Reviews of Soonja's Cuisine (Restaurant)

Manjari Madhusudanan

Simple beautiful place with carefully crafted menu. Asian food lovers have something nive to chose from of their favourite town/country here.

Carol Rice

Bibimbap!!!! The BEST!!! Best ginger tea ever!!!! Love, love, love Bibimbap, seaweed salad, miso soup, and cups of the best ginger tea. Best Korean secret!!!

JL Jones

Tasty food, nice and comfortable atmosphere

Mireya Benedetti

We love Soonjas. My husband and I moved from the West Coast and thought (for whatever reason) we would have a hard time finding great sushi and/or great Korean food on the East Coast. We were wrong. Soonja's is delicious - we go there almost every week to get our sushi or soondoboo fix. The pork tonkatsu is great - our son's favorite. We love the bibimbop as well. Both my husband and I are very picky about our food and we've never once been disappointment at Soonjas. Plus - everyone there is extremely friendly!!

Gina Choe

Beef bibimbap was good but overpriced for its worth

Fritz Mineus

Great good and good portions

G. Casanova Alig

Great food, great service, cozy ambiance

Xiaolong Li

Decent and authentic food at a great price, despite the fact that they serve food from all major Asian cuisine. So don't be misled by that.

Vincent Slager

Good food

Richard Basch

Best Korean in Central NJ. Love the Kimchi Jigae and Dukoki. Also try the Bibimbop and Bulgolgi. They also claim to serve other Asian cuisines, including Thai, Japanese and Chinese.

Barbara A. Preston

This is a family-owned authentic Korean restaurant in Princeton that is frequented by professors and locals. The Bibimbop in a hot stone pot is particularly awesome. If you have never had this dish, it is a must! The restaurant also serves a variety of Asian dishes such as sushi, noodles, dumplings, some Thai dishes, and such standards as General Tso Chicken, which all look delicious. I cannot resist the bibimbop, a hot pot of Jasmine tea, followed by mango or green tea ice cream.

Daniel Lee

Ok

Gautam Gogineni

Nice quality cuisine, BYOB, near Princeton University but located away from the central area. Good but not upscale decor. Dinged a star only because service was somehow agnostic.

OchachaTown오차차타운

(Translated by Google) Where you missed Korean food ~ Kimchi Delicacy, Kimchi stew is American style, Bulgogi is a style that Americans like. It is comforting to have a warm place to eat on a long trip. (Original) 한식이 그리워 찾아간곳~ 김치전 맛있음, 김치찌개는 아메리칸스타일, 불고기도 아메리칸들이 좋아할 스타일 긴여행에 따뜻한 공기밥 먹을수 있게해줘서 위로는됨

Holly Marr

Very good food, whether you order a Korean dish, or Sushi... it's all good! I ordered the Chicken Katsu, so tasty. My husband had the Spicy Pork Bulgogi and he loved it. Our friend chose a Make Your Own noodle dish and she was happy with it. We like Soonja's a lot.

Ilissa Seroka

I am a sushi snob, and always seek out sushi restaurants wherever I travel. This is by far my favorite sushi restaurant, because not only is the food *delicious*, but the special sushi rolls have amazing and unique combinations. They even blow torch one of the rolls! And to top it all off, the service is amazing. I've been a devoted fan for over 4 years. Soonjas is a hidden gem in Princeton!! There is also free parking!

M Friday

Service was a bit spotty on a busy Saturday night, but the food was great! Will totally eat here again.

Manan Doshi

If you're a fan of expensive Americanized Korean food served in small portions, then you'll love this place. When I ordered $20 Pork Bulgogi, I expected a good amount of food. The pork was okay, but I was still hungry after I cleaned my plate. Maybe some kimchi would have helped with the small portions, but they don't give any (or even tea for that matter) - "Korean" restaurant indeed. The real problem, however, is the service. When my buddies and I were finished with our meal, we were told that the check cannot be separated. While this was annoying, we decided to just split the checks instead. However, the card machine wasn't working, so we all had to pay with cash (the alternative being for them to write down our credit card numbers to run the bills later - no thank you). Since the bill was pretty expensive (due to extremely overpriced food), we all dumped all of our cash onto the table. Unfortunately, I don't carry a lot of cash with me, and neither did some of my buddies since we always pay with card, and we were only able to muster around a 12-13% tip (I would normally do the divide by 5 rule which is a 20% tip). Instead of understanding the situation, our waiter got an attitude and said our tip wasn't even close to 10% (which was a blatant lie). I mean it's not like WE broke the card machine! This kind of greedy attitude ruins a place for me. My friend who handed the check back was pretty apologetic about it too, and I even showed my empty wallet. If they weren't so rude we would be back another time and would certainly make up for this, but now we won't.

