SEOULZIP KOREAN RESTAURANT — Restaurant in Rancho Cordova

Popped in because I realized I'd never had korean food outside of Korean bbq and I like trying new things.

My server was very helpful and happy to answer my questions. I decided on the dolsot bibimbap, which comes in a very hot iron bowl. When she brought it out she explained that I should mix it with a spoon and that I should try it without the sauce first. She also pointed out the sauce was spicy.

Initially I thought I'd made a mistake with the hot iron bowl because it kept the dish searing hot for quite some time. But as it cooled it created a very yummy layer of crispy rice on the bottom which instantly changed my mind. I'd get it this way again.

The sauce she warned me about was not that spicy, and I ended up putting quite a lot of it in. She read me right! I AM a bit of a spice wimp. So if you are too, don't be scared of the spicy sauce.

I also tried the seafood pancake, which is enormous and delicious. It's always lovely when I find a new favorite food. I think I'll he back for this one again.

Atmosphere is nice and quiet, with inoffensive music playing. Perfect for a rainy day, and I wasn't the only person eating on my own, which is always nice.

Thanks, Seoul Zip, for a very good meal....

We were heading to lunch and had decided on Sourdough & Co, but when we parked, we were almost directly in front of Seoul Zip, and the Korean writing caught my eye, so I suggest a change of lunch plans.

Walking in gave me a clue that we were in the right place... being the only white folks in there. Unfortunately, we also got the only Hispanic waitress. She didn't appreciate my attempts at speaking Korean and had to keep going back to the kitchen to get answers to all our questions.

All the side dishes were excellent, and they kept replenishing them as we ran ran low. I haven't had a good kimchi since I was in Korea, but I was happy with what I had here... three different kinds!

The three of us split the Hot Stone Mixed Rice. "Hot Stone" refers to the bowl it is served in, not the spiciness. We didn't mix the various veggies around the edge as others did. Instead we sampled all the different flavors, trying to identify the ingredients.

Overall, a good experience. I'd go back if we were...

Honestly, the food wasn't that bad. Even though the prices initially look pretty prohibitive (about $16 for japchae, $15 for naengmyeon, $10 for 11 fried dumplings), the portion sizes are massive. Even eating with two people, there was enough food for a whole other meal, and one can ask to take home leftovers.

Not to mention all the side dishes and free refills on those side dishes. You can take leftover side dishes home as well, and the wait staff is pretty friendly.

The flavor of the food is pretty good, no complaints there, though you may need to request some extra bowls/napkins/condiments/drink refills. The hot tea comes free with refills as well, if I remember correctly.

Even though there were some dishes I may have expected to see in a Korean restaurant that weren't on the menu, I am interested in trying out more of their selection at some point.

They do have a "shared tip" policy, though, so whether or not that affects how you tip is more than likely a...