After a string of bad Japchae at different restaurants I won't name, my expectations were very low, but the vegetable Japchae at SSAM was actually not bad at all. The menu is not large but I was only after one dish. Service is good. The hardwood benches are fine once but opt for regular seat if available. read more

In the mood for korean food and found SSAM, walked in and was able to scan the space quickly before deciding on one of the lunch menu items that I enjoy, bibimbap. The staff was friendly and helpful and I was able to choose my protein from a variety of options. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The dining area is spacious and can accommodate a good crowd.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Needed to use the restroom so I headed to their restroom to find it was spacious and very clean, a big plus for me.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The kitchen area is not seen but I imagine it is kept clean and organized. Down to the food, the bibimbap was delicious even without the condiments that comes with the dish. This eatery will see me again when craving this dish. read more

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We used to love coming here for our Korean food fix, but our visit last night was a big disappointment. First, the service has really gone downhill. We sat for about 10-15 minutes after ordering before anyone brought us water or our drinks, even though the place was basically empty. Second, the menu has changed and some very basic Korean dishes we used to enjoy--like bulgogi and duk mandoo guk-- are no longer available, which was surprising. Finally, there was no banchan or ssam lettuce wraps, which are usually standard at Korean restaurants and something we always looked forward to. The food we ordered was still tasty, but overall the experience was disappointing. Between the slow service and the menu changes, it just isn't the same place we used to enjoy. read more

Came here for a spicy dinner on a freezing cold day. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I really enjoyed the vibe here, it feels almost like a European style pub with the wooden tables and chairs[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]], but of course one that serves really good Korean food. I only got to try two dishes, but I really enjoyed both the spicy salmon ramyun and the comforting kimchi jjigae. [[HIGHLIGHT]]This part of Brooklyn truly does not have enough Korean food options, so it's nice to have one to go to which also isn't overly full and usually easy to get a seat at.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I think it is definitely a staple in my rotation for this neighborhood! read more

Great food in a charming neighborhood! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Seems like a calm family restaurant.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Lowkey ambiance.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Service is very friendly and attentive. Bummed that when I went, their banchan ran out so it wasn't unlimited but was lucky to get a second dish of it, their last one. The prices are great for the quantity and quality of foods!! My favorite is the seafood tofu soup at $18 with lots of seafood in bit pieces, great flavor, and good size. The steak fried rice was with La galbi for ~$23 and sooo yummy. Just bummed that last time I came, there were happy hour deals for apps like wings but this time wasn't available even though both days visited were weekends but now limited to weekday. There is a free soft drink if you leave a review though! Overall amazing hidden gem for affordable quiet place for Korean food read more

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Really happy for them for recently became halah certified. The cheesling wings and rice cake skewer has so much cheese powder enought a season a bag of Doritos. Wings are 6pc for $12, bibimbap around $18, and ramyun around $16. Affordable option for Korean comfort food. read more

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aw man -- I really wanted to like this spot, but it was a bit disappointing. This is primarily because the main dish that I ordered (Chashu ramen 1/5) was excessively salty. It also lacked a lot of veggie toppings, so it was just a very salty broth without any of the nuanced flavors and richness that a pork broth ramen would have. Korean wings - 5/5, the soy garlic was so good. The texture of the chicken was also perfect and among the best I've had. Jiajiangmian - 3/5 this was good but honestly not that much better than instant korean noodles I've had before. Prices felt high for what you get... there was some bonchon but the dishes were pretty small and nothing particularly outstanding. The service was friendly, and [[HIGHLIGHT]]I actually really liked the interior, too.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]It was really empty for a Saturday evening and it accommodated a large group without any issues and we were able to sit comfortably at a long table.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

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Solid lunch specials! [[HIGHLIGHT]]It was really just me in here which I actually enjoyed the quiet break.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I had the spicy chicken bowl - came with a side of kimchi. Really hit the spot. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Space seems great for families and groups.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Service was hands off but effective. read more

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The Korean BBQ was delicious. My son had been bragging on it and so since we were visiting we went into Brooklyn. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Service was good and the vibe was chill.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] About $18 per serving. read more

SSAM - Beef Bulgogi bowl - Korean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

