Seoul

I’ve read the times for this place can be random but I really wanted to try this place… I showed up at 11am when it said they were open… no lights or cars and the place was dead. I’ll give it a try when they are open but maybe in the middle of the day.

Like many other Unilocalers, I was a huge fan of Gamasot and was sad to see Gamasot 2.0 (a.k.a GAMA) eventually close.
Upon reading other reviews of newly arrived Seoul, I ventured over to Springfield with high hopes. Full disclosure, half of my family is from Korea, and we take our food seriously.
First, the server/​hostess was friendly and respectful. She was a bit apologetic when a couple things from the menu were not available. She gets five stars. Not her fault.
We eventually ordered the Seoul bulgogi and doenjang jjigae. Both were very hot and tasty, and the banchan was great too!
The menu overall is a bit limited, but I look forward to future additions and hope to visit again soon.

Clean, beautiful interior and delicious food! The lunch entrees were generously sized and very reasonable priced (~$ 10-​$ 14.) The waitress explained that the lunch portions are half the size and price of dinner entrees. The banchan was also very good and came in generous portions. I highly recommend Seoul.

Took a chance on a new korean restaurant. Very happy we did. Very very clean restaurant, friendly and quick, and the food was very fresh. Tasted like superb home cooking — not oily or overly prepped. Will definately be back.

I only tried 2 dishes, but they were both very good. I had Seoul Bulgogi and Beef Tartare (Korean style). Seould Bulgogi is the old way of cooking it, and it’s the best and tastiest way. Their Beef Tartare is probably one of the best I’ve eaten. I will need to take my wife because she loves Beef Tartare.

This is an excellent, relatively new Korean restaurant. The food is delicious, the ambiance modern, and the service warm and welcoming.
I had come to this space for many years when it was occupied by Gama, and I was happy to see some of the same servers as before.
In terms of menu items, they do have a streamlined menu compared to other Korean restaurants, but I am thrilled that they have seolleongtang (beef bone soup). Their version is excellent and flavorful, although they use rice noodles that are very thin. Their fried mandoo also is excellent.
Their banchan (side dishes) are varied and delicious.
Highly recommend this place for authentic and reasonably priced Korean cuisine. We definitely will be back.

I was sad when my quiet Korean place, Gamasot turned into not so sure what to think GAMA, and then just completely closed. It was devastating for me and my family!
Now the new restaurant, Seoul is fabulous. I love how clean and simple the décor is and how the staffs are super kind, even to my two year old son. It is still relatively quiet (now without all those TVs) which is great for my family, and they still have the great soup which is the most important thing! We’ve tried many different dishes here, and it is all good. The mandus, bibimbap, and of course the seolleongtangs are our to-​go dishes!
This is super convenient location for people in Springfield/​Alexandria Westend and since it is not in Annandale. Meaning there is no Little River Turnpike traffic, not too busy even during weekend meal time, and it has the Korean supermarket in the same shopping center (and I guess the VRE station is there too but whatevs)!

I know my non-​native review of their food won’t get much credence in comparison with other Korean reviewers but I’ll say this much: if you want a heaping of the best Korean hospitality along with your meal, you’ve hit the jackpot here.
Not just my waitress, a sweet lady who fussed around me throughout my meal, but also the maitre d’, and the good-​looking, young Honduran waiter (remember this place is in the best kind of Annandale stripmall with unique, alternating Asian and Latin shops) were exceptionally solicitous throughout my visit. The lady inquired how new I was to Korean food and made conversation about how to eat panchan. She explained each of the panchan: grated potato; broccoli in an earthy, spicy sauce; strips of fish cake; zucchini; and kimchi. That was most welcome. The aforementioned gentle-​looking waiter brought me Korean beer and made a cute show of opening it for me.
When my bi bim bap was brought out sizzling in a hot stone pot (because well, this is all I ever order in a Korean establishment) the waitress proceeded to add the spicy sauce and used my chopsticks – from the panchan – to mix up my bowl. Honestly, she was acting like an overbearing aunt. And equally honestly, I was loving it (because well, it’s a refreshing change from the standard polite-​but-​distant service and it was such a warm, authentic sharing of culture!) As she left, she said, «You need to get the crispy rice at the bottom. Don’t forget!»
I began to slightly feel like I was an actor in a modern U.S. reincarnation of John Cleese’s Fawlty Towers, featuring an all-​immigrant cast (including, of course, myself).
The food was delicious and fresh-​tasting, although I’m generally not a fan of beef and couldn’t finish the meat in the dish. The broccoli, rice, sour cabbage, well, it suited me perfectly after a long day of running around. Perfect comfort food.
Mid-​meal, the maitre d’ stopped by and asked how I liked everything, and would I care for any more panchan. She brought out several extra helpings of the side dishes. At the end my waitress came, poured me beer, asked what I was doing for the holidays, and generally inquired after my well being. She then, literally, scraped the bottom of my bowl and said, hey don’t forget the best part. By then, we were both chuckling as I chowed down the last part, and agreed with her, yes, it was indeed the best part.
Other diners included a group of older Korean couples who were seamlessly given whatever specialities they were eating. Obviously they didn’t need the cuisine tour I was accorded. Obviously, they wouldn’t be here if the food didn’t suit their palate.
I was invited, perhaps told, to return with friends and they would be glad to show me more about Korean cuisine. This promises to be a jolly panchan party.

