Soju Haus

Soju is strong here! No joke!
My girls and I came out here for a drink on a Friday evening. We got here just before 7:00 pm and it was a good call. Right after we were seated, the crowd started to build up with waiting times. We ordered the Pomegranate and Lemon Soju to start. Boy, they are strong like straight soju with just a little hint of fruit juice. This may be a plus for soju drinkers.
To start, we got a complimentary Mung Bean Salad. This was a simple, healthy tasting dish with mung bean jelly, chives, cucumbers, onions, and carrots topped with seaweed and sesame seeds. I loved that it had a pronounced spicy kick to it.
Spicy Chicken Gizzard comes after. It is a small dish with chicken gizzard cooked with red chili pepper paste and green peppers. I was weird out at first because I am usually not a fan of internal parts of animals but this was pretty good. Each piece was spicy and had a nice tender chewy texture. Spicy Barbecue Chicken with Cheese comes next. The dish is a bit of a let down and it really isn’t that great as expected. Spicy marinated chicken was covered with a lot of cheese. If you order this dish, eat it as quickly as you can. Chicken was bite-​sized and tender. I had to eat around the cheese for I am a bit lactose intolerant. Once the cheese on top dries out, it becomes hard and just not good anymore. Mild Seafood Stew with Nurungji was decent. It is not spicy like most Korean stews but I thought the seafood flavors were really good. It had octopus, squid, clams, mussels, and shrimp. Nurungji is scorched rice that comes in the bottom of the rice pot normally. Nurungji here seems to be packaged but was good when dipped with the stew.
Let’s not forget the free bowl of rice with anchovies and fried egg, it’s free until 8:00 pm!
Ambiance was pretty nice. Second floor view of K-​Town was really pretty. I would not recommend this place for a date because it is just too loud. It was hard to have a conversation. If you are a soju-​loving group, this place may be good for you.

Im actually a bit surprised that this place gets such high remarks. Underneath third fl café this place opened up a couple years ago. Its hard to come back from Korea and go to these kind of bars when they charge $ 16 a soju and $ 18 for makkoli.
The vibe here was probably the only thing I enjoyed here. Its young, modern and hip.
Food menu is pretty standard korean drinking fare. Various soups, pancake, ddukbooki etc.
Compared to other places on the same street this one seems to be a little more organized and with it. I read someone elses review of them only taking cash, the last time I was here they accepted all cards so thats news to me if they changed that. Id consider this place as one of your stops along the night but not somewhere you would spend hours at. Personally I like the vibe better up a couple floors at Third floor or even down the street at maru.

This place was kind of hard to find if you do not have the exact address because it is located in a corporate-​like building. Once in the restaurant, it was a really big space, and I really liked the atmosphere. I went with a friend and ordered the spicy bbq chicken with cheese and the mild seafood stew, which definitely could have been enough for three people. It came with complimentary rice with a fried egg before 8pm. Would definitely go back for the spicy bbq chicken with cheese and maybe try out a different stew. The prices were a little steep, but very similar to Pocha 32

After a night of trying to find a place to sit my large party of 14, this place has become a new spot for me. They have two floors, so you can always go to the third floor (which is the exact same) if their second floor is crowded, which is what my group and me did.
We were seated at a place with two conveniently sized couches and a few extra individual chairs to accommodate my large party. It was pretty crowded, but that must mean busy is good and we were at the right spot to be. Their service was good and quick. Once we were seated and handed the drink menus, they took our orders and came out with them quickly.
We ordered four bottles of their chamisul which was divided into two large pitchers (two bottles in each). Once we finished those, we ordered more and they gave us some new shot glasses too.
A bigger spot had opened up at the far end, that had a bigger sized couch, a private area, and more tables. We asked if we could move there instead of my large party squeezing in on the couches and individual chairs and they gladly accommodated us. We were moved pretty quickly, given new shot glasses, and more pitches or water.
I definitely recommend this place as I had a good experience here. After a tough night of trying to find places in K-​town that would hold my party of 14, this place was well worth it!

