Soora Korean Restaurant — Restaurant in West Bloomfield Township

Review of Soora Restaurant

I decided to visit Soora Restaurant after hearing great things about it online. Since it’s known as a popular spot, I was excited to try it out. I went around 4 PM, and the restaurant was pretty quiet at that time. Parking was spacious, so finding a spot wasn’t an issue.

First Impressions

When I walked in, the restaurant had a very old-school feel to it. It wasn’t dirty, but it definitely looked a bit worn out. The tables, chairs, and even the carpet on the floor all felt dated. These days, there are so many modern and well-decorated restaurants that this place felt a bit plain in comparison. It didn’t give off a particularly cozy or stylish atmosphere, which was a little disappointing.

The Food

I ordered four dishes:

Tangsu-yuk (Korean Sweet & Sour Pork)

Gan-jjajang (Black Bean Noodles with Stir-Fried Sauce)

Jjamppong (Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup)

Yangnyeom Chicken (Korean-Style Sweet & Spicy Fried Chicken)

Side Dishes (Banchan)

Before the main dishes arrived, they served four types of side dishes, and I have to say—they were all delicious! They were so good that my expectations for the main meal went up even higher.

Gan-jjajang (Black Bean Noodles)

This dish had a rich, smoky flavor with a sauce made from onions, zucchini, and meat. The wok-fried aroma was strong, and it tasted amazing. After trying it, I immediately understood why so many people recommend it. Definitely one of the highlights of the meal!

Jjamppong (Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup)

The jjamppong also had a smoky flavor, but the broth itself was a bit bland. It wasn’t terrible, but it lacked depth. Adding extra salt wouldn’t have improved it, as it felt like the seasoning itself was just weak. Compared to the jjajangmyeon, this dish was underwhelming.

Yangnyeom Chicken (Korean-Style Fried Chicken)

The sauce was classic Korean-style—sweet, spicy, and flavorful. One thing to note is that they only serve drumsticks and wings. I personally didn’t mind, but my family was a bit disappointed that there weren’t other cuts of chicken. If you prefer a variety of chicken parts, keep that in mind.

Tangsu-yuk (Korean Sweet & Sour Pork) - The Star of the Meal!

The best dish of the entire meal was definitely the tangsu-yuk. If I ever come back, it would be for this dish alone! The pork was perfectly crispy, and there was no strange smell or greasiness from the meat. It was simply delicious. However, I did find the sauce to be a bit too thin and watery. I usually prefer a slightly thicker, stickier sauce, but after eating more, I got used to it. It was just a different style than I expected.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I enjoyed the food, and the staff was very friendly and kind. However, the restaurant’s atmosphere was lacking, and some of the dishes had minor flaws. The gan-jjajang was fantastic, and the tangsu-yuk was absolutely amazing—I would return just for that. The jjamppong, on the other hand, was disappointing, and while the yangnyeom chicken was good, the limited cuts of chicken might not be for everyone.

Would I come back? Yes, but mainly for the tangsu-yuk! If you’re planning to visit, I definitely...

Updated Review (see bottom) I love Asian food and will try any restaurant in the U.S. and all over the world when I travel. We were in the area due to an appointment and wanted to try somewhere new. Soora's menu looked fantastic and the quant exterior of the buildings caught my eye so we decided to stop in for a early dinner. The food was delicious (see the photo), but the service was terrible. The staff did not followed up to see if we needed water or anything after our order was placed. Honestly, the waitress seemed, irritated like we were wasting her time. Whereas, other Korean speaking customers were eagerly engaged by the waitress who inquired on "how did you like the food. Did you need anything" throughout their dining experience. I had to ask for our bill ($60+) and request a glass or water which we never received. Maybe it was a bad day..my friend said we should try again..but I'm not so sure. I don't like spending money where I'm not wanted or appreciated as a customer. Your wondering if we tipped.. yes 5% that's was about the effort she gave us. I didn't want to tip at all but my friend said that would be wrong. I hope this was just a case of the staff having a bad day 😕

Update 8/15/25: I went back, and I'm so happy I did! We're totally making this our regular Korean spot. Their Korean fried chicken, seafood Bibimbap, and Jjamppong are seriously amazing. The staff was super nice and on top of things this time. I changed my review from a 3 to a...

So Soora is the kind of place that would satisfy the cravings of locals among the targeted ethnicity, but not much else.

You know, the "local Korean place".

All the dishes we've got (egg jjim, galbitang, oyster pajeon, soondae, bibim mul naengmyeon and kimchi intestines) were quite casually tasty, at a comfortable price, and definitely very Korean. That being said, none of them impressed in any meaningful way, and if you're used to Korean cuisine, then everything was pretty much as expected. C-tier it is.

The banchan might feel a bit "Americanized" as per my friend's sentiment (seriously, tomato...), but let's be honest. This is Detroit, and if a place is about to go "full Korean", none of y'all are even gonna eat it. All of the chili-based dishes (kimchi, bibim mul naengmyeon, etc.) had their spiciness toned down quite a bit from "Korean hot" as well, but the flavor was still there. The naengmyeon broth was also a little bit sweet.

Aside from that, perhaps the only things worth talking about food-wise are how the oyster pajeon didn't actually have much oyster in it, but you won't notice it just casually dining because of how savory the pancake itself is. The honeycomb tripe was also boiled a bit too hard for my liking and had too much of a chew.

I also found the restaurant quite cute, despite the initial threatening aura upon arriving at the scene.

TL;DR Korean in Detroit. Come if authenticity is...