Foods from Seoul House
Comments
2012 Aug 24
I have wanted to review this place for so long, and now that I no longer live in Ottawa and miss it, I will!
My boyfriend and I frequented this hole-in-the-wall quite often and brought family and friends to join us. Everyone always agreed that the food is delicious. Everything from the banchan - the little side dishes of kimchi, bean sprouts, spinach, potato, etc - to the main dishes are super tasty and well prepared. The bibimbap is my boyfriend's favourite - served in a searing hot stone bowl, we were taught to scrape the bottom for the crispy bits of rice and to "mix, mix, mix!" by the man who runs the restaurant. This man is, as mentioned in other comments, hardworking and also quite accommodating, providing an off-the-menu chicken alternative to the beef bibimbap for pickier friends. The bulgogi is also tasty with a good amount of meat and, combined with the banchan, makes a great, well-rounded meal.
As great as all this is, the reason I love Seoul House and why it hasn't been topped in the Korean section of my food brain, is the soondubu. This was my first introduction to the dish and I have never looked back. This dish is what I order at Korean restaurants and what I look for in Korean recipes, nothing has topped Seoul House's version. It's basically a seafood broth based spicy soup with chunks of silken tofu, veggies, an egg, and whatever protein you'd like to add to it. SH's version comes bubbling in a hot stone bowl, smelling like spicy heavenly comfort on a winter day and chock full of tofu, zucchini, onion and egg. Let me add to this by saying I love meat. I do not miss it in this dish. The broth is rich, full of mouthwatering umami flavour and spicy like crazy. The unrelenting heat from the stone bowl does no help in dousing the fire but oh, why would you want it any differently?* The tofu is plentiful, soft and luscious. The egg at the bottom of your bowl (don't forget to scrape it) thickens the broth, enriching it with its yolk while the white compliments the tofu. The zucchini yields but isn't goopy (technical term), the onion soft, the rice that comes with it chewy, and every mouthful is happiness. This dish truly makes this place a treasure.
I really hope that more people come to this little restaurant, it is seriously one of the delicious surprises in Ottawa.
*OK OK, you can probably get him to turn down the spiciness for you.
My boyfriend and I frequented this hole-in-the-wall quite often and brought family and friends to join us. Everyone always agreed that the food is delicious. Everything from the banchan - the little side dishes of kimchi, bean sprouts, spinach, potato, etc - to the main dishes are super tasty and well prepared. The bibimbap is my boyfriend's favourite - served in a searing hot stone bowl, we were taught to scrape the bottom for the crispy bits of rice and to "mix, mix, mix!" by the man who runs the restaurant. This man is, as mentioned in other comments, hardworking and also quite accommodating, providing an off-the-menu chicken alternative to the beef bibimbap for pickier friends. The bulgogi is also tasty with a good amount of meat and, combined with the banchan, makes a great, well-rounded meal.
As great as all this is, the reason I love Seoul House and why it hasn't been topped in the Korean section of my food brain, is the soondubu. This was my first introduction to the dish and I have never looked back. This dish is what I order at Korean restaurants and what I look for in Korean recipes, nothing has topped Seoul House's version. It's basically a seafood broth based spicy soup with chunks of silken tofu, veggies, an egg, and whatever protein you'd like to add to it. SH's version comes bubbling in a hot stone bowl, smelling like spicy heavenly comfort on a winter day and chock full of tofu, zucchini, onion and egg. Let me add to this by saying I love meat. I do not miss it in this dish. The broth is rich, full of mouthwatering umami flavour and spicy like crazy. The unrelenting heat from the stone bowl does no help in dousing the fire but oh, why would you want it any differently?* The tofu is plentiful, soft and luscious. The egg at the bottom of your bowl (don't forget to scrape it) thickens the broth, enriching it with its yolk while the white compliments the tofu. The zucchini yields but isn't goopy (technical term), the onion soft, the rice that comes with it chewy, and every mouthful is happiness. This dish truly makes this place a treasure.
I really hope that more people come to this little restaurant, it is seriously one of the delicious surprises in Ottawa.
*OK OK, you can probably get him to turn down the spiciness for you.
2011 Jun 22
Another visit today. Three of us shared three dishes and there were still a few leftovers. The Stone bowl Bibimbap was really good. Beautifully served with rice/meat/vegetables and an egg arranged in a hot stone bowl. The owner demonstrated how to mix and toss it in the bowl prior to serving. Yummy! Also had the Kimchi bokum bab - fried rice with Kimchi and pork, and the chicken bokum. A nice assortment of fresh condiments was also provided including the famous kimchi, daikon, a green vegetable with sesame sauce, and a blend of veggies including bean sprouts and spices that complemented the other dishes very nicely. For three of us each with a tea and a miso soup, the bill including tax was about $42. The place is tiny and crowded, and the service was a bit slow at lunch hour, but again the owner was doing double duty as server and in the kitchen and the food is definitely worth a visit.
2011 Apr 15
After reading positive reviews, I was very excited to try Seoul House. A friend and I had lunch there today (Bank St location).
The restaurant is tiny and we were lucky to get one of the few tables left, even having arrived promptly around noon. Several others came in during the course of our meal and either had to wait for a table, create a make-shift table, or flee the scene.
As a starter, we shared the seafood pancake.
We both ordered the bibimbap in the stone bowl.
I've tried my share of Korean restaurants in Ottawa and none of have been outstanding. Seoul House is by far the best of the ones I've tried.
- The seafood pancake was very tasty.
- The miso soup was fine.
- The bibimbap was the BEST I've had!!! It was so flavourful and the bowl was actually hot so there was plenty of delicious rice crispies to be had. Our only 'complaints' are that they are too sparing with the beef (more beef please!) and the portion was on the smaller size (load it up please!).
Service was fine; no grand expectations for such a restaurant.
I'll definitely be returning.
The restaurant is tiny and we were lucky to get one of the few tables left, even having arrived promptly around noon. Several others came in during the course of our meal and either had to wait for a table, create a make-shift table, or flee the scene.
As a starter, we shared the seafood pancake.
We both ordered the bibimbap in the stone bowl.
I've tried my share of Korean restaurants in Ottawa and none of have been outstanding. Seoul House is by far the best of the ones I've tried.
- The seafood pancake was very tasty.
- The miso soup was fine.
- The bibimbap was the BEST I've had!!! It was so flavourful and the bowl was actually hot so there was plenty of delicious rice crispies to be had. Our only 'complaints' are that they are too sparing with the beef (more beef please!) and the portion was on the smaller size (load it up please!).
Service was fine; no grand expectations for such a restaurant.
I'll definitely be returning.
2011 Apr 9
I work across the street from Seoul House. I try to bring my lunch, but about once a week we end up at Seoul House. Absolutely great food. The owner is on site all the time. He prepares the sushi when you order it, not before. He is busy at luch but I think the area is a bit of a wasteland at night. Hope he can live on the proceeds from lunch/ He is a nice man, hard working, and the food is good.
2011 Apr 9
Stopped in here, Bank Street location, for the first time on Thursday. The place is very casual and was quite deserted at 7pm, so maybe it's more of a weekday lunch place? We were served and our food was cooked by a man I presume was the owner. Service was very friendly and fast. And since we were the only ones in the restaurant, we were entertained by a chinese historical drama on the flat screen while we waited.
I am not so familiar with Korean food, so maybe I'm not the best authority to review it, but we were pleasantly surprised and delighted by the food.
A nice miso soup was delivered as soon as we finished ordering while our dinner was cooked. It was nice to hear the chopping and frying sounds coming from the kitchen; a good sign that our food was being freshly prepared. We had the bulgogi, mild version, and it was nicely sweet and tender thin slices of beef. A fried chicken dish with sweet and spicy sauce and sliced cucumber and green pepper(sorry can't remember the name)was served hot and crispy without being drowned in the sauce. The Kimchi Bokum Bab was my favorite dish of the night; a mixture of spiced fried rice with pork and Kimchi topped with a fried egg. A range of tasty condiments was served which included kimchi, black beans, shredded daikon, a bean sprout salad and marinated eggplant.
