Soo-jeh-bi

On a cold and windy day like this, people crave something warm, whether is it a hot cup of coffee or a warm bowl of soup. For me, personally, I like to go out for a nice, hot, and steamy bowl of flakes.

Yes, I can understand your skepticism, but hear me out. You will realize that the name flakes does not do enough justice to this delicious dish.

Flakes? Like frosted flakes? No, these are not your average cereal flakes. These are flour flakes and a very common type of Korean food. Though they are made from flour, flakes are completely different from your everyday noodles and are part of a separate genre. Flakes and noodles have completely different names. Flakes are soojehbi and noodles are called gooksu. Also, contrasting to the straight form of noodles, flakes have no particular shape since they are pieces of randomly ripped off dough. The texture is similar to that of a noodle’s, but a bit rougher and chewier (but in a good way).

Soojehbi is eaten with hot broth that is usually made out of anchovies or kelp. And, depending on the type of dish, the ingredients can range from seafood to vegetables. Usually, the main ingredients would be carrots, onions, green onions, garlic, potatoes, and zucchini.

The soojehbi that I had today was the seafood flour flakes, or haemool soojehbi, at Town Noodle located in the Koreatown Plaza for $8.71 (including tax). This flake dish was based on seafood. So, it had shrimp, squid, and mussels. The broth had a very rich taste since the broth had seafood in it. This dish also included the main ingredients listed above as well. At this particular venue, a tiny cup of soy sauce containing some diced green onions and garlic comes with the dish so that the person eating the soojehbi is able to adjust the taste to his or her personal preference. Also, two side dishes comes with the flakes. They are the red, traditional Korean kimchi and the Korean radish fermented in vinegar and sugar. Both go very well with the flake and are oh so crunchy. But, the former is a bit more spicy and the latter is a bit more sweet. This dish has an abundance of flakes and can most definitely be shared between two people.

Flakes, or soojehbi, is a warm and delicious dish that will melt away the effects of the cold weather. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with the Koreatown Plaza under any circumstances whatsoever. The Koreatown Plaza simply has many good, local venues that sell Korean food in one gathered location. Also, I am not affiliated with Town Noodle whatsoever. Again, this is a venue that is located nearby inside of the Koreatown Plaza that has many different, traditional Korean noodle dishes. Thank you.