Seoul Prime

Overview:Dined with my wife in February 2025. Absolutely phenomenal experience. Service was better than most Michelin-starred restaurants we've been to. Would highly recommend.Food:This is a high-end Korean steakhouse. Different than KBBQ. Better quality meat and not as reliant on sauces. We did a la carte. Dry-aged ribeye, dry-aged ribeye cap, and unmarinated galbi. Also ordered egg souffle, mushrooms, and corn cheese. All meats were excellent...galbi was the best. Quality and presentation match Hanwoo beef in Korea.Service:Best service we've experienced since Inn at Little Washington. They were very cognizant and accommodating of our newborn. My wife didn't like her drink that much, and our server noticed, asked if she didn't like it, and just removed it from the bill without us saying anything. Meat was cooked to our liking. Can't say enough positive about the service.Ambiance:New, modern, upscale restaurant. Grills produced no smoke. Easy to converse at the table.

So I have a very mixed bag of reviews for this restaurant.We did the meat tour, makgeolli mule, and kimchee bibim guksoo.I'll start off with the pros- the vibes of the restaurant are really nice. The interior design is really pretty and it's definitely a place you can bring a date. The waiting staff is really polite and attentive so no complaints really about the service. The meat quality is probably one of the better ones that I've had around this area and the price was pretty reasonable per person, and the portions were big enough for us. And the egg custard that they started us off with was probably one of the best bites of the nightNow for the cons....to start, I think the banchan was lacking, both in variety and in taste. The "kimchee" was some kind of tangy cabbage slaw more than a kimchee. The cauliflower had some weird pineapple based (?), sweet taste that left me a bit confused. The cucumber and the marinated radish/onions really were the only good sides. As far as the meat, the staff really didn't know how to cook the meat, but I think it's more the issue with the cuts of the meat and the grill itself than human error. They asked us for our preference so we said medium rare. The meat was left on the grill, and I think the heat of the grill (even though it was at the lowest heat) was too strong for the meat so it practically burned the outside but left the inside raw. So they (a) need to make the meat cuts thinner, (b) have the waiter stay at the grill to flip earlier/more frequently, or (c) change the grill system so it's not as hot. The waiter did apologize a few times for the meat cooking, but I do think it's really had for them to cook the meat right given the circumstances. It was a shame given the quality of the meat itself. We ended up grilling ourselves to control the meat cooking- which leads me to my next, very minor point. The scissors are truly, stupid heavy... it's no wonder the waiters struggle. I get the aesthetics but I can't imagine having to deal with that all day and not developing some issues with my hand over time. The bibim guksoo was...interesting. For the bibim guksoo, the noodles are not the typical noodles you'd have in a bibim guksoo- it felt like some like of spaghetti noodle. The sauce mix was not exactly a traditional bibim sauce either- it was not as spicy, and lacked a bit of vinegar, and maybe a punch of sugar (this obviously is just my personal palette/what I usually think of as the taste of bibim sauce). As far as the makgeolli mule, it was good but I'm not sure how much alcohol was really in it. It was supposed to have makgeolli (a traditional rice wine) and whiskey but I personally felt like it was more gingerale than anything else- I really was excited to drink it given the fusion but...it was nothing memorable. The restaurant is still relatively new from what I heard from the wait staff so maybe some things will change over time.

Beautiful place with a dark upscale ambience, quality meat, but, not exactly recommended for all. Service was friendly and attentive, but the food was toned down and not exactly authentic for the most part.A great place to take someone who has never tried Korean food before or for a diverse group that may be harder to please, but otherwise, if you're looking for traditional bonchon, and dishes beyond the core barbecue offering, best to go elsewhere.

We got the $35 weekend brunch special which included appetizers (banchan), 3 main dishes (japchae, pork belly, cod and zucchini jeon) along with our choice of meat (bulgogi), soup and a "seasonal dessert" which was sikhae (rice drink). While the appetizers and the pork belly tasted pretty good and authentic, the bulgogi had an extremely sweet and thick sauce. I was also expecting an actual dessert and not a drink since it was called a "seasonal dessert" and there are a lot of kbbq places in nova that serve sikhae as a complimentary drink. The waiter was attentive and the interior had a cool vibe. Overall I thought the food was pretty good but it didn't blow my mind. Maybe I'll come back again to try more of the meats.

