This was a nice place but it is small. The food was great and the wait wasn't too long. I'd recommend the poke bowl since it is flavorful but if spice isn't your thing I wouldn't get the spicy mayo. The kimchee pancake is an item that is easily shared in a group. read more

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Came in and got seats at the bar immediately. Really cute and interesting atmosphere with great artwork featured on the walls. Food was very delicious - a few pretty authentic korean dishes with a bit of a modern vibe to them. Portion sizes were excellent, which is very important to me (if i can finish the entire meal in one sitting at a restaurant, i'm disappointed) so we took some leftovers home. Only criticism was that the tofu katsu curry was lacking in some salt and flavor. Curry was a bit too sweet and the tofu was not salted or seasoned enough. Other than that we loved everything! read more

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Came for dinner and drinks! We ordered two soju bombs which is just beef and a shot of soju. For appetizers we got the Korean fried chicken and beef gimbap. I didn't love the fried chicken, I felt like the pieces were too large and difficult to share. The sauces weren't very good either. The spicy tasted mainly like Tabasco. Gimbap was not bad, it was definitely too dry, otherwise flavors were fine. Bibimbap came in such a large portion which was great. It doesn't come in a stone bowl sadly so there's no crispy rise at the bottom. The way their marinate their beef is very sweet and a little tough and doesn't exactly taste like bulgogi that I'm familiar with-- but not bad. Drinks were delicious! Loved purple rain and the they had a small selection of local beers. I would definitely come back for the friendly vibes, yummy drinks and try a diff selection of appetizers next time. read more

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Great service! Loved seeing the local art on the walls! The vibe was fun yet peaceful. I had the Korean fried chicken which came with two sauces, soy pineapple sauce and a spicy sauce that was sort of like a Buffalo sauce. The soy pineapple was my favorite, Sweet but not too sweet! The Korean BBQ plate had beef, chicken, and pork, so delicious! definitely the best Korean pork I've had in the city! Definitely the place to grab a bite when in the mood for Korean! read more

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***3.5 Stars*** *MEDIOCRE* Soju puts a twist to tradition Korean food dining with the design of the restaurant and the presentation of the food. The restaurant looks very much like a cafe with the art, the hanging lights, and the wooden tables; quite aesthetic. The food menu was very limited in comparison to a standard Korean restaurant. However, the drinks menu was more extensive. It was very nice of the owner/head-chef to greet us and thank us for coming out. Overall service was great and presentation was Soju Punch: A mix between soju, yakuroto yogurt, and tropical fruits. This tasted really good! Taste like an alcoholic version of Yakult/Calpico. Korean BBQ Combination: If you're like me and loves to try everything, get this! You get all the three meats they offer: Kalbi, bulging, and dwaejibulgogi. It comes with white rice and two banchans, kimchi and pickled cucumbers. You get three decently sized pieces of each meat: The meats were cooked and seasoned well. The sauces were on the sweet side. I liked it, but for $18, I expected a bit more stuff. The banchan included pickled cucumbers and kimchi. The pickled cucumbe was sooo good, just the right amount of sourness and sweetness. The kimchi however, was more sour than spicy. Kimchi fried rice with egg: The egg was perfectly cooked over easy. The fried rice was seasoned well, but it was not that spicy. The kimchi was more sour than spicy. As someone who loves sour food, I still thought it was sour. Maybe it would've been more enjoyable if it was a bit more spicy and a bit less sour. VERDICT: Would I order them again? I would order the drink and the meat again, but not the fried rice. Would I go back again? If you want me to. I'd go if my friends want to go. But I would not be the one suggesting it. read more

