Let's eat some Korean food. We went to So Hyang on Fraser St. Is it the best Korean food? Let's try some dishes and see. We went on Easter weekend. Korean cuisine is limited in this neighbourhood, so So Hyang stands out - and as we were eating, there was a lineup to get in.
I love Korean food and the concept of banchan. A variety of different small dishes and sides that accompany your meal. Today's rotation included tofu skin, soy sauce eggs, bean sprouts, seaweed salad, and kimchi. When you dine-in, all of these dishes are replenishable. Some are also included in the take out order as well. We've ordered a couple of times at So Hyang in the past couple of years through delivery but it was time to eat in person.
We ordered 3 entrees and 2 appetizers:
- Sam gyup sal (pork belly with lettuce wraps)
- Japchae (Korean sweet potato noodles)
- Bibimbap in a stone bowl
- Seafood Pancake (appetizer)
- Deep Fried Squid (appetizer)
The food came promptly along with the side dishes. There was a lot of variety amongst our order; noodles, rice, and BBQ pork belly. The banchan were a perfect complement to the dishes; lots of different flavours and textures like the mild bean sprouts and the savoury tofu skins. Our menu selections leaned towards traditional Korean cuisine and nothing overly innovative.
The dishes delivered basic Korean comfort food; traditional Korean flavours with hearty portions. My favourites were the squid (not pictured), and the pork belly. Both had bold flavours and were a little bit spicy. I also liked the japchae noodles; it had a subtle, sweet soy flavour and bouncy texture. The bibimbap was fine, but could have been a bit more flavourful. Maybe a bit of salt because it looked like the sauce carried most of the flavour. I've had the seafood pancake before for takeout, and felt that eating in-person, fresh, is the best option.
This was a lot of food for a lunch for 5 adults. I would go back for the weekday lunch specials, and if I were to reorder, I'd order the seafood pancake (a family favourite) and whatever we are in the mood for that day. We had lots of leftovers and were quite stuffed when we left the restaurant. Overall, this was a nice change of pace, eating Korean food and the service was quick and friendly. They even gave a seaweed package to a toddler in our party.
Hits:
- The dishes and banchan we had were great
- Comfortable seating
- Accepts debit, credit, cash
Misses:
- Not the best Korean food I've had; there are other places that are better
- Beef on the japchae was a little tough
- Food and service are inconsistent for the price
Rating: 4.25/5 - this is a quaint, neighbourhood spot that if you're craving Korean food, is a great option. Best to come in a large party to try more of the dishes, or go for the lunch specials. What's next in our food adventures?
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