Sodam — Restaurant in Town of Henrietta

We went there not during a rush, so we were seated right away and had our orders taken quickly as well. Right off the bat, we were given two glasses of water, it was nice not to have to ask for these. The appetizers that are often brought out at Korean restaurants also came out shortly after we ordered our dinners. The appetizers were very tasty, included kimchi (fermented/pickled cabbage), two different bean sprouts, a pickled seaweed dish, and what might be tofu or fish, I am not sure. We were hungry, so these were gone in an instant. I don't know enough about Korean food to know how these compare to other places. Regardless, we ordered our entrees and these came out quickly as well. I had a spicy soupy hot bowl with kimchi, maybe chicken or beef, and a little bit of what seemed to be Polish sausage mixed in, with other veggies, and a bowl of rice, that was number 16 on the menu. It was quite spicy, and the menu was correct to indicate such. I did not think it was particularly superior, but it was definitely good. My wife had a bowl of soup noodles, that was number 11 on their menu. The broth was amazingly flavorful, and the handmade noodles were definitely top grade. The way it was cooked was also good, but a lot of the noodles were stuck to each other in the bowl, making it slightly less than attractive. Perhaps I am a bit picky because I have had so much other handmade noodles elsewhere. The flavor was amazing though, and we had a good time switching our bowls back and forth until all was gone. We spent about 1 hour in there from walking in the door until we paid and left. So time efficiency is good. Other people around us got other fried rice dishes that are in hot bowls, they looked and smelled amazing. Some other people got sushi from what I can see, and they seemed to be good quality as well. All in all, our experience was good, with a couple of small hiccups. We would definitely go back and try some of the other things that are...

So the first time I tried this place, I was thoroughly disappointed by the kimbap. It was mostly a thick ring of fried rice around a few things in the middle. I've had kimbap in several places around the country (including homemade by Koreans), and this was the worst I'd ever had. It was surprisingly greasy. Biting into a piece should be a mouthful of flavors and vegetables, not a mouthful of fried rice.

But since it has such great reviews, and it's really the only place serving Korean without a reservation at lunch time, I decided to give it another chance and brought someone with me.

I ordered a bibimbap, and she ordered a chicken bulgogi (which isn't traditionally made with chicken, but supposedly a healthier option). Her dish turned out pretty greasy. It's a dish that's typically saucy, but there was quite a bit of oil. We asked for mild and she got spicy. My bibimbap was missing a number of key vegetable ingredients that is typically served with bimimbap (how can you have bibimbap without spinach?). I expected a colorful bowl of stuff, and got a bowl full of brown and tan things, with a little bit of squash.

And when the bonchon came out (that's what all the tiny dishes that come out before your meal are called), the kimchi was old and basically was a mouthful of vinegar.

Judging by who is giving rave reviews, it sounds like it's great for people who want an Asian alternative to Chinese takeout.

Is the food decent for the price? I would say YES. Is the service nice? I would also say yes. Is the atmosphere nice? The atmosphere is informal, so good to sit and chat with coworkers on a lunch break, but not where I'd go for an anniversary dinner. Is it good KOREAN food? 😬

So overall, it's a decent lunch place. But if I'm looking for a classic Korean dinner, I would...

Upon arrival and finally navigating our way there through a web of warehouse like buildings we arrived to what looked like a whole in the wall. The exterior made us question whether this was somewhere we would even want to eat but, I'm so glad we did! First we were greeted by a super warm and welcoming young lady and sat in a another room near the kitchen. Even the smells coming from the kitchen were a signal we'd made the right choice! The interior has almost a cafe or diner look but every surface was spotless. Even the little decorations scattered about were totally dust free. Our waitress was super helpful and answered all of our questions, she made it clear we were a priority. We were first brought out complimentary little appetizer type dishes that were all equally amazing. (I will include the picture and from left to right They were potatoes, seaweed, cucumber salad, and kimchi) I usually dont even care for 2 of the things and thought everything was equally fantastic. Next came the appetizer, Mandu, it was piping hot and full of flavor. Next up were entrees and everything was soooo good! We ordered Rabokee, Chicken bulgogi, Dolsot Bibimbob, and a drunken tiger roll. Everything was fantastic and full of flavor. I live over an hour away and will still make the trip to go again. Would also highly recommend the...