There are a few casual restaurants that have been trending in Korea. Along with Grandmother’s Recipe, Sol-sot is another name that has been making waves among both locals and tourists.
I’ve not really been one for actively chasing trendy F&B establishments. However, this particular one caught my attention because the food looked so good.
They have a few branches across Seoul. We went to their most popular one in Cheongdam as we were visiting the K-Museum of Contemporary Art in the area.
I heard that the restaurant normally sees long queues. We were lucky that we went pretty late (1-2pm) so the lunch crowd had dispersed by then!
What to order at Sol-sot
Sol-sot is most famous for their steak pot rice (KRW 17,000), which was what I ordered!
I was so, so impressed when the staff served this meal set to the table. The colours of the food were all so appetising!
The steak cubes looked super juicy. I also really appreciated that the meat portions they gave were so generous. At KRW 17,000, I was expecting just a pinch of meat – especially considering how expensive steak cubes can be.
For some context, the sot bap is a traditional dish cooked in a heavy iron pot called a sot. This process causes grains at the bottom to form a crispy, golden crust called nurungji, which gives your meal different layers of flavours and textures!
The proper way to eat this sot bap is to mix the pot’s contents, then transfer them to a bowl. You can then pour hot broth into the pot to soften the crust of scorched rice.
I would highly recommend eating the meal on its own first before you add the broth in. This would allow you to taste the original flavours. I was absolutely enamoured by the steak cubes, and the sauce they provided really brought the best out of the meat.
If you see the photos above, you’d also notice that they provide banchan (side dishes), a yogurt drink (like Yakult), and seaweed to complete your meal. All these for just KRW 17,000 was seriously a steal.
Is it worth eating at Sol-sot?
I know I’ve said it before in a few food review posts but the value of the meals in Korea is seriously mind-blowing.
This is considering how they do not compromise on taste and portions, while keeping cost relatively affordable with no surcharges. Plus, they also serve free side dishes and water without additional charge!
We all had a very satisfying meal at Sol-sot and I could definitely tell why this restaurant had grown so popular.
Funnily enough, I’ve seen a few reviews saying that Sol-sot is not worth the hype. Apparently the ingredients and the rice feel like they are separate dishes? I personally think this is more of an individual issue where you may not have mixed everything well. If you mix the ingredients, rice, sauce and/or broth thoroughly, the flavours will be much more harmonious.
I know I’ll definitely come back to Sol-sot on future trips, but maybe I’ll try out the other branches to see if it’s any different.
DIRECTIONS
Address: 666-27 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Opening Hours: 11.30am – 3pm, 5 – 9.30pm daily
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