Solliphana a good intro to Korean barbecue

Although it's been open for a good six years, Solliphana restaurant in Schaumburg still flies somewhat under the radar, something our Korean server confirmed. Situated just slightly north of Golf and Roselle roads, it's certainly in a good location — in a complex of strip malls filled with several Chinese restaurants, a Thai spot, and a newly opened Indian eatery, a hookah lounge and a Mexican specialty shop.

If it's an Eastern fix you're after, Solliphana provides a great introduction to Korean cuisine, even for those who, as was the case with two of my companions, have never heard of the traditional, ubiquitous pickled cabbage known as kimchee, let alone tasted it.

Adorned with small, bronze grills at every table so that you can cook your own meat if you like, the restaurant also features semiprivate dining booths, track lighting and large rectangular smoke absorbers hanging above the tables. A mixed crowd patronizes this spot with native Koreans showing the ropes to some Western friends; elderly gentlemen enjoying noodles; a young couple trying it out for the first time.

Aside from obvious ingredients like rice, noodles and tofu, the variety of meat is what gives the menu its depth. Beef, pork, goat, chicken, cod and monkfish in many varieties; tripe and tongue made appearances also. The kind of dining experience you want to have is truly in your own hands.

The menu certainly offers a myriad of options with appetizers such as a mild, crispy seafood pancake and soft pork dumplings fried for a crunch, to the heftier selection of an all-you-can-eat barbecue for $21.95 per person (everyone at the table must choose that option, don't think you can try to scam the system). The all-you-can eat seems like, and is, a great deal. It gives the option of trying everything from the barbecue section, including three of the dishes we tried: gal bi — the self-described “most popular Korean barbeque dish” — short ribs marinated in a mild, soy sauce-based sauce, bul go gi — tenderized beef marinated in the same mild sauce, as well as a spicier, marinated octopus.

We opted to cook these ourselves at the table's grill, while our server lavished us with the traditional panchan — a number of shareable side dishes offered no matter what you order — creating a taste and textural extravaganza. We were given little bowls of seafood pancake, water grass, seaweed and bean sprouts mixed with zucchini, turnips and kimchee rolled in red chili sauce, as well as roasted potatoes and perfectly steamed sticky rice. Oh, and there were also clay bowls of Korean miso soup accented with kimchee and cubes of tofu.

We jauntily fried all our beef on the grill, leaving the octopus last, and seemed unanimous in our appreciation of the bul go gi, which really did melt in our mouths. The shortribs felt less tender, but packed a good flavor; while the 3- to 4-inch pieces of octopus tentacles were definitely as spicy as promised, but made less of an impression.

Other entrees on the barbecue side included a cha dol bae gi — beef neck sliced with sesame oil, salt and pepper on the side, and a dak gal bi — chicken breast in special spicy sauce.

Noodles seemed appetizing in their own right, so we shared chap chae — a generous portion of clear vermicelli noodles stir fried with more beef and vegetables like spring onion.

Solliphana also offers a range of tummy-tempting and adventurous dishes like steamed monkfish casserole, codfish casserole (as well as a codfish head casserole), pork and oyster kimchee wrap, spicy goat meat soup with vegetables and budae jun gol — spicy soup with kimchee, spam meat, bacon, sausages and tofu.

Beverages were not particularly plentiful, with but a single representative from the categories of beer, wine and sake. The most interesting of these was probably the bak se ju (at $15.99 a bottle) — similar to sake in being a rice wine, but with the added dimension of being infused with lots of healthy herbs like ginseng, ginger, wolfberry, and even licorice and cinnamon. Because of these, it is referred to as the “100 year-old wine,” as in you'll live to be a 100 if you drink it. Because of our barbecue-centric menu selection, however, we opted for what seemed the natural choice: enormous bottles of the pale Korean lager Cass.

Despite our personal inability to eat any further, simply due to our desire for physical survival, it seemed we had barely but scratched the surface of the menu, which appeared to lend itself to endless combinations of hot pots, stews and casseroles. It seemed more visits would be in order.

Ÿ Reviews are based on one anonymous visit. The Daily Herald does not review restaurants it cannot recommend.

<b>Solliphana Korean BBQ</b>

243 W. Golf Road, Schaumburg, (847) 519-1717, <a href="http://solliphana.com" target="_blank">solliphana.com</a>

<b>Cuisine: </b>Korean

<b>Setting: </b>Modern room with grills built into the tables and semiprivate booths

<b>Entrees: </b>$8.99 to $25.99

<b>Hours: </b>10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday