As one of the unsung heroes of traditional foods in Los Angeles, soondae (also known as Korean blood sausage) is having a resurgence in popularity, thanks to culinary pilgrims who make it their mission to visit Los Angeles, a city known for some of the trendiest and best-tasting Korean restaurants outside of South Korea. Wedged into the corner of a strip mall between a beauty salon and a print shop, the tiny Eighth Street Soondae, beloved by the Koreatown community since 1990, is possibly the best place in L.A. to try the dish.
Soondae has the consistency of your everyday grilled plump sausage, snappy casing and all. Instead of being plopped in a bun, though, this sausage gets sliced into bite-sized pieces. Blood sausage, despite its name, is more familiar tasting than you may think. Soondae is stuffed with dangmyeon glass noodles, giving a sweet and starchy balance to the iron taste from minced meat and blood encased in pork intestine. Eat it by itself or dip it in salt, chili mix, soybean paste, kimchi, or dunk it in a side of soup. A popular combo to add to a portion of soondae includes slices of boiled liver, heart, tongue and stomach accompanied by purple rice, banchan (pickled side dishes), and spicy broth.
The owner’s son Michael Kang shared a small glimpse into how hard it is to prepare these sausages. When he was in college more than twenty years ago, he would wake up with his mother Hyun Soon Kang at 4 a.m. to prepare and stuff sausages. “The extremely fragile casings can break easily” he remembers. “The steaming process alone can make the whole thing go south,” Kang adds. He was driven to continue to help the business during college as he saw his mother come home as late as midnight from closing the restaurant. She would sleep for four hours then begin preparation at 4 a.m. to open the restaurant again at 9 a.m.
Hyun Soon Kang’s dedication has made Eighth Street Soondae a trusted community fixture for decades; a place where, Michael says, “Customers have known my mom, dad, and grandparents for over thirty years. Our customers are like family.” This family includes the local Korean community and immigrants who may be missing this hard-to-prepare dish from back home. Since the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 in the U.S., coupled with high unemployment rates, political insecurity, and military dictatorship in Korea, up to 2 million white-collar Korean citizens have made their way to the U.S., settling especially in urban centers like Downtown L.A.
Korean BBQ spots specializing in grilled marinated meats accompanied by banchan and tofu soup can be found in dense numbers in the neighborhood, garnering attention and drawing visitors to the area. Known as the K-wave or the Korean-wave, Korean pop-culture in the form of music, television, fashion and food has created a global cultural phenomenon, exposing new customers to traditional foods – including blood sausage. Michael says that Korean BBQ helped put Eighth Street Soondae on the map: “We get customers who come here now [thanks to the popularity of Korean BBQ]; it really helped. Our base customers were older Korean men, then at some point over the last few years things shifted, and now younger people come in from near and far and even Texas and New York.”
Unlike the neighboring all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ restaurants that can be confused with a night club because of their loud K-pop music, long lines, and stylishly dressed customers, Eighth Street Soondae is a casual and humble eatery, with plain white walls and a television for those customers who make this location their second home. Hyun Soon Kang’s cooking adds to that feeling of home, ensuring customers come back time and again. ”The food tastes better when my mom is here, too,” Michael says. “If she makes the food, but then leaves, it tastes different; the restaurant feels different.”
Michael explains that, after the Covid-19 pandemic, he’s seen his customers’ dining habits change. “Especially for dinner time, it’s eating at home with family instead of coming here. Our takeout percentage is about forty percent, with sixty percent dining-in. Without takeout we can’t survive.”
But takeout comes with a new set of challenges. Michael expressed his worries about the recent laws passed in L.A. County which took effect in April 2024, banning items made with Styrofoam (EPS products), particularly those to-go containers commonly used by many restaurants. New eco-friendly containers are significantly more expensive and there was concern when Eighth Street Soondae changed packaging before. Customers thought the new shapes of containers meant less food, which took lots of explaining and reassurance to regain trust. Unfortunately, a solution might be to charge customers for to-go orders, although it is a lifeline to their success. Michael is hopeful for a solution in the future as he searches for an alternative economical solution in the future that will satisfy his customers and sustain his business.
Eighth Street Soondae cares about their extended family, which includes customers who have been visiting for decades. For new and old generations of Koreans living in the city, Eighth Street Soondae is a local restaurant not only for an everyday meal, special event, or take-out service; it serves as a vital link to their national identity, a place where Korean is spoken fluently, and traditional dishes are served. Michael and his mother plan to be here for decades to come, and won’t be changing locations. “We can’t change our name or leave; customers know where to find us and what we sell,” Michael says.
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Published on July 12, 2024
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