smile back at you but you will not be considered rude if you don't. Strictly speaking that is not a Russian restaurant, it's owned by people from Kyrgyzstan (former USSR republic) and thus is a popular destination for people from there and other countries Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan former USSR republics as well). But Russians have enjoyed central Asian cuisine for centuries, so it's in our DNA and we come there too. The restaurant is pretty small but very cozy, may be a bit run down but by no means does that attract attention. The food is belissimo! You should try, those guys know how to cook their meat. I'm leaving one missing star for future interior improvements. read more

Jibek Jolu - Shorpo soup and Kuurdak - Russian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Having spent a summer in Kyrgyzstan teaching English, I was VERY eager to try this place, and so glad that I did! I took my parents here so we could experience Kyrgyz food together. Always down to try new cuisine at least once, they thoroughly enjoyed their meal as well. First off, the inside is decorated like the inside of a yurt. I had the chance to stay in a yurt in the mountains, on the way to see Lake Issyk Kul with some fellow English teachers and it was an amazing experience. Once the sun set, the air gets chilly, and I remember I was freezing below four layers of blankets. Clenching my teeth so they wouldn't chatter, I still wouldn't trade that experience for anything. I was so cold that I spent a lot of the night staring at the top of the yurt, praying for sleep to come (I have ZERO cold tolerance...) but that was what made entering Jibek Jolu so nostalgic. I was back inside the yurt, snuggled next to dear friends, body heat crucial to my survival, but man oh man, it is beautiful in the mountains. On to the food. For a party of three we ordered: --Lagman: stewed beef and veggies over hand-pulled noodles --Manty (small order of 4): dumplings w/beef and onions --Kuurdak: stewed beef with potatoes and onions --Lamb Shank: served with rice and carrot salad --2 drinks: Airan (yogurt) and Kompot (fruity) --Post-dinner tea We split all of this family style, and our table was also given complimentary Central Asian-style bread. When I had manty in Kyrgyzstan, I remember the dumplings being much more oily and heavy, maybe because they were filled with lamb/mutton instead of beef. But they were good here and definitely a different style of dumpling than say, a Chinese dumpling or a pierogi. The lamb shank was delicious, as was the Lagman, and the Kuurdak peppery. Next time I would order the Shashlik (meat kabobs) and the pan-fried manty, but that will be for next time. I had a rush of nostalgia here, even though I wouldn't be able to tell if the food was "authentic"... But if you're one of the only Kyrgyz restaurants in Chicago, I think Jibek Jolu is a safe bet. Plus, you'll be eating inside of a yurt :) kinda. Overall, a great place to try Kyrgyz food and you won't be disappointed! read more

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Kyrgyz restaurant in Lincoln Square is off-spring of the main one with the same name in Glenview. Food is excellent and as close to authentic as it gets. read more

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I was excited to try this place, have never had Kyrgyz food before. Overall it was a good experience. the restaurant isn't that large of a place, maybe about 12-15 tables, the feel was very comfortable, and the decor was very cool, it actually felt like you were in Central Asia. the staff was great, they were very patient with us, guided us thru the menu and also helped us with pronouncing the names of the items on the menu (we completely butchered the names lol). the food was very good, I had ordered the Borsh and Jarovnya Beef. the portions were large, and the meat was cooked to perfection. I will definitely be back to try more items on the menu read more

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I am so glad I finally went here. It is very nicely decorated. And the food was wonderful! My group shared bread, lentil soup, vareniki, shakarap, and beef and chicken plov. I don't eat meat, but the rice from the plov was outstanding. And the soup and salad were so good. We also had a shared piece of honey cake. Wow. Our waitress Donna was so helpful. It is byob and they had nice wine glasses for us to use. I will be back. read more

The place is nice with interesting decoration, service is good too. Food is okay, and portions are small with little meat. Overall, mediocre read more

Jibek Jolu - Russian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great and truly authentic central Asian food imo. From bites and soups to main dishes and desserts, everything was well executed with balanced flavors. Really cozy atmosphere and friendly service as well. This is where I'd bring my friends to next time they visit me in Chicago. read more

Excellent restaurant with authentic Uzbek / Kazak food. Beautiful decor and great service. Staff went beyond the call of duty to make sure our meal was enjoyable. Btw we sat on the outdoor terrace which was a great place to eat. read more

1st visit, really enjoyed this, food and service excellent!

