The Funky Monk

Great addition to the Evanston dining scene — don’t pass by this gem!
The rich soups are fantastic for the cold months by the lake
The dumplings are some of the best we have had from any cuisine!

I stopped in for a lunch a couple of weeks back, reading that Funky Monk is a good place for dumplings and soup. I’ve really never had Mongolian dumplings and I’m also pretty new to borscht and the like, so I tried to go into this with an open mind.
It’s a somewhat small shop with some clean and bright seating, a good amount of which has a view of what’s going on in the kitchen. The menu is pretty small, and while some of the dumpling/​pastries at the top of the menu, grouped near the salads, might appear to be appetizers, they are not. Each one of the single dumpling items could be a legitimate meal for lunch time, and I made the first mistake of assuming that I might be able to do two orders of dumplings by myself. That’s probably why when I ordered and asked if that was enough food, the waitress quickly said «Yes!» and that was that.
The chibureki was recommended by the waitress so I went in for one of those — it’s a large, flat and deep-​fried single dumpling that was beef-​filled. While the chibureki skin was good and not too greasy, the filling, which seemed light on salt and herbs and was mainly ground beef and onion, was not as flavorful as I thought it would be, and I think the expectation was to pair the chibureki with a sauce of your choosing. I went with a mushroom sauce that did not end up contributing much.
Afterwards the steamed dumplings came out, which were also beef filled, and I found those also to be light on seasoning and flavor. The six dumplings were also huge in size, probably double to triple the size that I would have expected at Chinese, Japanese, or Korean places.
All in all, the service was okay but I didn’t find the dumplings to be nearly as impressive as I hoped they would be, and so if I were to come back I might not do dumplings at all but go in for a bowl of borscht instead.

I could eat Funky Monk’s borscht every winter day and be perfectly content. Everyone is super nice and the food is really good and comforting. Love it!

The soup was really clear, oil free, not too salty, and tasty. The lamb and dumpling skin could’ve stayed together better but each held its own. The flavor profile is consistent but there isn’t much variety in the menu.

4 stars for the steamed dumplings and russian borscht exclusively. I’ve been here a couple times and my first few experiences were very average — until I discovered their two prized menu items. Other things I’ve tried: all the other fried dumplings were a bit much for me and the filling seems to be all the same and the tea dumpling soup came out too tasteless.
It used to be more fast food style before, but now they changed it to restaurant style so you need to pay tip. It is on the pricier end of things but where else will you find Mongolian and Russian fare? Pretty good place to study actually but it’s not too crowded and the wifi is fast and reliable. There is a 10% check in offer!

Meaty and huge. Best for a starving carnivore. Though I thought it was a dessert shop based on its decoration lol.

The dumplings here are awesome! At first glance they might seem kind of expensive for $ 3.50 a piece but once you get them you’ll realize it’s actually worth it. The chibureki, belyaji, and samsy are kind of like stuffed flat breads and thus are huge! One is a perfect snack or you can definitely make a meal out of two or three. I also love the homemade sauces they give you with it. It seems to change just depending on what they feel like making. Both sauces I’ve had (one was like a sweet and sour, another was like a mushroom cream) complemented the dumplings well.
This doesn’t apply to the steamed dumplings though. I had the large dumpling tea which was basically lamb dumplings in hot milk. It wasn’t bad, but the dumplings were bite sized and for the price ($ 11.50) I was expecting a bit more substance.
Each time I’ve ordered here it’s always the same girl who works at the register, and she is always very sweet and pleasant.

If smiles were pies and good attitude made for good seasonings then this establishment would rank up there with the greatest alas reality is cruel and I must be impartial.
Having dined in various milk bars of the eastern bloc and the Crimean parts of New York for a long part of my life I feel I can be an authority on the culinary arts of the Slav. However be advised I know nothing of the Mongol cuisines.
The borscht was weak like the attitude of A defeated soviet soldier with his back turned to Finland. More cabbage and tomato than beet and beet.
The vast size and greasiness of the fried items was a nice reminder of just how precious life is and how easily arteries get clogged. Luckily the flavor was missing and so the temptation was not great unless you were in the mood to hurt yourself with food.
I may return to try the non-​fried dumplings, but who knows when.

