LOOP — While working his consulting job Downtown, Michael Yoo found himself missing the Korean comfort foods he grew up.

So, Yoo decided to bring those flavors to the Loop himself.

“At a certain point, I can only complain about it for so long before I say, ‘Hey, maybe I can give it a shot,’” Yoo said.

Now, Yoo and his close friend from college, Jimmy Jung, are turning that craving into a business: 82 Kimbap, a fast-casual stall at Sterling Food Hall, 125 S. Clark St. The eatery serves classic Korean rice rolls, or kimbap, alongside house-made sauces and Korean-inspired drinks.

It’s been a long journey from conception to reality for the two friends, who spent a lot of time crafting the perfect combination of meat, veggies, egg, rice and seaweed. But before Yoo quit his full-time corporate job this year, he had the opportunity to go soul searching.

After several years working in business consulting, Yoo began craving something more hands-on and creative. When his firm offered employees the chance to complete a six-month externship at another company, he jumped at the opportunity and chose to spend it learning the restaurant business.

Yoo landed at Wingstop’s corporate headquarters in Dallas, spending half a year shadowing the company’s operations team. Instead of boardrooms and spreadsheets, Yoo found himself in conversations about fry machines and franchise logistics.

“It was fascinating. You’d walk down the hall and people were talking about fries instead of Excel files,” Yoo said. “That experience really showed me how a restaurant works day to day.”

The externship confirmed Yoo’s long-held interest in food and hospitality. By the time it ended in December, Yoo knew he wanted to open something of his own. Within weeks, he and his longtime friend and college classmate began brainstorming what would eventually become 82 Kimbap.

They first considered offering options like Korean barbecue, desserts or soups, but they ultimately landed on kimbap because it struck the right balance between authenticity, accessibility and scalability.

Kimbap is also having a moment in the spotlight, gaining popularity in U.S. grocery stores and across social media. It was even featured in the hit animated film “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” which recently became the most-watched movie in Netflix history.

Friends Michael Yoo and Jimmy Jung spent months perfecting their kimbap recipes for 82 Kimbap, now open Downtown. Credit: Provided

Yoo and Jung went to work, talking logistics and trying recipe after recipe. Jung handles the back end of the business, such as legal and finances, while Yoo took charge of the product and marketing. By March, Yoo quit his full-time job.

The duo spent the summer doing pop-ups and catering across the city while perfecting their kimbap recipe before landing a spot at Sterling Food Hall, formerly known as Revival Food Hall. Yoo and Jung estimate they’ve made thousands of rolls to get the right combination of ingredients for 82 Kimbap.

Even the name 82 Kimbap embodies a tie to their Korean heritage and the company’s mission, a blend of cultural pride and efficiency. The number represents South Korea’s country code — +82 — and is a nod to the Korean phrase “palli palli,” meaning “hurry up,” reflecting the fast-paced energy the company aims to bring to its grab-and-go concept.

“I want this to be a place where someone like us — maybe Asian American, maybe Korean American — can come and say, ‘There’s a place that feels like home,’” Jung said.

82 Kimbap opens Monday with limited quantities to begin its residency at Sterling Food Hall. The menu features six rolls, a few sauces and sides, Korean-inspired drinks and a dessert pastry from Daeji Dough Company.

The kimbap lineup features tuna, bulgogi beef, spicy pork, tofu, cheese and spam, all wrapped in purple rice — a mix of black and white rice. Yoo and Jung said they also perfected the egg in their rolls, which adds a slightly sweet, umami-rich flavor.

Spicy pork kimbap roll at 82 Kimbap. Credit: Provided

Customers can enhance their meal with house-made sauces, including a perilla vinaigrette. While kimbap isn’t typically served with sauces in Korea, the founders said the additions complement their lineup.

The drink menu features a Korean horchata, a nutty, rice-based drink blending traditional Korean flavors with the Latin American classic, and a Korean pear-apple juice, a light, refreshing mix that balances sweetness with a hint of acidity.

The restaurant will start with limited quantities as it ramps up production inside Sterling Food Hall. Eventually, 82 Kimbap plans to introduce limited-edition specialty rolls, recipes they experimented with during development but didn’t include on the initial menu, Yoo said.

82 Kimbap is open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday. Hours may change during the winter to align with Sterling Food Hall’s seasonal schedule.

Other restaurants that are open or coming soon across Downtown and the West Loop:

  • Crying Tiger is now open in River North. The latest venture from hospitality giant Lettuce Entertain You brings a celebration of the culinary traditions of Southeast Asia to Downtown. The restaurant is led by chef-partner and James Beard Finalist Thai Dang. 
  • Hooligan, a vibrant, 50-seat seafood and wine bar, is coming mid-November to Time Out Market Chicago in Fulton Market, according to Time Out. According to its website, menu items will include peel-and-eat shrimp with barbecue sauce, mild-dance mayo and Old Style; dressed oysters with potato, soy and hen-of-the-woods XO sauce; and bycatch crudo with albacore, squash aguachile and pepita oil. 
  • Bar Tutto, an all-day Italian cafe and restaurant, is set to open in early December in Fulton Market. Located at 1114 W. Carroll Ave., the restaurant is being led by chef Joe Flamm and hospitality group Day Off Group. The menu will offer options for breakfast, lunch and dinner and is modeled off cafe and wine bars in Italy, according to Crain’s.

Les Nomades Has Closed

Les Nomades has closed after 47 years in Streeterville. The fine-dining French restaurant, helmed for many years by Mary Beth Liccioni and her former husband, chef Roland Liccioni, was housed in a stately building at 222 E. Ontario St., just east of the Mag Mile. The building is for sale, CoStar News reported in August. 

“Though we’re closing our doors, the memories we’ve created together will always remain. We leave with full hearts, knowing we’ve been part of something truly special,” Mary Beth Liccioni said in an Instagram post on Oct. 18. 

Roland Liccioni retired last year.

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