Cycle 13 – Item 299

31 (Mon) October 2022

Snapper-Scallop Sotbap

2.5

at Solsot

-Changgok, Sujeong, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea-

with W and IZ

Solsot (솔솥) is a Korean restaurant chain.  Specializes in so-called “pot rice,” as explained below.  No information on when the chain was founded, currently 40 locations across the country.

Various clues suggest Japanese influence, or at least interest.  The front signage is written in hiragana.  In addition to sotbap, the menu also offers pork shabu shabu and shrimp tempura.  The plates for side dishes are Japanese hand-made pottery, while the broth for the burnt rice soup is served in a sake dokuri.  The dining hall has a poster of Osaka.  Just saying.

Sotbap (솥밥) is a Korean dish.  Consists of rice, steamed in an individually-sized pot, topped with seasoned proteins and vegetables.  After the primary components have been finished, leaving behind a layer of burnt/crispy rice at the bottom of the pot.  Water (sometimes tea) is poured into the pot, releasing the rice and creating a soup.  Not really a traditional dish in itself, inspired by the old-school rice method of cooking rice in gamasot, a large cast iron pot (see generally 6.094 Samgyeopsal), scaled down to individual portions, like dolsot bibimbap (4.206 Jeonju Gobdol Bibimbap), with a nod to Bukchang-dong-style sundubu jjigae (see generally 4.139 Vancouver-Style Sundubu Jjigae).

Meh.  The fish was kinda bland, and skimpy in portion (an additional 8,000 won for a double – no thanks).  The scallops were a bit fishy.  The rest was okay, if unremarkable.  While I could appreciate the concept, I found the execution to be rather soulless.

(See also RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)

(See also HANSIK)