Awesome place and really attentive personnel.
I ate chebureck, it was really tasty and just as it is supposed to be if you go to Russia. You should try manti and samsa with borsh to get the best experience. Amazing food for cold winter months.
Coming back here for sure.

I’ve always been a fan of Tibetan milk tea and lamb, so I was so so so so so excited to try this place.
Service:
The waitress was really nice, but she seemed… confused? I asked for my bai drink but she said I have to wait 10 – 15 min… for something that she can bring right out of the fridge? I didn’t get my drink (or any other beverage) until my dumpling soup came. Okay. She was really friendly and apologetic though so I’m not gonna take off anymore stars.
Food:
Bai antioxydant drink (⁴⁄₅): Sparking and fruity while really healthy (barely any sugar and calories). Delicious!
Large dumpling tea (⁴⁄₅): So milky! You could tell the dumplings are homemade because the dumpling skin has a consistency associated with homemade dough. Really filling! would recommend getting :) *it looks greasy but it doesn’t taste greasy at all!

The hubby and I came here for a late lunch today on our way home from Evanston Hospital. The place is really very simple and clean. The food was quite good. Christopher had Samszy, which is a baked pastry filled with lean beef. I had a dish of cellophane noodles with veggies, pan fried potatoes, small meatballs and lamb. It was quite good.
They don’t serve traditional sodas, but they provide a wonderful cucumber ice water, which was quite refreshing.
I hope this place sticks around so I can try their soups and dumplings.

It’s rainy and cold and I crave soup. I am SO happy that we have this place — I really don’t think that we have anything remotely close to this here in Evanston. My friend and I tried to the Russian Borscht (soup with red beetroots, potatoes, cabbage with seasoned beef) and the Shorpo (lamb chunks with carrots and potatoes in a delicious bone broth). Even though we got the small size, it was filling, delicious and just the perfect lunch portion!
The dumplings did look tasty and we’ll have to try them next time. Service was friendly and accommodating. They offer regular water as well as cucumber water when you sit down. I will definitely be back again!

BYOB. Subtle and balance flavor. A dumpling and lamb place. $$ is in the eye of the beholder and one’s value on lamb.
LARGE DUMPLING TEA ($ 13) — share, or one loves soup t-​h-​a-​t much. I was VERY happy and satisfied with my first traditional Mongolian milk tea soup with lamb dumplings. It will remind you of a Korean Ox Bone soup. Must add provided table Sea Salt.
Lamb is perfectly seasoned that complements the barely there soup. About 12 dumplings in one soup. Cute size that is good for 2 bites. Hot soup!
TEA (Hot or Iced) — daily brew from tea leaves with competitive pricing as the pre-​made, synthetic versions.
VENUE — super clean, no clutter.
SERVICE — counter service. Friendly and approachable.
I look forward to enjoying desserts. Xoxo

This is the BEST new addition to the North Shore! I have had a craving for dumplings (it’s my favorite comfort food) in such a long time and now to have one in my neck of the woods is great! I usually get great dumplings in the south west side of Chicago so it’s good to have some real down home cooked dumplings to chow on up here!
I came on a Saturday evening and was greeted by a very enthusiastic and friendly staff of women. They were very helpful in selecting the right dumplings for me. I shared some steamed dumplings with my husband and he tried the tomato cucumber salad while I had the borscht since I am not a fan a lamb. Many of their soups are lamb based.
The borscht was simple and excellent! Not too rich and not too many beets. I liked the chunks of meat and potatoes in the soup as well. I have only had borscht in the Jewish delis and it is usually served cold and I like it this way much better.
I have to say the recommendations for the steamed dumplings was spot on! I could taste the love and effort put into making these beef based dumplings and can’t wait to try more of the menu the next time I drop in! Like next week!

