Before visiting The Gundis, I had never heard of Kurdistan before. If you’re in the same boat, Kurdistan is a geo-cultural region in the Middle East. The Kurdish people currently do not have a proper nation-state after their homeland was divided between the countries of Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria.

The Gundis Kurdish Kitchen was the first and is currently the only Kurdish restaurant in Chicago; its cuisine is influenced by the countries that Kurdistan is comprised of.

The Gundis serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with different menus for each. They are arguably most known for their “Kurdish breakfast,” which is an elaborate spread of cheese, jams, fried cheese, olives, fries, cucumbers, tomatoes and bread. The amount of food is best shared by an entire table of people.

However, single orders for smaller parties include alluring options such as baklawa crepes or fig and walnut pancakes. I’m personally a sweet breakfast kind of person, so these are my go-to orders!

For lunch, try the newroz pasta.

For dinner, try the eggplant stew.

Don’t leave without trying their dessert sampler: coconut milk pudding, rice pudding and apricot, chocolate mousse, and baklawa, accompanied by Kurdish tea.