This place deserves 10 stars ! We were visiting from out of town, but I'd gladly make the four hour drive to come here again! The space gives casual hipster. The dining room filled up quickly during my visit seemingly quite popular with the locals. The staff were very friendly and helpful with the menu. I lived in Hawaii for many years and the food scene there contains a healthy Korean influence. I know what my favorites are. But my server encouraged me to step outside of my comfort zone and explore a few unfamiliar items. The mandu was amazing. Delicious flavorful bulgogi in a crisp wrapper. I would have been happy with just this as a meal. The pickled veggies are perfectly balanced. I am very particular about my rice. Living in Hawaii and Japan has made me a bit of a snob in this regard. The rice was the perfect consistency and paired well with this beautiful sizzling plate of galbi. All in all an awesome meal. Writing this review has me wanting to head back for another meal read more

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We placed an order for pickup and were very impressed with the two soups we tried! The Galbitang Beef Short Rib Soup and Soondubu Tofu Jjigae were so savory and flavorful. Definitely worth a try if you don't know what to order! Our order was ready very quickly and also came with sides: rice, kimchi, bean sprouts, etc. read more

Hoosier Seoulmate Korean Restaurant - S4. "Galbitang" Beef Short Rib Soup [갈비탕] - Korean Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Referred to this place by a fellow Korean of the community whom said the restaurant's food is the most like his own homeland food.. I was meaning to come here anyways... I got the Bibimbap and it was so good! I totally will be coming back... read more

Craving some Korean food? THIS is the place to visit! The food is fresh and it tastes absolutely amazing. The portions are very filling and the price is highly affordable. The service is excellent and the staff is highly friendly. Ambience is pretty chill, not too quiet and not too loud. So if you're in town, come drop by! They're good for small or large groups or if you wanna go by yourself, which I've done plenty of times, that's great too! read more

Hoosier Seoulmate is an amazing Korean option in Bloomington. Came here with two of my friends to meet with one of our freshman year professors (it was his choice, as he is a regular here). For appetizers, we got the bulgogi mandu (beef dumplings), and we loved them. We also paired the mandu with a spread of vegetables and meat, including radish, potato, and a variety of pickled foods. For the main course, I devoured the cheesy chicken rice bowl. The rice bowl was simply amazing and I would definitely recommend getting it. Service was good, as it was relatively fast and the waiters were amazing. Hoosier Seoulmate is a nice, casual spot that is great to have fun with friends or to meet old professors! read more

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Impeccable taste, though I should note that I felt really bloated for the next few hours, probably because they use a lot of salt. Felt fine the next day, so I ended up not deducting a star for that. I had the spicy pork bowl. The pork was cooked perfectly, the sprouts were fresh, and even the scrambled egg was really good (and I'm not an egg fan!). Rice grains were a bit more separate than my preference, but appropriately tender. Banchan weren't in huge portions, but were super fresh and excellent quality. They also have barley tea, which is nice. read more

I dragged my family in for some bulgolgi fries, because I had a huge craving! They were good, but not great. The bulgogi was lacking the flavor I was looking for. I felt the same way about the wings I ordered. They were also just okay. The service was wonderful and it seems like a very authentic place. I think we just ordered incorrectly. read more

Hoosier Seoulmate Korean Restaurant - Wings with the sweet chili sauce - Korean Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Let me begin with I have found my Soulmate in Bloomington Indiana. Not in any of the famous Korean Towns in our major cities. The Beef Mandu appetizer was tasty and delicious. The wings were sensational. I had a spicy sizzling Beef Bolgogi, my freshman son had a Bimbambop Bowl and my wife had a Korean Hotdog. Service was friendly and accommodating. All in all great food and service. read more

Wow. I went thru 6 months of a very restrictive diet while awaiting the american healthcare system to excise my broken gallbladder. Now able to eat fat again, I've embarked on a world tour of gluttony. Holy moly, mary, jesus, and joseph. Go to this place. Disregard its location. Disregard the wobbly tables. You're going to a Korean restaurant, so youre getting the bibimbap and bulgogi, right? RIGHT? Okay, DO THAT, but now hear me out. Instead of the regular bulgogi - they have a "hoosier" section of their menu. In that section, they have beef and pork "bul-dogs." Im not joking you when i tell you my eyes crossed when I ate them. Just do it. You know you want to, and now a random guy in the internet told you it's a great idea. read more

