Awesome Asian Cuisine at Four Belly

I have never visited Asia (though it is on my To-Do list) but I am a huge fan of the cuisine, so I am always on the prowl for deals on new places. I was intrigued when I found one for Four Belly, a restaurant focused solely on bringing asian street food to the people of Chicago. With the chance to eat like a local, I quickly made a reservation and dragged my boyfriend there one day after work for dinner.

The Vibe

Four Belly is located in Lincoln Park on Clark Street near the Belmont intersection. Our reservation was for 5:30 on a Tuesday, so it was not at all crowded when we arrived. Inside, we were greeted warmly by the hostess, who quickly seated us at a table along the wall underneath a big smiling Buddha. Our table was along the wall where a mural of cherry blossoms decorates the back of a long bench. Free standing tables took up the remainder of the space, with two on a platform in the window with a little alcove.

Along the walls were license plates from different states and posters of Asian celebrities and comics like the Power Rangers. The colorful decorations and smells floating out from the kitchen give the restaurant the vibe of what I imagine an asian street market would feel like. The menu only reinforced this vibe. After perusing through it, I was very excited to taste all the food.

The Food

The food at Four Belly is some of the best asian food I have had thus far in Chicago. We started out the meal with the fried egg rolls that were well filled with taro, ground pork and mushrooms. They came with a special house made sauce that was very sweet, perhaps overly so. Other snacks on the menu included fried caterpillars, garlic and pepper frog legs, and even takoyaki – crispy octopus balls. While I was not brave enough to try any of the more interesting snacks, I would definitely return to expand my pallette.

For our entrees, my boyfriend ordered the panang curry. It came in a shallow bowl along with a coconut milk broth, chicken, fresh basil, bell peppers, and carrots. It was incredibly flavorful, delicious, and served with jasmine rice. I had the Korean bulgogi beef which came with a side of kimchi. My order came with pan-grilled thinly sliced beef, onions, sesame, and kalbi sauce. The beef was super tender and tasty and I would definitely order it again. The kimchi had just enough heat with just a little bit of sourness.

The menu at Four Belly was quite extensive and included street noodle ramen, street snacks, asian soups, salads, asian grilled skewers, street fried rice, and main street dishes, like my korean beef dish. The wide variety of options make it difficult to decide and settle, so get a group of friends and order a bunch dishes to share! I will for sure be going back very soon to enjoy even more of their delicious food!