Everything is amazingSeafood Pancakeschicken souppork
Fuzzy Camero
Excellent food. Great tast and was really good. It matches Korean food taste in various condiments. I will come back here again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kenny Franklin
We like the new restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
No Park
Typical Korean restaurant service ㅠㅠAll you have to do is take the food order, bring the food, and check it.Unprofessional waitresses who still want to receive tips.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Benjamin Brown
Stepping in you know it's legit, it's got the vibe and atmosphere of a fantastic Korean restaurant. We were quickly seated and served with bottles of water and the delicious fried pork dumplings, crispy on the outside and juicy inside. Everything we saw to by to other tables looked amazing, and bubbling hot! My friend yellow croaker was amazing crispy fried on the outside and tender inside, the rich soy soup was refreshing, and my wife's bulgogi came screaming hot but so tender and yummy. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Yellow Croaker
Rob C
We loved going to the Old Tosokjib. When we heard they had moved, we were a little skeptical and sad. We paid a visit this past weekend and were happy to see the new place and taste that nothing had changed. This is one of Annandale's best kept secrets. May long it live!
The food was great. No complaints there. The service left much to be desired, though. Our waitress was clearly irritated that most at the table did not speak Korean. Even though we dealt with any translation issues with one of our fluent speaking friends, each exchange was terse and uncomfortable. At one point a different waitress came over to tell us—again in Korean, leaving it to our one friend to translate—that “someone in your group has a very loud laugh” that they wanted quieted down. It was just a very awkward experience as a whole.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Fish
Min K.
This used to be my favorite home style Korean food in NoVA since 2003. Given the recent move due to an unfortunate fire, I was hesitant to visit the new place but seeing all the good reviews, I was excited to try on my way to DCA. In sum, complete disappointment. The cooking staffs are no longer Koreans (which is fine if there is a person to oversee the quality but there wasn't). The food was lacking flavor and that deep "true" Korean food taste. I went with my parents (who are not picky) yet they noticed the difference as well. It was 6pm on Sunday and no customers except two parties. This place used to be 20-30 mins wait regardless of when you visit while they were at their original location. Fish was undercooked and extremely fishy, soup lacked depth/watered down, all their banchans were underwhelming. I really big shame as this was a must stop location in Annandale for me. Won't go back, and seriously disappointing...
Vicky L.
Starting 8 yrs ago, To Sok Jip used to be my favorite restaurant every time we visited my in-laws. We would come here...2-3 times a year, every year, until recently. The food used to be excellent. Full of flavor and umami. We were sad to hear that the original location burned down. Subsequently, they opened a replacement location a block away. Today we tried this new location for the first time. We ordered the seafood pancake (해물파전), cutlass fish with rich soybean paste soup (갈치구이 & 청국장), ground soybean stew (콩비지찌개). The flavors, while all present, was very inadequate. It all tasted bland and lacked the umami that they historically had. This applies to everything we ate, including the side dishes. In addition, one of the pieces of fish was undercooked. The egg sack was still raw. We sent it back. Instead of giving us a new piece, they simply dunked the fish that we had eaten into the oil and over-fried it. Even then, the inside was still raw. They just apologized but didn't do anything else about it. We will not be coming back.
Anne C.
I came by myself on a Thursday after work around 5pm and there were only two other tables of diners which meant no wait at all. My dolsot bibimbap was sizzling hot with lots of vegetables and a hot sauce (on the side so you can customize how spicy you want it). Great selection of banchan even when dining alone. Also comes with complimentary seaweed soup. Food was fast. Only thing to note is the dolsot bibimbap is relatively scant on meat portions but there are plenty of vegetables to balance that out. Easy plaza parking.