Great trendy Korean drinking spot.
–good soju mixed drinks. Had the lemon, cucumber and Pomegranate. Lemon and Pom were delicious.
–free food while drinking. They give you this Korean salad mix with and acorn jelly mash. A bit spicy for some perhaps but a great munchie
— had the makgoli. Very tasty.
–frozen beer… Really it is beer with a frozen frothy head. Not that special but a gimmick.
— spicy pork and squid– is great but very spicy.
— atmosphere is very trendy. Place is pretty busy.
Overall would definitely visit again.

Nice open space to grab drinks and delicious food with a small or large group. Few dishes to recommend —
— gopchang bokkum (personal favorite!)
— clam soup
— nurungji hotpot
— budae jjigae
Well you really can’t go wrong here. Just try it!

Late night adventures with a group of 14.
Walked up the stairs to the second floor which was too crowded for our group but the bouncer reffered us to the third floor which was literally the same as the second floor. Luckily, we were able to squeeze in a couch area meant for 12 people.
***Warning! They ID at the door.
The service here was prompt and very friendly. We started with four bottles of chamisul ($ 16 per bottle). They were combined into two large pitchers with a compartment for ice (practical and aesthetic). The served water on the side for us as well (not sure if it was customary or because we looked turnt already, either way it was a plus).
They were very good with giving us new shot glasses as the night went on and refilling our water.
It was a good experience, lots of space and average priced menu!

The food here wasn’t as good as I expected. The seating is not comfortable and very crammed. The tables were so small that it’s hard to really share food. The kimchi pancake was decent but not a must try. The bbq chicken with cheese was nothing special but chicken with tomato sauce and some mozerella to top it. The only order ID go back for would probably be the seafood stew. The crispy rice chunks tasted great with the stew. The stew had a nice seafood flavor and had a variety of seafood. As for the drink, the frozen kirin was nothing special. It was just the foam that was from apparently. I will strong not reccomend the coconut soju. It tasted good until I saw the waiter clean it, dry it, and then place it back in the fridge. Really grossed me out. A coconut doesn’t cost that much and I’d expect it to be a fresh coconut for the price of $ 16. I probably would only come back for the seafood stew.

An excellent place to bring a crowd. Their menu items are fresh and flavorful and good ‘anju’ type food that goes well with drinks. The service is very friendly and fast. The ‘saabisu’ is also excellent (free dishes that they bring you if you order a lot.) Best of all, it is not really a crowded place. I enjoyed the spicy chicken gizzards and stir fried squid and pork the best, and the kimchi pancake is also really nice and crispy. A lot of the dishes come with little tea candles underneath to keep them warm, which I thought to be a nice touch.
The drinks are a little odd. I found the cocktail soju to be quite sweet, and their gimmicky frozen foam beer made drinking beer kind of strange. But overall it didn’t detract from our experience. I’d say the best drink anyone ordered in our group was the coconut cocktail soju that is delivered in a fresh coconut.
The price ended up being right, something like $ 25/​pp all in for 8 of us and we were stuffed silly. We even forgot to order rice. As we walked out, they gave us a 10% off coupon for returning. Sadly, i’ve lost that coupon now but would come back anyway.

It’s a true mystery to me how this place has such a high rating. I’d rate the food as 2 stars — it was mediocre and not worth the high price tag. The rice cake with fried squid had an overly spicy sauce that didn’t align well with the rice cakes (this is coming from someone who loves spicy food). The spicy BBQ chicken with cheese was also very average. The only thing I could eat was the bulgogi. I was with a Korean friend, and this food was not the traditional Korean food I know and love! Didn’t even have bibimbap on the menu! On the bright side, the views in the restaurant were nice, the service was speedy, and pomegranate Soju was strong but tasty.
Overall Soju Haus is trying to be too trendy for its own good. Read the menu closely before you commit to the restaurant to see if it’s up your alley.

