Seoul Korean Cuisine

Was in here a little while ago after just aimlessly driving around with a friend looking for something promising. The only other people in the place were a few old Korean men, drinking and cursing in Korean in the corner.
My friend and I decided to do the BBQ thing. The portable grill was set up, and then I saw a thing of beauty: The grill is set up on an angle, and they place the kimchee at the bottom and the meat at the top. As our pork belly cooked, the pork fat filtered through the kimchee and into the little collection bowl at the bottom. If this is ever a bad thing, I may have to stop eating. Other than this wonderfulness, though, the food was pretty standard. Nothing special in flavor or price, but I’d come back again to try other dishes. The only thing I’d say is that we ordered two orders of BBQ, when we probably could have just split one, but it wasn’t a big deal. If I’m passing by again in the future, I’ll definitely stop by.

I’m quite fond of this place now! I’ve been here quite a few more times since my last review. They have regular pork belly which isn’t on their menu. It’s fantastical! Also they have this really yummy potato salad side dish now that I really like. The ladies here are also very nice and attentive.

It’s alright. I lived in LA before I moved out to the OC (I live in LA now, next to koreatown) so I have other things to compare this place to. I would just have to say it’s a meeeehhhhhh.

This place keeps evolving their menu, getting rid of some of their more «homie» traditional foods and turning into a more commercialized restaurant serving the desires of the generic Korean foods (like Korean BBQ). I’m not too sure if it is a good thing. I’ve been here 4 times, most recently for my bday because I wanted Korean BBQ. This place started serving AYCE Korean BBQ. It was either here or Cham in GG. I wanted to try this place out. I would give this place a 3.5 if it weren’t for the better service. Since this place is very small, the waitress are a lot more attentive in cooking your meats. The meats are decent quality, they have pretty much all you want. The sides are about the same as Cham. Only thing missing is the thin slices of daikon on the DUK (rice paper)!!! That’s key for why I love Cham so much, and this place doesn’t have it. I kind of want to bump it to a 3, but I’ll keep it at a 4, it’s a cheaper than Cham, at $ 15.25.

Like everyone else mentioned, I am on the border with this place as well. But to explain myself, this is why I felt it got the three star rating it deserved. I came here with two separate groups, on one occasion it was with Chris, Rob, Sharon, Evelyn, Tom, and my companions Euni and Joe Schmoe. On another occasion, I was with Debbie, Jane, and Chris once again.
So apparently the set up is a small shack with an outdoor patio. Accompanied by flame lamps and of course a small grill to cook the meat and the complimentary kimchi and banchan on hand. The meat (duckel or brisket, whatever you call it) rivals the offers of my top spots; Shik-​Do Rak and Cham Sot Gol. However, the clear differences to me is the offerings of Kimchi. Shik Do Rak’s was just right… Cham Sot Gol’s was spicier, but this place. it was a bit sour?
Maybe I have a retarded palette when it comes to fermented things like Kimchi or maybe Beer on occasion. But I couldn’t fathom to continually eat this stuff, especially if its with such sodium inducing (but good quality meat). I’m not a big pork fan… but their pork is definitely rich, it just needs time to grill because of the excess fat. Unfortunately, considering I don’t smoke I couldn’t fully appreciate an outdoor patio, unless I wanted to consider smoking at all.
Also, the seating was a bit cramped (kind of like Shik Do Rak’s) but I didn’t mind since I wasn’t worried about my somewhat plump stomach after KBBQ consumption or large feet to get in anyone’s way. Overall for my share, I paid at least $ 40.00 with tax and tip, included with all the meat and soju we bought in the process. The hospitality by the staff was definitely on par, I just wish the kimchi, wider seating area, and rice paper was offered. Then I wouldn’t mind going out of my way and giving some five star loving.
Work out the kinks and I’ll definitely come back sometime (whether I like it or not)!

This is a 3.5 for me, the sweet ladies that run the location kept poking in my head as I prepared to write this review. This location would be a solid 4 for me if they had more variety for their AYCE. Jane L., Chris E. and Ryan M took me here just about an hour after Matt K.‘s rock climbing event, so Debbie hungry, Debbie eat!
~~The beef brisket is a lot more fresh than Cham Sut Gul,
~~The pork belly came out super thick. I normally don’t eat pork belly, but this one was too thick not to pass up (shut up you pervs).
~~Kim Chi was a little on the sour and could’ve used a kick.
~~Fermented beans… yum!
~~Fishcakes as part of the ban chan (first time I’ve seen it included, which was awesome, and yummy! I kept dipping the fishcake with the fermented beans mmmm.
~~Price: $ 34, includes tax, tip, AYCE, and 3 bottles split between me, Chris, & Ryan. Shot for shot baby, watch out now!
~~Service: The ladies were sweet as one would expect, so 4 stars for them.
I think altogether, what I like about this place is that it’s small, low-​key, and not super crowded like CSG. I especially love the patio and their makeshift grill, it makes you feel as if you were in Korea at one of those outdoor restaurant locations. Granted, I’ve never been to Korea, but it sure reminded me of what I watched in the TV dramas. Now, if only Kim Sung Su would make a guest appearance at this restaurant, my life would be complete.

