Seoul Bistro l 서울비스트로 — Restaurant in Montclair

Seoul Bistro – A Heartfelt Slice of Seoul in Montclair

As someone who is half-Korean with roots that run deep to Seoul through my mother - I don't take Korean cuisine lightly. It’s personal. It’s memory. It’s legacy. And I can honestly say, after just one visit, Seoul Bistro absolutely touched my heart and soul.

From the moment I walked in, I felt this inexplicable magic in the space. The ambience is clean, modern and inviting. But the real poetry begins with the food - my lord. This wasn’t just good. This was next-level, deeply authentic Korean cuisine, the kind that warms your chest before you’ve even swallowed.

Every bite was packed with flavor, balance and care. You could taste the love in every dish. The banchan (side dishes) were on point. The Jjapagetti was so delicious. The Vegetable Dumplings were top notch. Bold, soulful, clean. It reminded me of my childhood kitchen - but elevated, refined, and still deeply grounded in tradition.

The owners - a wife and husband duo, with the husband working his magic as the chef - brought it all together with humility and warmth. The staff was attentive, kind, and genuinely passionate about what they’re sharing with the community. Shout out to Ana!

Montclair just got blessed. Seoul Bistro is not just a restaurant - it’s an experience, and for anyone seeking real Korean food that speaks both to tradition and innovation, this is it. Go hungry. Leave full - in every sense of the word.

P.S. I will definitely be back to indulge in the rest of their eclectic...

I'll be honest, I've always thought of Korean food in NJ outside of Bergen county (specifically Palisades Park and fort Lee) to be just ok to bad. My son is on the swim team at the Y around the corner. So after practice we decided to give Seoul bistro a try. To our surprise it surpasses over half the places that we frequent at in PP and FL. The bibimbap is absolutely a work of art, the attention to detail is there, the ingredients are fresh, all the vegetables are cut to the same size and shape. The bowl comes steaming and burning hot. Better stir immediately, for a nice gently crisp on the rice. The boneless Korean fried chicken was very surprising, I've had many beer n chicken, Pelicans, Bonchon as well as Mom and pop chicken places. Their boneless fried chicken was absolutely amazing, I think it's the best I've ever had. Their kimchi i thought was just ok. It's salty and too sour, I like it more garlicky and less salty. However it's a very small critique, everyone does kimchi a bit differently. The other banchans are just delightful. At the end of the meal they give you a cinnamon, pine nuts tea that's very refreshing. The presentation for everything was tastefully done, the plating was eye pleasing and intentional. The service was very good, our server went above and beyond. With all that said, the prices are...

Food is average. Can’t say it’s super delicious but if you’re craving for Korean food, this place is a good option. They have varieties to satisfy different family members, young or elderly. We tried kimchi pancake, not crispy enough but it’s acceptable and average since not many places can really make it crispy. The different types of Korean wings and here’s boneless, which is a plus for young kids, the soy garlic flavor good, the only down side us it is not hot enough when it brings to table. I expect it like the Korean Wings shop that it comes hot and fresh. The Shim Ramyun fried rice is cute and not that spicy, kids find it interesting that it comes with the cup noodle container like it’s pouring out and the fried rice is mixed with instant noodles. The set meal we ordered, pork belly and pork & squid comes with rice, soup, veggies, and side dishes. The portion is good. Just the pork & squid has way too much squid and just a few pieces of pork. Almost the whole plate is squid that I wouldn’t order again. They still have many things that we didn’t try like noodles, bbq, and dessert. We definitely will come back to try for more. At the end they will bring u a cup of cold ginger, cinnamon and brown sugar tea that...