ONE ITEM: TANGSUYUK Normally I don't write reviews of only one item. However if I do crave for an item at a particular cuisine I'll order or it. If I go to a Hong Kong-style cafe and there's hainan chicken I'll order it. If I go to a Korean restaurant I try see if tangsuyuk is offered. However tangsuyuk isn't served at Korean restaurants, but at Korean Chinese restaurants. The dish tangsuyuk was created by ethnic Chinese immigrants living in Korea. Last Saturday night my family came to Seoul Mama for dinner. This restaurant was a last-minute change as the place at the same plaza we wanted to eat was a one-hour wait. When I arrived my sister placed an order for the family. However she said you can order more items. Out of curiosity on the photo section of Seoul Mama on Yelp I typed tangsuyuk to search. To my surprise there were two photos of tangsuyuk. I asked for the server and informed her I wanted to order tangsuyuk. Tangsuyuk is in my top 10 favorite foods of all time. The first time I ate tangusyuk was in Temescal District in Oakland. Tangsuyuk is the Korean version of sweet and sour pork. There is a difference between Chinese and Korean versions. Whereas sweet and sour pork tends to be heavy tangsuyuk is lighter in its sauce (because it's clear) and batter. Also the meat in tangsuyuk is pork loin therefore the dish is lean. Most of all the deep-fried breaded meat is not mixed with the sauce. For this Saturday night dinner there were items such as beef bulgogi, chicken bulgogi, and pork belly my sister ordered. These items were tasty however I was waiting for my tangsuyuk. I told my cousin about my love for tangsuyuk. He worked at a Korean restaurant and never heard about tangsuyuk. When the tangsuyuk was served I knew from appearance the dish would be delicious. I took one piece and dipped it in the sauce. After taking a bite of the light batter and sauce the tangsuyuk at Seoul Mama had my seal of approval. My cousin ate tangsuyuk for the first time. He responded by saying he loved the dish. While others were feasting on other dishes and condiments I had the tangsuyuk mostly to myself. I've eaten tangsuyuk in Oakland, Santa Clara, Milpitas, and Dublin. Since tangsuyuk is offered in Korean Chinese restaurants you don't see the dish in Korean restaurants hence why I rarely have tangsuyuk. At Seoul Mama I now know I can have tangsuyuk in the Tri-City area of the Bay Area. read more

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Good delicious food. Everything tasted really clean and healthy, home cooked, I didn't leave feeling stuffed or weighed down like I usually do. Though we did order less food lol Went during lunch and had the whole restaurant to ourselves for a bit so that was nice. Service was friendly, efficient, and quick. Waitress was very sweet and offered seconds on bonchon. Dumplings are great, crisp and came out piping hot. So did the bibimbap bowl we ordered and seafood ramen. Everything was sizzling and smelled amazing even before eating. We devoured the bonchon, liked how they didn't have the typical sesame broccoli side dish you see, it had some spice and beans mixed it. Prices were pretty fair, I didnt feel like I was charged an arm and a leg just to eat lunch. Bathroom was pretty clean and had nice sand&fog hand soap lol. Would go here again if I was in the area read more

Jajangmyeon 4.5/5 needs more pork chunks Beef bibimbap 5/5 Seafood pancake 4/5 Marinated crab 4/5 a little salty Tteokbokki 4.5/5 needs odeng Prime beef ribeye 5/5 Spicy pork bulgogi 3/5 a little salty Service 5/5 Ambiance 4/5 read more

Shout out to my husband because he saw one Instagram video and suggested Seoul Mama to me.. and I can't say no to Korean food. The restaurant is located in a plaza so there is a ton of parking. Ever since we had raw crab in Seoul, I've been trying to find a place near home that served it so I can scratch the itch so to speak. We were worried that it would be busy, but it was actually pretty empty when we arrived so we were seated promptly and given menus. Honestly, everything sounded good. We opted for their cheese corn, seafood pancake, raw crab, and bulgogi. The food came out quick and I feel like we devoured enough to justify a good time. They even gave me gloves for the raw crab. Overall, Seoul Mama is a solid place to be if you're craving Korean food. It is a bit pricey, but the atmosphere is laid back and the food is delicious. read more

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Hands down has to be one of the most underrated Korean spots to come to. Came here driving around craving some Soondubu and came across this spot. Ordered the seafood soondubu and the soy marinated chicken wings based on the server's recommendation! The stew was packed with so much seafood and flavor in it. The chicken wings were phenomenal, there was this citrus, peppery yet savory taste to it. Highly recommend these dishes if you are here! The spotlight would have to be the banchan on the side. The kimchi was the highlight of it all because of how fresh and spicy it was. read more

