Somaek Korean — Restaurant in Boston

"Somaek" is the perfect name for this new high-end restaurant that opened up near Boston Commons. Somaek, (in Korean: 소맥) is a classic party beverage mixed with soju (소주) and maekju (맥주). Deriving the first parts of the both words get you somaek (소맥). Now calling a bar "somaek" to celebrate this drink used to make drinking soju go down easier may be cool for a hip new Korean-style bar, but a restaurant wanting to be as authentic as possible to the food created by the head chef's mother-in-law? A strange choice to say the least.

The food itself was just fine. The bossam was quite cold though it wasn't completely unauthentic since they at least served the bare minimum samchu and kehnip. The yukhae was a dish I'd buy at a okay grocery store for $5, but at least the bulgogi (lukewarm) was the small sense of sunshine to an otherwise unremarkable meal.

The biggest problem with this place was that there only seemed to be "just enough" thought put into these dishes. Yes they might've gotten the basics down, such as serving bossam with girim jang and gochujang, but it tasted cookie cutter; inoffensive to fit the western palette. They didn't quite understand that last part that makes Korean food, well, Korean.

Coming from a poorer society, Korean food typically comes with a bowl of rice, a soup, a good selection of banchan pre-made in large portion, and maybe if you're lucky, a small portion of a protein choice. And on days you celebrate, whether it's a birthday or an anniversary, the meat bulgogi and kalbi come out in large portions and you invite your entire group of friends and/or family to eat with you while you drink "somaek," a drink meant to celebrate.

But it was clear that Somaek Korean didn't understand these, according to them, unimportant parts. Instead, charging you extra (which by the way is a dead give away of how you know that a Korean restaurant was not run by someone who understands Korean restaurant service at all) for even just three of these banchan, side dishes you receive plenty of in a typical Korean restaurant.

In addition, labelling somaek, which could be boiled down to a rum and coke to make soju go down easier, as this $26 specialty "cocktail" where "you can choose the soju and beer you put it in your cocktail" is incredibly tone-deaf.

And finally, the waiters, while clearly trying their best, butchering the names of the food items to high heavens (i.e. bulgogi - boolgahgee) just shows how little care the owner put into training the staff with explaining the dishes he is trying to, lack of a better term, appropriate. It was as if he said "it's okay if you get some things about this culture wrong since it isn't important and the customers won't understand anyway."

The food and service given was obviously by someone who decided to open a Korean restaurant up in Boston to take advantage of the giant K-pop craze after they read a single culture book. It doesn't take a genius to figure out where they got the name of this restaurant: from page two of said book. They also made sure to include "Korean" slapped at the end of the name so they for sure are included in any Google Maps result for key word "korean".

And I know they are not alone in this. I'm (not) looking forward to this trend of breaking down Korean food into the high-end western palette for the next couple decades. Though it is quite refreshing to finally understanding how Japanese people feel about westerners opening new hip Japanese restaurants or perhaps Mexicans when they see any Chipotle or Taco Bell.

If you're looking forward to taking someone here and saying you're "cultured", then by all means this is the perfect spot for you. If you have any sense of dignity, then I'd recommend to...

The worst Korean food I've ever eaten.

My wife and I finished a long day of walking around Boston and we decided we would check out this Korean restaurant that I've heard very good things about. I saw the positive buzz on Maps and Boston Eater, and I was excited that there was a Korean place near the Commons.

Just off of the Park Street T-Stop, it's a very quick and convenient walk.

Inside, it was a typical small, cramped restaurant, but they still managed to fit a lot of seats. My wife and I got a seat at a table after only a couple of minutes despite seeing how packed it was. Very dimly lit, as expected.

When we saw the menu, I was surprised. I wasn't expecting it to be a tapas restaurant. I was optimistic since my previous experiences at tapas restaurants always results in amazing food. Yeah... no, not here.

Right off the bat, the bonchan is not free. It was either $16 for 3, or $25 for 5. Seriously? Bonchan is free in... ALL(???) Korean restaurants. Whatever, surely that means it's going to be incredible, flavor bombs right? I asked my waiter what the top 5 selections were and I received the following:

Steamed Icheon Rice - $4 per small bowl. No complaints on the quality, but again, it feels like robbery to be paying for a traditionally free item.