Even on a street with best-in-the-Burgh staples like Apteka and Spak Brothers, Soju more than holds its own. Its offerings run the gamut from traditional Korean fare to full-on fusion, and every one of them is worth a bite, or two, or three. We tried three dishes: Bulgogi, a Spicy Pancake, and their Kimchi-Chi Nachos. Their bulgogi was, without exaggeration, the best I've ever had. Bulgogi is a dish that's easy to do decently but hard to do well, and Soju's was absolutely bursting with flavor: The innate savor of the beef, the crisp and char from the grill, and the marinade were as overwhelmingly delicious on the last bite as the first, which is an achievement in itself. The dish came with a sticky rice that was, somehow, almost as flavorful: Sweet and herby, the perfect complement. That's a tough act to follow, but the spicy pancake pulled it off. It had a pleasant, lingering heat rather than a punch-in-the-mouth explosion, and it enhanced the other flavors of the dish rather than covering up blandness, which is so easy in spicy food. It also held together from plate to mouth, which is a personal pet peeve for Korean pancakes. The weakest player was the nachos. Using wontons for chips was brilliant, and the flavor from the pickles, mushrooms, radish, kimchi, and other vegetables was good, if very sweet, but definitely needed the saltiness of the cheese to balance it out. But the texture doesn't survive even a short drive home very well: The wontons get soggy fast, after which point all the toppings are almost impossible to keep on. You'll want to wait until dining out comes back to experience this in its full glory. Soju is playing with giants on its block. But if you let this one slip under your radar, you'll be missing out. read more

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The food is great... the service is great and the ambiance is warm, cozy and quaint.. it has the vibes... considering the weather, it was such a welcome to pop into Soju and just warm up instantly by the place, feel and soju! read more

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We came in fairly late on Saturday because they don't take reservations. It worked well as we were able to find a spot for 6 opening. We made our way in and reviewed the drink list. I chose the sangria, a fair option with a hint too much ice. Hubs and several others at the table got Soju, Maggie's Farm White Rum, Mango, Pineapple, Pomegranate, Ginger, Yakuroto Yogurt, Chillsung Soda. It was good, but very sweet. The group ordered the pancake to start. It was good, but lacked some of the crispiness and flavor that I was hoping for. Don't get me wrong, it's pretty good for where we are. Hubs ordered the combo plate. The pork and beef were quite tasty, the chicken was so so.... I had the bibimbap without meat since hubs had so much meat (we had enough for leftovers). It worked and balanced well in terms of food. The egg in the bibimbap was over hard, which is my main complaint. Delicious nonetheless. I capped out the evening with the Soju, Asian Pear, Lemon, Ginger, Soda. It was refreshing for the warm evening, but sweet. Seems like the thing here. Good addition to the area and reasonably priced. I can see myself coming back. read more

Soju - Combo plate - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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This is my second time coming here and the food here is phenomenal! The waiters are always extremely nice and accommodating. Really good atmosphere!! read more

Soju - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Great addition to the Korean cuisine scene. The cocktails were inventive without grasping. I had one served in a spam tin that I was VERRRRY skeptical of, but turned out to be delicious. Korean street food starters like Tteokbokki, (sticky spicy rice cake cut in little cylinders) I'd never heard of, but were delicious surprises, and supplemented old stand-bys like Bibimbap and Bulgogi. Korean short ribs, jap-chae, and fried chicken were all present and accounted for, and will definitely be on my plate next visit. Small venue, so seating is limited, and since they don't take reservations, just make a point of showing up with a little time to spare. There's seating at the bar if you're not picky about table-seating. read more

Soju - Bibimbap, tteokbokki - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Not a place to eat Korean food. I went as soon as they opened on the weekend. The place is pretty tight to be 6 feet distance. They have variety of soju mix drinks. I've had not your mothers milk punch, it tasted like rum with sprite. Nothing special, also their glass was small... I could've drank 3 and still would not be buzzed. I've got their galbi( beef short ribs). It came with kimchi and rice. Rice texture was weird. Inside, it was wet and over cooked and outside, it was undercooked. Galbi was alright, not tender. Kimchi was way too fermented. It needed to be used in stew, rather than as a side dish. The service was good but rather slow. read more

