6207 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60646 Tues-Sat. 12-9. 773.774.0276


    I use the same attention to details and care in every dish that my grandmother taught me in Korea.

    Chef Bill

    DiscoverOur Story

    From burgers to buddhist monks
    The Amitabul story begins in Seoul, Korea, where a 13-year-old Bill Choi watches and learns traditional Korean fermentation techniques from his mother and grandmother.

    Bill and his brother Dave come to America, where they run Jim’s Grill on Chicago’s north side. While the menu features burgers and eggs, the monks from the brothers’ Buddhist temple bring vegetables for them to make vegan Bi Bim Bop. The dish is an unexpected hit and Bill is encouraged to start his own restaurant, specializing in his unique approach, a vegan merging of traditional Korean preparation and Western taste.



    DeliciousVegan Cuisine







    Amitabul, which means “awakening,” opened in 1995 to serve healthful, Buddhist vegan food. The cuisine is made with love and care, by hand. There are no oils or salts used and the flavors are abundant. The soy sauce, the miso, the hot sauce and the Kimchi are all fermented using Bill’s ancestral recipes.

    Amitabul food is vegan, artful, pure and filling. Most of all, it is unique, certainly among Korean restaurants and definitely among American restaurants. Come and experience one of Chicago’s hidden treasures!