Seoul Mama - Korean Near Me - Newark, California

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Went last month in November with my friends. This is a family owned Korean restaurant in Newark. It's small and quiet looking on the outside but check this place out! The food is really yummy! There are many options to choose from at reasonable prices. I didn't get the Korean bbq but other food items. Staff are friendly and it's nice here! The side dishes were really good. I love the spicy cucumbers, bean sprouts, and potato. My friends and I got the clam noodle soup and black bean noodles. Both were excellent! If you like a lighter broth, the clam soup would be nice. Everything was well made and so flavorful. I hope to come again! read more

Seoul Mama - Korean Near Me - Newark, California

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My uncle and aunt posted about Seoul Mama on Instagram, posting a picture of their jjajangmyeon and I knew I had to go here. There is only a handful of restaurants I know that make jjajangmyeon (Oakland, Milpitas, and Santa Clara), but this is so close to home and I'm so thankful because it did not disappoint! Their kimchi pancake, tangsuyuk, corn cheese, and banchan were all so tasty! Our server was so sweet, she was always checking in if we needed anything. I definitely can't wait to come back for more jjajangmyeon read more

Seoul Mama - Jjajangmyeon - Korean Near Me - Newark, California

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Have you tried Raw Marinated Crab yet?? If you're in the East Bay, this little mom n pop Korean restaurant in Newark serves it, and spicy too! At first, I thought it wasn't for me, but after a few more bites, it actually starts to grow on you. You can also find other Korean comfort dishes here like tofu soup, bibimbap, and noodles. They also have a KBBQ option with grills built into some tables (not AYCE).  What we ordered: * Spicy Marinated Crab * Chicken Bulgogi Teppanyaki * Grilled Shrimp Teppanyaki * Beef Hot Stone Bibimbap * Beef Soft Tofu Stew * Jajangmyen * Kimchi Chige (kimchi, pork, & tofu soup) read more

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I mean wow! Everything was truly fantastic, both the drinks and the food! One of the best quality korean food in the area; the flavors really popped. Also one of the only places in the east bay that I see selling raw marinated crab, and it was sooo tasty. Spicy, sweet, briny, with deliciously soft crab meat. Also loved the beef bulgogi with cheese! I appreciated that the bulgogi marinade wasn't too sweet, and the cheese just pulled everything together, from the tender meat to the sweet onion bed below. Oysters were incredibly fresh, spicy rice cakes were chewy perfection. Cheese corn and jjangmyeon were standard but tasty, and I loved all the drinks! I will say that the prices are definitely a bit up there for the quantity of food, but up to par with the quality. Dishes average $20-40, and the BBQ meats are even more. Definitely not budget friendly, but a small family owned business I am DEFINITELY willing to support! Hope to be back soon :) read more

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Seoul Mama will easily become my new go-to restaurant for comfort Korean food! We ordered their Jajangmyeon, Spicy Marinated Crab, Mixed Tofu Stew, Spicy Pork Bulgogi, Seafood Pancake, and Grilled Cheese. Every dish was above average for my taste! Korean food tends to be heavily seasoned at a lot of places but I liked how perfectly seasoned they were. I especially like the Jajangmyeon and the Pork Bulgogi. The inside seemed newly renovated and was spacious; party of 3 didn't have a wait on a Friday night. Extremely clean bathroom as well! Staff were kind and the chef came out to ask how our experience was. Overall a solid experience and would visit again read more

Seoul Mama - Korean Near Me - Newark, California

Visited Seoul Mama recently and everything we ordered was pure Korean comfort food done right The spicy raw marinated crab was fresh, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned -- definitely a standout. Their jjajangmyeon was rich and comforting, and honestly such a steal since it's only $12 every Tuesday-Thursday We also loved the spicy pork bulgogi with cheese -- savory, spicy, and super satisfying. The seafood & beef tofu soup was hearty and comforting, perfect with rice, while the seafood pancake was crispy on the outside and packed with seafood. And of course, you can never go wrong with corn cheese to round everything out! Overall, a great spot for classic Korean comfort food with generous portions and solid flavors. Highly recommend if you're craving Korean food -- especially on weekdays for the jjajangmyeon deal! read more

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I had a great experience at this restaurant! The food was delicious, and the service was quick. Highly recommend for a satisfying and hassle-free dining experience. read more

