Solsot Cheongdam Branch — Restaurant in Seoul

Visited Solsot Cheongdam (솔솥 청담점) on a Friday for lunch with a friend of mine. We arrived at 11:30 am, right before the lunch rush started and managed to get a table right away. The restaurant is not too big with about 24 seatings available around the room. The tables are for mostly for 4 people, but there are about four tables that accommodate party of two. And good thing we came a little early because minutes later, the restaurant was full with people and there’s even a line forming outside. So yes, the place is definitely pretty popular and you might have to wait for a table if you come during lunch or dinner rush.

The menu here is pretty straight forward with accompanying pictures so you don’t have to guess what you’re getting. Each Sotbap set comes with sides of salad, soup, banchan, dipping sauce and a Yakult drink. And the portion is pretty fulfilling.

What we ordered:

🍽️ Abalone Sotbap (전복솥밥) • 8/10

The abalone is fresh and chewy, not tough at all. This Sotbap tasted very earthy especially with the addition of the sesame seeds. Ate the sotbap wrapped in the seaweed sheet that comes with the set and dipped it in the sauce and it did add a layer of complexity to the Sotbap and enhanced that sea flavor in my bite.

🍽️ Steak Sotbap (스테이크솥밥) • 8/10

The steak is nice and tender with pretty generous portion. The egg yolk added an extra creaminess to the Sotbap which I enjoyed. The sauce for the Steak Sotbap is a bit saltier than the Abalone Sotbap’s sauce so I would recommend you to pour it little by little first and taste it in case pouring everything in all together is too salty for you.

Also, worth noting, if you are from South East Asia or prefer a strongly seasoned dishes like those found in the SEA countries, the Sotbap could taste a tad under seasoned for your taste buds because it’s mildly seasoned (imo). But all and all, my friend and I enjoyed our meal and we were pretty stuffed by the end...

Visited this place in such a good mood after soaking for 3 hours in a Korean sauna, so the hunger was real. And of course, expectations were high when paying this much in Korea. Soooooooo, the presentation and quality of the food were really great, but the service made me feel like a “white dumb girl visiting Asia who has only ever tried Panda Express or a California roll.” I know my look gives off that viiiiibe (they say now), but the waiter—who spoke good English—was overly insistent on telling me how to eat my food, even after I explained multiple times that I knew how to eat it and that it wasn’t my first time. :) I gave him a masterclass before he could say anything. After almost demolishing my food, he came back again to remind me once more that I wasn’t eating it the “right” way. So I reminded him that I love to scratch the burned rice from the bottom and eat it that way—maybe it’s my kink! I felt like my knowledge was being questioned unnecessarily, over and over again. For my own money, I couldn’t even fully enjoy my food the way I...

Solsot: Simple and Satisfying Clay Pot Rice

We visited Solsot, a local restaurant known for its clay pot rice. There were three of us, and we arrived early before the restaurant opened. Each of us ordered a different topping to try: fish, eel, and beef.

The food was simple and focused on natural flavors rather than strong seasonings. The taste of the dishes was quite similar, with the main difference being the toppings we chose.

Each meal came as a set, including the clay pot rice, side dishes, and a small bottle of yogurt drink.

Overall, the food was decent and enjoyable, though not particularly exceptional. It’s a good place for a straightforward and satisfying meal in a casual,...