Soul of Korea — Restaurant in Temple Terrace

Don't make the mistake of letting the outside of this little hidden gem keep you away...I followed the directions to "Soul of Korea" tonight. It's in a little shopping plaza and kind of hidden. But, I promise, if you take a chance and step inside, you'll be rewarded and really happy you did. The inside is really relaxing and nice and comfortable. It's tasteful and certainly appropriate for a date, family, or group meal experience. Our server, Tony, was super friendly and knew the menu backwards and forwards. He made great recommendations. We had the chicken wings, crab rolls, and chicken katsu. The wings were delicious- they are not dripping with sloppy sauce like you might find at god awful "Wingstop" or something. These have the exact amount of coating, and it's flavorful and unique in it's flavor...and not really like a Western flavor, super interesting, and we ate them all. They are available super spicy if that's your jam, but ours were mild, and great. The crab rolls are like egg rolls (or really, like Filipino Lumpia) and I could have eaten a double order. They are fried, though not greasy, and come with different dipping sauces. A great appetizer choice. Everything they serve is house made, and I really think the taste reflects this. The chicken katsu(!) was the best. It was a large portion, and, while the outside was crispy as it should be, the inside was moist and super flavorful. The owner told me that they use thigh meat VS breast meat for this dish, and this proves to make a more tender and flavorful Katsu. Again, we ate every last piece, along with the dipping sauce (again, house made). There are many other traditional Korean favorites on the menu, which I may try on my next visits. Soul of Korea is clean, and I happened to notice that when they were cleaning the tables, they really were focused on getting it clean, not just wiping/smearing around the last patron's leftovers (Yeah, I notice stuff like this). They were sweeping, cleaning, and it was spotless. I felt really good about dining here. Everyone (Server, cashier, busboy) was really happy, and it's obviously a family owned establishment that cares about creating and sharing their family recipes, not just cranking out pre-made slop to make a quick buck, like some other Korean places I've been to in Tampa. Lots of parking, appropriate pricing, and overall a great value and a great evening. We'll be...

I recently dined at this amazing Korean restaurant, and I can confidently say it was the best Korean food I’ve ever had! Every dish was bursting with flavor, and the variety on the table was simply delightful.

Starting with the assortment of banchan (side dishes), everything was fresh and delicious. The kimchi had just the right amount of spice, the pickled cucumbers were perfectly tangy, and the seasoned vegetables added a refreshing crunch to the meal. The spring rolls were crispy and served with a sweet and tangy dipping sauce, making them a great appetizer.

The main dishes were the stars of the meal. The sizzling plate of chicken (bulgogi) was incredibly flavorful, with tender pieces of chicken coated in a rich, spicy sauce, garnished with sesame seeds for that perfect finish. The dish came out hot and steaming, making every bite an explosion of taste.

The brisket spicy soup was another highlight—rich, hearty, and packed with vegetables and protein, all swimming in a vibrant, fiery broth. It was the perfect dish to warm up with, especially if you’re a fan of bold, spicy flavors.

The Korean fried chicken was absolutely incredible—crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and smothered in a sweet and spicy sauce that was finger-licking good. This dish alone was enough to share with others, making it a great option if you’re dining with friends or family.

One of the best parts of the experience was that they offer halal options, which is a huge plus. The portions were generous, and the food was definitely enough to share.

Overall, this was an outstanding dining experience, with every dish hitting the mark in flavor and presentation. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for authentic and incredibly tasty Korean food. I can’t...

I was in the area when I saw Soul of Korea and knew it was on my list of places to try. It is on 56th about a mile from Busch Blvd.. It's in a small strip center with parking out front. It is indoor dining and take-out. Today I opted for the 2nd. The lady inside was somewhat indifferent, she took my order, seemed bothered by the pictures I took and it wasn't til I had one foot out of the door that she gave a cheerful farewell.

The first table I sat at was wet and sticky so I switched tables. I ordered 2 favorites of mine, the Japchae and the Fried Chicken, the large 14 pc.. Neither was very good and the chicken was nothing short of dreadful. It was hard to tell most of the chicken pieces apart from each other. I did recognize a drumstick and 2 wings and the rest I could not tell. There was a collosal amount of breading on a wet style chicken. The taste was ok, maybe 3 out of 5 but everything else about it was very disappointing. Good thing I was home because I spent the better part of my meal spitting out the excess breading on to my plate and trying to find the meat on the bone. The chicken came in two containers and we ended up throwing 1 full container in the trash.

The Japchae was not too bad, if I did not know any better I would have eaten it without incident. It had the quality profile of your cookie cutter strip mall chinese food. However, I can think of 4 places right off hand that make it better.

No need to continue, other than they do have a lot of other items and who knows, maybe some of them are good. Did not try the Bulgogi, that would have told me more. But the again, I already wasted enough...