Solga

It had been awhile since I had eaten at Solga. I used to go there when I got spicy buckwheat noodle cravings, the Korean bibim nangmyun. Service was always good, efficient, and I remember their oxtail soup had been frikken ginormous! Well, things changed with the new ownership.

We went on a Saturday for dinner. All the tables were full, but we got seated after around 15 mins. I was surprised to see only two waiters manning the floor. Service was slow, understandably; our king-sized dumplings appetizer came well after we finished our entrees lol, like an hour after we'd placed our order.

Besides the dumplings, we had ordered two of the spicy noodles with skate fish, the regular non-spicy noodles, and some beef to cook at our table. Well, after a long wait, a waiter comes with the regular noodles, along with two small servings of the regular noodles. He explained that they were out of the skate fish, so he brought over complimentary regular noodles. That was a nice gesture of him, but he should have told us earlier. Then we tried the noodles dish. SO BAD. I was surprised that they changed their noodles from their original thin, handmade noodles into this thick, cheap, store-bought one. They hadn't been cooked long enough either. The broth that it came in was bland. No vegetables except for some spare slices of pickled white radish. I don't see how the full-sized dish of it was priced at $11.

Meat was average. Instead of having it cooked on the table's grilltop thing, a portable gas range was used. I saw other tables doing that too.

The dumplings were pretty to look at, but the filling was bland, the tofu not soft enough.

Side dishes can make or break a Korean restaurant, and the selection & taste of Solga's was poor.

Solga is sitting on some prime real estate with their free parking lot, but until they fix the service and the quality of their food, I would not recommend this place. Eat the lollipop chicken at the nearby Great Sea Chinese Restaurant instead if you're craving Asian.

I've been here a number of times over the years through--I think--four different ownerships and I have to say the current management is by far the best. Tim treats every customer with real respect and it's easy to see that he's trying his damnedest to make everyone's experience delightful.

The meat is tender and delicious and pairs well with any of their jjigaes. I would be more specific with recommendations but, really, they're all quite good.

If you're looking for quality Korean food in a clean, non-divey setting, choose Solga. Enjoy the choco-pies after your meal--they're a real nice touch!

A lot can change over the years, apparently. Came here for Sunday dinner and it was nice and not too busy. The marinated galbi comes with rice and some traditional Korean soup. The flavors are great! And the side dishes were excellent. The kimchi was spot on. The service was great.

The fried dumplings were good, too. But i think the standout here is the BBQ.