Albany Park's Hourglass a corner bar, Korean style

Those who live in Albany Park and around the Northwest side know that the neighborhood is the prime spot for Korean food. Lawrence Avenue hasn't garnered the honorary street name “Seoul Drive” for nothing. And while there are myriad places to partake in delicious grill-it-yourself Korean BBQ (Chicago Kalbi for a more upscale feel or San Soo Gab San for late-night noshing spring to mind), only the true locals are familiar with Hourglass on W. Lawrence. While it doesn't offer Korean BBQ, it's worth the trip to Albany Park for it's off-the-beaten-path, unique corner bar vibe.

Chicago has corner bars, well, on virtually every corner. But arguably none is quite as distinct as Hourglass, where the requisite dive-bar feel is taken to an extreme. The windows are blacked out and from the outside it looks closed, and pretty shady. Step inside the bar, named after a popular TV show in Korea, and things get even stranger. An unoccupied suit-of-armor greets you, Korean pop music blasts, plants are scattered around and the wooden booths are padded with cutesy pillows, the kind your grandmother may have hand-stitched.

While the ambiance is both undefined and unrefined, the food is distinctly Korean, pretty tasty and definitely affordable. Dishes range in price from $12-$15 and the portions are massive, designed to share with a few friends.

The seafood and scallion pancake (Pajun) is worth trying. I’ve had better Pajun, which is typically served as appetizer, but Hourglass’s Pajun is ginormous. The pancake brims with oysters, mussels, squid and baby shrimp, and is served with a light and tangy vinegar sauce.

Another tasty dish is the Korean fried chicken (Tong Dak), with or without the spicy sauce. We ordered the sauce on the side; the garlicky sweet dip, more so than the spicy one, was complementary to the chicken. It also comes with a salt-pepper mixture to add more flavor (which wasn’t necessary) and cabbage salad. The abundant chicken is lightly fried, not at all greasy, and delicious.

There is also the traditional Bokum, a seafood dish in a spicy red sauce with scallions and vegetables, which can be ordered with squid or octopus. Again, it was plentiful, but the chicken and pancakes are a better bet.

Wash it all down with Soju, the Korean vodka-like liquor. They carry unflavored Soju for $15, but the flavored (watermelon, grape, apple, strawberry, blueberry, ginseng and plum) ones for $18 are worth the extra dough. We sampled the watermelon Soju and it was not too sweet, way more than enough for two, and contained fresh watermelon. Definitely make sure to eat the fruit, which is perfectly marinated in the Soju and packs an added punch.

Hourglass is open late, too, serving food until 1 a.m., 2 a.m. on Saturdays. The next time you’re looking for something unusual, fun, and reasonably priced to visit, Hourglass will not disappoint.

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