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Soul Of Korea
- Hours:
Tue-Fri 11 am - 10 pm
Sat 12 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
6 reviews for Soul Of Korea
6 reviews in English
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Review from Coty S.
Bradenton, FL
I have now learned some Korean language (speaking & reading/writing) and been able to enter and dine at Soul of Korea. It looks like a carpeted office converted to a dining room, but the food is delicious.
The main food item to come here for is the Spicy Chicken Wings. Soul of Korea is the only establishment in the Tampa Bay area that serves wings of such a high standard. It is nothing like the popular Kychon or BonChon chains, it is something completely unique. The wings are sweet and spicy, covered in gochujang as well as pepper flakes.
They have BBQ dishes as well as the Korean/Chinese dishes that I fell in love with while living in NYC and working in Murray Hill. -
Review from j s.
San Francisco, CA
3/1/2011
Came here for dinner with my parents on a Tuesday night. The other customers during the time we sat, ordered, and ate (about 45 minutes) were an elderly Korean couple, a Korean family of about 6 people, and a lone male diner.
For three people we ordered the seafood pancake, Kalbi (marinated and grilled beef short ribs, served over onions on a hot plate that made a tantalizing sizzling sound), and the soft tofu seafood soup. I really enjoyed the sizable seafood pancake - it was slightly crispy on the outside, nicely hot and slightly doughy on the inside, and chock full of octopus (or cuttlefish?), scallions, shrimp, and jalapeno slices! It was not egg-y like some Korean seafood pancakes I've had. The tofu soup/stew had a deep red color but was not spicy. It had a nice rich flavor, lots of silky tofu, a bit of scallion, a few slices of zucchini, some shrimp, and a few octopus tentacles. The Kalbi beef short ribs were very flavorful and had a slight crust outside - they were just a little bit chewy, but that in no way stopped me from devouring my fair share! We finished everything and were stuffed!
Dinner came with two bowls of rice and 8 Banchan side dishes (napa cabbage kimchee, daikon kimchee, cucumbers, bean sprouts, mushrooms, watercress, kimchee watercress, pressed tofu with scallions and sauce) which were solid all around. As can be expected at a Korean restaurant, brown rice tea is served when you sit down (this time served cold, with ice, in lieu of ice water - which you can probably ask for if you prefer).
This is obviously a family run operation: small, but banking on their solid home-style offerings. The woman who greeted us acted as hostess, waiter, and bus boy. Service was quick and the waitress/hostess was nice.
The dining area is small and this is definitely a place to come for good Korean home-style cooking and agreeable prices, not the ambiance in particular. The food was good and that's what we were there for!
Wonderful and recommended! -
Review from j v.
Lawrenceville, GA
3/30/2009
so..after watching korean dramas (with English captions of course..)..
i started craving for korean food.
I did an online search for Korean food closest to USF and this place came up as one of the options
i typically order the bulgogi BBQ or the spicy chicken BBQ, but this time for once I wanted to try a noodle dish. I don't know what it's called .. but it was a seafood water based noodle soup... I thought it was good, except for the octopus in it..
I went with my sister, so we shared that and a tofu seafood stew that you eat with rice..and those little side dishes that I love so much about eating at Korean restaurants...again my personal problem with the octopus.. since it was in the stew too..
usually when i think of seafood, i think about shrimp and fish.. rarely octopus, .. so it was my mistake for not asking what would be in it.. but as i was taught since young.. i finished everything.. even the octopus that i didn't care for.. but everything else was good... the noodles and its soup base, the stew and the rice, and the side items.
don't be expecting a nice decor and 5 star service.. cause it's not.. nothing is formal..and it's kinda makeshift. your typical outdated mom and pop shop... but the silverware rack and food plates are extra clean if that helps.
oh yeah.. i know the booth looks tempting, but don't do it.. save yourself from having to sit sideways..and get a table with regular chairs.. unless you have really short thighs.. i think they made it for the kids instead of adults to sit in..
I'm planning to try this place again, because i felt that the food could have been better if only i knew to ask to exclude the octopus... a family was having some bulgogi in there among other things, and it smelt really good..so i think i'm gonna try that next time and some noodles with black bean sauce, since i've never had it.. and it looked so tempting..
side note: the menu also contains some chinese items.. -
Review from Shanesta B.
Stockbridge, GA
6/29/2010
You may pass this place if you are not careful! But it was a good place to eat. Even though I ordered the beef teriyoki (sorry if I spelled that wrong) I was eating my friends kimchi pancake and it was delicious!! I also ordered the kimchi dumplings and they were crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside! And it was very cheap and reasonable!! If you like Korean, I would give them a try.
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Review from Carlos H.
2/22/2010
My club officers and I had dinner at Soul of Korea Friday night and I was really impressed with their food! The bulgogi was great seasoned well with a unique taste that was different than that of Sa Ri One and Pine Tree Karaoke Cafe, the galbi was delicious as well but I still think Matoi Sushi has the best Galbi I have had so far. Soul of Korea has really reasonable prices (even lunch and dinner boxes) and this place is not too far from campus, can't believe I have never been here before. The restaurant is pretty small so don't bring too many people when you visit. The waitress was friendly and helpful. Coming back for sure!
Listed in: Tampa Asian Food Lover, Tampa Korean Food
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Review from Priscilla S.
Tampa, FL
2/27/2010
After watching so many Korean dramas, I've finally had the chance to try authentic Korean food in Tampa. My friend suggested we should try this place since it is somewhat close to the USF Tampa campus. It's actually near the Brandon area, so it is a little far from where I live.
The logo is pretty cute and clever because it utilizes the the word "soul" like the heart of Korean food and Korea's capital city of Seoul. It's not a name I won't forget. The place is pretty small, even smaller than Sushi Haru. The decor is very casual and kind of tacky, but is overlooked because the area isn't really that great either. When we brought a large party of 11, we had to use all of the available tables. Thankfully, there was enough seating, and the rest were booths. While not knowing what to try, I ordered something light and spicy which was this beef curry looking soup that had assorted mushrooms and roots and pieces of beef and some noodles. It was rather good. It was nice while eating we had the television set right there next to us. They played old movies which were entertaining nonetheless. I tried their beef and pork dishes my friends ordered. The popular Bugolgi is a tender beef dish topped with long green onions. I often imagined Bulgogi to be really tender, peppery, and robust in flavor because Koreans are known for their spicy ingredients, and theirs was like that but a bit sweet and salty. I was pleased with it tasting so good. The entrees also come with very small side dishes from spicy and tangy kimchee to salty bean sprouts.
Overall, the place lacks ambiance, but makes up for it with good hardy food. The prices are reasonable for the portions. My soup was around $12, a little more than I would pay for soup, but it was a new experience so it's okay. Next time I would just order the meat dishes.