SSAM bistro was (and continues to be) my go-to spot for Korean food delivery. I have ordered food from this spot many times and enjoyed it. So when I had to opportunity to dine here in person with some friends, I was truly excited! I already knew the food was great, so I couldn't wait to check out the spot. We arrived late on a Friday night - well before closing. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We were a large group (about 8 of us), but there were plenty of empty tables and we were easily accommodated. We also had a reservation beforehand.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I ordered the army stew (budae-jjigae) and it was delicious. Not too spicy for my taste and delicious. We also had their cheese tteokbokki - which was so, so good. It wasn't overwhelmingly spicy or hot - it had FLAVOR!! We also had other dishes to share among the table such as rock shrimp, fried chicken, and scallion pancake. Everything was great. The only issue was that everything took a long time to prepare. We placed our order and it took about 45 mins, almost an hour for our food to arrive. I would have understood if it was a busy night, but frankly speaking, it wasn't. There were like 2-3 other small tables being served. The food was amazing - it hits every time, but I think I would stick to takeout for now. I would have to give the dine-in experience another try sometime. read more

SSAM - Budae Jjigae - Korean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Food and service were both great. Friendly servers and food came out fast. Food was delicious

Not sure if we went on a bad day but the oil tasted old or burnt and the fries and chicken were inedible. Ramen was good but the lack of competence in the back was appalling read more

the food was really good, my friends and i loved it. the service is very quick and attentive and i would definitely come again read more

SSAM - Korean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Walk by this place all the time as I live in the area but haven't had time to try it. Had it for lunch today and it didn't disappoint. Was a little surprised by some of the lower reviews, but realized they were from a while back. Wings were amazing as well as the stone dish with pork belly. Staff were very helpful and attentive. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Inside of the restaurant is unique and different, but in a good way![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Will definitely come back. read more

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We reserved the restaurant at 6pm for there and there wasn't that much people there. After 7 it is busy. We order different type of foods. The chicken wings and boneless chicken is a little salty. The stone pot rice was ok it is feels missing some kind of sauce. I will probably come back again try other foods. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant is a little dark but there are lamps on the table.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

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Service was amazing, I got the Korean fried chicken lunch special. The soy garlic was delicious!

I pass by SSAM all the time and finally came to check it out for lunch. There aren't many Korean spots in this area, so this is a nice treat. With that said, also a bit disappointing that they don't have all the complimentary banchans that you find at most Korean spots. Nonetheless, this seems like a fun spot to drink with a group after work. Since I came during lunch, it was pretty empty. But we also lucked out on some lunch special items. I ordered the Soft Tofu Soup with Beef ($15.95) while the boyfriend got the Fried Rice with Spicy Pork ($15.95). We also got the 3 orders of Spicy Korean Wings ($3) to share and two glasses of Kirin ($6). The wings were solid --a bit small but good flavor. I liked how the fried rice came on a sizzling hot plate, which was pretty delicious with the crispy rice. My tofu soup was pretty big and came with rice and some kimchi. It's not the best I ever had, but it satisfies me when I'm craving this. Glad to have some tofu soup and traditional Korean eats in the neighborhood though. read more

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We went to this restaurant randomly last week after searching for a place to have lunch on court st and don't regret coming here. It was a quiet and chill little spot (not noisy at all) that had a lot of hand drawn art above the seats. Everything appearance wise was wooden. It was pleasant to look at venue. We ordered a spicy chicken over rice and salmon avocado over rice and veggies and they tasted really good. The spicy chicken wasn't overwhelmingly hot and wasn't underwhelming as well. The salmon was cooked really well too. The mojito I had tasted good too (however wasn't as strong as other places I've been too). I would definitely try the food again. The service by all the staff was good too. They were all really nice and attentive. We accidentally broke a glass trying to get our baby back in the holder and the staff were actually really understanding and didn't get upset with us. Would definitely recommend trying giving this spot a try if you're walking around hungry. read more

SSAM - Salmon Avocado kimbap - Korean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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There isn't a high density of Korean options in downtown Brooklyn, so decided to give nearby Ssam a try. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It was quiet for dinner on a Wednesday but I was there a little early.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I ordered the hot stone bubimbap with spicy chicken for $18. It came with kimchi and other traditional small appetizers on the side. I appreciated that they gave me a bottle of gojuchang with the bibimbap so that I could use as much as I wanted without having to ask for more. I definitely recommend if you are craving bibimbap in the area. read more

So, my only reference for Korean food are typical BBQ resto's that i go to with my parents and sister. The Menu seemed intimidating (price wise) for the regular "A la Carte" items but fortunately for me - they had a Lunch Menu! Bulgogi: garnished with a fried egg, with salad and rice, all contained within a single bowl. NGL, generous without being heavy. And then the Wings, tossed in a sauce that i can only describe as Korean Style: Spicy, Sweet. Accommodating to folks whom are familiar with Korean food (and those whom are not, personally speaking) [[HIGHLIGHT]]I can only describe this spot as a local joint with a menu that encourages sharing and, i typically dine out alone...[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] But all things aside, i cannot help but to come back and navigate their menu further. Seriously! read more

