Seoul Mandoo

Have you ever gone into a restaurant and just wanted to order appetizers? How about a plate full of dumplings? Uh, yeah. Fantastic! I know just the spot for you. 😁

Seoul Mandoo is a small restaurant on Havana Street that serves Korean-style dumplings. No large entrees, just a straightforward small menu. Let's go!

Food

Flavor and Texture - 48/60

I ordered three different dishes, so I will rate them out of 20 points each.

I first ordered Ddeokbokki because I like me some carbs. This dish is made of soft chewy rice cakes seasoned in a red chili sauce. The rice cakes were tender and not rubbery which was great. The chili sauce was actually sweet, and not as spicy as I would have anticipated. Overall, this was some of the better Ddeokbokki I have had in a while - 18/20 points.

Secondly, I ordered some Fried Dumplings. These dumplings contained pork, and they all had a nice crispy outer wrapper. The pork filling had hints of onion and garlic and paired well with the complimentary soy sauce - 15/20 points.

Finally, I ordered their signature Giant Dumplings. Specifically, I ordered combo #3 which includes a mix of their offerings: Kimchi, Pork, and Galbi (BBQ flavored). Between the Pork and Galbi dumplings I could not really taste the difference, as both contained pork. Both mirrored the fried dumplings in regard to hints of garlic and onion. The Kimchi dumpling was my favorite (go figure), it was not too spicy or salty and had a mild chili flavor. The outer dough was soft on all of the dumplings and soaked up extra soy sauce nicely - 15/20 points.

Quality/Skillfulness - 8/10

The limited menu allows the staff to excel in each of the small dishes.

Value - 8/10

The portions are deceiving, especially for the Giant Dumplings, they really give you your money's worth.

Dining Experience

Service and Setting - 4/5

The inside is clean and modern. They conveniently have a self-service station for those that plan ahead. Service was prompt and friendly. Plenty of parking available out front.

Presentation - 3/5

The presentation was plain and simple. Nothing fancy.

Legitimacy or Creativity/Uniqueness - 4/5

The limited menu is nice, and creates a unique little niche for Korean-style dumplings.

X-Factor/Memorability - 3/5

I would come back if I am craving dumplings.

Total - 78/100

4 Stars - A small hole-in-the-wall restaurant creating a niche for Korean-style dumplings. Stop by if you are in K-Town.