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Somaek

4.0 (83 reviews)
Open 5:00 pm - 10:30 PM

Somaek Photos

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SOMAEK ATMOSPHERE

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Banchan
Evelyn W.

I thought the location was great and service was amazing, but food fell a little flat for me. I really enjoyed the cocktail selection and banchan, but not sure I'd return for apps and entrees. The jajjangmyun leaned more heavily into the chinese version rather than the korean one, which I didn't expect. The braised fish was very good and hearty, but not much different than what you can find at another more casual Korean restaurant. For the price and how much I'd heard about the head chef, I expected a bit more.

Beef Mandu
Connie L.

While the service was nice, the food definitely fell short of expectations. Nothing tasted that authentic and their dishes were so expensive for such small portions. $19 for 5 pieces of Bossam is insane. The doenjangjigae had a really off-putting fishy taste & smell to it. The only redeeming dish was their beef mandu that was rather tasty. But everything else was genuinely so disappointing.

Nancy H.

Small space with maybe 10 tables. Service was good, but food was very poor to mediocre. Not authentic whatsoever. The dumplings tasted frozen. The doenjjangjigae was altered way too much and didn't even taste like the actual soup anymore. Pretty expensive for the portion as well.

Stir fried squid
My-Linh D.

Somaek is such a cute spot and the location in Boston is super convenient. I went on a Thursday night with a reservation, and it was still completely packed -- we ended up being seated at the bar, which honestly added to the lively vibe. The menu has a great range of classic Korean dishes. We ordered the seafood pancake, vegetable dumplings, kimchi soup, bossam, and the stir-fried squid. The seafood pancake was a bit soft for my liking, and the dumplings were solid and well-balanced. The kimchi soup was decent bossam was good but standard. The stir-fried squid dish unfortunately had more veggies than squid but still tasty. Overall, everything was good and well-executed, just not necessarily "wow" for me -- but that's more personal preference than a knock on the kitchen.

Mackerel
Kayla L.

Conveniently located in downtown, the restaurant is cozy and very beautiful decorated. They have a long bar tables for individuals or in case you didn't manage to snag one of those tables. The staff are so friendly and knowledgeable. Food wise-bosses (steam pork belly wrap, seafood pancake, pork bulgogi, grilled salted mackerel) was all so scrumptious and I'm about to die for the mackerel ! The cocktails are very creative and cater to using Korean influences in the drink-I got the Seoul 75 and it was deliciously dangerous! Hehe. Can't wait to come back again!

Everything platter
Carter S.

Wasn't bad but wasn't great. Service was on par and the best servers/hosts, but the food imo didn't quite match what I hoped it to be. I liked the aspect on taking on a fine dining lens on korean cuisine but the two noodle dishes that we got wasn't anything special. The dried fish however was STELLARRRRRRRR. Would come back to eat that again. Banchan was yummy too but nothing crazy.

Unlimited side dishes - greens? Potato salad, kimchi
Stephanie C.

This is our first time visiting the restaurant, and I can certainly attest to the high-quality services and food, which is Michelin recognized. The side dishes were flavorful with punches of seasoning, surprisingly not watered down despite being run by non-korean owners. I especially adore that kimchi and had asked for multiple refills of it. Not only some of the side side dishes came with an refills. In terms of entrées, we ordered jajangmyeon, Korean ribs, and seafood pancake. Would perhaps skip the seafood pancake because it's very flour heavy, but would definitely order the first two again. I went with a Korean friend, and she also thought the dishes were very authentic and flavorful. To add onto our experience, the waiters are very responsive and always on the lookout for any needed service. This is a birthday celebration dinner for my friend's belated birthday, and although it was two weeks past her birthday, they were still able to accommodate by providing us with complementary cocktails and Korean candies. They also had a handwritten bday card for my friend! Do note that the tables are very small and the restaurant is often very packed, would definitely need a reservation in advance.

galbi
Winni Z.

