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Seoul Soondae Restaurant
Rating Details »
4231 Markham St Ste L
Annandale, VA 22003
(703) 642-2220
Annandale, VA 22003
(703) 642-2220
- Hours:
Mon-Thu. 10:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 10:30 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sun. 10:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Late Night
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
20 reviews for Seoul Soondae Restaurant
soondae is good
but what makes it 4 stars is their makguli (korean rice wine), served in a jar...when it's served cold...oh man, it's like a party in your mouth.
it's low alcohol content (probably ~10%?) and you can't really taste the alcohol (tastes like korean yogurt), but if you keep drinking you'll get drunk. it's the best with pajun (pancake), soondae, and ddukbokki.
it's the only place around here that specializes in soondae
Food here is WAY overpriced. Better off at Ara for large group stew or gooldwaegi for bbq. But...their soondae isn't that bad. Some of my friends think the soondae is bad and is not made "properly". But I like this soondae better than in Korea. Gamjatang here sucks ass. Go to gooldwaegi for the best kamjatang in Annandale.
What can I say. I'm a huge fan of soondae, and this is really the only place you can get pretty good soondae. I always order out, but it's always cuz I crave soondae and/or chokbar. It always fills the craving, and I've never been disappointed.
But do note, soondae is not for everyone. It is a very specific type of food that a lot of people might not find very appetizing. It is Korean, but a different type of Korean most people are familiar with.
We came here so my wife could try the Gamja-tang. I forgot the name of my gook-bap (rice soup dish), but it was similar to gom-tang or sul-lung-tang. Considering this place is called Seoul Soondae, we should have at least tried the soondae, but the reviews seem to indicate the gamja-tang was awesome here.
As soon as we entered, we were promptly greeted and seated. The food was good and the service was nice too, but I can't say I'm a fan of this place just yet. I'm pretty sure we'll be back to try the other menu items.
one of the oldest joint in Annandale. This restaurant has been there ever since the shopping place renamed from markham plaza to seoul plaza. There popular with Soondae which is good better then what you can get up in korea. good soondae bokum and soondae gook. you can get combo special... Even if economy sucked im suprised this place still exists. cause some others have shut down or renamed, changed managements...etc. they could use some renovation.
Hot, humid, day! And I was in the mood for some "blood sausage" Soondae soup. The place was nice, somewhat clean, typical restaurant. Service was okay, better if i knew how to speak better korean. I tried the soondae soup. It was pretty good and spicy. I liked the typical side dishes, fresh kimchee. Prices were pretty average. I would go again when i'm in the mood for something to warm me up.
I was told that they recently had issues with mice in their restaurant and in their food - I could be wrong but I've heard some nasty stories about that place. But what do you expect? You do know what Soondae is made from right?
I personally have been there SEVERAL times, even picked it up a couple of times. See, the Soondae is decent. I am not sure where else we could get Soondae in Annandale, or that specializes in it. My grandmother gets the SoondaeGook (The soup) and my husband really does not like this place. I believe the waitress are rude at times, and their Kimchi they bring out does not taste too great. The Jok Bal (The pig feet) is pretty good though, I'd give them that..
One cold night, after I'd had a rough day, I wanted to grab some Korean food (my favorite), and my dear boyfriend volunteered to come along and pretend he liked Korean food (His words).
Now, I love kim chi and would be delighted to eat it with pretty much everything. The occasion hasn't yet arisen, but I'd probably eat it as topping on an ice cream sundae and I can never resist kim chi jigae. I ordered a pot of that served with "grinded bean curd". The waitress warned me that it was spicy but I told her that I loved spice. My boyfriend ordered a pot of tofu/veg stew with fermented bean sauce. She tried to dissuade him, explaining that it was stinky and tasted like cheese, but he ordered it anyway.
I wish we'd gotten the ban chan before placing our orders. Unfortunately, the kim chi wasn't very good- it was almost flavorless, with no tang and no spice at all. The ban chan selection was pretty uninspired, though they brought extra seaweed out when they saw we'd finished that.
It looked like they had the stews in large cauldrons so the food came out almost immediately. So. My boyfriend hates Korean food. He doesn't like cheese. He ordered probably the strongest flavored, most Korean thing on the menu, which the waitress had warned him tasted like cheese. He didn't like it. SURPRISE! Actually, it was a little strong for me too and I wouldn't order it again. It wasn't the black watery fermented bean paste that I'd expected; it was a thicker brown one. It did indeed taste like cheese. Having no idea what they're actually called though, that's probably the least helpful description ever.
