Paris is certainly one of the cities with the largest concentration of restaurants in the world. You can eat well, very well, badly, very badly, etc. You have all kinds of quality levels and prices. Most of the time it’s French cuisine, right? Okay, there are a few Italian and Lebanese restaurants as well.

Maybe surprisingly, it’s actually quite hard to find a good Asian restaurant, especially if you have lived in Asia and know a little bit about their food, which is my case. As always, I did my research and I came across this restaurant Soon Grill, a Korean restaurant. The reviews were very good and the pictures looked nice. As your favorite blogger, I decided that I had to explore this lead.
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Soon Grill was designed by the architect Woojin Lim who has lived between Seoul and Paris for the last 20 years. He wanted to combine the art of living in both countries (France and Korea) and the result is very harmonious and elegant. The decor is beautiful and uncluttered. The architect has thought of every little detail – from the white potteries on black wood to the little duck that holds the chopsticks. Nothing is kitsch or left to improvisation.
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The kitchen is open, and since it is at the back of the restaurant you are never annoyed by the noise or the smells. The tables are made of light-colored wood and have a barbecue in the middle. The overall look is very contemporary.
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The menu is quite authentic and the spicy dishes are really spicy. Of course not as it would be in Korea but I don’t think we could find a French person capable of eating such spicy fare. The menu offers kimchi, bulgogi, sogalbi, bibimbab, and more.
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We ordered the odjinhô tcho moutchim, which is spicy squid salad and mandoo, or dumplings. It was very nicely presented. The squid salad was presented on a golden plate, giving the dish a very chic look.
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We ordered the BBQ marinated pork and beef with vegetables and the yukgaejang, spicy beef stew, for the main dishes. The quality of meat is very good. The BBQ came served with little dishes: kimchi, broccoli, Radish kimchi, etc. Everything is very well presented and makes you want to taste everything.
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The restaurant owner tries to keep it very Korean: some waitresses don’t speak French very well. I love it because it is part of the cultural experience. The only thing very French is the wine menu, which did not disappoint us! There is a large choice of wine and the sommelier Arthur is very knowledgeable and helpful. We chose the Côte du Rhône “Renaissance”: a blend of Grenache and Syrah.
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The desserts are not the forte of Asian restaurants. That being said, we are adventurous and ordered the spicy rice cakes with red beans to try something new, as well as the chocolate and coconut cake as a safe back up. Both were delicious and the juice that accompanied the rice cake was very tasty, sweet with a cinnamon flavor. The combination was exquisite.
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It might seem a bit pricey but the quality of food and wine, as well as the décor, justified the cost. We paid 50 EUR per person for dinner, wine included.
Soon Grill is a very good and elegant Korean restaurant in the middle of the Marais. It really is worth a try! Don’t hesitate to leave me a message to tell me about your experience!
Soon Grill
78 Rue des Tournelles, 75003 Paris
📞01 42 77 13 56
Price: $$$

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