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.