Seoul Mama - Kimchi hot pot - Korean Near Me - Newark, California

Got seated quickly on a Friday night. Friendly server and came back to our table a lot to ask to refill our drinks and ask how everything was going. The food came it quickly and was delicious. We ordered corn cheese, galbi, bulgogi, zha jiang mian, and seafood pancake. The food was not too oily and was flavorful. They're still in soft opening so the ambiance was quiet and not too crowded. Clean and spacious. Would come back again! read more

Seoul Mama - Corn cheese, galbi, bulgogi, seafood pancake, zha jiang mian - Korean Near Me - Newark, California

Came here on a random Thursday and it was empty... at first we thought this was a bad sign. But we later realized it was low key just underrated. While the food is on the pricier side, everything tasted good which made it worth the drive. We had the Yakisoba, Bibimbap, LA Galbi, Fried Dumplings, and Jiamppong. Never had Yakisoba at a Korean place, but my picky friend liked it. read more

Seoul Mama - Hot stone - Korean Near Me - Newark, California

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If you're looking for top-quality Korean BBQ and soul-warming comfort food, Seoul Mama is an absolute must-visit. Everything we ordered was packed with flavor, made with care, and presented with that special touch that only a passionate local business can deliver. Let's start with the Premium Beef Short Rib. Hands down, one of the best cuts of meat I've had. You get to grill it yourself right at the table, which makes the experience fun and interactive. The meat quality was outstanding; rich, tender, and marbled just enough to melt in your mouth. Each bite had that perfect balance of flavor and texture that makes you stop mid-conversation to savor it. The Beef Ribs Soup was equally impressive! Deeply comforting with a broth that was both clean and flavorful. It had that home-cooked taste that makes you feel instantly cozy. Honestly, it's the best I've had anywhere. You can tell it was slow-simmered with care. I also have to mention the Sweet & Sour Pork. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and the sauce it came with was phenomenal. From the quality of the ingredients to the thoughtful flavors and warm, welcoming atmosphere, Seoul Mama really stands out. You can tell the owners put their heart into what they do and it shows in every dish. They recently opened so let's show them some love! The staff was so sweet and the food was all incredible! read more

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Excited for this new Korean spot!!! They're serving up a variety of classic Korean soups, appetizers, kbbq, and more. This is the first spot I've seen that offers such raw marinated crab!!! It was not overly spicy and tasted really fresh. They're having a few promotions right now: free corn cheese or fried dumpling with Yelp reservation, and $10 mini appetizers! I loved the naengmyeon (korean noodle soup in a chilled broth). A cold noodle on a hot summer day always hits the spot for me, this was super refreshing. If you want something hot, get the bibimbap. It was one of my favorite dishes I tried here. The crispy rice at the bottom is addicting! read more

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I've eaten at this place a few times since their soft opening. Each time, the service is quick and friendly. The food is tasty, and the music is trendy. We particularly like the grilled pork belly and Jajangmyen. You can also do Korean barbecue, and cook at your table. Hoping people discover this hidden gem, and give them lots of business so they'll stick around. We love small family run places like this! read more

Seoul Mama - Banchan and cheese corn - Korean Near Me - Newark, California

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What a great little spot! Perfect amount of spice and flavor. The bonchon is super tasty especially the broccoli. The service is so good and prompt, you get a very mom and pop feeling when visiting. Definitely will be back! read more

My lil fam and I have been here twice since they've opened as we were so intrigued before they opened. All food items are delicious! The lemonades, OMG. Please try "my combo" lol strawberry and passion fruit lemonade. I tried raw crab here! As a first timer, it was beyond unbelievably good!! We will keep coming back. The service is stellar! The place is also very clean! I love the family that works behind everything. Very helpful! Thanks guys! read more

Seoul Mama - Raw crab! - Korean Near Me - Newark, California

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The service is excellent. The staff are cherry. The food is great. My wife and I have been there twice. We enjoyed both times very much. Highly recommend!!! read more

Nothing against the people who run this. They're great and will take good care of you. However, the food... Japchae: way too salty. Probably too much soy sauce. Also extremely oily. Can use like a third the oil. Also what is this...? Zucchini? It tastes very much like a Chinese stir fry. Could use a bit more meat bits. Is it supposed to be bulgogi? On that note, the bulgogi: needs to be marinated longer and cut thinner. The other ingredients were good quality but the meat is far leaner than what makes good bulgogi. It kinda tastes more like stir fried broccoli beef minus the broccoli. I do like the oyster mushrooms because I'll eat those anywhere, but I've also never seen that done before. Not sure if people want mushrooms when they order bulgogi. Tteok-bokki rice cakes themselves were quite nice and chewy. But the sauce is watery. Kinda tastes like watered down buldak? It was mildly spicy but has no flavor. Maybe try to source some good gochujang sauce? Oh if you have the time, some places do the cheese melt in front of the customer and it's a cool show. The banchan is also rather bland. The kimchi is alright, but the others seem to rely on onions for flavor. Cucumbers with gochujang sauce just tasted like plain cucumbers with spice. Potato salad is just potatoes, though I guess what was I expecting lol. What I didn't expect was large chunks of onions. Not sure what that was supposed to add. read more

