I first came across Street Food of Seoul as I was watching an Instagram story from one of my favorite San Francisco food bloggers. I've had Korean food many times before, but I've never tried Korean street food. We finally made our way across LA to Koreatown, and went all out on trying different dishes. I rated the different dishes below based on taste, uniqueness, and also my personal preferences (sorry).
Also, we got to chat with the owner himself who shared the inspiration behind some of the dishes as well as the story behind the shop.
1. Kimchi Fried Rice with Spam and Egg: 9.5/10
The Kimchi Fried Rice box is probably the most popular dish that pops up for Street Food of Seoul if you're scrolling through Instagram. They say don't judge a book by its cover, but let me tell you- everything is this box came together PERFECT. The fried rice is well-cooked as you can taste the individual grains (no mushy rice). The right amount of kimchi flavor is infused; also, it's not too not spicy for those who have lower tolerance.
2. Hamburg Steak with Egg and Tomato Cream Sauce: 9/10
First off: the steak. I really loved how the steak was cooked thoroughly, and was moist and airy compared to a burger patty that is more compacted and dry. I personally did not enjoy the tomato cream sauce that much because I prefer less cream-based things in general. However, the sauce did slowly grow on me, especially when it was mixed with the steak, egg, and rice because it provided a sweet, tangy complement.
3. Spicy Rice Cake: 7/10
Spicy rice cakes are very popular in Korean cuisine. At Street Food of Seoul, the rice cakes have very bold flavors- definitely would recommend for people who like spicy and pepper-y foods. However, it was a little too chewy for our liking, so we would probably opt out for a different snack (just my personal preference).
4. Spicy Chicken Nuggets: 10/10
This was our favorite dish of the day- the spicy fried chicken nuggets cooked with potatoes and rice cakes in a spicy, honey glazed soy garlic sauce. Literally I took my first bite and I thought I was in heaven. The nuggets didn't tasted fried at all, but very well-marinated with the sauce. The sauce was honey and sweet, so it helped pair well with the savory bases of chicken, potatoes, and rice cake. I could probably eat three bowls of rice to pair along with this dish- it is just SO good.
5. Spicy Chicken Roll and Pork Belly Roll: 8/10
The spicy chicken roll was actually very interesting because it was paired with cheddar cheese to model the cheese fondue that is popular in Korean dishes today. I liked the spicy chicken for its spice flavor and balancing well with the veggies and the rice. One little thing I want to note is that the cheddar cheese didn't really come through because it didn't quite mix in with the rest of the roll as it was intended to.
For this Pork Belly Roll, the inspiration behind it was to put all the things you would eat at Korean BBQ into a roll. We really loved the unique twist with the purple rice because most kimbap rolls are made with regular white rice. Personally, kimbap isn't my thing so I would go for the other menu options. Overall, a solid choice if you are looking for the traditional kimbap roll, but want to have a new experience with these unique options.
While we were there, the owner, Jonathan, talked to us about Street Food of Seoul's story. Jonathan grew up in Korea before moving to America at the age of 9. He saw that even though LA did have a lot of Korean food, it was lacking on the Korean street food scene. He missed the after-school comfort foods that he ate growing up and wanted to bring that experience to LA. Their menu is actually all based on his mother's recipes; his mother comes to help in the kitchen all the time too!
While we were there, the owner, Jonathan, talked to us about Street Food of Seoul's story. Jonathan grew up in Korea before moving to America at the age of 9. He saw that even though LA did have a lot of Korean food, it was lacking on the Korean street food scene. He missed the after-school comfort foods that he ate growing up and wanted to bring that experience to LA. Their menu is actually all based on his mother's recipes; his mother comes to help in the kitchen all the time too!
Street Food of Seoul has been one of my favorite eateries I've come across in college, so catch me here again soon!