I visited Bloomington and was shocked at how ethnically diverse the food options are, especially for Indiana! I wish I could have ordered everything on the menu-- it all sounded SO good. I ended up getting the bibimbap, jamppong and ja jjang myun. The ja jjang myun was a little bland but still good. The prices are also very affordable and when we left I saw the ajumma (Korean for middle aged woman) cooking in the kitchen! I can only imagine how hard the family must work to keep this restaurant running. The restaurant was a bit dark for my liking and the service was mediocre but I definitely enjoyed the food and highly recommend it here. Everything tasted authentic / Korean!!!! read more

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Just have to start with how good the bulgogi fries were- of everything we ate they were number one bomb dot com. Like good enough to drive to down from Indy to get. I had the soondubujjigae and my mom had the chicken japchae. She said the japchae was good but would stick with the traditional bulgogi next time- also a note that they come with the larger vermicelli noodles. My jjigae was fantastic and it was nice to have banchan (shame on restaurants that don't provide banchan!!) the waitress was nice and the restaurant itself was clean and well laid out. Still dreaming of those fries *swoon* read more

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The food at this place blew me away. I'd never had Korean before, and being a big boy from the south I incredibly appreciated their "Hoosier" take on some classic Korean dishes. The staff were friendly and very attentive. The restaurant was cozy and very inviting. It wasn't over-crowded and the setting was very comfortable. I got the bulgogi fries along with the cheese balls as an appetizer. The fries were nice and crispy. They came drizzled in this garlic mayo that was somehow savory and sweet at the same time. The cheese balls were cooked in some sort of mochi dough, making them also sweet and savory. I'm used to eating Asian cuisine but nothing I've had was like this. For my entree I got the Hoosier egg dog. This concoction was nothing short of an experimental masterpiece. It was a toasted hot dog bun with an egg pancake, ketchup, and some Korean slaw topped with cheese. It was amazing. I'd never tried this place before but I'm so glad I decided to. It was affordable and there are definite reasons to return! read more

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Love this sweet little spot providing authentic Korean as well as some fun takes on Korean-American foods! The interior isn't particularly exciting, but I typically order to go. Last night I enjoyed the kimchi bacon fried rice. It was ready within 10 minutes of calling, and the family that runs the place is always incredibly kind. The kimchi's sourness is wonderfully contrasted by the fatty bacon pieces. It also came with two small traditional Korean sides (kimchi and a rotating dish that appeared to be a radish salad). Will definitely be back when I'm in town! read more

Hoosier Seoulmate Korean Restaurant - Kimchi bacon fried rice - Korean Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

