Korean Comfort Food SeoulSpice To Open New Restaurant In Penn Quarter

WASHINGTON, DC — SeoulSpice, a Korean comfort food restaurant, will be opening its fifth location in the D.C. area in Penn Quarter on Nov. 12.

The restaurant, 100-percent gluten free, serves Korean-style rice bowls, kimbap burritos (Korritos), japchae noodle bowls and salads. Located at 439 7th Street NW, the new SeoulSpice restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

SeoulSpice will give away one complimentary entrée to each in-store customer who visits the new location on Friday, Nov. 12 between 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. while supplies last. The special giveaway excludes ordering an extra protein, “The Egg” and Avocado toppings when building one’s order.

“We love the history of the area, the proximity to museums, the National Mall, metro, everything,” SeoulSpice owner Eric Shin said in a statement. “There is also a great balance of both residential, work, and tourism.”

Shin opened his flagship location in the NoMa neighborhood of D.C. in 2016 and expanded with additional locations in Tenleytown and College Park, Maryland, opening in 2017. The fourth location opened in the Westfield Montgomery Mall in spring 2021.

Situated across the street from Jaleo, the new 2,000-square-feet space location will have open stadium seating to give a feeling of freedom.

Diners at SeoulSpice begin by selecting the base of their meal: a rice bowl (Bibimbap), cooked sushi-grade white or purple rice; Korrito, (Gimbap) the original Korean-style burrito with roasted seaweed and a choice of white or purple rice; noodles (Japchae), gluten free and made from sweet potato starch, tossed with carrots and kale in a sesame-ginger-soy marinade; or a salad bowl (Sangchu) of kale and iceberg lettuce.

Next, customers can add a protein of beef, thin-sliced ribeye marinated in sweet and savory kalbi marinade; chicken, which is locally raised and marinated in the kalbi marinade; spicy pork, thinly sliced and marinated in spicy chili; or tofu, organic with non-GMO beans, braised and caramelized in kalbi marinade.

SeoulSpice's menu prices range from $6 to $12.99.