Honestly, everything was just okay. Can't say I would go back. In terms of the food, I don't think Somaek can beat any of the Korean restaurants in Allston. The prices weren't bad, but the portions were disappointing. Paying for banchan is also against everything I stand for. However, they were kind enough to provide free banchan since it was our first time there. The interior was clean, but bland and boring. I thought the service was great. The staff was kind and friendly and was ready to provide recommendations. I'm glad I gave it a try.

Exterior
Adina S.

Great spot! I've actually been to Somaek twice and really enjoyed it both times. It's a pretty nice spot, but it's not especially fancy in terms of ambiance/decor. I'd recommend sitting at the bar if you want to have more of a relaxed dining experience. Great service overall. In terms of food, Somaek is sort of a Korean tapas style place, especially if you're fairly hungry. I really enjoyed all the dishes I tried, the kimchi stew. The second time I went they actually provided some free banchan, which I really appreciated. Very solid drinks as well. I'd be happy to come back!

Bossam
Amy C.

I've been meaning to try this place since it opened and finally got the chance to on a Thursday night. Definitely make a reservation if you can because it was quite busy and it's a smaller restaurant. They have a smaller menu so we ordered a few to share. We got the bossam, pajeon, jjajangmyeon, jjigae, and galbi. Overall the dishes were good but I definitely had better Korean food in Boston. The dishes were smaller in size than I expected for the prices. My favorite out of all the dishes was the jjigae (soybean soup). They do have a small cocktail menu and I got the gam cocktail which was surprisingly good. I would recommend the drinks more than the food.

Pork bulgogi
Bridget L.

Fantastic! Especially for a white dude in charge! They gave us free banchan for our first visit, which was a great start. Ordered the tteokbokki, pork bulgogi, and grilled salted mackerel. Fave was pork bulgogi (very tender and flavorful) but enjoyed everything. They forgot the fish cakes in the tteokbokki but gave us another order with fish cakes for free (dub). Would def come back to try more.

Japche and banchan
Jesse N.

Had such an amazing experience at Somaek. First, the service was excellent. Juody was so welcoming and gave us a run down of how many dishes we should order and what they recommended. We ordered the melon Yakult cocktail, which was refreshing and fizzy. For an app, we had the Seafood Pajeon, which was nice and crispy. The seafood was generous and it was well balanced by the sauce pairing. Next, the Japache which was flavorful and full of veggies. For our mains, we had the squid stir fry and the mackerel. The squid stir fry was solid and decently sized. Only critique was wish it had more of a spicy kick. Finally, we had the mackerel. I tend to not like mackerel but this one was nicely grilled and not too fishy. I ate it with the banchan and all the flavors worked well together. Loved the burdock root, kimchi, and soy sauce sweet potato. Everything was so solid. My only critique was that our table was a bit small, but we managed. Can't wait to go back!

jjajangmyeon
Erin O.

This is definitely not your typical Korean restaurant! Nestled away in an unassuming side street in Downtown, Somaek is an upscale restaurant offering some tasty classics with a bit of a twist. The service here was considerate and helpful, and I'd recommend making a reservation if you're visiting on a weekend. My biggest complaint really is just the price... although the quality of the ingredients was good and everything came out very fresh, it still feels like a bit of a crime to pay as much as we did. Still, if you don't mind the price, the food is tasty. We tried a bunch here, ranging from the jjajangmyeon, jiggae, banchan, and galbi gui. The banchan didn't blow me away, but I appreciated it came with rice. The jiggae was really tasty and rich, with a crazy combination of flavors. The jjangmyeon was tasty and unique, with also a surprising amount of ingredients that didn't clash which each other. My favorite and star of the show was definitely the galbi gui. I'd come back here just for this honestly. The char and flavor on the short rib was amazing and blew me away. We were absolutely stuffed by the end of the night to say the least!

Banchan

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

Helpful 1
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1 year ago

Helpful 3
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Sharon Korean Kitchen

Sharon Korean Kitchen

4.6(94 reviews)
6.5 miWest Roxbury Center, West Roxbury

I really wanted to try the spicy rice cakes. It was delicious. It had a mildly sweet undertone with…read moremostly a very yummy spicy flavor. I tried the seaweed rolls, too. I don't know much about Korean food, but it was fun to try some dishes I have never had before. Everything we ordered was enjoyable and tasty!