Exellent food and service. Yukggaejang and Kalbitang were delicious. I am defiantly coming back.

I haven’t been here in a few years but they have definitely made their comeback.
Excellent service, the selection was less than the previous menu but still enough to please everyone.
I was definitely not disappointed. I spent two years in South Korea and I’m always missing Korean food.
This place has a great feel to it. Please come visit!

Three years ago, I first stepped into Gamasot and fell in love. This was back when Richard Kim was the owner and Gamasot was soaring above and beyond, offering cheap, delicious Korean eats ($ 15 unlimited Korean BBQ!) with good service. However, Mr. Kim left shortly thereafter and a new owner replaced him. It was a slippery slope since then until Gamasot’s eventual closing last year.
I’m happy to report though that Seoul has brought back some of that former Gamasot quality I haven’t seen in years. The restaurant looks more or less the same, with its exposed kitchen, and dark wood tables and chairs. I’ve always liked their setup.
The menu is only a couple of pages but offers your seolleongtangs, sundubus, doenjang jjigaes, yukgaejangs, mandus, bulgogis, and bibimbaps. Lunch is $ 8 while dinner is $ 10. You also get a variety of banchan (side dishes) and rice, as well as hot barley tea. It’s quite a steal for so much food and definitely a worthy cheap eats restaurant! I ordered the doenjang jjigae and I could barely finish my bowl. They don’t skimp on quantity either; I got my lion’s share of tofu, veggies like squash and chilies, and even shrimp and octopus. Delicious!
Service was über polite and pleasant. Our server was warm like a grandmother’s hug. I will be back for sure! So happy to see that Seoul has brought back some much-​needed Korean comfort food back onto Backlick Plaza.

Set back in the fresh world parking lot, who knew this gem would exist. The owner, and also my waitress was very polite and offered to explain any specials they were having as well as some of the favorite dishes. The service was very good and so is the food. I opted to go with the lunch bulgogi which was good and it came with wonderful banchan sides. The kimchi was was especially good and after I polished it off, was offered more. Great find for lunch.

I wasn’t expecting that much when my parents suggested we try out Seoul this weekend. The owners of Seoul are the former owners of Han Sung Oak, a Korean restaurant that used to exist on Columbia Pike right next to the Harris Teeter. Han Sung Oak used to be über popular back in the day, and I predict that Seoul will see the same popularity because their food is pretty damn solid.
Our party of four split: bibimbap (mixed rice w/​veggies and fried egg), yook hwe (thinly sliced raw beef, raw egg, Korean pears), bulgogi, dwegi bulgogi, and yookaejang (spicy beef soup). There wasn’t anything out of what we ordered that disappointed us; that is quite an achievement! The food has a very fresh, homemade quality, which is something I normally don’t encounter at Korean restaurants these days. What stood out to me most was the yookhwe and bibimbap. Yookhwe is raw beef, so it’s a dish that is 1.) not for the fainthearted 2.) easy to screw up, but Seoul does it right. My dad, a famous yookhwe snob, gave this dish a big thumbs-​up. The beef practically melted in my mouth and the subtle marinade complimented the beef really well. Bibimbap is pretty standard Korean fare, but Seoul uses super fresh veggies to give the bibimbap a clean taste that you can only achieve at home. The bulgogi was also pretty good, not too sweet — which is a huge plus in my books.
I cannot wait to come back again to try more things off their menu. Namely, the haemool pajun and the ohjinguh bokkum. If my first experience was any indication, I am sure I will enjoy Seoul even more with subsequent visits.
Oh, and they do not skimp on the banchan here in both quantity and quality. Much like Hannah H, I was surprised by the taste of their kimchi and kkakdoogi, which usually taste pretty shitty at most Korean restaurants.
— Beer (12 oz.) is $ 3, pretty cheap! (according to my Dad)
— The prices are pretty good here. 4 people ate to their hearts’ content for about $ 100.

Seoul is surprisingly a decent Korean restaurant located off Backlick Road. I had an opportunity to try out this restaurant with my girlfriend and her parents this past weekend. We ordered a variety of dishes which included the bulgogi, dweji, bulgogi, yookhwe, yukaejang and a bibimbap along with a couple of the standard Korean dad beer (Miller Lite). This all came up to ~$ 100 which is definitely a bargain. You won’t be able to find food this good and cheap at any other Korean restaurants in the area.
First of they provide a good variety of banchans. I was a huge fan of the bulgogi, yookhwe, and the bibimbap. The bulgogi was marinated perfectly as it was not too sweet. The yookhwe (raw beef) was very good, one small con is the beef first came out slightly frozen so it a had a crunchy texture. But overtime the meat thawed out so it was fine. The bibimbap here is loaded very fresh ingredients. The other two dishes were okay, nothing spectacular. Overall, all their food tastes very fresh without the greasy after taste. It made me feel good to eat food from here.
In conclusion I am very happy a good Korean restaurant has opened closer to my house as compared to Annandale. I will be back soon to try out their other dishes. Their service here is also very good for a Korean restaurant. The owner/​manager came up to check on the table regularly and the hot tea’s were refilled quickly. If you are in the area definitely try this restaurant out.

