Sometimes all we need is a simple hot cooked meal,
A comfortable and familiar meal, a break from flashy, trendy eats,
Something that tastes like home.
This is Dam-Sot, a popular South Korean chain, that specializes in sotbap, rice cooked in hot (typically clay) pots that leave a crispy bottom layer of rice that can be eaten later.
Their first U.S. store opened earlier this year and can be found in the heart of Koreatown at Brown Derby Plaza right next to the Boiling Crab.
The facade is neat with a small tinted window on one side and large see-through window panels on the other inviting onlookers for a peek inside. The interior has plain white walls with decorative window panels flanked on each side by soft fluorescent light bulbs.
We ordered three rice dishes: the beef bulgogi, abalone and eggplant, alongside an order of fried shrimp. All the rice dishes came on a wooden tray with miso soup, pickled radish slices, kimchi and a small salad.
Each rice bowl has its own little twist – the beef bulgogi came with a bright egg yolk, the abalone with bright orange tobiko, radish sprouts, green onions and seaweed paste, and the eggplant with a modest topping of green onions.
In order to get the crispy bottom layer, patrons are shown the simple processes: transfer the rice and toppings from the hot pot to the bowl, put in the barley tea and place the cover on top.
Congrats! In a few minutes all the scorched rice will come off the bottom for a warm munchy rice treat called Nurungji.
It’s a small process, but one that adds a sense of ritual to the meal—watching the tea soften the crisped rice, waiting a few quiet minutes, then scooping up each bite.
And that kind of thoughtfulness sums up what Dam-Sot is all about. It’s not trying to be flashy, and that’s what makes it so comforting. It’s familiar and warm, a quiet kind of special. It’s the kind of meal that doesn’t just fill you up, but makes you slow down and take it in. And sometimes, that’s exactly what we need,
Illustrated by Rina Shin, Written by Jason Escobar