This place is fantastic! It's a small restaurant on a Main Street and counter service. However, the…read morerestaurant itself was accommodating and felt very clean and inviting. The menu was large and had some great dishes. I ended up ordering the mango milk tea and the spicy pork bibimbap. My food take a little longer than my partner's to come out which always leads to that awkward "should I start or not?" question. Thankfully it didn't take too much longer for my food to come out. The milk tea tasted great! Very refreshing and not overly sweet. I wish there a little bit more mango flavor but it was by no means bad. The real star of the show was the bibimbap. The portions were large and all of the food tasted fresh, very flavorful, and came out hot. Although the restaurant seemed unassuming this was probably one of my favorite bibimbaps I've ever had. The staff were also very nice and apologized for the wait. They come and collect your plates when finished. I highly recommend trying this place out if you're in the area even though parking can be a bit tricky!

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Sharon Korean Kitchen - Menu

Menu

Sharon Korean Kitchen
Sharon Korean Kitchen - Counter

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Counter

Naksan BBQ - Spicy cold noodles

Naksan BBQ

3.9(244 reviews)
3.9 miAllston/Brighton
$$$$

Great ambiance, nice dimly lit atmosphere and each grill is nicely spread out. The service was…read morequick and wonderful. The servers grill the meat for you here. The food was all divine. Meats were delicious and cooked great! Definitely on the pricier side but worth the splurge for a nice date or meal with friends. Parking can be a doozy but if you circle the block there is street parking on the opposite street. Would definitely go back, this is Boston's best upscale-esque kbbq that I have had. Overall an 8 or 9/10, only deducting points because I do feel the price is a bit much in comparison to other restaurants that offer the same (but I also understand this is the only place bringing this kind of service in Boston atm) signed, a KBBQ fanatic

This was my first time trying KBBQ in Boston in probably 10 years or so. Based off of the photos,…read morebranding and ambience, I was expecting a somewhat upscale experience. While I appreciated small touches with being able to put your jackets in a plastic bag under your seat, everything else fell a bit short. The quality of the meats and produce was a bit disappointing. The onion our server used to flavor and start our grill with looked dry, the pumpkin seemed to have a bit of frost as though it were frozen, and the overall quality of the meat was a bit lackluster. Even towards the end of our meal, even when our server told us the meat was ready, a couple of pieces were still raw. The banchan was not bad and the bibim naengmyeon we had was probably the best part of our meal. Sadly I don't think we'll be back based on our experience.

Photos
Naksan BBQ - Banchan (side dishes)

Banchan (side dishes)

Naksan BBQ - Steamed egg (comes with the combo)

Steamed egg (comes with the combo)

Naksan BBQ - Premium pork belly

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Premium pork belly

Seoul Topokki

Seoul Topokki

4.0(179 reviews)
3.5 miAllston/Brighton
$$

I don't typically write reviews but the food was amazing + nice ambiance+ service was so good. I…read morewas surprised to find affordable food with good portion sizes that tastes delicious... I'm already craving the spicy tofu soup again . (Goodbye savings) joking aside, im so happy I've found this gem. Im definitely coming back Also you can get a discount if you pay in cash so keep that in mind before you come!!

This was our second time ordering delivery from Seoul Topokki. We remembered it being really good…read morethe first time, so we went for round two. We ordered the cheese topokki (soft rice cake, fish cake, vegetable, & mozzarella in Korean spicy sauce) & the beef bulgogi bowl (fried marinated beef, vegetables, steamed rice & side of soup). The cheese topokki was just as good as we remembered - chewy, flavorful, comforting, & a little bit weird. The cheese was poorly distributed, but it was still very tasty. The beef bulgogi bowl was really underwhelming. Firstly, it was very little food. We were promised vegetables, but there were only a few scarce onions & zucchini pieces mixed in. It was also dry. It was devoid of moisture & sauce, so we added some from the fridge at home. The side of soup was a joke. It filled only about 2/3 of the container & looked so sad, we wondered if it was the sauce that we we so desperately needed. Nope, just a meager amount of watered down miso soup. So the conclusion - great topokki, sub-par bulgogi, non-existent soup.