Was sorry to see Gamasot go but so much happier to see Seoul move in! Will be coming often!

Seoul is a new Korean restaurant that replaced Gamasot about a month ago. They offer a limited menu (great for indecisive people), offering items such as KBBQ, sullungtangs, soondooboo, yookgaejang, bibimbops, nengmyuns, and bossams. The interior is pretty much similar to how Gamasot was, with the step-​up individual rooms and plenty of tables. The hubs and I came here to try them out for lunch, and we had the following: pan-​fried mandoos (filled with beef, pork, and veggies, these were flat dumplings that had a slight crisp exterior; the hubs was more of a fan of these than I was); Haemool Pajeon (seafood pancake with scallions; I absolutely LOVED this! The pancake itself had a crisp exterior, filled generously with shrimp, scallops, squid, and scallions, and the dipping sauce (soy sauce/​vinegar/​hot pepper/​garlic) was just amazing! This sauce is also used for the mandoos as well); Galbi Dolsot Bibimbop (hot stone pot filled with rice, seasoned veggies, galbi chunks, and a perfectly-​fried egg, this was pretty good, too; I recommend in asking for some extra sesame seed oil which will enhance the flavors! This also comes with a small bowl of miso soup); and, Sullungtang (beef bone broth with chopped scallions, noodles, and beef; this was a little too ‘creamy’ and seemed more milk-​based and more sweeter; I wasn’t really a fan of this). We also received a complimentary salad, that has a very strong soy– and wasabi-​based dressing — I absolutely loved it! The lettuce was crisp and fresh, and it was a great little pre-​salad before the main meals. The banchans were plentiful, and I was a fan of the mook (acorn jelly), the steamed broccoli with the chojang sauce, the ggakduki (cubed radish), and the kimchi (fermented napa cabbage) — I was pleasantly surprised that the ggakduki and the kimchi were both perfectly well-​fermented, saucy, and yummy! Service was pleasant and attentive, and the owner made sure that we were taken care of. Walter made sure that we got some dadaegi for the sullungtang and that our water cups were always refilled! I had a wonderful filling meal, and all the items tasted pretty delicious! I would love to go back and try out their KBBQ entrees and their Seoul-​style bulgogi platter: D It’s great to see this spot thriving once again, as I wasn’t a fan of the owner before last (dude was such a nappeunnom)!
+complimentary salad (soy sauce– and wasabi-​based dressing)
+Haemool Pajeon!!! :D
+Galbi Dolsot Bibimbop (request a side of sesame seed oil)
+fresh banchans!
+well-​ripened ggakduki and kimchi!
+ask for Walter: D
+friendly service: D

Walked in not expecting much during their grand opening week. Surprisingly it was more than I couldve expected from any restaurant that are new. Been here about three times now and my personal recommendation is their bossam. Its one of the best one Ive had recently, not to fatty and fresh oyster that goes perfectly well together. Service was also top notch. Cant wait to see what more they will have to offer in the future !

I am so happy there is a new Korean place so close to my office.
Seoul is so nice and clean inside and boasts a staff who were bright and welcoming as soon as I walked in. They were so very kind and explained the menu, talked about some of their specialties, and offered me something to drink while I waited (as I made a to go order).
The food was excellent. I had the bulgogi, galbi, and pan fried mandoo. So yummy.
I would recommend that everyone stop in and try them out.

My new favorite korean spot–
If you get a chance to stop by, get their bulgogi main dish. It’s not regular bulgogi! They fancied it up; it has the soup at the bottom of the bulgogi and the juice from bulgogi starts dripping into the soup. They cook the meat in front of you and keep stopping by to refill any side dishes that we want. I work 3 minutes away from Seoul restaurant, so I will be here very often!
I can’t wait to try the rest of their menu!
Thank you :)

New favorite spot for korean food! ordered raw meat„ very cautiously because of fear of eating anything strange. BUT the meat was so fresh and it melted in my mouth– literally! We also ordered spicy fish stew, which was seasoned to perfection. No urges to chug glasses of water afterwards, I feel like I had a very honest meal. The waitress was so kind and the owner offered korean seafood pancakes as a service, making us feel like we paid less than we ate. Such a homey feel to the restaurant, and it was bustling with customers by night. The music isnt crazy loud with unnecessary eccentric kpop, but rather had soothing piano sonatas and flute concertos; a perfect family atmosphere! The interior is clean, fully furnished in beautiful rich wood and authentic korean decorations. If theres one thing I wished was different, it would be the location. For someone living in centerville, springfield is too far! But the place is worth the drive– when my brother comes home from college this is the first place im bringing him to! Cant wait to come back and have another filling meal