Central Asia was completely taken over by the Soviet union and now is mainly influenced by Russians. It was interesting coming to this restaurant because the Asian people were not speaking Asiatic languages but more like a Russian Turkish language. I didn't see any dishes besides this that have noodles resembling normal Asian cuisine. The samsy was like your traditional empanada or samosa and only option is meat, chicken or beef. The caramelized onion inside gave it a lil flavor but it's nothing compared to other pastries of its like. If you like seasoning, the chili that is inside the brown dish will be a must! The shrimp dish Javoryna we got was like a Mexican fajita just no bread serving and without all the seasoning flavor. The honey cake was good though. The place inside was nice but I need flavor in my life and this ain't it. read more

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Great hidden gem near lincoln square. The food is feels like home-cooked comfort food. Central asian food is an interesting mix of Chinese, middle eastern, and russian food. Highly recommend the lagman - flavoral beef sauce over handmade noodles. read more

I'd never had Kyrgyz food before and quite enjoyed my dinner here. The food is zabihah halal. Service was nice. Jibek jolu means Silk Route so they describe the food as Central Asian cuisine, a combination of Russian, Chinese, and Turkish food. I thought it was unique and different from the Russia, Turkish, and Chinese I had. The restaurant was charming. Looks like a tent. I had chicken samsy and beef manty. These are dumplings and were nice. The dumplings were all steamed, nothing was fried, which makes me happy. The small manty cane with an amazing sauce. It had tomatoes and bell pepper, I think. I loved the blini. It came with sweet cheese and sour cream. Delicious! The highlight for me was honey cake. Unbelievably delicious. It was moist even 3 days later after being refrigerated. Prices were very reasonable. I Highly recommend a visit. read more

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Great and fast service, food was great. I enjoyed the vareniki, a pierogi filled with mashed potatoes and onion with a dill and green onion sour cream. read more

I didn't love the food here. It's pretty bland for the most part. The carrots were okay, but the rest was pretty bland as most Russian for I've come across is. The service was great, though. We were allowed to bring our own vodka bottle into the restaurant for no extra charge. The waiter even brought us some shot glasses as well. read more

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I'm mad at myself. Mad for not coming here sooner! But equally mad that I'm now aware and it could be dangerous. I have no business coming here weekly, which is what I'm tempted to do! Never having tried this cuisine before, we asked the server what she'd recommend. We started with the Chebureki and the Samsy. Both were so good! The puff pastry was flaky and buttery. For dinner, we split the Manty (yum!...like an Asian dumpling but seasoned just differently enough to make it clear it wasn't something you've had before) and some other dish I'm forgetting the name of. It was potatoes with chicken, cooked in this fabulous broth with onions. I loved how this place felt like it was mostly regulars, which were like family to the staff. Even as "outsiders," we were welcomed. The servers were attentive. The yurt atmosphere is very fitting. All in all, a win!! read more

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A cozy and unexpectedly tasty hole-in-the-wall type restaurant! Dined in around 4pm on a Sunday evening and the restaurant was about half full. We came in with a restaurant.com voucher for $25 off a purchase of $50, so we were able to try lots of things! - chebureki ($4.25): fried pie filled with lamb - jibek jolu special ($6.50): pan fried tender beef with onions, garlic, and cucumbers served on soy sauce - lagman ($9.95 for a small order, $12.95 for large): sliced vegetables and stewed beef served with hand pulled noodles - manty ($9.95 for small, $12.95 for large): choose between steamed or fried (we chose fried). Dumplings stuffed with chopped beef and onions. - tandyr shashlik (chicken $14.95): 2 skewers or shashlyk baked in a traditional clay oven. Served with rice, comes with choice of soup or salad. We chose the borsh soup (red beetroot soup sliced fresh cabbage, carrots, green, red peppers, potatoes, celery, and beets) - honey cake ($5) I highly recommend all of the above. Everything was really good! The fried manty kind of reminded of a soup dumpling; it was so juicy on the inside. I'd be interested in trying the steamed version next time. The lagman tasted very homey. The tandyr shashlik also comes in a more expensive lamb version or mixed version but we opted for the chicken and didn't regret it. It has an awesome smokey grilled flavor to it that's subtle and delicious. It's served with grilled onions and some sort of pickled cabbage that tasted great with the chicken. It's classified as central Asian cuisine. Their website says "Kyrgyz food reflects a mixture of cuisines from Russia, china, turkey, and others along the Silk Road." A culinary experience worth exploring! :) read more

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food amazing! they were out of the rice dish so we got the lamb stew and it was PHENOMENAL! i highly recommend this place

Osso Bucco .... Plov... Pockets of heaven. Mojitos on point. Everything this place put on my plate was devoured in a frenzy. Beautiful decor. Great Date Nite read more

Super super good. I had never tried Central Asian food before, but I definitely should have. Highly recommend!

Really fun and interesting spot. Wait staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. Food is hard to describe, but part Asian & part....Russian maybe? We had the carrot salad to start which was awesome. A little spicy and very fresh & crunchy. We shared 2 entrees, steamed meat dumplings and a chicken w rice which was also a standout. Its BYOB (theres a nearby liquor store a few storfronts down) and a cozy, unassuming place. We will be back read more

Company ordered this for catering and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and tastiness of the food, since I've never had this type of cuisine before. I really enjoyed the marinated chicken and the pierogis (apologies because I've forgotten the actual dish names, they were difficult to remember). My absolute favorite was the honey cake, it was perfectly not too sweet but sweet enough to satisfy my dessert stomach. One day I'm going to make the trek to Lincoln Park to dine in! read more