Soo Bak Seoul Bowl

I came on a Saturday for dinner, there was no wait for a table. Order and pay at the front, self seating, get your own utensils, and put away your own bowls after your meal. This place was perfect for a casual dinner, the seating area was trendy/quirky with the metal warehouse doors. There was a nice view of the Sandias through the windows. Seating for larger parties looks difficult, the seating accommodated parties of 2-4 people best. The servers were friendly, appreciated their enthusiasm and checking in on us. Birria Eggrolls (5/5) - Fire eggrolls, there was birria meat in the eggrolls and veggies. It would be more fire if they got that white peppery flavor in the mix too. Sauce was great. Birria Ramen (5/5) - Delicious! This hit the spot for noodle soup and birria flavors! This is a very popular entree. Kimchi Bibimbap (5/5) - This was really good! Delicious and met my expectations as a fusion spot. I would give it a 3/5 if this was an authentic Korean spot. Great fusion spot, would definitely come again.

While on a trip to Albuquerque, we were hoping to find some good Korean food. We had had our fill of green chile cheeseburgers.... lol!!! We found Soo Bak Seoul Bowl on Yelp, and it had good reviews. The counter service was very friendly. The inside was really bright, with bunches of Pothos plants hanging and tabletop. I wish I could say I enjoyed my food, but sadly no. The banchan, (that you must pay extra for) was not flavorful. It tasted like they had just cut up some veg, and threw some seasoning on there. Not that kinda funky fermentation you get with kimchi done well. I got the kimchi jjigae, and it wasn't that thick hearty stew....... It was like chicken broth with some of those banchan thrown in, and a couple of chunks of gray ? Pork? thrown in. The rice that came with was dry and not seasoned. My partner's bulgogi bowl was not too bad, but again lacked seasoning or any fatty component. The loud electronic rave music wasn't really conducive to a nice lunch. Considering the quality of the food, we found the prices to be pretty high. Maybe we caught them on an off day??? Not sure, but I sadly can't recommend the food.

Soo Bak Seoul is hidden gem and absolutely the perfect lunch spot when you're trying to eat on the healthier side.They're kind of hidden, right behind Clowndog on Central. But definitely worth searching for. I also always recommend calling ahead if you're going for just pick up. That's what I did and it made it much faster process because they make everything fresh. I got the staff pick which is one I've always enjoyed. I also really like their tacos, but the bowls are very filling and honestly I like made one bowl multiple meals. They also have options for add-ons and customizations, but I really just like the standard bowl offerings.

Delicious Korean food! I went with the first option on the menu. And added an egg. Very yummy. Typical Korean flavor which is exactly what I was after. Food came out pretty quickly. And the place is nicely decorated. Parking can be difficult when busy!

Looks like my previous review was from 2021 when I believe their brick and mortar first opened. My husband and I tried it again today and I don't know if they've changed their menu but everything was delicious. I have to eat gluten free and there were a LOT of choices for me. And the dishes I ordered were good! Yes it did take a minute for the food to arrive but that was ok. We ordered the beef Bulgogi with egg and my husband ordered the twice cooked chicken which he said was really good. We also ordered the barchan which is are the little Korean side dishes of pickled vegetables which came with white, brown or fried rice. We got the fried rice. They were all delicious however the scallions were very salty which I think might have been an anomaly but my husband ate them. My husband also ordered the fritter and the fireball which he said were also good. For some reason the last two items had been left off our order but the owner just made them and brought them to us. He said he hadn't written the items down. No biggie. We were already full but ate them anyway.

OMG. I don't even want to admit that this was my first visit. Buuuuuuut, I was so glad to finally make it there. It. Was. Delicious. The place is tucked behind the Clown Dog that you can see off of central. So, don't fret if you look it up and you think to yourself, I've never seen that place there, you are right, you probably haven't because it is literally tucked in the back. But, plus side is, they have their own little parking lot, so you don't have to park on the street! My sister and I had a smorgasbord as per usual. * Paleo Bowl w/ Fire Chicken * Veggie Fritters * Kimchi Fire Balls * Cucumber Kimchi * Napa Cabbage Kimchi * (3) Korean BBQ Beef, Teriyaki Chicken, and Spicy Pork The food arrived quickly and we picked at everything delightfully! The Fire Chicken is spicy, so beware! Order it if you really like the heat. We took breaks after bites from our paleo bowl because it waaassss spicy! The fritters were among my favorite, along with the tacos. I have a feeling I will like just about everything on their menu. Come and check 'em out. Turns out they've been around for about 4 years already. Yes, I was late to the party. But I will be returning!

Hey, He-ey, He-e-ey...Your lipstick stainsOn the front lobe of my left-side brains...I knew I wouldn't forget you..And so I went and let you blow my mind..Your sweet moonbeam..The smell of you in every single dream I dream...Hey Soul Sister..Soo Bak Seoul was a tasty treat...We shared the "5 Kimchi Sampler" of Napa Cabbage, Cucumber (fav..:), Korean Radish, Shredded Radish and Scallion (fav) most all very scrumptous.. &"Sesame Bowl" w. Glass Noodles, Vegies and Korean BBQ Beef...quite the delight. Washed down w. a Glass of Chardonnay for the Lass and a Tall Glass of La Cumbre Elevated Brew for the Lad..:)A fun late lunch for the Old Folk..:)Hey, Soul Sister..Ain't that Mr. Mister on the radio, stereo?The way you move ain't fair, you know...Hey, Soul SisterI don't wanna miss a single thing you do....Tonight...:) Best, Avram Trainwreck Jr.

Delicious food and a nice little selection of beer on tap Loved the spice level and appreciated all the veggies! Highly recommend!

Soo Bak Seoul Bowl is a Korean bibimbap restaurant in Nob Hill on Hermosa. The venue has an industrial feel with concrete floors and metal chairs in a repurposed auto maintenance building with garage doors. The wood-topped tables warm the space up a bit, but the focus here is the food over the ambiance. Luckily they do the food really well so that isn't an issue! Patrons order at the welcome station, after which they're given a table number and can find whatever table suits them. There's a station patrons can get their silverware and water; any other drinks will be delivered. They have both alcoholic and zero-proof drinks. You can see the food being cooked and prepped by the open kitchen staff while you wait. I got the Staff Pick bowl, one of eight of the specialty bibimbap bowls Soo Bak offers. The Staff Pick comes with "Fried Rice, Teriyaki Chicken, Sautéed Daikon, Carrots, Edamame, Asian Pickle Chips, Sesame Cabbage, Korean Red Pepper Sauce, and Sriracha." I added the Sriracha Lime Crema from the Fire Bowl, which is another specialty bowl.The Staff Pick was delicious! I liked the mix of rice, meat, veggies, pickled veggies, and sauces. The sriracha wasn't overwhelming or too hot and gave the bowl a small hint of heat and flavor without overpowering it. The sriracha lime crema was not hot, so adding it was another good flavor profile that complimented the bowl. The chicken was well cooked and juicy - no dryness or toughness whatever. It was the perfect ratio of ingredients that seemed to go together well. This was my first time trying Soo Bak as well as bibimbap, and I'm already excited to go back and try a different bowl. Besides the specialty bowls, patrons can build their own with choices of 19 toppings, 5 kimchi selections, 7 proteins (three of which are vegetarian), and 9 sauces. They have vegetarian and gluten free options labeled on the menu so it won't be hard to make those specific bowls. If you're in the mood for some Asian food in a casual setting, go check it out.

This is a fun place to hang out and the food is good too. The former garage /gas station has an industrial vibe, but the food is on point with good portion size and food made fresh.