Sodam — Restaurant in New York

Although I appreciate there is a Korean Supermarket on the northwest side of town, I seriously think they could do so much better.

The large glass jar of Kimchi was $13.99, which is not a bad deal. But then again, I just bought it and haven't tried it yet, so I can't claim to how good it tastes. However, as far as the produce and meat/poultry/seafood selection goes... two thumbs down. They lack the variety and freshness of other Asian grocery stores.

As a Korean, I sure wish they'd step up their game and clean the place. When I grabbed the Kimchi jar, it was sitting in Kimchi juices in the refrigeration aisle. There wasn't one corner of that fridge that didn't have some Kimchi sauce. Now, for anyone who has eaten kimchi, you would know, that stuff can get on clothing/car seats/anywhere and really project a strong odor. A little elbow grease goes a long way... Please Asiana, clean up a bit. You have so much potential.

The banchan (side dishes) corner was very limited and minimal as well. Sadly, I would recommend this place for any non-perishable items such as rice, ramen, condiments, etc. but wouldn't go seek out any fresh items from this location. Would I go back? Yes, but out of desperation of not wanting to drive...

After seeing all the great reviews of this place, I bookmarked it and finally had a chance to go. We came here on a Saturday night around 7:30pm and there were a couple empty tables. For starters, we ordered the kimchi fries. For the entree, we had the cheese skillet (kimchi fried rice and the spicy chicken), ribs, donkatsu and the fried chicken.

The portions were average-kind of good size to share for 2 girls. I enjoyed the kimchi fried rice but it was sweet as opposed to spicy. I liked that it came in the skillet because there were some parts of the rice that were crunchy. The spicy chicken was really delicious and flavorful- similar to in Korea.

The kimchi fries were pretty good. They had enough kimchi and a ton of fries and it's big enough to share with a group of 4.

Their fried chicken was very good. Although it took a while for it to come out, the fried chicken was flavorful and perfectly fried. They did a good job with the fried chicken.

The staff here were all friendly. I would most likely come again for my Korean...

Sodam is solid. They start you off with a cup of tea (barley I think) bring out the banchan, each of which tastes really flavorful, fresh and crunchy (japchae, kimchi, cucumber kimchi, bean sprouts, and broccoli with I think a black sesame dressing). The cheese ddueokbokki skillet with kimchi rice is so good and flavorful. Has just enough undertones of spice, isn’t that acidic and is well seasoned. And they politely accommodate dietary restrictions.

Overall dining aesthetic is very casual, some solo diners and others with large groups of friends/family. It’s usually pretty easy to get seated.

Pricing wise I find it to be a touch on the pricier side especially if you want a quick lunch/dinner and are dining alone (as is everything else in the area). But I still think it’s worth it depending on what you get. The cheese ddeokbokki skillet can easily...