After a nice AYCE dinner here with a group of Unilocalers, I walked out, full, but felt like something was missing. It was just ok in my opinion. I hate fat in my meat even though I know a lot of people like it. And there was a lot of fat in their meat that I just didn’t care for. And I wish there were more options in terms of those little dishes they put out. But I did like their dipping sauces. And they had… steamed… egg… thing. It was yummy.
Maybe I’m just not made to do AYCE.

Almost 4 stars. I wasn’t sure I was entirely over the cold I caught this week, but a call from Ryan M. convinced me to come out. After all, I had to eat and what better way than with friends? The restaurant looks like a cute little house in a parking lot near Autozone and other stores. I liked the patio area here — good ventilation for the smoke from the AYCE. It’s a great idea. I wasn’t into much of the banchan but everyone else I went with ate it. I liked the soju I had, it wasn’t too strong. Although I must add that is more powerful than you’d expect from the taste. I liked the brisket best out of the AYCE meat offerings.
Subsequent visits here could increase the rating.

This place has changed a lot since our initial visits when they first opened. They’ve gotten rid of the home made style of food, i.e. the sullungtang, the various jigaes, etc. These days they have KBBQ as well as a small selection of dishes such as kimchi jigae, naeng myun and such.
We went with a group of 9 for kbbq. They set up gas grills with a hot plate on it with a little spout which drains the oil from the pan into a bowl. We sat on the patio area which is perfect for bbq-​ing.
They offer an AYCE version for $ 15.95 which offers chadol (brisket) and samgyupsal (pork belly). What’s great about their samgyupsal (and I don’t particularly like samgyupsal) is that they marinate it with some bay leaves to lessen the porkiness of the meat. They also have a spicy version of this which is absolutely delicious. Four different dipping sauces are offered, but I only liked the sesame oil with the salt.
Here, kimchi is cooked alongside the meat on the grill. They don’t give you kimchi as a side dish. Side dishes here aren’t impressive — only 3 types. You can ask for rice if you want, there is no dduk or muu, just a bowl of salad with a mustardy/​wasabi tasting dressing.
Dwenjang jigae is given towards the end of the meal and the one here is super strong — not like the watery version they give you at Shik Do Rak. If you ask, they’ll even make bokeumbap (flavored rice) for you.
Come with a bunch of friends for the kbbq. The meat is better quality than Shik Do Rak, although they slice the chadol a little thicker here so it takes a little longer to cook, but Shik Do Rak no longer offers AYCE for dinner.
3.5 stars and an extra half star for the service, but maybe we got the good service due to all the soju our group was getting.

They now offer AYCE for 15.95! Chadul and samgyeopsal were on point and didn’t drop in quality as you requested second helpings. The environment really reminded me of the soju-jip’s in Seoul… you can smoke in the patio area AND eat your food at the same time. Seoul Cuisine is now my new local spot for KBBQ.

Came here last night, as usual (I come here like once a week) and to me and my BF’s surprise, they’ve done away with the sullungtung! We were talking to the waitresses and they’re veering more towards the Korean BBQ route with a less emphasis on traditional Korean soups and stews. How disappointing! That’s the only thing my BF gets everytime he’s here so I guess I won’t be coming here that often anymore. They still have other basics like soondubu, kalgukso, kimchi chigae, chik nangmyun, and budaechigae, but their sullungtung was the one thing we didn’t have to drive to garden grove for!
We ended up sitting at the K-​BBQ side on the back patio and it was just not the same. One order of Chadulbaegi is $ 15. The portions are average for non-​AYCE and the quality of the meat is excellent. They have 4 dipping sauces for you and they bring out a side bowl of salad. The side dishes we got were minimal — sprouts and spicy sliced radishes — and they didn’t taste as good as before.
We left so disappointed. From a 5 star to a 3 star — I don’t like change but I guess we all have to say our goodbyes one day… I just didn’t think it would be so soon.

Service-​mediocre. The panchan weren’t ones I really dug, and there was little variety, as stated by others. The sullungtang had a good flavor, but the noodles were weird… they weren’t smooth? They were kinked and a little too tough. I liked that the meat in it was tender and not scary, though. Some places it’s tough and gross.

Not bad for Tustin. I was pleasantly surprised. I usually go to the Korean restaurant, Dae Myoung Ok, if I need a fix for Korean food, and Dae Myoung Ok is probably the most decent Korean restaurant south of Garden Grove, in my opinion. But this place had some dishes that were definitely comparable… and unique. I had their version of the soontofu, and although it could be a little overwhelming, it was good. Their sulungtang was pretty good as well. And I agree with the other people who wrote reviews, although the side dishes were few in quanitity, they were good!

