sam oh jung

came here for early dinner. the place was already quite full. we ordered or typical choices. taste wise, the soft tofu, bimbap and cold noodles were pretty good. the portions were resumable as well.

korean & authentic!. went here a few nights back with my son and wife. the place was pretty busy, however we were greeted and seated quickly. i knew i was in for a real treat as there were many koreans eating there and the tv was airing korean broadcasting.

the food was really good, we ordered seafood pajan which wasn't quit cooked enough to my liking, a little doughy. we also ordred la kalbi which was good but there is never enough meat on the rib bones when ordering kalbi. the meal always comes with all the korean trimmings! kimchee, gosari, and lotus root, not to mention a few other items. prices were pretty average, our bill was what i would expect to pay at any other korean restaurant. service was great. atmosphere was really good. bathrooms were clean too!

overall i loved the place, it was very good, korean servers made it all the more authentic, my wife is korean and she seemed to enjoy it. it was also recommended to us by a korean fellow in the h mart shopping centre. i would go back for sure next time i am in lynnwood! :)

i agree service can be pretty slow. but food is great!! love their bibimbap and tofu soup. free coffee machine is an added bonus :)

dish: mul nengmyun place: sam oh jung, lynnwood price: $9.99 in the bowl: per the menu: “cold noodle in beef broth soup with sliced beef and pickled vegetables.” those vegetables are cucumbers and daikon. there’s also asian pear, half of a boiled egg, and–check this out–ice. supporting cast/what to do: the noodles come with hot mustard, and there’s vinegar on the table. you’ll want to add these two ingredients to the bowl, finding an agreeable balance. your server can offer suggestions. you’ll also get scissors, which you use to cut the noodles to a more manageable length. noodling around: there are a couple of things that will immediately jump out at you regarding this noodle dish. first, it’s really cold. it’s served cold, it’s kept cold in a metal bowl, and it’s actually got a little ice floating around in the broth to make sure it stays cold. and that’s what makes it especially refreshing as a summertime meal. second, these buckwheat noodles are quite different than japanese soba.

fantastic food, slow service. now, i have one complaint about sam oh jung. the service is terribly slow.

however,there are no complaints about the food at all. the tofu soup (especially the seafood one) is fantastic, and the kalbi is savory. there's also a nice coffee machine that dispenses complimentary coffee or ginger drinks. kinda a strange thing to point out, i admit, but it is a nifty system to get unlimited coffee refills.

not your average korean. in the korean community, sam oh jung has been generating quite the buzz due to its "gan-jang geh-jang," literally translated into english as soy sauce raw crab. it's a delightful and intensely flavored dish, featuring two raw whole blue crabs, guts and all, marinated in soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and a touch of spice, together with some onions and red peppers to offset the sliminess of the crab.

and for $24.95, you can get the entire "jung-shik" (translated to "traditional combo") that features beef ribs, spicy bean paste stew, and the always all-you-can-eat variety of ban-chan, or small dishes, to accompany your crab. really a feast for two, and easily shared by three.

another dish that they do quite well here is the "bu-deh-chee-geh," a very spicy red stew comprised of noodles, ricecakes, sausage, and the occasional chunk of spam! the history behind this dish should be compelling enough to make you order it: the stew originated in itaewon during the 1950's, the sight of the us army base in seoul, when local residents scrounged whatever meat was left behind by the soldiers to get their fill of protien. today, these nasty bits comprise a communal pot that is featured in restaurants all over korea, and here at sam oh jung. be sure to check it out for yourself, especially if you want to kill a hangover . . .