Republic Diner +Sojubang
| Address: | 1221 W 11th St, Houston, TX 77008, USA |
| Phone: | +1 832-649-3601 |
| Site: | republicdiner.com |
| Rating: | 4.4 |
| Working: | 11AM–11PM 11AM–11PM 11AM–11PM 11AM–11PM 11AM–12AM 11AM–12AM 11AM–11PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 8
GR
Greg Buchold
The former Witchcraft has been converted to a Korean menu by the owners mother, a sweet older Korean woman who gave us both deep bows and hugs for trying her restaurant. We ordered the seafood pancake, Korean fried chicken, and dolsot bi bim bap. The pancake was deliciously crispy and had one of the more flavorful dipping sauces Ive had on these savory rice pancakes. The fried chicken was large boneless pieces of white and dark meat crisply breaded and juicy served over rice and topped with a sweet-hot chili sauce. My only criticism is that the amount of sauce was a bit heavy for me due to its sweetness. The bi bim bap was served flamingly hot as traditional to create browned crisp rice bits at the bottom of the stone bowl and topped with an egg, vegetables, and gochujang to mix into the rice. Consistent with the second half of the restaurant name, a variety of soju (a Korean liquor made from fermented sweet potatoes) cocktails flavored with pineapple, lychee, etc. were much more drinkable than the plain ones Ive bought at H-mart in the past. Unlike most Korean restaurants the array of banchan (pickled vegetables) that make the meals seem healthier are only served with the galbi (grillled Korean longitudinal rib cut). Overall, a good Korean restaurant staffed by heavily tatted servers in the Witchcraft gastropub decor convenient to the Heights and mid-way between the prices on Longpoint and those typical of the Heights.
MA
Marcela Mercado
So I finally decided to gove this place a chance, instead of going to ajjuma and getting some food. I was pretty excited about this place because its literally near where I live. I actually downloaded the menu to see what they had, but they dont have a lot though. Wish they added Sangyupsal, or chicken katsu. Anyways, I ended up ordering some pork and beef mandu, and some bulgogi. I was a bit sad they didnt have chicken mandu, but I was totally fine with trying out the pork one. I received six dumplings, they looked freshly made, and were pretty good, but not my favorite (again I love chicken mandu the most). Now, the bulgogi was beyond phenomenal. Whatever they used as the sauce was the most delicious, sweetest sauce I ever tasted. I kind of wished they had separated the white rice from the bulgogi, but all together was the pretty damn good too. The egg was actually new to me, but it mixed so well with everything. The bulgogi cost 11, and the mandu was 6. I wont be getting the mandu again since pork isnt my favorite to eat in mandu, but I do recommend you to try it. They also have a bar, which I was most intrigued in. Its a good spot to have a nice chit chat with a friend and enjoy the night away. Will definitely come here again and try out their other entrées, and hopefully they expand their menu just a tad bit.
SK
Skyler Kyle
Just had dinner with my wife last night, and this place is AWESOME. Beware, cramped quarters, but if that doesnt bother you, give it a shot. If youve ever been to Tiger Den in Houston, this place might have a familiar vibe. Cool music along the lines of chill hop play while the place is busy, but the managers seem to be mindful of the environment. As business slowed, so did the music, golden oldies and lo fi; theyre plainly aware of the atmosphere. Interior is beautiful, theres only a couple of spaces for large groups (8+) from what I can tell but thats neither here nor there. The food is spot on, tastes like Korean BBQ but with undertones of American diner classics, depending on the dish you get, at least. Menu is not too short, not too long, gets to the point. Its a little joint with a small staff and a lot of business, if you come during prime time, dont expect to carry on conversations with your server. Although they are brief they are professional and never made us feel forgotten. Overall really good, will be returning. Btw, if youve ever seen the anime Samurai Champloo, it feels like that. Love it.
GI
Gilbert Landras
One would think that eating Korean inspired food and drinking a lot at the same time is an awful idea. I would say that the plates and prices are not your typical attitude that lends itself to that situation. Very flavor driven small plates. Great for groups that want to break bread and conversate. Die die must try: - Kimchi Fries. I mean, deep fried things arent in my diet as I am trying to lose weight but I caved when I smelled it. Just so good. - Udon bowl. Its like a great twist on a classic Korean/Japanese dish. - Bulgogi, dont even try to say you will share it because you wont want to. - Wang Galbi is basically short rib Korean style. Parking is not as plentiful but the walk if you have to park on the neighborhood streets is worth it. Yes, I of all people am willing to walk a fair distance. Haha. I can only hope this place grows and gets more brave with the menu. I will be first in line.
WO
Wonju Jeong
A pretty small and crowded restaurant/bar. We were seated in the tiniest booth I have ever seen. Staff was nice, the lady (who seemed to be the owner?) was very friendly. The service however, was just very slow and our waiter seemed clumsy - spilling water everywhere when refilling. We had the yangneom chicken and soft tofu soup. The chicken was alright, the sauce is pretty good. The tofu soup was okay, not what I am used to, had a weird/interesting smell. The egg they added was hidden and was not stirred enough for the soup, which resulted in a semi-hard boiled egg. They have interesting fusion menus and is mostly a bar. I might try it again sometime, but their previous location and current location has been just an ok experience.
DA
Daniel Ngo
The food was okay. The kimchi fried rice was kind of sweet which was a bit weird, but the kimchi itself was pickled well. I did have to ask for kimchi, however, since it wasnt just given to us like many other Korean restaurants, which actually provide many sides with your meal. The service was likewise mediocre in my experience. The waiter was friendly enough, but he never really came by, and no one was ever around to refill water or even ask for a refill, which is a bit of a pet peeve of mine. I may come back, but only if I was already in the area and in a pinch for Korean food. Otherwise, Id probably head over to Longpoint where there are many, far superior Korean restaurants.
JO
Johnson Wu
I would love this place if Im there to have a drink with some Korean snacks with friends, this place is more of a bar as of a restaurant. We have ordered three dishes, the Korean Fish Cake is pretty authentic. Spicy seafood ramen was using instant ramen with seafood add in. Fried Chicken rice was pretty good deep fried with Korean spicy sauce, which is good to eat with beers. If you are a person to look for authentic Korean food and expect it to be Korean Korean, you would not like this place. If you want to see modern American Korean Bar with some authentic Korean food to eat while drinking, this is a great option for the area.
MI
Michael Mulligan
Not sure how authentic it is, but Ive been here twice and have no complaints. The food and service was good enough for me want to post a review. The owner made the rounds in a busy night to make sure everyone was happy and I heard him make suggestions to customers who were eating here for the first time. Ive had the kimchi fries, bulgogi, and the udon bowl. All were very good in my opinion. Will definitely be going back.