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Having lived in the area for a few years, there's pretty limited options for authentic Korean food so I'm really happy to have discovered this spot. I was craving a piping bowl of hot tofu stew on a cold day and came here to satisfy my cravings, I think the prices are on par for what you get and they have lunch specials with a wide selection of chicken wings, bibimbap and other dishes. It was pretty empty when I came during a weekday and service was quick. Highly recommend checking out if you are in the downtown Brooklyn area and craving Korean food with variety. read more

SSAM - Soft Tofu Stew - Korean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Came here on a weekend with no reservations and was seated promptly for a party of 4. Ordered the salmon dolsot with avocado and it was delicious! Would recommend ordering a hot stone bibimbap dish as that's their speciality. The price was $19 for a small bowl, kinda pricey and not shareable since I finished it all. This spot is perfect for a group of friends since there's plenty of seating and great appetizers to share such as the kimchi fries. Our server was helpful and attentive, would come here again. Also the bathrooms are clean! Ambiance - 4/5 Food - 4/5 Drinks - 4/5 Service - 5/5 read more

SSAM - Salmon Dolsot - Korean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I ordered tteokbokki and galbitang (beef short rib soup) for delivery. The food was ok overall. The tteokbokki could've been better in both flavor and portion size - some extra toppings like a boiled egg or fried veggies would've made it better. The galbitang was the better of the two. It used sliced short ribs instead of thicker cuts like traditional way, but the price for galbitang was reasonable compared to other Korean places nearby, which was a plus. read more

The food is just OK. The menu is a bit loosey goosey and doesn't seem super Korean to me -- there was a lot of ramen, and my order of two entrees (soondubu with seafood and bibimbop with salmon avocado) and one appetizer (grilled mackerel) came with just one banchan dish, which was not refilled. The waiter wasn't quite sure what I meant by "soondubu," as the menu just calls it "soft tofu stew." The tofu itself was good but the broth was thin, not so spicy, and the seafood a bit overcooked. The bibimbop was OK, not amazing. Still, the staff is nice and I appreciate that they had soju and beer. read more

I was looking for something new, and this place caught my eye. The place inside looks like a bar, with many rustic tables. The staff is friendly and accommodating. I chose spicy beef soup, and my husband has bulgogi. We had a complimentary sampler of Kim Chi, which was delicious. My soup was so flavorful! The portion was significant; I took half home. It comes with desperate white rice. The bulgogi was also tasty, and the crispy rice at the bottom was a cherry on top. I also got yuzu tea, which was terrific. I need it at home 24/7 read more

SSAM - Inside - Korean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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I experienced this place for the very first time recently. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant was filled wall to wall.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Employees here address concerns with reassuring smiles. This place never fails to deliver excellence. We appreciated the attention to detail. read more

Hate to do it but Ssam has fallen off drastically. They used to be a reasonable restaurant (decent food at decent prices) but we just ordered food and none of it came satisfactory. The Galbi Tang was bland and the radish was not cooked through. The Pajeon portion was a joke for $12. The Ddukbokki was ok at best. Sauce was a bit sweet. The Bulgogi Kimbap was obnoxiously wrapped with too much rice that exploded beyond the seaweed wrapping. I appreciate the one free rice they gave me but probably will not be going back sadly. read more

SSAM - Korean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

The food was average tbh. The service was great, super friendly. I really enjoy Korean food and have dined at several different Korean restaurants. The food was definitley not bad but like I mentioned, it was totally average. The portions were very big but I did think it was a little over priced compared to quality. read more

SSAM - a table full of food and drinks - Korean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Food: delicious! Service: took some time to get the food Ambiance: nice seats and good lighting read more

SSAM - Korean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Let's start with glows, the service is excellent and they have good cocktails and a decent happy hour. I'm actually pissed I didn't stay at Mad for Chicken, but I wanted to support local businesses and try something new-- I am a bit disappointed that I did. The chicken was decent but you could taste the oil which means it was probably old, the kimchi fries hd a peculiar taste and wasn't very good. Honestly, if SSAM doesn't get a new chef they will lose their business to the new Korean chicken place next door. The food is mediocre and basic, this has been by far my worst experience at a Korean restaurant. Maybe if you have a few cocktails it will improve the taste? The service is a 4 and food is a 2, so I gave them 2 stars. read more

