K Food Seoul 어촌횟집 — Restaurant in Philadelphia

Why is this place so slept on? I'm so excited to have discovered this gem. Starting from making the reservation, I had a good feeling about this restaurant. I informed the owner that it was my father's birthday, and he catered the dining experience by asking if we were in for korean food or omakase. I let him know we'd like to try the omakase experience for a birthday, and he guaranteed he would treat us well.

When we walked into this intimate restaurant, I knew I was in for something extraordinary. They set up happy birthday banners and had the table already set up for us to dine. The atmosphere is quaint with the perfect blend of traditional charm. But what truly elevated this dining experience was the unparalleled attention to detail, which can be credited to the passionate owner who orchestrates everything with great timing.

The owner, who is not just the face of the restaurant but also an integral part of the culinary experience, curates each dish with a level of care. Not only the sashimi, but the soups, salads, stews, and cooked dishes were exceptional.

The personal touches were felt in every interaction. The owner made it a point to engage with each guest, creating a welcoming and familial atmosphere that made the entire experience feel exclusive yet unpretentious. Their warmth and passion for the craft were infectious, making it clear that they’re not just serving food—they’re sharing a piece of their heart with every dish. The servers and owner were so friendly and made sure check on us regularly.

The omakase experience here is much more valuable compared to any other place in Philly, and comes with the charm of Korean hospitality and 서비스 (aka "service" as Koreans say, with iced coffees and snacks to go)!

I can’t wait to return for another meal of exceptional food and hospitality. Highly recommend to anyone seeking a valuable and meaningful dining experience! Wish I took more photos, but we were busy...

We decided to try this place because we passed by it several times. Their menu highlighted a lot of sushi and sashimi so naturally, that's what I ordered.

Highlight: Highly recommend the chirashi bowl and the crispy rice tuna app. The chef does not skim out on the fish on the chirashi bowl.

The crispy rice tuna has a base of fried sushi rice topped with a ful piece of tuna sashimi (not minced) with jalapenos and avocado. This is by far the best crispy tuna sushi rice I've had. There are many other restaurants that try to do it the cheap way but not this restaurant.

They offer complimentary coffee, teas, beverages, snacks and sweets!

The waitress was super accommodating. When we asked if the entree came with noodles or rice, she said I'll give you both.

Average: The regular entrees. My husband is not a seafood fan and there was a limited amount of items to order from non seafood menu. There seems to be a separate Korean menu that may have more items but we couldn't read it. He ended up ordering the ox bone soup. Please note that this soup requires you to add salt and pepper to your own taste. In other words, it comes with rich bone broth base but it is bland in terms of umami. They provide you with the salt and pepper on the side and you would adjust to your liking. The broth was good overall and it hits your soul.

Low light: The English menu lacks all the dishes that they offer which made our choice limited.

The bachan was a bit one note.

I also ordered a simple salmon roll/maki and the rice was overly sweet. The salmon texture seems to be less firm that the usual sashimi.

Overall: I would definitely come back again for they sushi and hopefully try their katsu dishes which were not part of the English menu. They had separate posters around the restaurant advertising their...

When you first arrive at the restaurant, there’s a bell at the entrance. Just press it, and then you can enter the restaurant. Once inside, you can either sit wherever you like and wait for service, or follow the server’s guidance to your table. The server will ask whether you prefer a Korean menu or an English menu.

Soon after, a generous variety of side dishes will be served. We received nine different side dishes, and all of them were fresh and delicious.

We ordered Hwedupbap (Korean sashimi rice bowl), Donkatsu (pork cutlet), and steamed egg.

The Hwedupbap came out in a portion size that looked like it could serve three people, even though it was meant for just one. It was so large that we couldn’t finish it at the restaurant, so we brought the leftovers home. The taste was excellent.

For the Donkatsu, it seemed like they accidentally brought us chicken katsu instead. Still, the portion was big, and the taste was good.

The steamed egg was slightly too salty for my preference.

The servers took very good care of us, and the owner was also very kind and attentive.

We went during dinner time, but it wasn’t too crowded. The food came out quickly.

If you want to try authentic Korean food, I recommend...