The Food Guy: Jibek Jolu's Dishes Inspired by Middle East, Europe and Asia

by Steve Dolinsky / NBC-5 Chicago / September 2, 2022

Chicago has plenty of restaurants featuring Middle Eastern, European and Asian cuisines, but few have all three on the menu.

That’s because there are only a handful of restaurants in our area featuring the food of Kyrgyzstan.

The family behind Jibek Jolu here in Lincoln Square is from Kyrgyzstan, and when you consider where the countries from the former Soviet Union are located, and the fact people who call themselves Kyrgy, Kazakh and Uzbek were likely nomadic, picking up influences from various parts of the world, it’s no surprise to see their menus filled with influences from Russia, Europe, China and Turkey.

The prep alone must take hours, when you’re cooking dishes inspired by Russia, the Middle East and Asia. Jibek Jolu began as a tiny restaurant in Lincoln Square, doing hand-pulled Asian noodle dishes like Lagman and European-inspired soups such as beet-filled borscht or solyanka, with smoked turkey, beef, sausage and pickles. Read more and Watch HERE