Soju - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Fun Korean inspired joint with decent options and dishes. My wife and I split the killer tofu katsu (awesome) and the three cheese Tteokbokki (also awesome). The tofu had a nice sweet and savory glaze and is just simple to crush. The tteobokki had a great spicy umami sauce and is almost like a Korean gnocchi. I got the Korean BBQ platter as my entire which was good but portion size was a little underwhelming and my wife had the bibimbap, which I thought was a little sweet. Kimchi and pickles were served on the side and both are awesome. Prices are a touch on the high side for the experience, but nothing totally off-putting. The cocktail menu is meh. I thought everything my wife ordered was a little overpowering (ok guess I shouldn't complain about that) and the beer list is surprisingly nice, but a little on the pricy side. As a side note, my glass had a bit of bubble cling, which beer drinkers know means soap and oil residue. Clean those things out! Service is attentive, fun and casual. Overall well done and a good spot to hit if you don't have plans or want anything too formal. Parking can be a bit tricky. read more

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Came here for dinner on a Thursday night. It is on the smaller side so be prepared to wait. We started with the kimchi nachos and tteokboki. The nachos were huge and delicious with wonton chips, lots of kimchi, cheese, and super tender bulgogi. The tteokboki was an interesting consistency but tasty as well. It had a nice spicy flavor. The appetizers were very filling so we shared a dinner entree. The Korean bbq was great. All the meat was flavorful and tender. They have a great drink menu as well. Overall, a unique place to grab some Korean American fusion food in the burgh! Prices are very reasonable as well. Service was excellent as they gave us some soju on our way out. read more

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Food is good, but this isn't a Korean restaurant. I know a Korean American owns and runs it, but the menu reflects pan-Asian. I think that part is weird and sort of makes the concept of the place gimmicky. Unless I'm miss the throughline of why the place is calling it Korean (other than to merely capitalize on the hallyu wave in a place that is not yet saturated), I don't get it. Seems like any other place with a nice collection of soju drinks. read more

We waited 90 minutes and had to leave. Poor communication!! from the staff tracking reservations. I had called ahead and was told reservations weren't accepted. By the time the manager stepped in to help, it was too late, and we decided to leave for dinner elsewhere. their team needs serious improvement in handling reservations and customer communication. read more

Awesome food. Very large portion sizes. Service was timely and friendly. I highly recommend.

Pricey but good place to try Korean cuisines. Organized staff and good communication at a timely manner when reserving for a big group. I ordered the Dwaejibulgogi (Day-jee-bull-go-gee) thinly sliced pork tenderloin in a spicy korean marinade grilled, served with rice & banchan. read more

Soju - Tofu - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Wonderful food!!! The chefs are geniuses! The service was also very friendly. I will definitely be going back.

Soju was the best restaurant and place that I stumbled upon during my most recent trip to Pittsburgh. We met some friends here and were able to split a number of things. Everything we tried and tasted was phenomenal, and I'm psyched that we found this place. First off, our waitress was amazing. She was super attentive, offered us free shots of soju at the end of dinner, and told us multiple times to stay as long as we'd like to continue enjoying our night and dining experience. Towards the end, the manager (maybe owner?) also came out with a huge smile on his face to greet us. Very warming. We split the Nori Fries - absolutely amazing. From the seasoning on the fries to the sauce they came with.. perfection. The Kimchijeon (kimchi pancake) was perfectly fried, crisp, and delicious and, again, the sauce that came with it was the perfect accompaniment. For the main course, we split the Korean BBQ sample, mostly because my indecisive self can never pick just one thing. All three - the kalbi, bulgogi, and dwaejibulgogi - were phenomenal. Tender, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. I would recommend any of them individually, but the combo is a great chance to try all three. What a great place to land itself in the constantly developing and trendy Pittsburgh food scene. Highly recommended. read more

