This is SOHO Korean Chinese Restaurant, a casual Korean-Chinese restaurant specialising in classic Sino-Korean noodle dishes and shared plates. The menu centres on jjajangmyeon, jjambbong and tangsuuyuk, alongside a range of rice dishes and stir-fries.
They offer a number of lunch specials combining their signature dishes with a side.
Set A ($55.00; cash only) included Jjajangmyeon, Jjambbong and a Mini Tangsuuyuk.
Jjajangmyeon
The dish featured wheat noodles coated in black bean sauce with soft onions and cubes of pork. Initial contact delivered a savoury fermented black bean profile alongside a smooth, moderately thick sauce that coated the noodles evenly. The onions contributed sweetness, while the pork added a subtle richness without dominating. Through the mid-palate, the sauce remained well balanced against the quantity of noodles, avoiding both heaviness and excessive saltiness. Although lacking the pronounced smoky depth found in Ting Hao’s Wagyu Jjajangmyeon, the flavour remained cohesive and satisfying.
Jjambbong
The dish combined wheat noodles with a seafood-rich spicy broth, greens and onion. Initial contact delivered an immediate smoky aroma and flavour from the charred seafood, establishing a deep wok-hei character that carried directly into the broth. Medium chilli heat provided warmth without overwhelming the seafood. Through the mid-palate, the broth developed into a full-bodied, richly savoury soup while maintaining its pronounced smokiness. The noodles retained a pleasantly al dente texture, contrasting with a generous assortment of seafood including well-charred octopus tentacles, squid and a scallop. The grilled seafood infused the broth with smoky complexity that persisted from the first mouthful to the last. The finish remained smoky and savoury with a lingering, moderate warmth that encouraged another sip rather than overwhelming the palate.
Mini Tangsuuyuk
The dish featured generous whole pieces of pork coated in a rice batter and finished with a thick sweet-and-sour sauce. Initial contact delivered a crisp exterior surrounding tender pork, while the glossy sauce coated each piece generously with balanced sweetness and gentle acidity. Through the mid-palate, the batter gradually softened as it cooled, transitioning from crisp to a pleasantly chewy crunch while retaining its structure beneath the thick sauce. The finish resolved into lingering sweet-sour notes with tender pork remaining the dominant impression.
Set B ($60.00; cash only) included a Jjamppong, a White Jjamppong and a Mini Yuringi.
White Jjamppong
The dish combined wheat noodles with a seafood broth seasoned with black pepper, sliced red and green chillies, greens and assorted seafood.
Initial contact delivered a clean, savoury seafood broth with gentle peppery warmth in place of the gochugaru and chilli oil found in the traditional version. The reduced chilli intensity allowed the natural sweetness of the seafood to emerge more readily. Through the mid-palate, the broth developed a fuller seafood character while retaining the pronounced smoky wok hei established by the charred seafood. The sliced chillies contributed a restrained, lingering heat that complemented rather than dominated the soup. The noodles retained their pleasantly al dente texture, while the milder seasoning produced a more comforting and approachable flavour profile than the traditional jjamppong. The finish remained savoury and smoky, with a gentle peppery warmth and lingering seafood sweetness that highlighted the quality of the grilled seafood components.
Mini Yuringi
The dish featured fried chicken thigh served with a yuzu soy sauce and topped with sliced green chilli on a bed of lettuce.
Initial contact delivered an exceptionally crisp, crunchy batter that contrasted with the tender, juicy chicken beneath. The yuzu soy sauce introduced bright citrus notes alongside balanced sweetness and savoury soy undertones. Through the mid-palate, the sauce lightly coated both the chicken and the accompanying lettuce, lending freshness and acidity without softening the batter prematurely. While the generous quantity of green chilli contributed additional heat, it proved largely unnecessary, with the yuzu soy sauce providing sufficient brightness and complexity on its own. The finish resolved into lingering sweet-tangy citrus notes, with the crisp batter and juicy chicken remaining the dominant textural impression.
Fried Eggplant in Spicy Black Vinegar ($28.00)
The dish featured battered eggplant coated in a glossy black vinegar sauce.
Initial contact delivered an exceptionally crisp batter that shattered cleanly, contrasting sharply with the soft, yielding eggplant beneath. Through the mid-palate, the black vinegar sauce developed into a rich, sticky glaze with restrained sweetness, gentle acidity and only mild chilli warmth, allowing the dark vinegar to remain the defining flavour. Despite the generous coating, the batter retained its crispness throughout the meal, more in line with the yuringi batter, resisting the softening and gumminess observed in the tangsuuyuk as it cooled. The finish resolved into lingering sweet-sour notes with the creamy eggplant providing a mellow contrast to the crunchy exterior.
Clear Noodles with Sesame Sauce ($16.00)
The dish combined wide sweet potato noodles with a rich sesame-peanut sauce, translucent chilli oil, sliced cucumber, coriander, chilli crisp and crushed peanuts.
Initial contact delivered a rich, nutty sesame and peanut profile carried by a thick sauce that coated the slippery noodles evenly. Although the opaque sauce appeared deep orange-red, its spice level remained restrained, with the accompanying chilli oil providing the more pronounced warmth. Through the mid-palate, the sweet potato noodles became the focal point, their thick, springy texture offering a more satisfying chew than the finer buckwheat noodles typically used for Korean naengmyeon. Cucumber introduced cooling freshness, while coriander added a bright herbal lift and the chilli crisp and peanuts contributed intermittent crunch. The finish remained creamy and lightly spiced, with the lingering nuttiness making the dish particularly well suited to warm weather.
Tomato Salad with Lychee Dressing ($8.80)
The dish paired peeled cherry tomatoes with lychee jelly and a lychee dressing, finished with a small garnish of gold leaf.
Initial contact delivered remarkably sweet cherry tomatoes whose peeled skins and firm flesh closely resembled fresh lychees in both appearance and texture. Through the mid-palate, each bite released a juicy lychee flavour before giving way to the tomato’s subtle savoury umami and gentle acidity, creating an unexpectedly convincing interplay between fruit and vegetable. The lychee jelly reinforced the fruit character without becoming overly sweet, while the dressing tied the components together with a clean, refreshing finish. The result was one of the more distinctive salads encountered, transforming a familiar ingredient into something unexpectedly novel.
Mango Simiro ($9.00)
The dessert featured a thick mango pudding with sago, frozen mango cubes and red grapefruit.
Initial contact delivered an intensely ripe mango flavour with a thick, liquid pudding-like consistency, accompanied by a faint effervescence that subtly lifted its richness. Through the mid-palate, the red grapefruit introduced bright acidity and gentle bitterness that balanced the sweetness of the mango. The frozen mango cubes contributed a pleasant chew as they gradually thawed, while the sago added textural variation, though it was largely overshadowed by the more dominant components. The finish resolved into lingering tropical sweetness tempered by citrus freshness, making for a balanced conclusion to the meal.
Overall, a Korean-Chinese restaurant defined by balanced seasoning and consistently strong wok execution, strongest where charred flavours and contrasting textures were allowed to shape the dish.
SOHO Korean Chinese Restaurant is located at 31 John St, Lidcombe NSW 2141.