Mu Radish Kimchi - GROSS. I have never in my life had this dish taste salty, sour, and immediately bitter. Thankfully the waiter was nice and took it back and offered a substitution.

Stir-Fried Baby Anchovy - I enjoyed this. borderline too salty, but that's expected. I was given a 2nd dish. I commonly eat fried baby anchovies + rice in Vietnamese cuisine, so this was nice.

Jang Jorim Soy Beef - absolutely not. this is a SALT BOMB. could not detect any other nuanced flavors. I could not finish this tiny dish. inedible.

Sesame Spinach - no complaints. extremely straight forward and simple. I would not pay to eat this dish in a regular situation.

Stewed Potato - it's served cold. fairly unremarkable flavor, but I guess that's a good thing so far.

For the entrees I decided to play extremely safe and order the two most-reliable, most delicious dishes that any Korean place should do well.

Dwaeji Bulgogi - the menu explicitly says it's pork bulgogi, so that's fine. the issue though... it just tastes fine. BULGOGI SHOULD NOT TASTE FINE. it's lightly sweet, lightly sesame flavored. If I didn't see the name, I would not assume it's suppose to be a bulgogi flavor. incredibly disappointed. This is something I can get at a food court at a fraction of the price.

Galbi Gui - holy sh** what a rip-off. About 8 small things of short rib. Overly-charred. Very bitter-forward taste as a consequence. Very tough meat. No flavor. It tasted like un-seasoned beef. Their chef should quit.

With regards to ONLY the food - this place is a joke. I should've known it was going to be a terrible experience when we got to our seats and my wife and I did not see any Asian people eating. $82 down the drain.

Positives? The wait staff were very friendly and...

Modern Korean Tapas bar with excellent food and creative drinks.

Along with two other Asian restaurants in Temple place, Somaek is one of Bissonnette’s first major project in Boston post-partnership with Oringer. I’ve been to all of his restaurants, and except for Coppa, I had good experiences. However, since his culinary background in Korean cuisine is mostly confined to his exposure via his in-laws, I was initially unsure about the execution.

As suggested from its name, Somaek shines a spotlight on Korean style drinks with innovative twists. Until recently, Boston didn’t have any options for contemporary Korean restaurants with Korean-forward spirits program, and Somaek filled that much-needed gap. The cocktails I tried here, while integrating minimal Korean elements, achieved a seamless and delightful fusion. The standout for me was the 'JJinppang'. With its understated black sesame accents, it beautifully captured the essence of the traditional Korean bun, bringing a familiar and comforting flavor.

Jamie’s interpretation of Korean comfort cuisine was also on point. While maintaining the principal Korean elements, he managed to make some refined tweaks in seasonings to make them more approachable. Some of my favorite dishes included the Striped bass sashimi, Kkaennip-jeon, and the Galbi-Gui. The medium-fatty pieces of striped bass sashimi, served in a traditional Korean style, paired beautifully with salt-infused sesame oil, raw garlic, and ssam wraps. A popular old-school Korean street food, the Kkaennip-jeon also offered satisfying bites. The egg batter was thicker than the ones I always had growing up in Seoul, but it still retained the richness and savory depth with its beef and tofu fillings.

The Short Ribs featured notably fatty cuts, yet their rich, salty seasoning made them a delightful pairing with a bowl of rice. The rice, served in a traditional copper bowl, strikingly mirrored the taste of what I relished back in Korea. While this detail might seem trivial to most people, it evoked a sense of nostalgia for me.

Other interesting dishes included the Bossam and the Pork & Kimchi Dumplings. Traditionally served warm, the Bossam here was presented chilled, an unusual twist that eliminated any potential off-odors and added a firmer texture. The steamed dumplings bore a striking resemblance to those found on streets of Seoul, albeit in a smaller form. While the intensity of the Kimchi in the fillings was subtly dialed back, this was balanced by the tangy acidity of the accompanying soy vinegar dipping sauce.

Overall, this is one of the finest Korean restaurants helmed by a non-Korean chef that I've encountered. Given that Boston's Korean culinary landscape is largely dominated by casual eateries, Jamie's new venture is a refreshing and welcome expansion to the city's dining options. Eagerly looking forward to...