Soju - Korean BBQ combo - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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If I was only judging the food, I would give it a 3/5 but including the amazing service, unique drinks, decent appetizer selection, I bumped it up another star. Great place for people who have never tried korean food or have only tried it a few times. To people who are looking for something more authentic, I would suggest another place. * Food: My friend and I shared the Kimchijeon (savory pancake) which wasn't too bad. If I could, I would have tried all their appetizers because it sounded so good. For the entree, I ordered the Korean BBQ Appetizer which came with Kalbi, Bulgogi and Dwaejkbulgogi. This is definitely a good entree to order if you want variety! It also came with kimchi and pickled cucumbers on the side which were pretty good! I can sometimes be picky with my kimchi. I didn't end up ordering a drink but some of my friends did and they loved it. They had a lot of unique drinks and I would definitely come back to try it. * Cost vs. Worth: Korean food is typically more expensive in Pittsburgh and I have had better korean food for the same price. Is it worth it? No but if my friends wanted to come here, I would still tag along. Will I come here again? - I would come here for the appetizers and drinks! read more

Soju - Korean BBQ Combination - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

This restaurant has vibes and good food presentation, but offered very inauthentic Korean cuisine. I couldn't taste the cheeses in the three cheese tteobokki except for the parmesan shavings at the top, while the sauce was also slightly dry and flavorless. The galbi was also on the dryer and tasteless side, while the kimbap was at most average, around supermarket kimbap level. As for the drinks, they all looked extremely dreamy and beautiful, but again the flavors didn't mesh well together. read more

Soju - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Service was great however the food was not what I was expecting. Kinda disappointed with the bulgogi and while the meat was tender it was just lacking sauce. The kimchi was also dry. I think I would definitely come here more for the drinks and various flavors of soju because I can't really find that anywhere else. Very sad because I've been meaning to try this place for years but it's just not my cup of tea. I'm originally from Chicago and I'm Asian so trying to find places in Pittsburgh that make me feel less home sick is tough when my bar is set pretty high. read more

Tried Soju for the first time this past weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a beautiful little spot in Bloomfield that was fairly busy (though it was a Friday night). We were seated pretty quickly though and seemed to beat an influx of people right after us. It's a single-page menu, but it features enough choices that picking what I wanted was difficult. The menu also had the added bonus of featuring pronunciations for all the dishes I've been mispronouncing for oh so many years. There's also an extensive alcohol list with unique cocktails and a handful of choices of Soju, the drink that serves as the restaurant's namesake (I recommend it). The service was great and made for a wonderful experience overall. I chose the Korean BBQ combination and it seemed to be the perfect portion when combined with half an appetizer (the tteokbokki is something I highly recommend). It's a place that I will surely stop back to someday. read more

Soju - Tteokbokki (spicy stir-fried rice cake) - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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WOAH. This place was an awesome spot for meeting up with my boyfriends friends once we got into Pittsburgh for the weekend. They do not take reservations... but we were able to snag a spot when some of our party let them know we'd have four arriving soon and we didn't wait at all for a table. The food was amazing... big portions with lots of flavors. One of us was vegetarian so we got all vegetarian appetizers and they have tons of options. Kimchijeon was a sweet yet savory pancake that was huge and delicious. Killer tofu was super crispy which I loved. The sauce that came with it we dipped everything in. Nori French fries .... yum. Almost like boardwalk fries with a Korean take. These were amazing and got a huge portion. My boyfriend and I split the Korean BBQ combination. I'll be honest... I have no idea what the meat was, but it was al tender and flavorful and perfectly cooked. The atmosphere was great, they essentially played a lizzo CD the whole time (thank you), but my boyfriend wasn't a fan of that. Our waitress was such a nice pleasant person who didn't rush us at all and was super helpful and accommodating. I don't fix it Pittsburgh often, but I definitely will go back here next time I do! read more