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Seoul Topokki - Inside

Inside

Seoul Topokki
Seoul Topokki

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SOJUba - Cajun fries

SOJUba

3.8(569 reviews)
1.9 miFenway
$$

Always a good time at Sojuba! We went here on Halloween around 9:30pm for dinner. There was a bit…read moreof a line but it didn't take too long to get in. Food was great - I ordered the spicy kalbi chicken with rice & the hubs ordered the beef. Both were great! Others ordered the scallion pancake, fish stew, and bibimbap. Everyone really enjoyed their dishes. They had music and a dance floor too - I think this was probably a Halloween special- not sure if they have this every Friday or weekend. Overall a great time with great food and ambience!

The atmosphere strikes a nice balance between a lively club and a laid-back sports bar right in the…read moreheart of Fenway. Even on Red Sox game days, it doesn't get overly crowded, which is a plus. That said, they're quite strict about checking IDs, so be sure to have yours ready. The drinks are okay, but you're better off sticking with draft beers, canned options, or soju. While they do offer a full bar, mixed drinks don't seem to be their strong suit. As for the food, it's good but not exceptional. The bulgogi stood out, served with onions and green onions alongside a portion of rice. The corn cheese was also enjoyable--salty, satisfying, and paired with a generous serving of chips. Service, however, leaves room for improvement. When we asked to move from the bar to the bar tables due to a leak above us, we were required to close out our tab first and didn't get waited for a while which felt inconvenient given the situation. Overall, it's a solid Korean spot in Fenway with a fun vibe, decent food, and a few service hiccups.

Photos
SOJUba - Bar Area

Bar Area

SOJUba - Tteokbokki (with no fish cakes - you have to ask to add cheese).

Tteokbokki (with no fish cakes - you have to ask to add cheese).

SOJUba - Soju

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Soju

Yume Ga Arukara - Signature Cold Niku Udon

Yume Ga Arukara

4.6(847 reviews)
3.6 miPorter Square
$$

Wow!! Maybe one of the best udons I've ever had and I would say it's comparable to Marugame in…read moreHawaii & California. I was stuck between getting cold or hot udons but I'm sooo happy we ordered the Signature Cold Niku Udon! The udon was cooked perfectly chewy and the broth was refreshing and light. My spice tolerance is fairly low, but this spice level heightened the udon flavors perfectly. The crunch from the chili + tempura flakes had great texture to pair with the udon. Neeeed to come back again! Hidden in the Lesley University Hall. We hit the jackpot during slower hours, so there was no wait and we were seated immediately. Good to note though that there is a minimum 1 bowl per person in order to dine in. Bar seating + Table seating, the interior was vibey and clean, there were plenty of staff looking after us with waters & cleaning tables. Great experience overall.

The hype is worth it. I've heard so much about this place and finally decided to try it and I was…read morenot disappointed. There was a huge line outside the restaurant but they gave you menus and took your order in line. Everything was pretty fast and efficient even though they were busy. The inside was bigger than expected, unsure if there's another restaurant connected or just one large area. But we were at bar seats, although it's not a bar just similar seating. They had music going and you can see all the workers vibing, it was good energy to see while eating. The menu isn't large but there is option for cold or hot and spicy. Pick the cold noodles!! They are so good, the soup was good too but the cold noodles are definitely the star of the show. The portion size is great, it was more than I expected and the portion with protein and everything was balanced well. The bowl came with beef, ginger, seaweed and I think tempura. The tempura was a perfect crisp to add into each bite. Unfortunately in the broth it did get pretty soggy.

Photos
Yume Ga Arukara - Interior seating

Interior seating

Yume Ga Arukara - Spicy Hot Niku Udon

Spicy Hot Niku Udon

Yume Ga Arukara - Spicy Cold Niku Udon (to go)

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Spicy Cold Niku Udon (to go)

Somaek - korean - Updated May 2026

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