SSAM - Korean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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So disappointing! The pajun/pancake had uncooked flour pockets. The galbi was okay, a bit undercooked. Definitely overpriced for what we got (only 7 pieces). No side dishes / banchan. Lastly the lettuce for the Ssam lettuce wraps had dirt all over it! Will not be returning. read more

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It's always great when you find another spot that you can add to the food mix. We hadn't checked out Ssam yet and decided to do a valentines lunch date. If you have a party of 2-6 you can score a special little enclosed booth for privacy and coziness. They even have a special lunch menu which was a pleasant surprise. We started off with an appetizer of French fries (good amount - had to save some for leftover). My wife got the japchae and I opted for beef bulgogi. Since it was V day, we opted to try some cocktails too - a soju margarita and a mule. Service was spot on and efficient. Our cocktails were good if not memorable. The fries had a pleasant flavor of sesame and fresh. My wife enjoyed her japchae and felt it was robust for a lunch item. I thoroughly enjoyed the bulgolgi with a perfect egg on top but felt it was lacking vegetables. Hot sauce helped kick it up and also a solid portion for a lunch item. Overall we had a great time and will be back. read more

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Modern Korean is how I'd describe this place. It has everything you are looking for in a Korean spot but feels like an upgrade to the ones you'd find in Ktown. The fried chicken was one of my favorites I've ever had. My friend wasn't as crazy about the chicken as I was, because it was as crunchy as typical kfc is. The chicken was light and crispy and I like my chicken that way. The veggie dumpling and seafood pancakes were also amazing. The mackerel was just ok for us. Didn't have a lot of flavor but definitely light and lean protein. read more

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I walked into this place a little while back as it was the closest Korean place nearby. The place inside was quiet. The food overall was fine but there were some issues that really bothered me. First off, I would usually talk about the banchan or Korean side dishes but there weren't any which is absurd for a Korean spot. I haven't really heard of any Korean place that doesn't serve them. Even the Korean-Chinese spots that concentrate on jajangmyeon or black bean noodles or similar dishes at least give some kimchi and pickled radish but nope nothing here. The waiter (more on their lack of service later) brought over some water and I ordered two dishes with nothing being said and I was given a container of mostly empty gochujang presumably to add to my bibimbap later. My first dish was yangnyeom chicken/ or chicken wings / in a spicy sweet gochujang sauce which came out pretty quickly. There was a good amount of pretty large wings and the sauce had a nice kick with some sweetness also. I would say other places are more crispy but overall they were good wings. My only issue was that since they were on the bone, the only feasible way to pick them up was to use my napkin as they didn't provide finger gloves which led to a bit of an issue afterwards where the only napkin I had was quite dirty from the sticky sweet sauce. The waiter of course did not notice at all even though I put it on the table and I only had that dirty napkin for quite a while until a busboy noticed and finally gave me a new one. Maybe the busboy should be the server. The main dish was a bibimbap/ or rather specifically dolsot bibimbap/ as it was on a hot stone bowl. I personally got mine with jeyuk bokkeum/spicy stir fried pork/. This was just borderline alright though if I think about it more it was pretty bad. The pork was tender and good though the vegetables and rice were both bland as there was a distinct lack of sesame oil and I had to add a good amount of the gochujang for flavor. The egg was a bit overcooked which is surprising as the bowl itself was not hot enough to crisp up the rice (or perhaps it was the lack of sesame oil.) One of the points of this dish is that the rice on the bottom starts to crisp up and it adds both a fun texture and flavor. I mixed everything together as I should have and I still found it bland which is rather poor for a bibimbap especially for the price I paid even for the area. I paid and left without much of a word. I'd consider this place to be the definition of "could've been better." If I just ordered the chicken wings, I'd probably give it a 3 as I'd round up a 2.8 but there was so much wrong outside of that. The lack of side dishes just felt wrong and it felt even worse as I spent around $30 there. This is not to mention the lackluster service outside of this from the napkin to otherwise. I don't plan on going back. Low 2 mostly thanks to the wings (it'd be a clear 1 otherwise.) read more