I visited because I really wanted to eat Korean food, and I was surprised that it tasted better than I expected! The portion size was huge and it was so delicious that I didn't want to leave anything :)I highly recommend soft tofu ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Everyone was friendly and I had seafood + beef soft tofu with kalguksu! My husband had seafood and soft tofu, and the soup was so delicious that he washed the dishes in the earthen pot and came out. I'll visit again ~~
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sonya Hu
I have never felt as relieved and overjoyed as I did when To Sok Jip finally reopened its doors! Home to some of the DMV area's best Korean food, To Sok Jip's new location continues to feature a rockstar menu of traditional Korean fare, including stews, grilled fish / meats, and so much more. I visited their new location with a group of six, the perfect size for one of their booths! We got a giant spread of food to share, including their bossam, hameul pajeon, grilled squid, fried yellow croaker with doenjang jjigae, and maeuntang.The group couldn't stop raving about their bossam -- the pork was perfectly tender and packed with flavor, and it paired beautifully with the delightfully crisp napa and fresh kimchi. The cabbage, garlic, and jalapenos were all super fresh, and the ssamjang and saewoo jeot were the perfect complements to the already flavorful pork. Bossam is one of those dishes that looks simple but can be challenging to execute well, but To Sok Jip crushed it!While the bossam was certainly the centerpiece of the table, the rest of the dishes were outstanding and equally deserving of praise. The hameul pajeon came out next, and...wow. This perfectly crispy pancake was absolutely loaded with seafood! The green onions helped to cut through the dough, and it wasn't overly greasy or heavy, as many pajeon can be.The rest of our seafood dishes came out together, alongside a few sides of perfectly cooked purple rice and another round of banchan. The squid was grilled, then stir-fried with a gochujang-based sauce and green onions that added a great savory, lightly spicy punch. The squid was perfectly cooked -- it had a good bite but wasn't too chewy or tough, and it had a great layer of smokiness from the grill.The yellow croaker was fried to perfection, with an amazingly crispy skin but tender, succulent interior. It had a pretty light flavor, but that made it the perfect accompaniment to the umami-packed, soul-warming doenjang jjigae.The maeuntang was equally umami-packed and soul-warming, with a great level of spice and a ton of tender cod. This is generally a less popular soup choice and a few folks in the group were originally hesitant to order it, but I think To Sok Jip may have successfully converted them into maeuntang promoters!All in all, I can't say enough good things about To Sok Jip! Their food is delicious, authentic, and warms the soul -- you truly can't go wrong with a single thing on their menu! To top it off, the staff is super friendly and give this no-frills, traditional Korean restaurant some extra charm. Stop by To Sok Jip the next time you're in Annandale or on the hunt for some traditional Korean food!
This used to be a restaurant I frequented in the past, but it caught fire, and they relocated to this place. The new location is not only cleaner but also more spacious. Their grilled fish is unparalleled in this neighborhood, offering a taste that stands out. However, I advise against ordering anything else. I tried their bossam (boiled pork slices) and army stew, but they were disappointingly unappetizing. I highly recommend sticking to their grilled fish, as it truly reigns supreme in the neighborhood. One notable weakness is that they don't serve warm water, which is a drawback for a Korean restaurant. In summary, while the relocation has brought improvements in cleanliness and space, the real star here is the exceptional grilled fish, making it a must-try. Nevertheless, exploring other menu items might not live up to the same standard, and the absence of warm water service is a notable shortcoming for a Korean dining establishment.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Jihye Chang
A friend who lives in the area recommended this place. I have had Korean foods in NYC, Atlanta and LA but never in Virginia. This place was much better than the ones in the Atlanta area. More homemade flavor than msg and sugar heavy flavors. I liked all the side dishes. We got the seafood green onion pancake, 3 different kinds of fishes (belt fish, mackerel and croaker). The mackerel was amazing - great texture and very good flavor, not too salty and not dry at all, with a hint of smokiness. The belt fish was fried, not grilled, and it was also very good. The seafood pancake was also excellent - great texture, generous portion, and not overly fried. One of the best pajeon I had in a restaurant in the states.And the price for lunch was amazing - $13.99 for a plate of fish and a side of doenjang zigae (bean paste soup) and 6 side dishes for this price, even for lunch?! I couldn't believe how cheap the whole bill was. I would definitely come back if I visit this area again!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Haemul Pajeon, Grilled Mackerel, Fish
Cynthia M
My husband and I frequent this restaurant for their casseroles so we were really sad when their old location was damaged and closed down. Really happy they were able to open a new location and the food is still great as usual. We typically get the kimchi casserole and it’s enough for us to have leftovers. New location also seems to be slightly bigger and has slightly more seating than their previous location which is great!