My stew had a very creamy, almost smokey taste, and a homogenous texture due the grinded bean curd, but almost no kim chi flavor at all. No dduk either :( Unfortunately, it wasn't even a tiny bit spicy, and all in all, it was pretty bland, with none of the strong flavors or interesting textures that make me love Korean food.
So yeah. That said, I just ate the leftovers of my stew for lunch. It wasn't horrible, it just wasn't that good. Neither of us really enjoyed my boyfriend's stew, but I could attribute that to our not having the palate for it. But flavorless kim chi? No excuse.
Boyfriend ended up going next door to Peruvian restaurant Real Chicken to get his dinner.
Great soondae.
If you're not familiar, it might not be the best thing to research. Just try it and see if you like it.
Three things on the menu that are tried and true:
1) Potato soup (gamja tang). Spicy, with lots of potatoes, vegetables, and huge chunks of pork spine. The best parts of the meat are the ones that are the hardest to reach.
2) Soondae (with everything. it includes slices of tongue, liver, intestine, etc). Sometimes, more than the actual soondae I like the other things that come with it. Personally, I love the tongue meat and the liver slices.
3) Soondae soup (soondae gook). Beef stock, with soondae, vegetables, intestine, and clear noodles. They put in a little chili paste too, but you can take it out before you mix it up if you want it to be less spicy.
I always leave this place completely full and unable to breathe correctly. But I go back the next weekend.
You may think I am crazy... but I give this place 4 stars, not for their Soondae, but their Gamja Tang (Potato Soup)!!! Everytime I visit Seoul Soondae, I get this soup... of course I will have some soondae along with my meal, but it's just not the best I've tasted. It's just... okay~
So back to my Gamja Tang... I honestly don't know why they call it potato soup, when there is only half a small potato, and it's overflowing with pork spine meat! Trust me... it has the perfect level of spice, and a ton of "kke" (which is perilla seed) and the soup is served piping hot in a clay pot, still boiling and overflowing.
I'm a huge fan of Gamja tang, and it's hard to find places in the area that serve it well or serve it at all! The only other place I found it to be pretty good was at Nulbum in Centreville... aka Pocha. I've had some pretty tasty Gamja tang there, but beware... I've had it on one of their "off" days, and it was horrible. The meat was jerky and clung to the bone like no tomorrow. The soup was bland, unflavorful, and if I tried hard enough I could probably see the bottom of the pot. Usually, when the soup is filled with the right amount of seasoning, meat and potato - it is dark red (from the red pepper flakes) and brownish (from the "kke") in color and thicker in texture (from the potato and long cooking time).
Anyhow, I'm dragging on. You get two reviews for the price (or time of checking) on one~
For Korean street food, the perfect combination is SoonDae, DdukBokki, and Odeng. I've come to Seoul Soondae since I was a kid. Honestly, sorry Alex T., but this place does not qualify as a hole in the wall. You apparently haven't seen one before. Anyway, I would say that this place is probably the place to go to get soondae. They specialize in soondae, and their soondae is nice and chewy and well-cooked. They also offer a variety of other Korean dishes as well, if you want something else, but if you go, I recommend sticking to the Soondae.
Soondae. However you want to look/think about it, it's friggin blood sausage. I think to myself, "that's beautiful". A lot of people think it's the equivalent of poop. To each their own; I dig the links. Not to mention the plethora of organ meats that follow suit in the lineup.
These guys are surprisingly the only game in town when it comes to soondae (my past recollections of Korean businesses tend to focus around a concentrated/situated pack of the same genres competing against one another, but this place still remains to stand-alone somehow). Yes, the nostalgia mementos start to fill in your noggin after taking the first bite. Do I reach for the shrimp paste, or the brine? Intervals, people. Intervals.
You know, you could easily stuff your face for less than $10 per person. I usually end up here with a party of 2-4. That translates to $14 per 2, or 28 per 4. Value for dollar. No second thoughts. Their large soondae jungshik (consisting of their soondae soup and variations of pig trimmins'), can comfortable feed the mouths of two. Side items are standard fare, but always seasoned appropriately.
Their soondae gook (soup) is the highlight of this place. Whether you want to warm yourself up during the winter, or have the longing to sweat inside rather than outdoors, will serve you well. They have plenty of other "boonsik" options as well, but I can't seem to shift my focus.....well, from their focus.
I love this place.
The staff doesn't speak much (if any) English, so go prepared.
The soondae here is the best my husband and I have had anywhere in the U.S.
I have no idea if any of their other food is this good. It's one of the few places where we always try to order the same thing.
