I was really excited to try Solbam for my last Seoul trip cos it was recommended by a local. Helmed by Chef-Owner Eom Tae Jun, the experience is split into 2 parts, first at an intimate living area where you get to enjoy the snacks before beginning your dinner proper at the dining area

I was slightly late. I blamed it on the traffic. Oops. But I was glad they were very accommodating

Horse Mackerel, Crispy Seaweed, Smoked Trout Roe, Fermented Bean Paste

The flavours were so Japanese yet so Korean. I could vividly find the familiarity of the fish in my omakase but yet you could distinctly taste the Korean flavours in it. The dish also had a slight smokiness to it, yet balanced by the sweetness of the trout roe

Chilled Pork Belly, Aged White Kimchi, Korean Parsley, Perilla Leaf

This was quite impressionable, like I could still remember how exceptional the dish was. The pork belly was done really well. It had a clean taste to it yet the flavour of the pork was not overpowering. The chilled temperate brought out the flavours of the vegetables which you could enjoy the aged kimchi as well. Finished off with Perilla leaf, there was a subtle fragrance to it which really completed the dish

Chicken Liver, Doenjang Infused Chicken Mousse, Almond, Maple Syrup

I liked this. The chicken liver was not too heavy, complemented with almond for the crunch and maple syrup for the aftertaste sweetness. So for those who aren’t fan of liver and worried about the strong raw taste, I liked they put some thought into this so that it’s enjoyable overall

Moving on to the dining area

Poem to get the dinner started

Caviar, Chodang Corn, Scallop

Very delightful flavours with the sweetness of the corn bits and slight saltiness of the caviar. Texture was very well played as you enjoyed the crunch of the corn and the diced scallops, finished off with the fingering lime. But what impressed me the most was the warm corn cake at the side that was just simply amazing

Tomato, Calamari, Bluefin Tuna, Okra

The broth was the highlight. I had a sip of the broth and you could enjoy the sweetness and acidity of the tomatoes at the same time. I liked how clean the broth was so what you enjoyed was something that was so refined and elegant. Tuna was sweet and I enjoyed the crunch in the okra that differentiates itself from the seafood. Orange was a good palate cleanser to end the dish

Butter Fish, Zucchini

The texture of the fish was really nice. It’s firm, chewy, fresh yet complemented the crunch of the zucchini. And you could easily finish the broth made from shrimps and clams that was sweet yet umami. They really made some good broth in here

Lobster, Cauliflower, Mussel

Lobster was well-cooked. It was succulent and complemented well by every component on this plate. The cauliflower relish had a good balance of sweetness with a slight acidity coming through. The puree was creamy, highlighting the sweetness and freshness of the lobster

The lobster donut was an interesting pairing. It did feel a little oily to me at first but surprisingly you appreciate the donut with each bite. As you chew, the sweetness of the lobster gets more apparent with the contrast. Also, I liked how thin the donut was made. It was soft yet slightly chewy, so on a whole, it was quite well-made. Yet if you compare to the lobster tail with the cauliflower puree, the latter won hands-down. The puree was so delicious I kept a little of it to dip the donut with. Overall, this was quite a well-thought dish

Abalone, Sea Urchin, Barley

Abalone was really well-executed. It was soft, chewy and sweet and with a savoury uni sabayon sauce alongside, it was really delicious . The onion and risotto was also well-cooked so you get to enjoy the different layers altogether

Watermelon, Cheong-yang, Elderflower

Palate cleanser before Hanwoo comes out!

Hanwoo

Hanwoo, Baek-hwa-go, Red Swiss Chard

Hanwoo was amazing. Well-cooked and tender, you really enjoy the flavour of the beef itself. Drizzled with shiitake sauce, the pairing worked well as well. You get a savoury, earthy sauce to complement the umami of the beef which that gave it a really nice balance. And I liked how they give a side of Red Swiss Chard just so you can have a bite of it if you want a peppery kick to your beef

Hidden Menu – Seaweed Noodles, Pork Belly, Water Parsley, Pork Broth

I wonder if they had used the same pork as the snack dish. If it was, they had the same clean flavour just so you can enjoy the chilled seaweed noodles. The pork broth was refreshing for the summer heat. It seemed like a simple dish yet every component was well-executed

Peach, Lemon Verbena

Another palate cleanser!

Deon-jang, Gan-jang, Vanilla

This was really nice. I really enjoyed the dessert

Cham-oe, Red Bean, Cheong-gyul

Ending a very filling meal with petite 4, each was delightful. The Korean melon with Yuja, Rice Cake with Soybean Powder and Korean Fruit Jelly with Matcha Powder was just a good end to the meal

I really enjoyed my meal at Solbam. I felt that the dishes were well thought of and I liked the flavours were cohesive yet distinct to showcase the ingredients used. Personally, I thought they deserved more than a star and I looked forward to my visit the next time I return to Seoul

And for those who are interested – they are having a collab with Naeum on the 15 August in Singapore though I doubt they have seats still. Ha

Solbam

South Korea, Seoul, Gangnam District, Nonhyeon-dong, Hakdong-ro, 231 백영센터 2층