Sool Korean Kitchen offers long menu of traditional dishes in Hazel DellSubscriber Exclusive

Justin Hwang and Ryan Jung recently opened Sool Korean Kitchen in Hazel Dell. The restaurant’s name means fire water in Korean and refers to various alcoholic beverages served in Korea. A variety of sool, a long food menu of Korean dishes and nods to Korean culture fill the space near Safeway that was formerly occupied by a Hawaiian grill.

Sool recently obtained a liquor license so that it can serve variations of its namesake drink. The owners plan on serving makgeolli, an ancient unfiltered grain alcohol with about 6 percent or 8 percent alcohol by volume. This farmer’s liquor has a milky-white color, light natural effervescence, and a mix of sweet and sour flavors. The ancient spirit is experiencing a resurgence in South Korea that is slowly spreading to the United States. Sool will also offer soju, a distilled liquor with 20 percent to 25 percent alcohol by volume. Hwang and Jung are now stocking up on a variety of these traditional beverages. Makgeolli will be poured from traditional copper pots into matching drinking bowls.

The food menu is filled with a long list of traditional Korean dishes. Banchan — composed mostly of vegetables that are pickled, steamed, marinated or stir fried — sit in small dishes in the middle of the table to be shared. They are served with cooked rice and are included with every meal. At Sool, banchan is made fresh every day so the combination of small dishes changes but it always offers different colors and flavors. On a recent visit, the spread included kimchi, as well as bright red strips of pickled radish, marinated cucumbers, and a creamy and slightly sweet macaroni salad (a favorite of owner Justin Hwang).

The restaurant is open and bright. Two traditional tables are placed at the back where diners can sit on the floor around the table, but the majority of the seating is Western-style tables and chairs. Korean music and food videos fill the TV screen throughout the room. Korean music plays through the speakers.

The menu is extensive. It’s divided into appetizers, soups and noodles, Korean specials, and Sool signature hot pots. Portions are large and served family-style. According to Hwang, the steamed egg (gyeran-jjim, $8) and the batter fried beef (meat jeon, $18) are popular starters. I tried the meat jeon, which arrived as flat strips of meat coated in egg and served with a dipping sauce. I saw the seafood pancake ($15) on Sool’s Instagram before I visited and I needed to try it. The large crispy pancake filled with seafood, scallions and grated carrots came with a light dipping sauce and tasted as good as it looked on social media.

Following the starters, I had soon tofu soup ($17). This bright red chili-infused stew came piping hot in a large black ceramic dish. The soothing, fiery broth is filled with scallions, onions, baby bok choy, slices of zucchini, a poached egg, and pillowy chunks of silken tofu. Diners have a choice of beef or seafood for this dish. I chose the beef version and my soup had flavorful slices of beef.

I departed with a mountain of leftovers. Next time I plan on visiting with a group of hungry friends to further explore. I’d like to try bulgogi (thin marinated slices of grilled meat), bibimbap (rice topped with vegetables and eggs served in a stone pot), japchae (glass noodle stir-fry) and sample some milky makgeolli poured from a copper pot.