I do enjoy this place once in a while, but my rating reflects that this place is not for everyone. It's just perception, but I don't really feel this is a very clean place. The food is just okay, but it is the place to go for soondae which is good, along with the gamjatang. I get the urge to come here once in a while, but it's not for everyone.
Remember when we chatted about good Korean restaurants in "Talk" and there was some wonderment as to why they seem to all be in Annandale? Seoul Sonndae is a good example.
As I found out on one of my first visits here, Soondae means Korean blood sausage. Their version (and I suppose all versions) is pork intestine stuffed with rice, meat, noodles..and of course pig blood. Sounds appetizing, no?
I have had some of the best Korean meals here. The barbecue here is amazing, especially the short ribs that taste like they have been marinated for days (and probably have) and the sliced beef. Get the seafood pancakes. Super good.
Once again, I order too much.
OK - cold thick noodles with vegetables in some kind of spiciness...not too bad, didn't really have room to dig in too much. But the noodles are nice and chewy just how I like them.
...omelette rice (under the section of the menu with the specials)...surprisingly good. Reminds me of my childhood. A glorified version of breakfast, straight up. I'd imagine this would be absolutely divine when taken home and slathered with some sriracha.
spicy goat stew - spicy? yes. am I crazy about it? no. the meat was cooked well though, and quite tender.
fried dumplings - absolutely the crispiest fried dumplings I've ever eaten. And I say that in a good way. The dough is very thin, and thus results in a chip-like crunch that reveals meaty goodness inside. Served very hot though - careful not to burn yourself. Oh man these are good though!
also nice to note - they're very generous with the banchan. You may not get the greatest amount of variety, but they're nice with the refills. And they even gave me some kimchee for home when I got my food wrapped to go :) That always gains you a star in my book!
The perfect soondae experience involves old friends, a cold winter night in Seoul and an orange food tent known as a pojangmacha. Also, a side of ddukbokki and odaeng.
But for Koreans living in the DC area, there's a decent alternative at Seoul Soondae. Perfectly seasoned blood sausage (pig intestines stuffed with glass noodles and pig blood....sounds disgusting, tastes amazing).
Even though I live in SF, one of the nation's culinary capitals, there are some foods that the Virginia/Washington DC metro area offers that I still haven't found any equivalents to in the SF bay area:
1. Pad thai at T.H.A.I. at Shirlington. Best pad thai I've ever had in the States. The only better version was off a street cart in Bangkok.
2. Pollo a la Brasa from this hole in the wall joint in Falls Church, VA. I don't know the name of it, but it's a little free-standing building off Lee Highway that pretty much only serves Peruvian rotisserie chicken. They serve it with a side of papas fritas and this amazing cilantro dipping sauce that must have illegal addictive substances in it - it could make cardboard taste good.
3. Soondae, described above. Hands down the best soondae I've had outside of Korea.
4. Lotus root and prawn salad, tamarind or salt & pepper crab, and grilled beef bun at Viet Royale. The Eden Center, in Seven Corners, Virginia, is a mini Saigon - a whole shopping center full of Vietnamese restaurants, bakeries, grocery store and other stores that I don't pay attention to since they don't sell food. Viet Royale is my most favorite Vietnamese restaurant in the country, and Vietnamese food may be my favorite food (although I'm constantly switching between Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese and Korean as my "favorite" cuisine, except of course when it comes to desserts, where the French have no rival...although mango sticky rice is pretty freaking amazing, and the Japanese did invent green tea ice cream and come to think of it, patbingsoo is a most perfect food, even though it's mostly ice...I digress, as I often do when I'm thinking about food). Back to Viet Royale. This hole-in-the-wall no frills joint may be one of my favorite restaurants ever.
5. Croque madame at Open City, in the Woodley Park section of DC.
6. The fresh mozzarella at Obelisk, drizzled with balsamic, olive oil, salt and pepper.
This place is the best place to go for Soondae in Northern Virginia. You do not go anywhere else. Their DonKatsu is Good! as well. The parking lot is ALWAYS crowded as well as the restaurant. A lot of people do not like Soondae, but after you try it a couple times you fall in love with it. To make a long story short, it's MMmmm Mmmm Good.
a lil hole in the wall place but really good food - - best kam-jja tang I've ever had and the Soondae is the best I've had in the states =)
this is where i go..sometimes on a regular basis during phases for gamjatang. get a big one to simmer at the table..and a bottle of soju and you're good to go! other stuff i've tried is soondae...and that's about it. i wouldn't bother trying to don katsu