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The service was 10/10 our server checked up on us to make sure we had everything we wanted and she was very kind. The food arrived quickly and hot! It was delicious and I think the bulgogi taste amazing especially when paired with the lettuce and peanut spicy sauce. The ambiance was peaceful and quiet. Perfect place to have lunch with the family. The restaurant was very clean! You can tell there's a lot of love and hard work put into the restaurant. read more

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Came here on a weekend for lunch and it was quite empty. I wanted to check it out since I saw that they had Jajangmyun. The restaurant staff appear to be all Chinese so I'm not sure if that meant that the chef was also Chinese, but the Jajangmyun that I ordered was not the best prepared. The sauce tasted bitter which is a common issue that happens if you don't fry the black bean paste and the noodle seemed more like ramen noodles in consistency rather than the thicker kind you normally expect from a Korean Jajangmyun place. We also ordered the tangsuyuk which had zero flavor in the meat whatsoever, it would have been nice if it was lightly salted but you basically had to dip it in the citrus sauce or else there would be no flavor to the meat. My husband got the naengmyun which was good and my sister got a tofu soup mild which ended up being super red and way too spicy for her. The side dishes also weren't that impressive, we didn't finish any of them. Would probably not come again for the same dishes but maybe try again for the bbq. read more

Seoul Mama - Side dishes and tangsuyuk - Korean Near Me - Newark, California

First time here and the service was great. I booked a reservation through Yelp, the last spot, which was 8 pm. What got me here was the grill at the table and with the soft opening I saw that that another review said if booking a Yelp reservation there was promotion for the cheese corn or dumpling. So I let the staff know when I came in that I booked reservation on Yelp. I asked about the grilling and the two meat minimum, and they told me the table grill was closed cause getting late. But I was like, I booked the available time so I would think I get the full dining experience if I wanted to. The server offered that they could cook the meat in the kitchen, so opted for that. Still.... If we can't honor the grilling experience maybe cut the Yelp times earlier that still lets u grill if booking. And I guess maybe the promotion is no more, cause didn't get offered cheese corn or dumpling as a Yelp reservation. They are still on soft opening. read more

Service was good, but the food is HORRIBLE...If you are a Korean foodie or actually Korean, you will be sorely disappointed. 1. The bonchon (side dishes) are essentially flavorless. You're basically getting a "brine" taste on the spicy radish, kimchi, and marinated cucumbers. They are not seasoning these dishes at all. We have doubts on the type of red chili powder used in their dishes; suspected to be not of "Korean" origin. 2. The sweet & sour pork (tangsyuk) was a joke. The pork's batter was under cooked and soggy. The sauce was overly sweet and just tasted like sugar slurry. The lemon slices overpower any traditional tangsyuk taste. 3. Kalbi Dolsot Bibimbap. Overpriced at $25 and dismal. You get 3 cut up pieces of Kalbi coming from a single LA Kalbi strip and barely any rice or veggies in the bowl. The bowl comes with nearly 1/2 inch of seasame oil. 4. Bibim Guksu (spicy noodles). Inedible. My wife took 2 bites before quitting. Their spicy sauce is no where traditional or flavorful. Once again, we question their red chili powder origins. We barely finished our meal and left after paying. Food was not even worth a takeout box. If you're in Newark, there are several other worthwhile Korean restaurants that we've visited in the past: Soo Ja (Bistro & Soup Restaurants), Seoul Tofu, & Kong Sarang (best). read more

Awesome Korean comfort food! Tasty meal, great and friendly service, chill vibe. We had the cheese tteokbokki, jajangmyeon, and seafood pancake. The bonchon was perfect and we loved all the selections. The chef even gave us a new bonus bonchon he just made to see what we thought - and it was super good! 10/10 coming back!! read more

Finally a place that has marinated crab! The only thing that was disappointing is they removed gamja-tang from their menu - that's one reason we were excited to go, to have a solid gamja tang place (pork rib soup). read more

Great service. We enjoyed the yakisoba with chicken, beef bimibap bowl and tofu soup with pork and kimchi. The food was wonderful.