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I was exploring downtown Brooklyn and Cobble Hill area when the mood for korean food suddenly hit me. Luckily for me, SSAM was only a short walk from where I was. I was given a nice big jar of water which tasted very refreshing after a walk in the heat. I went with the Galbi Dolsot and felt an initial reluctance since I was worried the portion size would be too small since it was only $17. Boy was I wrong, the dish came with a large side of kimchi and a bottle of gochujang all for myself. The galbi tasted amazing, not too fatty and full of flavor. The veggies tasted refreshing, and the egg was perfectly runny. The portion was also huge for the price, I came into the restaurant very hungry and left satisfied. The food was very well balanced and I would recommend it to anyone! Looking forward to coming back. read more

SSAM - Kimchi - Korean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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In a sea of sushi and Thai, Ssam is a welcome Korean change of pace. And although it may not be K-Town, they offer good food at a good price. They've got your Korean favorites including bibimbap, galbi, japchae, pajun, budae jiggae...or maybe those are my Korean favorites...either way, they are good. They've got a few bones they are throwing to the white people, like avocado and kale salad, bulgogi nachos, sliders, truffle fries (very solid), and ramen (which I'll never order because I believe in getting ramen and sushi at ramen and sushi places). The lunch special in particular is a winner. It'll run you about $12, but you can get bibimbap (fairly loaded with meat), or alternatively a half dozen wings, fries, a salad, and some eggs. Along with some kimchi and pickled cucumbers, this is a damn good meal. Parent Pro-Tip: Bibimbap is an excellent choice when you have a kid, as the stone bowl ensures it never gets cold as you deal with their every need. read more

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Came here with my friend one night after we spent a long time trying to find a korean restaurant in Brooklyn. Needless to say I did not regret it, just wished I took a picture before I started digging in! The pajeon was pretty good. It has a crumbly texture, not really soft like what you'd find normally. Tastes a little more like chives than a standard scallion pancake. Bibimbap was also delicious, bottom was little bit burnt but the crispy parts that were salvageable were amazing. Tteokbokki needs a little bit of work, a little bit too sweet but I guess this is on-par for korean food. The only issue was that the tteok was hard and needs little bit more cook-time on it. However, your staff -- Amazing. The lady who took our order, who I assume is the owner, was extremely nice. Upon us sitting down she asked if this was our first time here to which we said yes and made sure that we were happy. I think I would give this place a 5/5 stars for service but probably a 3.5/5 for food. Definitely would come back here just because of service. read more

I was craving stew... because believe it or not, while it's Spring in NYC, feels like winter never left. I yelped for a recommendation and SSAM popped up. A brisk 15 min walk from jury duty... Korean eats, here I come. I love the decor, spacious, bench seatings, table seatings - good options for groups of 2, 3, 4 +! Service was nice, although it was lunch hour, there were only a few groups dining. They give you a small banchan plate of kimchi and kimchi radish - both were OK. Bathrooms in the back near the kitchen. Food wise though, is where they lost me. I ordered a beef fried dumplings, which was ok, not outstanding and kind of bland. Figure the dipping sauce will provide much assistance but it did not. The sauce needs a vinegar balance. I also got my favorite stew, Yuk Gae Jang, a spicy shredded beef stew with japchae noodles. It looked soooo good! But then after tasting the stew... I wasn't sure, maybe I caught a cold? Because I couldn't taste any seasoning. IT TASTED LIKE WATER. Spice Level - NEGATIVE ZERO!!! Would it have been rude to ask them for salt and the red pepper paste?? Needless to say, I did not finish. Overall, I think I'll lump this one: "Quasi Korean Food Made For Gwai Lo". Hey, it's not KTown. It's Carroll Gardens. #fancybrooklyn read more

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Decent Korean food that's a bit pricey. My friend and I ordered three appetizers since the reviews for this place are pretty mixed. The truffle Parmesan fries were very crispy and overall tasted good. They could've been more generous with the truffle and Parmesan though, since the flavor wasn't that strong compared to other ones I've had. The spicy rice cakes were passable. The rice cakes were a bit too soft for this type of dish, and overly chewy because of that. The sauce tasted different from other ones I've had but it's not bad. The seafood pancake was probably the best out of the three. It was crispy yet soft, and not mushy at all -- the perfect consistency! The seafood inside was also well cooked, and the sauce was great. Overall, everything tasted okay but it's pretty pricey for the quality of the food. The restaurant is pretty cute though and it wasn't busy at all on a Saturday night. read more

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I've been here twice already! The food is great and it doesn't get overcrowded in here. While you wait for your food, they give you Kimchi and this Cucumber Salad. So Good! I've ordered the: Rock Shrimp Spicy Squid Kimchi Fried Rice All were excellent!!! This place is great for a date night or group outing. Very cozy. read more

SSAM - Korean Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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