Cafe Seoul

There is a cute little Korean restaurant around the corner from where I work; Sooni, the proprietor, does everything herself. She is cooking for you and serving it herself.

She opened this in the least auspicious spot she could, but I suppose opening in a business park with no other restaurants immediately around may have been more genius, than auspicious anyway.
I happened on this place on one of the rare days I ride the bus, it happens to go right in front.

I found that her food probably tastes better because she cooks it in front of you and on her slower nights she chats with you as she's cooking (she does leave you to your meal, however).
She use to be a pianist and has a great love of opera and the crooners, I've occasion to walk in there were she is got Madam Butterfly or the like at the top volume and she's singing in the back.

I enjoy her as much as her food and I've made some efforts to get other coworkers to go over there for lunch or dinner. One in particular is quite entertaining in his own rite, but even more particularly when it comes to food. I really enjoy when I can get people to step out of their comfort-zone a little and try something new, something good. (part of the reason I'm doing this, if you recall).

His conversations when I bring up this restaurant are pretty entertaining. He's a fan of fast food - certainly nothing wrong with that, and he knows I don't like several locations including the joint that touts "real roast beef," a place he really likes.
Today's conversation has me laughing even now.

Me (m)
Coworker (cw)
"Real roast beef" (rrb)

cw: "I have some coupons for you to rrb"
m: "Yeah, no."
cw: "I'll keep offering them, if you keep pushing Korean"
m: "Real food or beef flavored sawdust...ok."
cw: "Delicious food or dog"
m: "It makes me laugh that you actually think it's dog..."
"...it's cat."
cw: "I think it's funny that you think I really believe fast food is gourmet"
m: "It isn't that I believe or disbelieve, you've given me nothing to contrary and that I've seen people like that..."
"Besides, I don't think this korean restaurant is gourmet, when I think gourmet I think Christopher's, Spencer's, Aristo's, Bambara, and Market Street"
cw: "I won't be going to any of those"
m: "If you enjoy eating your food soaked in a chemical bath, I won't change your mind"
cw: "Well your restaurant is gourmet compared to rrb, I admit that"
m: "It's nice you feel that dog food is gourmet compared to fast food."
cw: "..."
"You're so funny"
m: "I'm glad you think so"

Anyway, she doesn't use dog or cat. Go enjoy a pleasant conversation over Pavarotti or Sinatra with a pleasant woman as she cooks your "at home" food. I recommend the Kimchi Cheegae or the Bulkogi (as with Korea House) or be adventurous pick something at random.

Just north of 5300 south, she's nestled in on the west side of Commerce St at 5284 s. Commerce is just east of the freeway. "Turn  north at the Bridge Building"

Nema na cemu

-D