In a city crowded with inventive dining concepts, Somaek distinguishes itself by embracing contradiction. Inside its dim, intimate space — equal parts traditional Korean decor and R&B lounge — the restaurant signals its mission clearly: to honor Korean flavors while playfully reimagining them.

Chef and Founding Partner Jamie Bissonnette is a prominent, award-winning chef in the Boston area, having founded other popular local restaurants including Coppa, Little Donkey, and Faccia a Faccia. Somaek is one of Chef Bissonnette’s recent projects, opened in March of 2024. The restaurant pays homage to his Korean mother-in-law, creating an upscale dining experience centered around traditional Korean cuisine. Somaek has already received significant attention, including recognition on The New York Times’ 2024 list of the 50 best restaurants in the United States and was recently officially added to the Michelin Guide as “Michelin Recommended.”

Upon entry into the small, dimly lit space, guests are greeted by a bar on their right and tables on the left. Alongside the tables, walls are decorated with Korean art and woven lanterns hang around the bar. The decor is traditional and modest: One of the few accent pieces is a patch of Korean sewn textile, showcasing the essence of traditional Korean culture. In contrast, the restaurant plays soulful R&B by artists like Daniel Caesar and Brent Faiyaz. The music, low lights, and minimalist set-up create a sophisticated and intimate atmosphere, complemented by the Korean decor. Overall, this aesthetic is consistent with the restaurant’s ethos of merging Korean culture with understated elegance.

Like your standard Korean restaurant, customers are initially served with banchan (Korean side dishes) first. All meals are served with three complimentary banchan, but any additional must be purchased separately under “Special Banchan.” This choice is a unique interpretation of Korean dining — historically, Korean culture prides itself on abundant banchan, reflecting hospitality and communal dining style. Despite this, the banchan is excellent — the Kkakdugi (fermented, cubed radish kimchi), Sigeumchi-namul (blanched and seasoned spinach), and Ueong Jorim (soy-braised burdock) are all noticeably fresh and seasoned perfectly. Somaek’s approach to these three dishes reveals the restaurant’s focus on quality over cultural authenticity.

The menu is written in Hangul and phoneticized in English, signaling the restaurant’s efforts to maintain cultural authenticity in the representation of the dishes. Service is excellent in easing newcomers into this immersive experience by providing a thorough walkthrough and description of the menu. At first glance, some of the selections of dishes are standard, homey Korean restaurant fare; however, on closer inspection, many dishes take on distinct interpretations of the original.

First on their menu is their Gwang-eo hwe. Eight thin slices of fluke sashimi lay beside a few pieces of sliced garlic. This dish is served with a variety of dipping sauces — chojang (a spicy and sweet dipping sauce made from Korean chili paste with vinegar) and sesame seeds; sesame oil and salt; and soy sauce and wasabi. Additionally, the dish comes with a plate of ssam — lettuce and perilla leaves — to wrap the sashimi. Because there is so much variety in dipping sauces, boredom is out of the question: The variety of dipping sauces allows for playful experimentation and the dynamic use of sauce. Out of all the dishes on the menu, this one is among the most standard.

In contrast, the Seogogi mandu (steamed beef and scallion dumplings) departs from the classic version of the dish and takes on a tasty but unique visual interpretation. Five steamed dumplings, shaped untraditionally to make a plus sign, are served on a sauce composed of soy sauce and vinegar, garnished with green onion and sesame seeds. Despite the unexpected appearance, these dumplings are flavorful and very juicy — the tenderness and soup that still remains within the dumpling resembles a Xiao Long Bao, but with the traditional Korean flavors. While the skin is on the thicker side, these dumplings are fabulous — a must order at Somaek.

The mains, however, accelerate Somaek’s bold interpretive decisions. The Jjajangmyeon comes half full of plain noodles and half full of black bean sauce, topped with sliced cucumber and green onion. Intended for the customer to mix, there is a considerable amount of sauce in comparison to the amount of noodles. While historically intended to be a simple comfort food, the flavor palette of this dish is complex. The dish initially has a strong ginger flavor, which complicates the already rich and salty black bean sauce. In addition, the ingredients within the sauce are notable, with distinct textures and flavors: The pork is noticeably fatty, and the potato is observably soft. Alongside the dish of noodles comes a small plate of danmuji, a pickled daikon radish that serves as a crunchy, sweet, and tangy counterpart to the richness of the Jjajangmyeon. However, this danmuji is too sour and overly fermented, ultimately failing to serve as a satisfactory counterpart to the noodles. It is clear that there is playful experimentation with this classic dish, but the ultimate result is overly chaotic in flavor.

Lastly, the staff at Somaek recommend ordering the dish the restaurant is known for, the Dwaeji (Pork) Bulgogi, a unique take on the Korean classic Beef Bulgogi. While one might expect some similarities to the classic dish, the decision to substitute pork for the standard beef and to integrate gochujang into the sauce changes the flavor palette of this dish completely. This dish is not necessarily “Bulgogi,” but it is still a must-order: The pork is perfectly cooked with a hint of char and is coated in sweet and savory (soy sauce-heavy) sauce. Inside the dish are also peppers, which do a phenomenal job at adding dimension to the meaty dish.

Somaek ultimately succeeds in offering a dining experience that is both traditional and experimental. While not every dish lands with the same clarity of vision, the restaurant’s commitment to reimagining Korean cuisine is evident. It isn’t inauthentic per se — it’s clear that the chefs understand Korean flavors, but are choosing to reinterpret the flavors of the cuisine. With its strong creative direction, Somaek is set to continue to evolve — and to become a phenomenon representing Korean cuisine through a unique lens.