Everything is amazingSeafood Pancakeschicken souppork
Excellent food. Great tast and was really good. It matches Korean food taste in various condiments. I will come back here again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We like the new restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Typical Korean restaurant service ㅠㅠAll you have to do is take the food order, bring the food, and check it.Unprofessional waitresses who still want to receive tips.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Stepping in you know it's legit, it's got the vibe and atmosphere of a fantastic Korean restaurant. We were quickly seated and served with bottles of water and the delicious fried pork dumplings, crispy on the outside and juicy inside. Everything we saw to by to other tables looked amazing, and bubbling hot! My friend yellow croaker was amazing crispy fried on the outside and tender inside, the rich soy soup was refreshing, and my wife's bulgogi came screaming hot but so tender and yummy. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Yellow Croaker
We loved going to the Old Tosokjib. When we heard they had moved, we were a little skeptical and sad. We paid a visit this past weekend and were happy to see the new place and taste that nothing had changed. This is one of Annandale's best kept secrets. May long it live!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Haemul Pajeon- Seafood Pancake
The food was great. No complaints there. The service left much to be desired, though. Our waitress was clearly irritated that most at the table did not speak Korean. Even though we dealt with any translation issues with one of our fluent speaking friends, each exchange was terse and uncomfortable. At one point a different waitress came over to tell us—again in Korean, leaving it to our one friend to translate—that “someone in your group has a very loud laugh” that they wanted quieted down. It was just a very awkward experience as a whole.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Fish
This used to be my favorite home style Korean food in NoVA since 2003. Given the recent move due to an unfortunate fire, I was hesitant to visit the new place but seeing all the good reviews, I was excited to try on my way to DCA. In sum, complete disappointment. The cooking staffs are no longer Koreans (which is fine if there is a person to oversee the quality but there wasn't). The food was lacking flavor and that deep "true" Korean food taste. I went with my parents (who are not picky) yet they noticed the difference as well. It was 6pm on Sunday and no customers except two parties. This place used to be 20-30 mins wait regardless of when you visit while they were at their original location. Fish was undercooked and extremely fishy, soup lacked depth/watered down, all their banchans were underwhelming. I really big shame as this was a must stop location in Annandale for me. Won't go back, and seriously disappointing...
Starting 8 yrs ago, To Sok Jip used to be my favorite restaurant every time we visited my in-laws. We would come here...2-3 times a year, every year, until recently. The food used to be excellent. Full of flavor and umami. We were sad to hear that the original location burned down. Subsequently, they opened a replacement location a block away. Today we tried this new location for the first time. We ordered the seafood pancake (해물파전), cutlass fish with rich soybean paste soup (갈치구이 & 청국장), ground soybean stew (콩비지찌개). The flavors, while all present, was very inadequate. It all tasted bland and lacked the umami that they historically had. This applies to everything we ate, including the side dishes. In addition, one of the pieces of fish was undercooked. The egg sack was still raw. We sent it back. Instead of giving us a new piece, they simply dunked the fish that we had eaten into the oil and over-fried it. Even then, the inside was still raw. They just apologized but didn't do anything else about it. We will not be coming back.
I came by myself on a Thursday after work around 5pm and there were only two other tables of diners which meant no wait at all. My dolsot bibimbap was sizzling hot with lots of vegetables and a hot sauce (on the side so you can customize how spicy you want it). Great selection of banchan even when dining alone. Also comes with complimentary seaweed soup. Food was fast. Only thing to note is the dolsot bibimbap is relatively scant on meat portions but there are plenty of vegetables to balance that out. Easy plaza parking.