It's been about two years since I have suffered a truly appalling dining experience. My streak of good fortune has now ended, as Hoosier Seoulmate Korean Restaurant left a terrible taste in my mouth literally and figuratively. While vacationing in Brown County, my wife and I noticed this new restaurant, noted the (so far) favorable reviews, and elected to give it a go. The interior is generic and austere, but I don't mind that. We were seated quickly upon arrival. I swapped out my chair because there was gooey residue on the seat. These things happen. We ordered dumplings as an appetizer. They were overcooked, homogenous, and bland... but they were passable. For our entrees, I ordered the Beef Bulgogi and my wife ordered the Spicy Marinated Raw Crab. Up to this point, I felt like we were en route to an uneventful 2.5 star experience. How naive I was! Our plates arrived. A note: from this point on, our server never independently circled back to check on us - I had to flag her down for every little thing. My wife's dish was a pile of little crab legs, as we expected. Nothing seemed amiss. About two minutes into eating my own food, I noticed that my wife wasn't eating hers. "I'm not sure how to open these," she said. "I'm guessing they forgot to bring me crackers to open up the crab legs." I picked up one of the legs and - sure enough - it was not possible to open the legs up by hand, or even with aid of a fork. We enjoy crab regularly, so it seemed obvious to me that yes - surely they just forgot the crackers. Our server walked past several times, but she neither glanced at us nor heard me tactfully calling out, "Excuse me, miss." After observing this repeatedly, the hostess at the entrance kindly walked over to attend to us. Sheepishly, she explained that the restaurant "does not own any crab crackers." "Oh, ok." I said gently. "Do you have any tips on opening these shells?" I asked. I am not joking when I tell you that she very sincerely gestured toward and suggested that we should borrow the communal scissors at the front desk to open our crab legs. Gross! I was mortified, but I politely masked my dismay. "No thank you," I said. Minutes later, I finally succeeded in flagging down our server. I good-naturedly expressed that we were at an impasse with the crab legs and that we literally did not have a method available to eat them. "Hmmmm..." she said. Our server excused herself for what seemed like a strategic huddle with her superiors. Upon returning, she awkwardly asserted "You're not supposed to eat the crab meat. You just suck the juice out." To be clear: this is one of the most expensive entrees on the menu, and there isn't a lot of "juice" involved. There is so little liquid, in fact, that the crab legs are served to you on a rather flat plate. (See photo) "This is a $20 dinner," I remarked incredulously. "And you're not supposed to eat anything? There can't be more than 1/4 cup of liquid in those legs." Our server shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, yeah. It's um... all about the spices," she replied. "Huh." I said. "That's certainly not what we had in mind. I don't mean to be difficult but my wife is really disappointed with this entree. Would you be able to replace it with something else?" "Ok. How about I bring her what you have?" she suggested, indicating my Beef Bulgogi. Her proposal seemed a bit presumptuous... but also satisfactory. "Thank you, that would be great." Ten minutes later, she produced my wife's replacement entree. The dish is supposed to include rice and sides. Our server mentioned that she did not include these "because she already provided them alongside the earlier crab dish." That's quite unprofessional, I thought, but I let it roll off. The restaurant replaced the entree and I can work with that. The foot wasn't very good (2 stars) but that hardly matters. We finished eating without being checked on and I flagged the server down to request our bill. When I examined it, I noticed that we were being charged for all three entrees: both Bulgogis and the crab dish. "Miss, I believe they forgot to remove that crab entree," I said. She immediately became huffy and argumentative and insinuated that we were ignorant about how to consume the dish. I responded, "The menu says, verbatim: 'Blue Crabs marinated to perfection in our spicy sauce.'" "Yes, you drink the sauce," she snapped. "If you can't eat the crab you need to rename it 'Crab Water Entree.'" I retorted. She fumed off and had the gall to return five minutes later with an amended bill: "We took off the dumpling appetizer for you." "That's not satisfactory," I said. "That's all we could do," she replied. I flatly threw down. "I'm not paying for that entree." And we didn't. If not for my wife's maturity, I might have skipped out on the rest of the bill, too. We certainly didn't waste a dime on a tip. Unsanitary, rude, and dishonest. This place won't last. read more

Hoosier Seoulmate Korean Restaurant - The Crab Water Entree! You can open the shells with their nasty front-desk scissors. - Korean Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Everything is amazing. Bulgogi fries. Yes. Little sandwiches on buns. Yes. Super tasty and filling and you can try lots of different ones because they are soooo cheap. Little appetizer side bites. So fun. Short ribs- amazing and even good leftover. 100% yes. read more

My daughter and I finished moving her out of her apartment. We wanted lunch so we stopped in to try some delicious Korean food. We had the Korean sweet chili wings, bulgolgi fries and kimchi bulgolgi fries. We were going to eat inside but didn't realize they would be closing soon. The owners were so welcoming. The food was flavorful and delicious. The wings had the perfect amount of sweet and spicy. The fries were savory. I'm totally hooked so now I'm planning my next visit and what I'm going to try next. read more

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Me and my husband came here tonight and it was SOOO good!! I walked in 13 mins before close and I saw that they were counting money so I was going to leave. The ladies at the counter were so nice and took my order! Not only that, but as a first timer to Korean food, they helped me choose a couple of dishes! I asked for a couple authentic dishes and they didn't disappoint! We ordered the spicy bulgogi and the bibimbop. I wasn't sure how to eat the bibimbop (it came with a sauce and veggies separated) so I assumed it should be mixed up so that's what I did. It was good but maybe not flavor forward compared to our other dish. I did like the difference in flavors though because it was refreshing if that makes sense. The bulgogi was our favorite! It was unlike anything I've tasted before and had my palate dancing. I loved that it came with white rice and a few mini sides. Next time I would try the ramen. Thank you so much for all your help and for being kind enough to take our order before closing! (I didn't get to take photos because we just dove right in, but it was delicious) read more

i love what i order every time i come here. i always try to get different things so i can experiment. great service and ample seating. fast prep time. read more