The portions were very large, and the three dishes provided about twice as much food as the two of us could eat in one sitting. The owner asked us whether we had eaten Korean food before and whether we liked it. We told him we did, and when we asked him for containers to take the leftovers home, he deadpanned "If you really liked it you would have eaten it all..." As we left, the owner made sure to tell us that he also had many kinds of fresh sushi, but I am more interested in trying some of the other Korean dishes.
We enjoyed dinner, and the leftovers yesterday. I would recommend Seoul house and am already looking forward to the next visit.
I am not so familiar with Korean food, so maybe I'm not the best authority to review it, but we were pleasantly surprised and delighted by the food.
A nice miso soup was delivered as soon as we finished ordering while our dinner was cooked. It was nice to hear the chopping and frying sounds coming from the kitchen; a good sign that our food was being freshly prepared. We had the bulgogi, mild version, and it was nicely sweet and tender thin slices of beef. A fried chicken dish with sweet and spicy sauce and sliced cucumber and green pepper(sorry can't remember the name)was served hot and crispy without being drowned in the sauce. The Kimchi Bokum Bab was my favorite dish of the night; a mixture of spiced fried rice with pork and Kimchi topped with a fried egg. A range of tasty condiments was served which included kimchi, black beans, shredded daikon, a bean sprout salad and marinated eggplant.
The portions were very large, and the three dishes provided about twice as much food as the two of us could eat in one sitting. The owner asked us whether we had eaten Korean food before and whether we liked it. We told him we did, and when we asked him for containers to take the leftovers home, he deadpanned "If you really liked it you would have eaten it all..." As we left, the owner made sure to tell us that he also had many kinds of fresh sushi, but I am more interested in trying some of the other Korean dishes.
We enjoyed dinner, and the leftovers yesterday. I would recommend Seoul house and am already looking forward to the next visit.
2009 Apr 6
Came here for sushi, kind of regret it because it is specializing in KOREAN cuisine.
The sushi was $39.99 for the love boat, which included salad and soup + a big boat of sushi. It was decently good, except that one snapper sashimi that made me sick the whole day.
Come here for KOREAN FOOD, not for sushi. I think you'd be happier.
The sushi was $39.99 for the love boat, which included salad and soup + a big boat of sushi. It was decently good, except that one snapper sashimi that made me sick the whole day.
Come here for KOREAN FOOD, not for sushi. I think you'd be happier.
2009 Feb 3
I really loved Seoul House, but here's a tale of what happened last Saturday night...
I met up with friends and ended up at Seoul House, (formerly??) my favourite Ottawa restaurant, and I was in for a crazy night! You can't make up something this weird:
We arrived for supper and were seated next to the only other occupied table in the restaurant. Unfortunately, the four patrons at that table were quite obviously mentally challenged (you could tell easily by their speech patterns), yet the restaurant staff acquiesced to their demands for alcohol by serving them drinks. Whoops. This would prove to be a bad move...
The four mentally challenged diners grew increasingly loud and annoying, ignoring the staff's repeated requests to calm down. At my table, we had a bit of trouble hearing each other speak. Our mood somewhat soured, we heard them go from simple loud obnoxiousness to shouting, swearing, and verbally fighting with each other. This got so bad the owner came out with both waitresses and asked the table to leave. This, of course, had no effect. I too turned around and firmly asked for their silence, which did work, but only for a short while.
It is at this point that I felt a slight splash on my face. I looked up, and saw a brownish stain (ewww) on the ceiling, indicating a leaking pipe or roof, from which a slow stream of droplets fell down and splashed onto our table. Next to our food. We switched to another table before (hopefully) any of the dirty water made its way into our dishes, and at this point I considered the dinner outing so bad it's entertaining, and I was in a pretty good mood about it. And the food is tasty :)
The drunken ranting from the next table got our attention once more as it intensified. A fight was about to break out. One of their party ran to the front door of the restaurant and locked it, preventing anyone from going in or out, and prepared to fight, taunting another one of the guys! One drunken and mentally-challenged would-be fighter rose to his feet, only to lose his balance and crash down on a nearby table. We left before things got too violent. I handed the waitress a 20 (the only cash I had) on the way out, the poor girl was only on her second day there.