Linda Melchor

great food

Emilia Scurato

Everyone that works there is so attentive and nice and the Korean food is sooooooo good. The mandoogook was one of the best things I've ever eaten.

Damian Baraty

Walked over to Soonja's in a group of 7, and were seated immediately. All in our party enjoyed their food, which ranges from Korean, to Chinese, some Japanese, and a few Thai dishes. I liked the Pad Thai (my canary in the mineshaft dish) and found the hot and sour soup refreshingly bold and tasty--they were not afraid to spice it up unlike many places where H&S soup tastes too similar to corn flower with too much starch and not enough hot or sour. Would definitely return on a future visit to Princeton. Worth the walk.

Tom Weir

(Review is only based on Sushi and Korean dishes) Big, big fan of Soonja's. Here's why: 1. The Korean dishes are quite good; the best that I have had in Princeton. Admittedly, there isn't a large selection of korean food in town, but this certainly beats the other options. In several cases (kimchi jigae, ddeokbokki) the dishes stack up favorably to those in Edison, and I can get it without the 40 min drive. If only they had BBQ at the table... 2. The Sushi is very good, far better than I imagined it would be given the fact that they aren't a sushi-only joint. I would rank Soonja's second only in princeton to Ahihei (which is more expensive, has far fewer tables, and a much more limited menu); the quality is similar to that at Mo C Mo C. I believe the prices are comparable to the rest of town as well, maybe even a little cheaper. And, you get to save money on... 3. Parking. Lot is small, but I have always gotten a space and parking is free. Sure beats trying to deal with the parking/traffic of downtown Princeton. 4. Run by what appears to be a very nice family. Always like giving my dining bucks to family-run restaurants. 5. BYO Give Soonja's a try, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

America O'Connell

Service is hit and miss, sometimes the waiters are crabby

Grace Odediran

Really good. I truly enjoyed it.

Michael Ehrlich

Best bimibop ever.

Max Ehrlich

Get the Korean food

Jerome Dausman

Really good Asian food, a bit pricey for lunch. Nice atmosphere and a good wait staff.

Alexandre David

Great Asian food!

Amanda R.

Quiet place with delicious food.

Sofia Gallo

This place has a policy against excepting legitimate service dogs. I tried to eat there with my guide dog and they actually said “no service dogs allowed”. I am legally blind and my dog has gone to countless restaurants, planes, and even went through college with me here at Princeton. . Most places at least pretend they don’t know it’s a service dog. So enjoyed but just know you were supporting a place that explicitly and actively discriminates.

George Tester

A little pricey for what you get (it is Princeton, after all). A favorite place for dinner before McCarter: just down the road, and pretty quick.

Quinton Waters

Awesome food, super nice staff members, consistently excellent character. They charge fair pricing and the food quality is very good. Highly recommended.

Christopher Fruendt

Excellent good, good value lunch special

Ananya Gupta

We went here as vegetarians for Thai food. I would not call this a Thai restaurant. They seem to be more of a Japanese/Korean type of specialty although they call themselves Thai/ Korean/ Japanese. Strong contender for a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none? My wife said the Miso soup was delicious however. Avoid the vegetable fried rice like the plague. It's just boiled white rice sauteed with a dash of carrots and broccoli with no flavor.

TRINH HO

The place offers a fantastic variety of delicious food. I like eating here. Employees are always welcoming, pricing is affordable and the place is always kept clean.

chris donohue

I love the bimbebop

T Altman

Gopdol bi Bim bop, pad thai and udon are my favorites.

Apple Jiang

Food is ok. But my friend and I found a hair on the pancake, and pulling out the hair and sending back to our table in 10 seconds is, NOT OK!

Sunil Jain

Good food but air conditioning needs improvement

Sherry Greenspan

Delicious and fresh!

Eugene Kang

Probably one of the only Korean restaurants in the area. Service was decent. I tried their beef bulgogi which was okay, but I wished it was more flavorful. Not quite cheap either.