The dumplings here are very good. The dumpling and the the streamed dumplings are superb. However, the lamb in the shorpa soup was a little dry. The large fried dumplings were decent but not great.

So much deliciousness and friendliness! We ordered the steamed dumplings, chibureki, belyaji, and vegetarian samsy. All were absolutely tasty but the chibureki and belyaji blew us away. I can tell what I’ll be craving…
The lady who greeted us asked if it was our first time, and then explained the menu to us, including telling us what items were the most popular. She came back by to ask how everything tasted, brought us sauces, and generally made it super enjoyable.
The food came out quickly, all warm and yummy. Prices very reasonable. You order and pay at the counter and then she brings the food to your table. Smallish inside but not crowded — we decided it was «hole in the wall chic» and very classy.
Can’t wait to come back and try the soup, too!

OH MY GOD THIS PLACE IS AMAZING. EVERYONE GO QUICKLY!!!
SETTING: Perfect location in downtown Evanston where Aguas Tortas used to be. That does scare me a little though, because that particular location has seen high turnover (and it will make me so sad if this place goes away!). The inside is cute and clean; pretty small, but plenty of room for 15 or so customers.
FOOD: So stellar. I had the borscht and steamed dumplings. My friend got the chibureki and samsy. Everything was fresh and delicious. The portions are HUGE, so be ready to take some home and enjoy it the next day! They also offer free cucumber water (so refreshing!) and tons of sauces to enjoy with your dumplings. They had a sweet and sour one that was particularly delicious.
SERVICE: This is where Funky Monk really stands out. The owner (or the owner’s daughter? I wasn’t quite sure) personally attended to our table, and offered suggestions and talked about the story of the restaurant. It gave the whole restaurant a homey feel and I felt incredibly welcomed.
If I still lived in Evanston, I would be back here all the time. Alas I do not, but will definitely be back as often as I can get my butt onto the Purple line.

Funky Monk is a casual restaurant where you order your food at the register, sit down and they will bring the food out to you. I lived in Hong Kong for a year where they surprisingly had lots of borscht soup that I loved so I was very excited to hear that a place in Evanston opened up that offered it as well! I ordered the beef dumplings and borscht soup.
The beef dumplings is a huge serving and comes with a small side. I got the tomato and cucumber salad which felt like a lightly dressed greek salad of lemon, olive oil and herbs. While the dumplings were tasty, it felt like it was missing something. Like some other reviews mention, it felt like it needed a sauce. The dumplings are about the size of a hockey puck and are definitely not a mouthful size bite. They are steamed and the tops of the dumplings were a little dry on my dish which made the dumplings a bit hard and chewy in some places. There’s no real binding in the filling (which might be how it’s meant to be) so when I cut it up, the dumpling didn’t hold together very well. The filling just kind of poured out so you have to scoop everything back together to get in your mouth.
The borscht soup was very underwhelming for me. It was under salted and didn’t have very much flavor. It had more of a clear watery tomato base whereas I’m used to more of a more concentrated tomato base. Again this could be my preference but I expected the soup overall to have more flavor. It’s a nice light soup that I would want to drink if I was sick or had a sore throat since it’s very light.

This was a most surprising find. The place is low-​key but the food is AMAZING! Real authentic Russian/​Siberian fare, but not heavy, tasty, done with fresh ingredients.
Order the soup dumplings, the carrot salad and the borscht. All the dumplings were very tasty. We liked the personal service — thru speak Russian!
Will be back here fit every Northwestrn visit.

If I had an estate, I would hire the person who makes borscht here to come live with me and make me borscht every day. The dumplings are also very fresh and very large and very good. The owner was super nice and gave us an extra bowl of borscht, which pretty much made my night (and literally cured my sore throat). She rocks!