I had no complaints about the food. It was my first time trying raw marinated crab and it did not disappoint AT ALL! Everything tasted amazing and the service was excellent. I would definitely come back to this place! read more

The service is nice but the food quality is alright. Some of our bonchon was overly salted, some pretty plain. We usually finish our bonchon at Korean places, but didn't this time. We ordered the seafood pancake 1/5- a lot of green onions not enough actual seafood, the jajangmyeon didn't have enough sauce 3/5- not very flavorful, we also ordered Korean cold noodles and dumplings- hard to get those wrong. The best thing we ended up getting was their passion fruit lemonade. Sadly wouldn't come again. Was really wishing to find a good Korean spot in the area. read more

Seoul Mama - Seafood pancake - Korean Near Me - Newark, California

Won't come back! Compared to price, the food portion is really small. The beef rib costs $40 for 8 tiny pieces and tastes not good too! Seafood pancakes only have a few tiny shrimps and two tiny pieces squid. Cheese corn was not even hot. The corn in the middle is cold. This is my first time to have a hot stone pot with so little vegetable and meat! You can even see the rice on top! Paying for over $100 for unflavored food and tiny portions! Definitely won't come back again! read more

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Honestly I have such a big soft spot for Korean food and always had to choose between expensive restaurants or not having it at all.... So when Seoul Mama came to town I was insanely excited!! I went on their opening day and they exceeded my expectations! My favorite go-to has to be the beef bulgogi with a side of rice and all the free sides they offer as well. I genuinely love coming here with family and the service is just the same! 10/10 always friendly and welcoming towards us and they enjoy cracking up jokes with us as well. I'm very happy to say I'll be coming here whenever I can :) Love you Seoul Mama!! Honestly, I usually love taking pictures of dishes when I go out to eat but I always get so distracted whenever I come here because the food always comes out hot and ready! But I left a picture I took after the first meal ahah. read more

Seoul Mama - Posing with the sign!!! - Korean Near Me - Newark, California

I was looking forward to eating here, but ended up extremely disappointed. My friend and I had the seafood pancake, and this was the first time I have ever had a seafood pancake that had absolutely no discernible trace of seafood in it. It was just a greasy vegetarian "thing" as far as we could tell. And I'm serious - there was no seafood in it at all. At least the previous owners of the place put actual seafood in the seafood pancake. They were out of LA Short Ribs (really!) so we had the beef bulgogi. Ugh - it was laden with gristle and globs of unchewable (not marbled) fat. We ate about one-third of this dish. Did you ever bite into a thin slice of meat and discover it was like chewing on the inner tube of a car tire, and had to spit it out? That was our Seoul Mama Beef Bulgogi. Looks like Seoul Mama has come up with a recipe for going out of business... read more

It's good Korean food. The cheese corn appetizer was my favorite, although I feel like they could've used fresh corn instead of canned. I could taste the metal of the canned. I had the hot stone chicken and the chicken was delish along with the other fresh ingredients. I would not order a drink again $4.50 for like 4-6oz of lemonade. Lunch for two came out to $70. So it's pricey. read more

Came here on a random Tuesday afternoon and was blown away. They have tables with a KBBQ Grill and without, the place is nice. We ordered the raw oysters, galbi and raw marinated crab. It exceeded our expectations in taste and quality. The hospitality from the restaurant is also unmatched extremely welcoming and friendly. Definitely need to come back and try everything on the menu. read more

I have been looking for korean food since moving away from my grandma and this place is it! their raw marinated crab was a 10/10, not fishy, had lots of meat, and rich in flavor! the raw oysters exceeded my expectations and I could've ate another order! the LA Galbi was well seasoned and cooked but could've been marinated more! I wish there was more banchan but nevertheless it made me feel like I was at home! the service was great and friendly! 10/10 recommend read more

Seoul Mama - La galbi lunch, raw marinated crab - Korean Near Me - Newark, California

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It's okay.... Same as other reviewers service was good but food seems taste off... not fresh and not enough flavor. Also it's quite expensive. Wouldn't come back unfortunately... read more

Best Korean food by far! The food was so delicious and service was great! The place was clean and friendly. Love this mom and pops restaurant. It was fantastic! Thank you Seoul Mama read more

Went to this spot a few weeks ago and it was about to close but they still got me in and I was able to enjoy the Korean food here. I had a great experience the food was amazing. read more

Don't go. The food is terrible and it is expensive. Sweet and sour pork just put honey in.