Evangelos Gatzogiannis

I went for the first time - recognized many Princeton U employees there, wanted to make it a standby place. Got menu, ordered the Bento Box deluxe as I was hungry and wanted a real meal for under $20. Having been to many Korean and Japanese places (and in Asia also), before I could specify what my choices were as part of the deluxe Bento Box, the brusque waiter immediately in a split second (and it wasn't busy) said "You KNOW you have to pick beef or..." I quickly rattled off the three items but didn't like his brusque, aggressive tone and condescension. I know many who go for the food but hate the attitude. I didn't want to be mean to them but gave them a standard tip at 15-18% instead of the usual 22-25% I give service staff as I one myself at one time; but they sure lost me as a potential repeat customer. Too bad, because the other waiter that came into the picture as I was eating was better and nice.

Sean Arendell

Very good Japanese food. Bento deluxe box for lunch is delicious and quite a lot of food for reasonable price. Chicken katsu, spicy Hamachi, hot and sour soup were all excellent. Excited to go back and try other items on the menu.

Brendan Mitchell

Unbelievable spicy pork bulgogi!! I’m talking 15 out of 5 stars as far as the spicy pork goes!

Joseph Heiser

Always consistent. Whether you go with sashimi, sushi, or the cooked products, it’s very good. I dine at many high end restaurants and this place is tops.

Minseung Choi

Bibimbob is spot on.

vickygavs

The food here is so good! I come every couple of weeks to get the beef dukbokki. My parents can't handle spice well, but they still love everything. The staff are super accommodating and will help you if you have any trouble deciding what to get.

Debbi Ripp

Fantastic food, friendly staff members, consistently good character. They charge reasonable rates and the food quality is excellent. Kudos.

Mathivanth V

Amazing Restaurant. Food was Astonishingly flavorful - Felt like a traditional Korean/Asian meal.

Benny Duggins

Good clean

Ronbo795

Best Asian food around I come for the dumplings and stay for the noodle

Òscar Vergé

Great food in a calm and relaxed setting.

J P

Excellent authentic Korean food. The parking is small so I would advise you to arrive early. Interior was clean and simply decorated. Service was fast and accurate. I found the sunduboo to be flavorful and the option to choose how spicy you want it is nice. Same spicy option with the dokboki which was also tasty. Some times you need to grab the attention of the waiters but that's pretty normal with Korean restaurants. I wasnt expecting such good Korean food when I saw the fusion menu but I am glad I was wrong. Check this place out. UPDATE: 02/08/18 ------------------- I went back for dinner a few days ago and it was almost like whoever cooks lunches does not do dinners. I got the same thing, sunduboo but also wanted to try the Yukaejang. Sunduboo came out surprisingly bland. The Yukaejang did not taste like traditional yukaejang at all. Almost tasted like they put some fermented soy bean paste in there which never goes in that soup. They could have called it something else if they were going to twist a recipe like that. Either way, did not taste good and was certainly not worth $17. Barely had any beef in it. Kinda disappointed and conflicted if I'll go back. Consistency is something I expect from restaurants so I knocked 2 stars off from my original review after visiting again.

Karishma M

Everything on Soonja's menu is absolutely delicious & cooked to perfection. Its no wonder we get cravings for their cuisine every weekend...Keep it up! All the people we know & up to 6 connections tight are becoming very loyal customers as we are! =)

Jeffrey McGregor

Crunchy Spicy Tuna and Hai Dop Bop is a meal to die for. Owners are very committed to providing great food. I've been going for years - it is always great.