Tried Hoosier Seoulmate today for the first time and it is delicious. We got takeout, of course, due to the pandemic. We ordered Vegetable Mandu Dumplings, Crispy Seaweed Roll, Chicken Mushroom Rice Bowl, and Beef Bulgogi JapChae. We would order all of it again except for the dumplings which did not travel very well (they were good, they just got a bit soggy). It also came with some banchan. The kimchi was terrific. We really enjoyed all of it, perfect for a chilly, rainy Bloomington day. Plenty of food, we will have leftovers for at least one or two more meals. Super friendly service when we picked up and easy to order online. Happy to support this relatively new local business and it's imaginative and scrumptious menu. Check it out! read more

The industrial aesthetic of Hoosier Seoulmate makes it look like a hipster cafe... and I wondered whether it was a good idea to blend Korean food with southern-style cuisine... but the result is spicy goodness! Absolutely worth the drive to the northwest side of Bloomington. My new favorite place for Korean food. read more

Quick and quaint. The perfect Friday night dinner. Tip: the cheese balls are more of a dessert than an app. The bibimbap was good, not my fav I've ever had, but solid. We had the bulgogi fries and got them sans kimchi for the little one, but they would've been better with that extra kick! read more

Delicious food! My roommate and I split two appetizers, the kimchi bulgogi fries and tteokbokki, and oh boy were we full. I find myself craving the kimchi bulgogi fries often...will definitely order again in the future! The food was ready within 15 minutes (I did pick-up) and the staff was friendly. This place opened only a couple months ago, so I really hope they last through the pandemic because I want to keep coming back! read more

Hoosier Seoulmate Korean Restaurant - Kimchi bulgogi fries - Korean Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

So glad I did a restaurant search for our quick stop in Bloomington! There are definite usual favorites I tend to always go to when in town and I wanted to try somewhere new this trip. This restaurant is in a small shopping center with plenty of parking. We were greeted and seated right away. There weren't many people dinning in when we arrived but there were plenty of tables available and were spaced farther apart. We were given miso soup and banchan to start out meal. The rest of our food came very quickly! We got Tteobokki, Kimchi Bacon Fried Rice, and Sizzling Bibimbap. All of our food were delicious and just what I expected. We were given the gochujang sauce for the bibimbap on side so we could customize the spice level ourselves. :-) read more

Hoosier Seoulmate Korean Restaurant - a variety of dishes - Korean Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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FOOD: very good & portion wise is plentiful. We loved it they sliced the vegetables & generous on the ingredients. PRICE: is affordable & worth it! LOCATION: business area (Culver's is just on the same area for ice cream dessert) SERVICE: the server was pretty good she got our order all right & the order came in quick. It got busy when we're there & probably didn't noticed my husband's soda was empty (my husband drinks a lot of soda wherever we dine in). We love they work for your request which is awesome. My husband is a vegetarian always look for fried rice. We asked if they could add dice tofu & scrambled eggs on his fried rice & with no hesitation they did it. We greatly appreciate the favor but the fried rice tasted salty. I gave 4-star because of the soda & salty fried rice other than that it's all great! We'll definitely be coming back & explore the other food on the menu. read more

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Food was pretty decent, but not great. I've had much more authentic Korean. Service was also really slow.

What a quaint, quality place. Really enjoyed our time there. Very clean and like that they have some imagination on the "Bul-dogs" (bulgogi meat-chicken, pork, or beef) in a toasted bun with some cheese and sauce...delicious and affordable at $4 each! Great appetizers too. Get a few apps, a few "Bul-dogs", and a traditional Korean dish or two and you will be all set. Added bonus for the reusable kids cups. Not to take home but better than disposable. Might be our new favorite Korean spot. read more

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This place was extremely disappointing. Do not order the cold spicy Crab- it isn't edible. They claim you are meant to "suck the crab flavor " but it's terrible. The server was not going to take it off our check but my husband handled it. I truly don't like writing negative reviews but this place was disappointing on all levels. read more

Hoosier Seoulmate Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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Fantastic food and great service! Sarah is always so welcoming and helpful with the menu. Great suggestions and everything is so authentic! Love this little place. read more

