Sodam in Merl: more than Korean fried chicken and hot pot

First things first: I’m not an expert in Korean cuisine. Does Sodam in Merl offer the authentic taste of Seoul? I wouldn’t know. But I do know that the gungjung tteokbokki (€22.5) that we shared as a starter were delicious.

Also labelled “royal court rice cakes”, this version of tteokbokki doesn’t come in the rich spicy sauce made from chilli paste that is more commonly known. Instead, the chewy rice cakes came nestled in a stir-fry of thin and tender slices of beef, bell peppers and onions. The juices of the meat gave the dish a hearty umami flavour and provided enough sauce for it not to be dry.

However, we were left underwhelmed by the bibimbap, a traditional dish of rice topped with a variety of chopped vegetables, tofu or meat. We chose the vegetarian option (€21).

I have eaten this dish before, served in a searing hot stone bowl, with a raw egg yolk on top that is stirred in with a bit of spicy sauce, mixing the rice and other toppings. But at Sodam, it came in a stainless steel bowl. The egg on top was fried (not suitable for stirring in of any kind) and the whole thing was served more or less cold.

The hot sauce is served on the side, so diners can choose how much to add, but chilli alone didn’t make up for the overall lack of flavour. And especially on a cold night, with temperatures near freezing outside, I would’ve much preferred a hot plate of food.

The Korean fried chicken redeemed the dinner. It’s served in different varieties and we chose 10 pieces of the yangnyum chicken (€22), which is served drizzled with a lightly hot sauce. The coating was crunchy without being overly greasy, the meat inside tender and juicy. The sauce added a nice flavour without being overwhelming.

There is a spicier version available but I didn’t trust my taste buds to try it.

While the menu features a range of Korean drinks and beers, we opted for a simple water (€4.50) and Coke Zero (€3.50).

I was a little put off by seeing a member of staff carry two bags of frozen dumplings (in factory packaging, not homemade) up into the kitchen from the basement. A table next to us were eating them as a starter and while they looked perfectly fine, it’s a bit disappointing nonetheless to be served frozen food, even though I know it’s not uncommon.

To finish with a sweet treat, I chose a Melona melon-flavoured popsicle (€3.50). While it smelled quite artificial when first opening the packaging, the taste was sweet and fruity, although that’s probably more due to flavouring than actual honeydew melon. My friend opted for a chapssal tteok (€3), essentially a Korean version of mochi.

There was only a tiny dollop of red bean filling hidden in the rice cake, which was a nice bite-sized sweet though.

The restaurant itself is on the smaller side, with room for less than 30 diners. A television screen playing K-pop videos sits near the main entrance and is hard to ignore. While it was nearly empty when we arrived around 7pm, the space filled up with almost all tables taken by the time we left. And even though it’s quite small, it was fairly loud at that point.

Staff were friendly and attentive and the food arrived quickly, with a steady stream of take-out orders also leaving the premises.

A little off the beaten tracks, it’s a good option for Korean flavours beyond lunchtime locations like TastyKorea, DeliKoreana and the Oné Toast Bar, which aren’t open for dinner.

Details

Sodam, 1 Rue d’Orval, L-2270 Luxembourg/Belair

The restaurants reviewed in the “Table Talk” column are not informed that a reporter is visiting. Mediahuis Luxembourg pays a contribution towards the cost of the meal. The rest is paid by the reviewer.