I think I found my new favorite late night place in Ktown! My group came here around midnight to find the place packed. There are plenty of tables, the décor is modern, and the ambiance is nice. We got our IDs checked at the door and then were quickly seated. We ordered the budae jigae (army stew) for the table to share. The portion was a good amount for a group of three to share and the price of about $ 23 was cheaper than normal. They also gave a plate of banchan of cucumbers and mung bean jelly, which was just as delicious as the stew. I will definitely be back to try the bbq chicken with cheese!

Soju Haus is not quite like your typical Korean lounge, nor like your typical Korean restaurants. It’s more of an in-​between, a busy, high traffic, almost trendy? Korean restaurant that specializes in soju and other Korean alcoholic beverages.
Aside from being constantly packed, the food and drinks are quite food, but more on the expensive side of things. Service is great if you or someone at your table is Korean.

Is it odd that my favorite thing about Soju Haus is their… chicken gizzards?
I’ve been here twice now, and the second time I came solely for the chicken gizzards. Not that the flavored soju isn’t great (it is), but it was 6pm on a Tuesday night and I was by myself. Not exactly ideal soju pounding time, unfortunately.
The décor is modern and sleek with high ceilings, and it isn’t as crowded or dark as other Korean bars. It feels like more of a restaurant than anything, which is nice. After you’re seated, you get treated to a complimentary appetizer of acorn jelly with chives and pickled daikon. This dish is SO tasty! It’s the perfect refreshing side dish with drinks or food and is a pretty substantial portion in itself.
GRILLED CHICKEN GIZZARDS (~$ 10):
I recently discovered just how delicious chicken gizzards are, so when I saw them on the menu I had to get them. The waiter double checked with a quizzical, «You know what chicken gizzards are, right?» They arrived on a mini stone grill with a flame underneath and a mix of salt-​sesame oil on the side. There are also garlic chips mixed in with the gizzards, and the overall combination is just the best. Dip in the salt-​sesame oil, eat with a garlic chip, eat a bite of acorn jelly dish, and wash it all down with soju.
FLAVORED SOJU (~17):
So far I’ve tried the pomegranate and cucumber varieties. I was excited to see pomegranate because it’s one of my favorites but rarely on the menu. It was served in a neat mason jar with an entire pomegranate half inside and a strainer top. Similarly, the cucumber soju had actual fresh shredded cucumber inside the jar. While the pomegranate was a good mix of sour, sweet, and alcohol, the cucumber was way too strong for both me and my friend. Good if you’re trying to maximize your alcohol intake, but not so great as a light sipping drink.
Overall, I really like Soju Haus as a classier, quieter alternative to other Korean bars. The one thing I don’t love is their high prices, which keep me from coming back too often, but I’d still recommend it for a casual night out. Don’t forget that they are CASH or AMEX only!

It’s not bad — Soju Haus boasts a decent list of Soju and some nice tasting soju cocktails that are shareable. I came here for a date with some food and what not. And we had a good time chatting and hanging out. This is on the 2^nd floor so you have to take an elevator (or walk the stairs up) and it’s usually pretty crowded.
The food is ok from what it is — and the Soju (for being soju haus) is pretty expensive for the soju cocktails. They have a lot of them but, it was only ok in the end.

Budae jigae (army stew): not the best I’ve had but it hit the spot. Has everything you’d expect: spam, kimchi, shrooms, etc. Broth wasn’t as thick and flavorful as some other places.
Pork belly & mushroom: get! It comes on a sizzling platter of onions and a sauce that’s really quite good.
Beef intestine: considering I don’t really like innards, it says a lot that I tried a few and thought it was pretty flavorful! It masked the weird intestinal taste I don’t really like :)
Their pomegranate soju: eeeek tasted like medicine to me. Comes in a pretty big mason jar bottle with a few pomegranate slices.
However, I could drink their complimentary cold barley tea all day long. I think we got 3 big mason jar refills for 4 people. Yum.
Will have to come again and try the rest of their drinks!