Soju - All of our appetizers pushed together - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Ambiance: 3.5 stars. Somewhat noisy, chairs hard and not particularly comfortable. Mostly younger crowd. Service: 5 stars. Helpful, informative, prompt, friendly. Drinks: No rating -- we stuck to water and Coke. Food: ~ Appetizer: 4 stars. "Killer Tofu." I wouldn't say killer, but it was tasty and plentiful. ~ Main course: 3 stars. "Combination BBQ." The meats were flavorful and proper done-ness, but pretty unremarkable -- i.e., not bad, not wow. Served with some bland generic rice (it's a shame since Korea is home to literally hundreds of local varieties of rice) with some basic furikake on top. ~ Sides: 1 star at best. Look, the heart of a Korean meal is the Banchan, the little side dishes with pickled vegetables, kimchi, tofu, seasonal vegetables, gochujang, stir fried vegetables, sprouts, spicy cucumber salad, etc. This was a joke: two dishes--total, not each--for two diners; one with tiny dill pickles, the other with a completely lame attempt at kimchi that was so bland you could feed it to a toddler. And that's it. (A more usual count would be 6 to 8 dishes for two, as the banchan are considered more important than what Westerners call the main dish.) Overall: 3 Stars. If you want a handwave at Korean food, with no real Korean oomph (or spices), and maybe some interesting-sounding cocktails made with Korean hard liquor, this might be the place for you. Meanwhile, we're still looking for some authentic Bulgogi, Galbi, Bibimbap, and of course... Banchan. read more

I wish I was able to give this establishment a 3.5 stars. The food is average however, the environment is cute. I think this place gets packed because of their nice, hip environment and "different" food most Pittsburghers are not used to. My friends and I ordered a lot of food. We ordered the savory pancakes, gimbap rolls, poutine, kimchi rice, pineapple salmon and bibimbap. The best by far was definitely the gimbap with the salmon a close second. I'm a little disappointed in the food because a lot of the food was a little soggy for me. I wish the pancake was a little crispier, it was difficult to pick up because of how soggy it was. It fell apart as soon as I tried to eat it. The poutines were very interesting in taste. I appreciated the curry sauce however, the fries were also very soggy. I would come back for the gimbap roll because it was very tasty, the bulgogi inside was seasoned perfectly and was sweet in flavor. The pineapple salmon was beautifully presented and there was a lot of flavor. I enjoyed it however, the "sticky rice" that was served under the salmon was soggy and soaked in the pineapple sauce. When I eat a rice dish, I like the varying textures. I wish there was more play on texture with these dishes. I would come here again to give it another chance however, I was not wowed by anything. read more

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My friends and I came here on a Saturday night. Wait time was about an hour so we put our name down and drank at Two Frays Brewery about a block away. We ordered the Korean poutine, Korean fried chicken, tteokbokki, gimbap, and BBQ combination and shared everything. The BBQ combination was average and nothing special--there are better Korean BBQ places elsewhere for the same price. Everything else was amazing, especially their tteokbokki and Korean fried chicken. read more

This place is amazing! The food and cocktails are some of the best I've ever had in Pittsburgh. Definitely order the tofu appetizer the Purple Rain cocktail! read more

The service is amazing even though they're packed, and Mike is a great guy. The food and drinks are delicious! The mocktail is very refreshing. The ambiance is very welcoming, overall a fantastic place! read more

LOVED Soju! I came here with a friend for dinner and a drink after a workout class and I was very impressed. The space is small but nice. It wasn't too crowded when we got there so we were seated right away. They have a bar that looked pretty cool as well. Of course, we had to try the soju while we were there- I got the peach flavor. For dinner I got the veggie bibimbap bowl. It was very flavorful and the portion allowed me to take some home. While skimming the menu I really appreciated all of the options for folks who do not eat meat. The prices were fair as well. I look forward to visiting this place again! read more

Soju - Bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

good korean food for pittsburgh. the restaurant has good vibes and the food is great! i love the Dwaejibulgogi, the flavor and texture of the pork is perf read more