I'm reticent to let business and people I'm dining with, know that I write reviews for Yelp. If businesses ask why I'm taking photos, I usually reply it's for another social media platform, since I want my experience to be representative of what a "normal" customer would receive. And it's odd, but the last few times I've been out with people and they know I'm a Yelper, one of their immediate responses has been, "oh, so do you like feeling 'powerful' in being able to trash a business?"As the child of immigrant parents who ran several small businesses, the answer is "no," I do not relish leaving a bad review, since I know all to well the impact that negative word of mouth can have on a place. I try and be fair and give lots of praise when warranted...and equally point out my perceived deficiencies.Which brings me to my recent experience at Seoul Prime.I dined here with seven other folks and I was given quizzical stares when I started snapping pics of the decor and food. As other reviewers have noted, Seoul Prime is definitely aiming for a modern vibe. Located in the up and coming Founder's Row section of Falls Church, the color palette is subdued with an emphasis on darkly themed furniture and dim lighting. Interesting design choice to have shelves of books and artwork on the upper seating level, with wine bottles separating the lower level. There is also a sizable bar when you first walk down the ramp to the hostess stand.So for me, Korean BBQ is not so much a sophisticated urbane dining event, but rather a communal and dare I say, "fun" spectacle? I expect my clothes to be infused with the smoke from meats cooked at the table and to immediately launder my clothes from the inevitable grease splatters. That is not the experience at Seoul Prime.We all decided on the $47/person Seoul Prime tour (www.seoulprime.com/dinner) which includes four "premium" cuts of meat accompanied by banchan. The banchan was served in a progressive fashion, with the usual kimchi, scallion salad, pickled veggies, and other cold small plates first. Of these, the scallion salad was superior! It was fresh, crispy, and the soy based dressing muted some of the pungent onion flavor. It was quite good. The impressive display of meats arrived a short time later on a butcher block, with our server providing background on the all of the cuts. Of the four, the dry aged ribeye and the marinated galbi were the best. These two cuts were nicely marbled and needed just a bit of salt to really highlight the meat's tenderness and quality. Our server cooked all of the meat for the table, and if I had one criticism, it's that the meat was cooked on the "over" side. The flat iron cut was past medium, which made it trend dangerously towards a "chewy" texture. All of the meats, could've done with about 30 seconds less on the grill...but that's my taste.Other banchan dishes arrived with the soybean soup and egg custard being additional standouts. I would've liked for the egg custard serving to be larger, but the flavor was good. Be sure to ask for rice, since it's not automatically served with your meal.Service was fine. It was "team" style with several servers bringing and removing dishes, and ensuring the water bottles were always full. The management was nice enough to split the bill separately, and my portion came out to $67 with tax and tip (with just water for drink). So...here's the thing. Seoul Prime is not trying to be an AYCE KBBQ place like Kogiya (my favorite) or a la carte joints like Meokja Meokja or Gogiville (another favorite). It seems to me, Seoul Prime is trying to create a persona of the "elevated Korean BBQ" experience. Which is fine, if the food and experience matched the "elevated" prices...which to me, it did not.While I didn't leave hungry, the portion sizes are smaller since the menu clearly says it's a "tour," which translates into 3-4 pieces of each cut of meat. For some in my dining party who also got appetizers and drinks their bill was north of $100...which is on the high side for what you're getting.Not only is the the Korean BBQ scene in the DMV super competitive at many different price points, but also quickly reaching saturation point. Just my opinion, that in this environment, I think Seoul Prime might want to revisit their menu and pricing strategy, lest they find the niche they're attempting to carve out...challenging.

From the moment you walk into Seoul Prime, you know you're in for a top-tier Korean BBQ experience. One thoughtful touch I really appreciated was the coat check--such a great way to keep your clothes from smelling like food!I went with the Seoul Prime Tour, and it did not disappoint. The server cooked everything to perfection, ensuring each bite was just right. The cuts of meat were high quality, tender, and flavorful, making the meal even more enjoyable.I also ordered the bibimbap, which was delicious, with those perfectly crispy edges that make it so satisfying.Everything was just soooo good--from the service to the food, it was an absolute standout. If you're looking for a premium KBBQ experience, Seoul Prime is a must-visit!

Excellent service and cool ambiance. It's a new restaurant that I can see improving. Went here for brunch and overall every dish was okay. My group of 4 ordered everything on the brunch menu to share. The bulgogi pasta was actually the sleeper and had a very well rounded taste to it. But Every entree except the bulgogi pasta lacked sauce. Steak sandwich needed more spread. Bottom pancake was dry and they don't give any syrup. Chicken (3 wings) and waffles had no signature sauce/syrup to drizzle over either. Shrimp (3) and grits was cooked perfectly but lacked sauce. The breakfast burger and quinoa fried rice had an ice flavor to it but the egg was over cooked on both. I also hope this restaurant considers value moving forward. Only having 3 shrimp on the shrimp and grits or only 3 chicken wings with the chicken and waffles for $20+ is quite unappealing. Nonetheless, I'm rooting for them. Cool brunch concept. Hoping they consider the feedback given.

Saw this place when passing in Founder's Row and decided to give it a try. They have coat check (nice little cute touch) and we were seated promptly. It was pretty empty considering it was a weekend (totally get that it's new).We got the Seoul Prime Tour and I'm gonna be so real, the portions are really small (mind you we weren't THAT hungry) but honestly for the price and for what it's worth, it's just not it. I get that the quality of meat is probably higher but just maybe add a little more meat if I'm paying $47 for meat.Bless his soul but our waiter was really awkward and my friend went the same day later and got the same waiter and had the same complaint. It made the meal really uncomfortable at times.Personally, I wouldn't come back for the meat but the ho-tteok croffle changed lives. It's so unbelievably good and give the person whoever thought of that a raise. Anyways, could be better, has so much potential to be better.

The server was kind but service was so slow. We watched larger parties that got seated way after our table get their water and food before us. When asked how we wanted the Seoul Tour meats cooked and we replied with medium rare, the server cooked it so well done that it was dry and tough. Ended up cooking the remaining meats ourselves out of fear. Banchan (side dishes) were fine, nothing out of the ordinary, except for the cucumbers. They stood out from the rest of the side dishes. Thinly sliced yet had a nice crunch and zing. The quality of the meats from the Seoul Tour were obviously higher end but the experience of enjoying consumption was masked by over cooking it. Again, server was kind but the speed of the server was painfully slow. Wish I had a better experience to review my first time dining here....

This place recently opened in my neighborhood and I was eager to try it out. While the menu is not as extensive as other Korean restaurants, they do what they do very well. All the banchan are made in house and the kimchi is on par with Meokja Meokja, for reference.I commented in passing that it had the ambiance of Honest Grill in Centerville at which time I learned it was the same owner.They also had a good drink menu, an extensive wine list, and a decent selection of beers. We got the combo for $48/person. The staff were all excellent. Highly recommended!