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| - And it's back in business!
After three years of seeing this abandoned building across from Koko bakery, I finally had the pleasure of stopping in for a meal. It is as humble on in the inside as it is on the out, so don't expect to be wowed by the decor. There are about 6-8 tables inside, so it is quite a small space. Also, this place runs much like a traditional family run restaurant in Korea would, with the ajumma cooking in the back and her husband up front seating, taking orders, and bringing out the food. Despite the fact that it felt short staffed, I had no complaints due to lack of service.
I ended up ordering two of my favorite Korean snack foods, Tteokbokki and the Seafood Paejon. I like that this place offers smaller portion sizes if you ask them to, although it is more traditional to order dishes family style, it's nice to be able to order an individual portion if you happen to just be grabbing lunch. The prices are pretty standard compared to other Korean restaurants in the area- about $10-$16/ entree. As for the dishes themselves, the tteokbokki was fantastic in my opinion; there was a nice mix of veggies, noodle and even some bulgogi thrown in on top of the rice cakes. The chili sauce itself was really well balanced, and the perfect level of spiciness for me personally. The pajeon was also very good, a good balance of being crispy on the outside yet soft and doughy on the inside.
As with pretty much all Korean restaurants, you will be served corn tea, banchan, and the little baby yogurt when you leave as part of their standard service. (I do love the baby yogurts)
While Seoul Garden is my standard choice for Korean when I'm craving it, this place is more convenient in terms of location. The only thing I might say is that I could see where this place might get quite packed if it gets even a little busy, and you might have to wait a while for service. Overall, I was more than satisfied with my first visit to Seoul Hot Pot, and anticipate returning here very often.
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