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No, no, no, no, no. Never again. Unless you like your savory food items on the sweeter side, then maybe this place is worth checking out. We got four food items -- killer tofu, gimbap, BBQ chicken and Katsu curry. The first two items are appetizers and the last two were entrees. Of the two appetizers, gimbap was delicious but a little bit on the sweeter side. The killer tofu was too sweet for my taste. It was like eating an overly sweet version of caramel popcorn but with tofu. Seemed like a dessert item accidentally placed under the appetizer menu. Still too sweet for a dessert. Of the two entrees, the katsu curry was good. The katsu chicken was delicious and moist! But the sauce was a bit on the sweeter side. The sauce that came with the BBQ chicken tasted like a watered down version of pineapple flavored jam. Too sweet even for a BBQ sauce. The chicken was moist but too charred in some areas. The BBQ chicken was a miss. Customer service was good though because when we told them that we didn't like the tofu, they agreed to take it off the bill. Overall, I wasn't too impressed with this restaurant. The food is overly sweet. If you are still hell bent on trying this out the food here, I recommend the Katsu curry and gimbap. read more

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We had the best first visit to Soju! Awesome atmosphere, killer drinks, and great staff! Decided to get some drinks at the bar first. We had to try the signature shots and namesake of the place. We tried plain and grapefruit which were both good. Also had the Paloma After a few drinks and kimchi pancake we decided to just stay at the bar. Conversation with the waitstaff was awesome and insightful. They also let us know that they all share responsibility and gratuity so just made sense. For a dinner drink, I ordered the spam jam per a rec from the staff and it did not disappoint. Smokey and light. Perfect! I had the poke bowl while my husband got the short rib. I got the bowl with both sweet and spicy sauces. It was an awesome combo. We both loooved our meals so much we can't wait to go back. read more

Soju - Spam jam - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Super delicious! The fried chicken sandwich was the best Ive had, super crispy on the outside, super moist chicken, super flavorful. The killer tofu is a must order also super flavorful and the bibimbap was great. The portions are HUGE you won't leave hungry and the atmosphere is casual and trendy. Definitely will be going back and recommending this place! read more

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Absolutely wonderful food. Everything. We ordered take out, and it was great, so I'm sure dining in is a great.

LOVE this place. it's stylish and casual. there are no reservations - the food is worth it if there's a wait. it's vegetarian friendly - I recommend ALWAYS ordering the Killer Tofu to share and sometimes there is veggie Mandu. the BiBimBap is my go-to entree. try some soju (clear Korean liquor) neat while you're waiting for your meal. thanks Chef Simon! read more

Soju - KILLER TOFU! - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Really like their happy hour and they have decent Korean food! It's definitely modernized and different from more traditional Korean restaurants, but worth a try! read more

Soju, you've stolen my tastebuds. Some friends and I came here on a Saturday night for dinner. They don't take reservations under 8 ppl, so an early dinner hour is recommended. We had the Gimbap as an appetizer; delicious. I drank probably the best Paloma I've ever had (get it with Mezcal, you won't be disappointed). For dinner I had the pineapple salmon and for $15, your plate is completely full. Our waitress was awesome and even gave us a free soju shot at the end of the meal. What service! I will return again....and again....and again. read more

Brought out of town guests to Soju & had a wonderful time!  We came for a late dinner so they were already out of some of their most popular items, but there were still plenty of options to choose from (if this is a deal breaker for you, you will want to come early).  Service was welcoming, helpful, and prompt.  Pricing for food and drinks was very fair.  We thoroughly enjoyed everything we tried and had a fabulous experience overall. (I find it unnecessary to recommend any particular dishes in this review because each one we tried was great. If you just close your eyes and point at the menu you'll end up with something incredible!) read more

ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!! The portion is filling. Casual food but really good quality, perfect for dinner with friends. read more

Soju - Korean Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania