Belly Shack
1912 N Western Ave., Chicago, IL‎
Neighborhood: Bucktown

Belly Shack photo courtesy of MetroMix.

Rob and I had been planning on trying Belly Shack ever since it first popped up in Bucktown last year.  Somehow, we found ourselves shying away from it for a little while though, mostly due to its odd menu combination of Asian fusion and Latin American cuisines.  This past week, we stopped by for a late dinner and found its unique blend of flavors right to our liking.  Belly Shack’s interior is grey and minimalist, but don’t let their overly modern vibe—or large communal table in the middle of the dining area—turn you off.  Rob and I sat at one of the smaller two-seater tables and he enjoyed a Korean BBQ Kogi “Sammich,” that came complete with kimchi, green onions, and four pieces of pita bread.  I ordered Belly Shack’s Asian vegeterian take on a jibarito, which they instead filled with black beans, tofu, and brown rice, dubbing it a Boricua.  The plantains, which served as the “bread” of the sandwich, were a little hard to cut through, but other than that, it was delicious.  We also shared a helping of Belly Shack’s sweet potatoes, which lived up to their name with their rich, brown sugar flavor.  Overall, we were thoroughly impressed with Belly Shack’s effort to combine two seemingly different cuisines into one bold new taste.  We will definitely be back soon to try more of Belly Shack’s tasty dishes and desserts.

-Anna

Rob’s Korean BBQ Kogi “Sammich.”

Anna’s boricua and the sweet potatoes on the left.