The last Vancouver Gem of the semester! Sooda Korean BBQ is a Korean BBQ spot with traditional tastes and fusion styles less than a two-minute walk away from Brentwood Mall. From a wide range of samgyupsal (pork belly) BBQ to their Sooda Box special, this restaurant is the place to add to your Korean BBQ bucket list.
Walking into Sooda Korean BBQ on a Thursday afternoon, the place is jampacked. Luckily I was seated right away. Sooda Korean BBQ does not take reservations, so be prepared to wait especially if you are going on a weekend or the meal rush!
The menu is comic-styled which is visually appealing, however, I found it was distracting and took awhile to read everything. Luckily, you can search for their menu online or scan the QR code at the top right corner. While I do think it was convenient for them to incorporate their QR code, it is quite small.
Pictured above is the Sooda box special “Sooda Jeyook”. Sooda Jeyook is pork marinated in spicy sauce served on a hot plate with cheese, green onions, eggroll, corn, and rice for $42.99. At Korean restaurants, they typically give you side dishes. From top to bottom, the side dishes are Kongnamul-muchim (soybean sprout), kimchi, and gamja jorim (Korean braised potatos).
Look at that cheese. Look at that pork. The flavours were immaculate.
I also ordered the half Honey Garlic Sooda Box, premium Korean steak tartar torched on top of rice with homemade garlic sauce and roasted garlic for $16.99.
While I found that the food was good, it was quite pricy. $42.99? For a singular dish? Many of the ingredients were quite cheap like the rice, corn, cheese, egg. I did like that there was a good portion of meat, however, I dont think it is worth $42.99. Besides, I ended up not finishing the Sooda box special. Personally, I think they could downsize and sell a smaller portion for less money.
Pictured above is the amount of food leftover. While the servers did offer us a takeout box, I kindly declined. Because it was such a small portion, it wouldn’t make sense to takeout. I also think that since the cheese has already been mixed in, reheating this would not be as good.
Overall, I would revisit Sooda Korean BBQ, just without ordering their Sooda special. I’d revisit to try another one of their Sooda Box and their Korean BBQ.
If you are in Brentwood or anywhere in North Burnaby, I’d suggest stopping by at non-peak hours. Sooda Korean BBQ is located at 4455 Lougheed Hwy., Burnaby.
Not in the area? Sooda Korean BBQ is opening a new spot in Gastown! Check Dished for more news.