by Ashley Lee and Cleo Falvey
Allston’s relatively new Korean restaurant is a tasty destination for a quick immersion experience. From the side dishes to a section of floor seating and intentionally bland soup,
Seoul Soulongtang brings the routine of authentic Korean dining to customers on Commonwealth Avenue.
The restaurant is named after the classic dish seolleongtang, a white ox bone broth with brisket, marrow and thin noodles. Diners season the soup according to their tastes using salt and scallions. The restaurant’s logo, a red bowl inscribed with the words “Beef Soup for the Soul,” showcases the play on words from which the altered spelling for the restaurant’s name, “Soulongtang,” originated.
We started off our lunch with warm barley tea. The chartreuse-colored tea tasted woody, with a slightly bittersweet aftertaste, and complemented the spicy meals that were to come. We received water upon request, and a few people ordered soft drinks to go with their meals.
About 10 minutes after we placed our orders, small, complimentary side dishes were brought out: deep-fried broccoli drizzled with a sweet sauce, two types of spicy kimchi, Asian pickles and strips of oden. The sides were neatly arranged and presented on small white plates. We each received small metal bowls of white rice.
The main courses came about 30 minutes after ordering.
Japchae ($10.95), a traditional Korean noodle dish with mushrooms, mixed vegetables and crumbled beef in soy sauce, is listed under appetizers, but is large enough to be a main course. Thin starch noodles, the main element of the dish, were perfectly cooked and the vegetables tasted fresh. The dish was well-seasoned, salty yet slightly sweet.
Seoul Soulongtang’s only vegetarian dish is the Bibimbap ($11.95). Customers can order two versions of the classic Bibimbap: plain or with a heated stone bowl (+$1.00). Both consist of the same ingredients: beef or tofu, cucumber, carrot, lettuce, long thin mushrooms, sprouts and cabbage. A mildly salty sauce is also included for dipping or pouring. These ingredients come raw and cold in the plain Bibimbap, but in the other version of Bibimbap, called the Dolsot Bibimbap, the vegetables and tofu are heated in a hot stone bowl.
Along with regular dishes, Seoul Soulongtang offers combinations of soups and various kinds of meat. The Soulongtang + L.A. Galbi combination ($21.95) presented the seolleongtang with flavorful grilled beef short ribs in soy sauce. After adding scallions and a couple of teaspoons of salt, the warm seolleongtang revealed a soothing flavor.
The Kalbi Tang + Gochujang Daeji Bulgogi combination ($17.95) also came with a slightly bland beef broth. The short ribs in the soup were a little overcooked, but the accompanying spicy pork sides were satisfying.
The only major downer during our visit to Seoul Soulongtang was the service. Although not all people in our party were present at the beginning, we had to wait quite a while before placing our orders. The waiter and waitress also seemed a little confused. For example, when bringing out our orders, the waitress asked for whom “the combination” was for when there were multiple people who had ordered combination dishes. Though it was only a small inconvenience, we also had to ask twice for small dishes for sharing food.
In general, Seoul Soulongtang was a positive dining experience with hearty but not heavy food and a truly Korean atmosphere. This restaurant makes a 23-hour flight unnecessary to get an inside taste of Korean culture.
Ashley Lee and Cleo Falvey can be contacted at [email protected]