I called 911 as soon as I reached the sidewalk, and the dispatcher sent a car. A lone officer went in, as we watched from across the street...
The first police car was followed by a second, then a third, then a fourth. Five officers went into the restaurant. One of the handicapped, a woman, slipped out, attempting to hide a stolen kettle of sake under her coat rather obviously, and disappeared into the night. Two officers then dragged out the loudest of the men, his hands cuffed behind his back and his pants and underwear down around his ankles. It's a shame we didn't get to see how *that* happened. We left to get coffee as he was being shoved into the back of a police cruiser.
I might be looking for a new favourite restaurant.
I met up with friends and ended up at Seoul House, (formerly??) my favourite Ottawa restaurant, and I was in for a crazy night! You can't make up something this weird:
We arrived for supper and were seated next to the only other occupied table in the restaurant. Unfortunately, the four patrons at that table were quite obviously mentally challenged (you could tell easily by their speech patterns), yet the restaurant staff acquiesced to their demands for alcohol by serving them drinks. Whoops. This would prove to be a bad move...
The four mentally challenged diners grew increasingly loud and annoying, ignoring the staff's repeated requests to calm down. At my table, we had a bit of trouble hearing each other speak. Our mood somewhat soured, we heard them go from simple loud obnoxiousness to shouting, swearing, and verbally fighting with each other. This got so bad the owner came out with both waitresses and asked the table to leave. This, of course, had no effect. I too turned around and firmly asked for their silence, which did work, but only for a short while.
It is at this point that I felt a slight splash on my face. I looked up, and saw a brownish stain (ewww) on the ceiling, indicating a leaking pipe or roof, from which a slow stream of droplets fell down and splashed onto our table. Next to our food. We switched to another table before (hopefully) any of the dirty water made its way into our dishes, and at this point I considered the dinner outing so bad it's entertaining, and I was in a pretty good mood about it. And the food is tasty :)
The drunken ranting from the next table got our attention once more as it intensified. A fight was about to break out. One of their party ran to the front door of the restaurant and locked it, preventing anyone from going in or out, and prepared to fight, taunting another one of the guys! One drunken and mentally-challenged would-be fighter rose to his feet, only to lose his balance and crash down on a nearby table. We left before things got too violent. I handed the waitress a 20 (the only cash I had) on the way out, the poor girl was only on her second day there.
I called 911 as soon as I reached the sidewalk, and the dispatcher sent a car. A lone officer went in, as we watched from across the street...
The first police car was followed by a second, then a third, then a fourth. Five officers went into the restaurant. One of the handicapped, a woman, slipped out, attempting to hide a stolen kettle of sake under her coat rather obviously, and disappeared into the night. Two officers then dragged out the loudest of the men, his hands cuffed behind his back and his pants and underwear down around his ankles. It's a shame we didn't get to see how *that* happened. We left to get coffee as he was being shoved into the back of a police cruiser.
I might be looking for a new favourite restaurant.
2009 May 8
I'm a Korean, so I well know about Kimchi.
Honestly, Seoul House's Kimchi is THE best ever, even better then my mother's (sorry mom ;) ).
I used to buy a jar of Kimch about once every other week, but I'm go to Arum grocery store to buy Kimch (or buy a napa cabbage and some other ingredients and I make it for myself at home sometimes) since I had fell wrangling with the guy owner.
so...this is it. ;)
Honestly, Seoul House's Kimchi is THE best ever, even better then my mother's (sorry mom ;) ).
I used to buy a jar of Kimch about once every other week, but I'm go to Arum grocery store to buy Kimch (or buy a napa cabbage and some other ingredients and I make it for myself at home sometimes) since I had fell wrangling with the guy owner.
so...this is it. ;)
Junkster
Anyone know why it closed???