Great space with wonderful service and tasty food.
Our server (early 20s Korean guy) was the sweetest human being ever and helped us out as my crazy mother asked a question about nearly everything on their menu.
We got the blackberry wine to drink and that was just heavenly. Couldn’t get enough of the addictive, fruity taste.
We also ordered the bulgogi (beef skillet) and that was super tasty. Between the one dish, the complementary salad and rice with fried egg, one dish was all we as two ladies needed!
Inexpensive, trendy and gorgeous space, and yummy food and great service to put the cherry on top.
This place is a win-​win-​win if you ask me :)

Apparently this is authentic Korean food… and after coming here I’ve decided I like Americanized Korean food better. We ordered a grilled chicken/​pork belly dish, coconut soju, and seafood mixed stew. I was hoping for the stew to be similar to soondooboo, but it was very watery with strange spice balls that I couldn’t eat. The menu is slightly limited – maybe the daily specials are better? But no specials on Thursday – and no dishes come with rice (HOW DO YOU EAT ASIAN FOOD WITHOUT RICE???) ;_​_​;
Overall, a pretty meh experience, especially because the food isn’t cheap at all. The restaurant is pretty loud too, and the servers not that pleasant when they found out we didn’t speak Korean.
The only plus – lots of food, huge portions! But no use to have huge portions if most of it was watery/​for decoration only…

Came here on a Wednesday night at 8:30pm with a friend whom I haven’t seen in over half a year. The restaurant is on the second floor of the building so you need to take the elevator up. The place was pretty busy, but we were seated right away, service was fine, and it wasn’t too loud that I couldn’t catch up with my friend. We ordered oysters ($ 1 oysters Wednesday special) and oyster pancakes (minimum 6 per order). The oysters were pretty standard, but I thought the oyster pancakes were bland. Wouldn’t order them again. My friend also ordered an entrée with pork in it, which she enjoyed. The tables along the wall are really close to each other, so be careful not to knock over your neighbors’ food as you walk out!
Taste | 3
Atmosphere | 4
Presentation | 3
Service | 3.5
OVERALL | 3.5

My five friends and I shared 4 dishes and 1 soju, which was definitely enough food (unless you’re feeling extremely hungry). Our favorite dishes were the spicy pork & octopus and spicy chicken & cheese, both of which were very flavorful. The lemon soju was the best I have ever had, tasted like lemonade.
The overall ambience was young and trendy, perhaps not the greatest place for cheap food but definitely great for a night out with friends as the round tables are well suited for groups.
Im subtracting a star because of the service. We had to order our plate of rice about 4 times before we finally received it. According to the menu, we can get one plate of free rice before 8, but the waitress seemed a bit stingy about giving it to us. She also gave us a very judgmental look when we asked for tap water by pointing at the complimentary barley tea and snapping, «that is water!»

I can’t believe I haven’t tried this place yet! I actually came across this restaurant from Off The Great Wall (on YouTube). They reviewed this place and I had to try!
Although you might think this place is known more for their bar/​lounge (from their name), but you would be totally wrong. The food here is amazing!
Budae Jigae: The main thing that I wanted to try here because I loooove this dish. I hear that they stew their broth for 3 days! Their budae jigae is phenomenal. The soup is so flavorful and I love the spam, sausage, and ramen in there.
Oyster Pancakes: I came on a Wednesday, so their special were these little oyster pancakes. The oyster was like a ball of juice surrounded by fried goodness. So tasty!
BBQ Chicken and Cheese: BBQ isn’t my favorite flavor and the dish was a little too spicy for me. BUT if you like BBQ and spicy and cheese, you’ll definitely love this!
Cod Roe Rice: This is the cutest little side dish of rice. It comes in a tiny stone pot but it’s bursting with flavor! You dish together with the seaweed, roe, green onions, and some of that crispy rice on the bottom, yum.
Seafood pancake: I love that this seafood pancake is served over a warmer. They don’t cut it but it pulls apart effortlessly. They don’t skimp on the seafood here and the dipping sauce for this is really good.
I’d definitely recommend this place! It gets a little crowded around happy hour so come early. It’s on the second floor after you walk into a lobby so don’t miss it.