New Seoul Restaurant — Restaurant in Mill Creek

Summary: New Soul Restaurant offers authentic Korean dishes that will impress any fan of the cuisine, though the strong smell when entering may catch you off guard. The food, especially the stone bibimbap and beef kimchi tofu soup, was excellent, and despite a slight delay with the appetizers, the meal was worth the wait. I’m giving it five stars for the quality and authenticity of the food, though the initial atmosphere and language barrier may require a bit of patience.

Ambience (3.5/5): The restaurant has a cozy, casual atmosphere, but the strong, pungent smell—likely from fish sauce or another ingredient—can be a bit overwhelming at first. It wasn’t the most welcoming start, but once we got settled, the experience improved. The dining area itself is simple, but the focus is clearly on the food.

Authenticity (5/5): If you’re craving true Korean flavors, this place delivers. The stone bibimbap we ordered was perfectly cooked, with a crispy rice crust at the bottom of the pot, which is exactly what you want in a good bibimbap. The authenticity of the dishes made the meal feel like a true Korean dining experience.

Flavor (5/5): Every dish we tried was packed with flavor, especially the beef kimchi tofu soup. It’s usually served with pork, but they gladly substituted beef with no extra charge, which was a nice gesture. The kimchi pancake was good, though next time, I’ll definitely try the seafood pancake. The overall quality and taste of the food were exceptional.

Cost (4.5/5): The prices were fair, especially considering the quality of the food. The portions were generous, and I appreciated that substitutions didn’t come with an extra charge. For the authenticity and flavor, it’s well worth the cost.

Service (4/5): The service started off a bit slow, with a delay in getting our appetizers after the water was served. However, once things got moving, the staff were polite and attentive. Just keep in mind that the owner speaks limited English, but they are still very accommodating and friendly.

Tips for Visiting:

Strong smell upon entry: Be prepared for a strong, pungent odor when you first walk in, likely from the sauces they use. It’s part of the experience but might take a moment to adjust to. Order the stone bibimbap: The crispy rice at the bottom of the pot is a true testament to the authenticity of this dish—definitely worth trying. Beef kimchi tofu soup: Ask for a substitution if you prefer beef over pork; they’ll make the switch for you with no extra cost. Try the seafood pancake next time: While the kimchi pancake was good, I’ll be ordering the seafood pancake on my next visit, and I recommend giving it a try. Service may be slow initially: Don’t be surprised if it takes a bit of time for appetizers to arrive, but once the meal starts, everything...

New Seoul Korean Restaurant is situated at the intersection of Lynnwood, Mukilteo, and Everett. It had been a long time since my last visit, but when I returned for a weekend lunch, the place was fully packed, clearly a popular spot in the area.

Initially, I thought this restaurant specialized in soondae (Korean blood sausage), but after browsing the menu, I realized they offer a wide variety of Korean dishes. From Korean BBQ and seafood to soups and stews, they seem to have just about everything. As of March 2025, the prices remain reasonable, especially considering inflation and Seattle's market trends.

We ordered the Korean Blood Sausage Soup (#26), Spicy Beef Soup (#32), Spicy Fish Stew, and Unspiced Fish Stew. Typically, spicy fish stews are made with frozen fish, but if you're lucky, you can get a fresh fish version, fortunately, it was available during our visit.

Five different Korean side dishes (banchan) were served, all well-balanced in flavor, not overly sweet or too spicy. A standout feature of this restaurant is the stone-pot rice. You can scoop out the freshly cooked rice first, then pour hot water into the pot to make nurungji (scorched rice), a traditional and comforting finish to the meal.

We enjoyed everything we ordered except for the unspiced fish stew, which didn't quite meet our expectations.

One minor downside was the restaurant's payment policy. We wanted to split the bill, but the cashier politely informed us that they only accept cash or a single credit card payment per transaction. Since only one of us had cash, and not enough to cover the entire bill, one person had to pay with his credit card while the rest of us reimbursed him via Venmo. While this wasn’t a huge issue, it was a slight inconvenience.

Overall, the food and service were great, making it a solid choice for authentic Korean cuisine...

A Korean Restaurant that gave its bare minimum effort for English-speaking tourists.

Everything inside is Korean--people, menu, TV, etc...When I step in there, I feel so out of place that I decided to order to go. Their menu on the wall are 100% Korean. Looking at their paper menu, I couldn't understand half of them. The menu is mostly in Korean, each dish has a poorly translated English description. I couldn't understand most of the menu because the general category isn't translated, so I can't tell if I am looking into Combo or Soup section. The description of each order itself still have half Korean in it. I tried asking the owner but she can't understand me and I can't understand her. So I gave up just ordering the thing that has a spicy symbol and the word "pork" in the description (I was going for the spicy BBQ pork on a hot plate that every Korean restaurant should have). After 35 min and $22, I finally got the meal, and it wasn't even better than any other Korean restaurant.

Final Verdict: Don't go here unless you are Korean yourself suffering a severe withdraw from Korean food addiction and can't get to other restaurant...