shin ko

(Translated by Google) Do not trust the reviews down here. Going to this restaurant was a waste of my time and money. The quality of sushi is as same as the ones of 6.99's Chinese buffet while being twice as expensive. The soups of ramen and Japanese Udon are as salty as the Dead Sea. Do not even thing about stopping at this restaurant. FURTHERMORE, even after charging an outrageous 18% tip, they expect you to pay yet another tip. 0/10, would never go there again - in short, outrageous prices and food that is mediocre at best result in a poor dining experience. Thank me in advance;) And I say if South Korea who visibility to Princeton University for Tourism waiter how rude here. When the waiter a little while disadvantageous to Korean English while suddenly, blatantly ignoring the guests Korea. We did not inconvenience his career and In or English and Hangul equally from a long period of life, and the American company in the US, when you enter the store, 'Please Korea minute? "The first lady (boss like um) is to come into Korean bites we have to speak Korean. Geuraetdeoni what we think mothandago English waiter thought, muleotdeoni later for the tip and the bill (already including a 18% tip friggin gave only a receipt, When I request a statement, he begins to English from when I ask to English to have a conversation) knew that he was disadvantaged from the time I started to speak in English. South Korea will go to those who ignore his own people in this way, never things. The absolute shine. (Original) Don't trust the reviews down here. Going to this restaurant was a waste of my time and money. The quality of sushi is as same as the ones of 6.99's Chinese buffet while being twice as expensive. The soups of ramen and Japanese Udon are as salty as the Dead Sea. Don't even thing about stopping at this restaurant. FURTHERMORE, even after charging an outrageous 18% tip, they expect you to pay yet another tip. 0/10, would never go there again - in short, outrageous prices and food that is mediocre at best result in a poor dining experience. Thank me in advance ;) 그리고 프린스톤 대학교를 관광가시는 한국분들에게는 여기 웨이터가 얼마나 무례한지 말씀드립니다. 웨이터가 한국말로 하다가 조금만 불리하면 갑자기 영어를 하면서, 한국 손님들을 노골적으로 무시합니다. 저희는 미국에서 오랜 기간 생활하고, 미국 회사에서 직장 생활을 하고 있어서 영어나 한글이나 똑같이 불편하지 않았는데, 가게에 들어갈 때, 먼저 여자분(사장님 같았음)이 오셔서 한국말로 '한국분이세요?'물어서 우리는 한국말로 했습니다. 그랬더니 웨이터 생각에 우리가 영어를 못한다고 생각했는지, 나중에 팁과 청구서에 대해서 물었더니(이미 18% 팁을 포함해서 영수증만 줬길래, 내역서를 요구했더니, 그 때부터 영어로 하기 시작해서 저도 영어로 묻고 영어로 대화를 했습니다) 그 때부터 자기가 불리한 것을 알고 영어로 말을 하기 시작했습니다. 한국 분들은 이런 식으로 자기 민족을 무시하는 가게는 절대로 가지 마십시오. 절대 비추입니다.

Sein Lee

Staff is so nice and the food was fantastic. We ordered a seafood pancake appetizer, dolsot bibimbap, and pad thai. Seems like they use very fresh ingredients!

Mohsin Raza

The service here is wonderful. The seated us immediately even with a busy wait and were constantly checking on us and making sure that we were being taken care of. The sushi was great and the atomsphere was wonderful. Also if you're a fan of green tea ice cream I would highly recommend it, it was just the right amount sweet and bitter. If you're in the area please go and have a wonderful time.

Tengyu MA

the picking up time is extremely slow . More than 45 minutes.

Sharidanthex D

Wonderful food and atmosphere

M.A. Jensen

Excelllent !!!!! I love their bento box dinners .

Dmitry Vaintrob

Great bibimbap

iesha jourdan

Customer service was great. Food is okay. Doesn't taste Like traditional Korean food in my opinion

Evan Weiss

Very quality food in a touching home-y setting. Great lighting, meaninful feels

Bill Sferro

Delicious, savory food with unique flavors.

Luis Chacon

Food is quite good, but service not so. Particularly annoying is the credit card "house rules" about not allowing for more than 3 cards per table. We were a large group, and payment was challenging. Left a bitter aftertaste. Won't be coming again.

Love song

Very Rude owner and bad food. When tried to tell him he asked me to leave and not to come again !! He was cursing and insulting too !! Worst experience in Life !!

Alex M

Ripped off..$20 bimbimbap plenty of rice but a only a teaspoon of diced meat.

Christina Hyunjee Lee

Nice Amercanized(?) Korean food! I wouldn't say it was authentic korean or asian food, but the dish itself was very tasty. The staff were nice and professional, the atmosphere was warm. They also had tables for large groups (like 10 people), so it might be a good meal place for group hangouts. Parking lot is next to the building as well!

CT B

I don’t go here often, but the food is fresh and filling. The only con is that the service is a bit pushy and I always feel a little obligated to eat my meal quickly and go (this is early afternoon when the restaurant is not filled yet). Take out it recommended

Hiren Patel

I got the Korean BBQ (it was my first time ever having Korean BBQ) and the chefs blew my socks off. It was absolutely perfect. I recommend getting it in the hot pot as the rice at the bottom becomes beautifully crispy. The meat was absolutely PERFECT. It elegantly balanced sweet and spicy and I couldn't get enough of it. I'm honestly surprised I finished it all considering how much food it was. DEFINITELY RECOMMEND. Be warned though, the pot is indeed very hot and you can easily burn yourself as we learned the hard way. It will continue to sizzle for quite a while after you get your food and it's like a little applause for every bite you take :)

Paul Huang

Excellent

Robin O'Callaghan

Great service, low noise level, delicious spring rolls!