The husband and wife team behind Soul Dining have opened a new concept in Sydney’s Surry Hills.
Owners and chefs Daero Lee and Illa Kim decided to launch Soul Deli after the success of Bowl by Soul last year, which saw Soul Dining pivot to takeaway deopbap bowls during lockdown.
“The great feedback made us realise there’s a need for Korean food and culture, and we knew we wanted to expand our business to highlight what Korean cuisine and culture can offer in the Australian market – and so SOUL Deli was born,” says Kim.
Soul Deli encompasses a cafe, deli and a retail store, with both dine-in and takeaway available.
Diners can try a range of dishes from smashed avocado with white kimchi and sourdough to soybean strew, omelette with Korean ‘caviar’, Korean fried chicken and spicy pork belly with a poached egg and stir-fried kimchi.
A selection of Soul bowls are a highlight, which include a spicy pork belly option, a galbi bowl and a umamishroom bowl, to name a few.
On the beverage side, Primary Coffee is on offer plus Korean green tea, Simon Says juice and Korean soft drinks.
The deli showcases a range of barbecue kits to prepare at home with everything from beef short rib in galbi juice to garlic-marinated chicken and spicy pork belly on offer.
A kimchi bar is on display at the deli with vegan red, vegan white and a seasonal kimchi up for grabs. House pickles and tofu are also available plus an all-important snack range.
“It’s similar to an Asian grocery with artisan and ethically-sourced high quality products, but also has an element of ‘fun stuff’ – iconic childhood favourites,” says Kim.
Soul Deli is located at 185 Campbell Street and is open Wednesday to Sunday 7am until 4pm.
Image credit: Jiwon Kim