Can Korean food be bland? I mean, is that even possible? Indeed it can (and is) because my dinner here tonight was probably the most tasteless Korean food I have ever had. It was hot and spicy, yes, but there was just no flavor at all.
Maybe we ordered the wrong dishes. We had the Korean pancake, the soon dubu (soft tofu), and the spicy kimchi noodle soup. The pancake was pretty good, crunchy without being too greasy. But the soon dubu was watery and bland and the shellfish did not taste fresh. They also neglected to provide an egg. The kimchi noodle soup was very spicy, but it too was bland and the noodles, which became really gummy in the soup, had a stale flavor to it.
Now I am not that picky of an eater when it comes to Korean food. My general take on it is similar to Mexican food: even when it’s bad, it’s still pretty good. But the food here was just bad, period.
And to top things off, just when I thought I had forgotten about my disappointing meal here, it reared its ugly little head later on in the evening. I swear, I must have gone through half a roll of TP by night’s end.
1 ½ stars.

The sullantang here is pretty decent, but I can’t get over the similarities it shares with phở (noodles, beef parts, etc). The only thing is that there aren’t any strong herbs in the broth and no fresh herbs to add. Kinda like eating phở but with a cold. Once I can get over that part, the sullantang here is very tasty and has a homemade kind of quality to it. The base soup is fairly bland on purpose so you’ve got to add your desired amount of sea salt. Those with a heavy hand may be in for a nasty surprise, as the sea salt is quite strong. Best to put in a little bit at a time and taste in between seasoning.
On other visits we’ve also tried their mandoo (dumplings) which were okay, but not as good as some of the other ones I have tried. Their kimchi chigae is alright. They place it on a burner and add in some instant ramen to it as well.
My favorite thing here though is their bbq pork. You’ve got to sit out on their patio to have this though since there are no vents in this restaurant. The pork order (basically bacon) I was told was marinated in wine and is grilled table side on a portable burner/​grill. They tilt the grill a bit so the fat renders off so you are left with crispy pieces of cooked bacon. yum! I love dipping that into the oil/​salt/​pepper sauce or even their bean paste. The kimchee here tends to be on the riper side, but I like it that way.
They also serve bbq intestines here, but I haven’t tried it yet since I am very particular about eating things that could possibly get me sick.
Good addition to the tustin area, will definitely be back for more.

This place seems to be constantly evolving. Relying on the reviews, I went with oxtail soup in mind. Upon walking in, the lady told us that unless we are going to order meat, the menu is very limited. Curiously, she acted like she didn’t want us there unless we were going to order meat.
We sat down anyways and ordered tofu soup and kim chee stew. (There was really nothing else to order. It is not the same menue as depicted in one of the posted photos.)
As we waited, I realized that the name of the place became «Patio,» and sign was posted that as of 7 – 2, they will not be serving lunch to focus on their specialty. This restaurant seems to want to specialize in pork and intestine meat barbequed/​grilled — which I believe is the type of food you’d eat at an adult oriented drinking place.
I’m thinking, «What a dump!» Then, we got the kim chee stew boiling in a dinky pot over a table top stove. It, curiously, had ramen noodle in it. And it was very very good. I was very surprised. We ate every last drop.
The pancake tasted authentic but wasn’t to my liking. The tofu soup had lots of sea food and good chunks of tofu — but tasted a little greasy.
This rating is purely based on the kimchee stew, which is the best I’ve ever tasted.

It’s very good here. You can’t really miss the location because the restaurant looks like a little cottage that randomly dropped from the sky.
I came here for dinner with a friend. They have a simple menu with very very good prices. Kimchi chigae, sulluntung, and soondoobu were all $ 7.50. It’s a rather small restaurant, but the night we went it wasn’t very busy at all. I recognized the waitresses from another Korean restaurant, but can’t remember which one.
Their sides are very very basic. We only got four, but they were all very good (you know how some places give you six or so but they’re all just so so). Their kimchi was rather salty for me, but their radish kimchi was very very good. I tried a little of my friend’s soondoobu and it was packed with a lot of flavor. If I wasn’t allergic to seafood, I probably would order this when I come back. I ordered the sullungtong, which was very good. It came with regular noodles versus the glass noodles but was very tasty. The soup felt oh so good in my belly.
Their waitresses are very nice and have quick service. I guess since it wasn’t as busy when I went they had more time to chill and watch their Korean drama on the flat screen.

So good I’m telling my parents about this place. Satisfied my sullungtung craving that I’ve had for months now.

A stellar 4 stars for the soondoobu (#8) which I ordered. I thought it was very flavorful and one of the best I’ve ever had, even though I usually prefer mine to be thicker and this one was on the watery side. Flavor-​wise it was excellent.
My wife’s noodles were just okay though. I thought compared to my soondoobu, the noodles lacked flavor.
I would definitely come back and eat the soondoobu again.