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 🤣.

I don’t come across good Korean spots very often and frankly speaking, the Korean food scene here has been pretty underwhelming. But To Soc Chon was such a pleasant surprise. I came for lunch on a weekend and the place was bustling with Korean diners, which immediately felt like a good sign. I ordered the dakgori tang, and the portion was big! There were huge pieces of bone-in chicken (we’re talking whole drumsticks and thighs) and big chunks of potato swimming in a vibrant red broth. The chicken was fall-off-the-bone tender and the potatoes were perfectly cooked. The broth was rich, slightly smoky, spicy, and deeply savory. It was one of those meals that wraps you up like a warm hug: cozy, hearty, and deeply satisfying. The banchan was just okay. Both of the cabbage and radish kimchi were lacking flavors, crunch, and acidity. Still, the stew more than made up for it. I’m so glad I found this place just in time for soup season.

We order the pork bone soup, beef bone soup and the home made Korean sausage. Pork bone soup is one of my favorite Korean dishes, and it was pretty good here. Very yummy warm and comfortable. And it was our first time to try the Korean sausage which is quite special that there’s noodles in it. I only wish they could offer a smaller portion. Unlike other Korean places, they didn’t offer a lot of choices of side dishes. And the ones we had tasted like over fermented. Still want to come back for the pork bone soup and try other dishes.

The best authentic Korean food you'll find in Chicago! The service was great and the food was delicious! They have the best soondae I’ve ever had and they were super accommodating with us having a 10 month old. We can’t wait to go back!

Very nice spot for traditional korean soup dishes. We had the Soondaeguk, Gamjatang, and Haejangguk - all were great. The servers were kind, price was good, and we did not have to wait. Definitely will return in the future.