New Bolingbrook Restaurant 'Wabi Q' Serves Korean, Japanese BBQ

BOLINGBROOK, IL — Bolingbrook's restaurant scene just got a little more unique, thanks to a local couple and Chicago restaurateurs. Wabi Q, a hybrid Korean and Japanese-style restaurant, opened on Boughton Road on Oct. 3.

Korean barbecue is a relatively popular cuisine in the United States. But hybrid Korean and Japanese barbecue places are rare, especially ones that also specialize in ramen and sushi. So Wabi Q co-owner JC Choi said he and his partners decided to try out the concept in Choi's hometown.

Choi spent much of his childhood in Bolingbrook. His family ran the sushi bar Bok Choy, which had locations in Bolingbrook and Downers Grove before they were closed about seven years ago.

So when a group of local restaurant operators came to Choi and his wife with the idea for a new hybrid Asian cuisine restaurant, the couple signed on. Choi is partnering on the restaurant with the owners of Wabi Sabi, a sushi and ramen restaurant with two locations in Chicago.

"They were looking for something a little different," Choi said of his partners. "The owner saw a similar concept in New York, and it didn't really exist in the area."

So the group developed the idea for Wabi Q, which takes some of the traditional Asian cuisine from Wabi Fabi and adds more options. That includes hot pot dishes, which are boiled in broth on the customer's table, or traditional barbecue, which is cooked over an open flame, also done at the customer's table.

On top of the hot pot and barbecue options, Wabi Q will also serve ramen and noodle dishes, as well as a number of sides and appetizers.

The restaurant offers a smaller take-out menu. Menu items and flavors are sourced from a number of different Asian cultures, Choi said.

"We took a little bit of everything," he said.

Wabi Q opened Thursday at 148 W. Boughton Rd., in the former home of Coop's Den. Choi said the restaurant partners chose the location because it is near the busiest intersection in Bolingbrook, and because he knew the community would accept such a unique restaurant concept.

"Bolingbrook has always been a diverse area," Choi said. "I know personal how diverse it is and how people are willing to accept and try new thing.

"So far, we have been embraced by the community," Choi said one week into the business' new operation. "It's been amazing."

Wabi Q is open at 148 W Boughton Rd. Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. It is open Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, visit the restaurant's Facebook page here.