Sodaeng

In the premises where Tea at 94 once delighted us, Sodaeng is now plying its trade. Serving a comprehensive menu of Korean dishes, it has further added to Buccleuch Street’s status as our own little Korea-town.

I’ve very much enjoyed visits to Kim’s Mini Meals, and while Cafe Andamiro wasn’t quite so good it still seems to be doing a good trade.

The interior has been pared back and is dotted with nice Korean detailing. There’s room for around twenty diners, with most of today’s patrons sampling lunchtime delights from their home cuisine.

I wasn’t all that hungry, for once, so opted for two starters. Every trip to a Korean restaurant has to feature kimchi, so I opted for the kimchi jeon, a pickled cabbage omelette. I added a portion of homemade dumplings.

The dishes took a moment or two to prepare, which was understandable given how busy it was. The friendly waitress delivered both dishes at the same time.

My attention turned first to the kimchi jeon, which looked faintly reminiscent of the Millennium Falcon. It proved a very satisfying eat, with great pickled flavour from the kimchi and nicely seasoned lightness from the egg.

The dumplings were really good, too. They were quite large and not the most elegant I’ve ever seen, but the pork filling was delicious and the casings nicely crisped. This was accomplished stuff.

So overall, I was very impressed with Sodaeng. Both dishes I tried were extremely tasty. I’d be happy to visit again and will bring a group next time as there were some intriguing looking sharing dishes. I’d be happy to recommend that you give the place a visit.

Scores
Blythe scores Sodaeng
4/5 for food
3.5/5 for presentation
4/5 for service
3.5/5 for setting
giving an overall 15/20

I ate: gun man du; kimchi jeon

I drank: water

I wore: blue shirt

Total bill: £12.20