To Soc Chon

Tucked away in a Chicago suburburb is an amazing little Korean restaurant called To Soc Chon. A few good reviews lead us to this inconspicuous eatery. I’ve travelled many times to South Korean as my wife’s family is from there. Korean food is a main staple at our house. I might have some bias. The menu selection isn’t large, yet its focused. IMO it’s targeted to less mainstream. The side dishes were extremely fresh with bright flavors. I tried both Su la tang (bone broth soup) & Gam ja tang (a spicy pork & potatoe soup). The ensemble of ingredients in both resonated well with my taste buds. Specifically it felt like it came together in perfect harmony, whereas with others places feels as if individual ingredients compete for attention. It’s almost as if it were marinated for a long time, however that’s not really case because one does not marinate soup. A lot of thought went into crafting how the things come together. While we’ve got nice array of Korean restaurants here in the Detroit area, I feel I will certainly check this place out again when in Chicago. This is the closest I’ve found to higher end Korean cuisine in the area. Don’t let the humble appearance fool you; I feel, here they focus their energy on perfecting the craft.

Learned about this restaurant from reddit. Was really craving for some good Korean food. To Soc Chon is like a hole in the wall kind of Korean establishment. Small, simple, no big fuss & glitter on the decor and yet when you enter it's very homely, clean and comforting. We were a party of two and ordered the casserole #17 spicy chicken stew with potatoes & vegetables (served with rice, kimchi etc) and omg! it was so good. The meat was literally falling apart from the bones, the spice level was just perfect and enjoyable. The potatoes had absorbed all the umami from the stew and were delicious! The portion was big. Even though it says casserole for two, three adults can easily enjoy the dish if you go in with a big appetite. The chicken pieces were medium to large sized. On a winter night this is the perfect spot to cozy up with some comforting and warming food. Would definitely visit again.

I just realized that I have not written a review for my favorite Korean hotpot restaurant, so here it is. If you want to try something authentic and different, you have to try this place out. I found this place a few years ago by chance because I have been looking for good Korean close to work. I only come here during the cold months because this places is known for its hotpots, too hot for the summer months. Hotpots or casserole are the main theme here, there is no BBQ, no chicken wings, no sushi, just awesome mouth watering hotpots and these folks know how to make them, aside from fresh ingredients, the broth base is very important. I personally don't like over spiced food but the broth here has just the right amount of spice in it but not overwhelming that you can't taste anything else. The flavor combination is just unbelievable, especially the spicy chicken or spicy pork neck bone hotpots. If you want to take a break from the spice you can always order the bulgogi hotpot which is more on the sweet side. There are other hotpot variations with tofu and such. Do try the traditional blood sausage, you can't just get them everywhere. Together with prompt and friendly services, you can't resist coming here at least once a week. The food just warms you from the inside. This is one of the few places that I will always end up over eating .