Hoosier Seoulmate Korean Restaurant - Bulgolgi fries Thai wings Side dishes - Korean Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

I've always wanted to try Korean food and I was not disappointed! Love love loved everything I ate from here! Their pickled radish was the perfect banchan to have with my Bimimbap. Next time I'm in Bloomington I'm going to make sure to stop by again! read more

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There are so many options in this town and I wanted to try someplace further from the hustle and bustle by the University. I saw some reviews on Yelp and decided to check it out. Their wings and Beef Bul-dog was bomb. Service could use some work but at least they were nice. read more

Hoosier Seoulmate Korean Restaurant - Beef Bul-dog - Korean Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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This place was so good. I can't wait to return. The spicy bulgogi was BOMB! As we're the bulgogi Rangoons. I wish I got more banchan side dishes but that is my only complaint. I'll be back! read more

The name? Affordable! The food? Pretty darn tasty. My daughter and I tried this place because we were looking for a new, regular, go to Asian or Asian fusion restaurant we could frequent when I'm in the Bloomington area. This place didn't disappoint. The food was pretty good considering it was delivered and there's no telling which stop we were asking the way. We can't wait to stop in for some fresh, table served cuisine. read more

Amazing in every way. We eat here all the time and it's sooooooooooooo good. So fresh. And such a great family. We need more restaurants like SEOULMATE in this town!!! Street style egg dog is mouth magic!!!! read more

I'm from out of town but love coming here occassionally when I visit my boyfriend. I get the same thing everytime (Beef Bulgogi Japchae) because I love the flat glass noodles and the flavor is yummy. Tried something new with the Bulgogi Fries and they were wonderful. The ambiance is relaxing, modern, and peaceful. This place, the staff, and the service never ceases to amaze. read more

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I'm upgrading this beautiful happy space to 5 stars. We can't get enough. Their tteokbokki is a revelation (rice cake snack with fish cake and rice noodles). Spicy perfection. Their veggie fried rice is so amazing that my meat loving husband has been dreaming of it everyday for a week now. Their banchan is special and craveable in its own right. Do not sleep on the kimchi fries. They'll wow you every time. Their japchae is good. And the Galbi beef short ribs are the best ribs in town. Best of all, their service is lovely. They take takeaway seriously. They'll offer you pronunciation assistance if you ask. And will figure out what you're trying to say without judgement if you don't. They wear masks, offer hand sanitizer, all the works. Please help keep this fantastic new restaurant thriving during these weird COVID times read more

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Wow!! Very honored to be this restaurant's first review! Went to Hoosier Seoulmate today for some takeout and very happy that I did! I ordered over the phone, and Sarah was very nice and informative while taking my order. The good was ready 15 minutes after I called and I did not have to wait at all. I caught a glimpse of the inside of the dining room and it was really nice! I'm not comfortable going into dining rooms yet because of COVID-19, but I would love to come back and dine in when I feel safe to do so. I got the N5. Beef Bulgogi JapChae and it was sooo good. They were not skimpy with the beef either! Each bite had all the best elements of the dish. I definitely recommend Hoosier Seoulmate and I can't wait to order again. read more

Hoosier Seoulmate Korean Restaurant - N5. Beef Bulgogi JapChae - Korean Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

Best Korean food I've ever eaten. My wife's grandparents lived in Korea for over 20 years. Tasted just like Granny's. Except the service was friendlier. Very fine people. read more

We ordered takeout via their online website. To see more detailed descriptions of the food, look at their Facebook page. That's what we had to do because we are Korean food newbies. We ordered beef fried rice, bacon kimchi fried rice, and the bulgogi fries. My favorite item was the bacon kimchi fried rice because the kimchi is so delicious. I can't wait to try to bimbimbap and the ramen. read more

Hoosier Seoulmate Korean Restaurant - Kimchi Bacon Fried Rice. So delicious! The kimchi is to die for. - Korean Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

I took my colleagues who never had Korean food previously and they all enjoyed their first Korean food! One of colleagues got bulgogi and I can tell they use good ingredients and everything is very fresh. As a Korean, I was happy to choose this place. read more

The food is good but they don't have alcohol. The service is awesome and they try to help with question to they best abilities. Clean and simple decor. read more