April 29, 2011
Sole Cafe
684 Snelling Ave. N
St. Paul, MN 55104
651-644-2068

I know that I am not alone in recalling fuzzy summer memories of Korean Culture camp during my elementary school years.  According to the Korean Institute of Minnesota, I am one of approximately 15,000 Korean adoptees living in Minnesota.  I remember dreading the idea of wearing my traditional hanbok and performing the “fan dance,”so I opted for Taekwondo with the boys, instead.

However, I do remember looking forward to the Korean cafeteria lunch.  To this day, I recall savoring kimchee and homemade mandu which could be bought by the frozen freezer bag on the last day of camp.  This version of mandu stuffed sesame oil-flecked ground beef filling into triangles of thick, deep fried wrappers.  It became my internal gold standard against which I measure all mandu and I will be damned if I can find an equivalent.

As I grew into adolescence I became increasingly awkward about being adopted; As an adult, I am less self-conscious and more curious.  My mom passed away from cancer a couple years ago and when I feel the primal need for a sense of mothering and connection with my roots, I may visit a Korean restaurant.

Banchan

We received five types of banchan including mild, marinated bean sprouts, seaweed salad, chewy fish cake strips, savory tofu squares with a sweet and spicy sauce, and kimchi, my favorite banchan.
Kimchi
 
The kimchi at Sole Cafe is crisp and fresh.  It is also much spicier and less musty than versions I’ve tasted at Hoban and Dong Yang.  Vibrant is the best word to describe this kimchi.
I also enjoyed these chewy squares of tofu in a sweet and spicy soy-chili marinade.
Mackerel in a spicy sauce
 
Jake and I wanted to try one of the less Western items on the menu.  We religiously watch Bizarre Foods, determined to grow our food courage and expand our appreciation for under-appreciated foods. In my haste, I forgot to record exact prices, but believe this entree was $14.95.  This large platter includes mackerel fillets, silky squares of soft tofu, and slices of some kind of yellow vegetable.  This vegetable was soft and salty and I would venture to guess it was pickled radish.
Mackerel close-up
 
Jake had never tried mackerel while I have only tried it once.  The previous mackerel I ordered at a Japanese restaurant was intensely fishy, and the skin unbearable so.  In contrast, this mackerel had a clean aftertaste and I had no problem eating the skin.  The spicy sauce complimented the stronger, oilier character of the mackerel.
 
Squid stir-fry
I believe the cost of this entree was $12.95.  I adored the smoky, spicy, sweet flavor of this sauce.  To our delight, the spice level of this sauce had us sweating bullets and wiping our noses.  The sauce was complex, far from the one-note sauces one tires of after several bites.  This stir fry was overflowing with tender strips of scored calamari, zuchinni, onions, scallions and whole red chiles.  I noticed a thin strip of membrane on some of the calamari strips that, when peeled, made chewing much easier.
Galbi short ribs
This platter of $20 beef short ribs was well worth the price.  The galbi was delightfully lacquered in a caramelized, sweet glaze.  I enjoyed navigating through tender meat, chewy gristle, melting fat, and bone.
To conclude, our final bill was $62 including two bottles of Miller Golden Light (there were only two types of beer in stock).  Unfortunately, I do not have an itemized receipt and it would seem that each bottle was approximately $4-5 each.  I was thrilled with the quality of the food. Eating at Sole Cafe was effortless, like eating dinner at the house of the Korean grandmother or mother I wish I had.
After paying our bill, we walked into the cool night air, burning from the inside-out and breathing fire.  I couldn’t have been more satisfied.