Restaurantji Recommends
I visited because I really wanted to eat Korean food, and I was surprised that it tasted better than I expected! The portion size was huge and it was so delicious that I didn't want to leave anything :)I highly recommend soft tofu ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Everyone was friendly and I had seafood + beef soft tofu with kalguksu! My husband had seafood and soft tofu, and the soup was so delicious that he washed the dishes in the earthen pot and came out. I'll visit again ~~
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I have never felt as relieved and overjoyed as I did when To Sok Jip finally reopened its doors! Home to some of the DMV area's best Korean food, To Sok Jip's new location continues to feature a rockstar menu of traditional Korean fare, including stews, grilled fish / meats, and so much more. I visited their new location with a group of six, the perfect size for one of their booths! We got a giant spread of food to share, including their bossam, hameul pajeon, grilled squid, fried yellow croaker with doenjang jjigae, and maeuntang.The group couldn't stop raving about their bossam -- the pork was perfectly tender and packed with flavor, and it paired beautifully with the delightfully crisp napa and fresh kimchi. The cabbage, garlic, and jalapenos were all super fresh, and the ssamjang and saewoo jeot were the perfect complements to the already flavorful pork. Bossam is one of those dishes that looks simple but can be challenging to execute well, but To Sok Jip crushed it!While the bossam was certainly the centerpiece of the table, the rest of the dishes were outstanding and equally deserving of praise. The hameul pajeon came out next, and...wow. This perfectly crispy pancake was absolutely loaded with seafood! The green onions helped to cut through the dough, and it wasn't overly greasy or heavy, as many pajeon can be.The rest of our seafood dishes came out together, alongside a few sides of perfectly cooked purple rice and another round of banchan. The squid was grilled, then stir-fried with a gochujang-based sauce and green onions that added a great savory, lightly spicy punch. The squid was perfectly cooked -- it had a good bite but wasn't too chewy or tough, and it had a great layer of smokiness from the grill.The yellow croaker was fried to perfection, with an amazingly crispy skin but tender, succulent interior. It had a pretty light flavor, but that made it the perfect accompaniment to the umami-packed, soul-warming doenjang jjigae.The maeuntang was equally umami-packed and soul-warming, with a great level of spice and a ton of tender cod. This is generally a less popular soup choice and a few folks in the group were originally hesitant to order it, but I think To Sok Jip may have successfully converted them into maeuntang promoters!All in all, I can't say enough good things about To Sok Jip! Their food is delicious, authentic, and warms the soul -- you truly can't go wrong with a single thing on their menu! To top it off, the staff is super friendly and give this no-frills, traditional Korean restaurant some extra charm. Stop by To Sok Jip the next time you're in Annandale or on the hunt for some traditional Korean food!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Haemul Pajeon, Fried Yellow Croaker, Croacker and Soybean Paste Jjigae Stew, Soup, Braised Mackerel, Haemul Pajeon- Seafood Pancake
This used to be a restaurant I frequented in the past, but it caught fire, and they relocated to this place. The new location is not only cleaner but also more spacious. Their grilled fish is unparalleled in this neighborhood, offering a taste that stands out. However, I advise against ordering anything else. I tried their bossam (boiled pork slices) and army stew, but they were disappointingly unappetizing. I highly recommend sticking to their grilled fish, as it truly reigns supreme in the neighborhood. One notable weakness is that they don't serve warm water, which is a drawback for a Korean restaurant. In summary, while the relocation has brought improvements in cleanliness and space, the real star here is the exceptional grilled fish, making it a must-try. Nevertheless, exploring other menu items might not live up to the same standard, and the absence of warm water service is a notable shortcoming for a Korean dining establishment.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
A friend who lives in the area recommended this place. I have had Korean foods in NYC, Atlanta and LA but never in Virginia. This place was much better than the ones in the Atlanta area. More homemade flavor than msg and sugar heavy flavors. I liked all the side dishes. We got the seafood green onion pancake, 3 different kinds of fishes (belt fish, mackerel and croaker). The mackerel was amazing - great texture and very good flavor, not too salty and not dry at all, with a hint of smokiness. The belt fish was fried, not grilled, and it was also very good. The seafood pancake was also excellent - great texture, generous portion, and not overly fried. One of the best pajeon I had in a restaurant in the states.And the price for lunch was amazing - $13.99 for a plate of fish and a side of doenjang zigae (bean paste soup) and 6 side dishes for this price, even for lunch?! I couldn't believe how cheap the whole bill was. I would definitely come back if I visit this area again!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Haemul Pajeon, Grilled Mackerel, Fish
My husband and I frequent this restaurant for their casseroles so we were really sad when their old location was damaged and closed down. Really happy they were able to open a new location and the food is still great as usual. We typically get the kimchi casserole and it’s enough for us to have leftovers. New location also seems to be slightly bigger and has slightly more seating than their previous location which is great!
Food: 4