Woodam
Woodam is a Korean gukbap house that serves a very few options in the Flushing area. Gukbap is basically a Korean dish where you can put rice into a very flavorful soup, and it is iconic rustic, comfort food in Korean homes. We were in the area, and I thought this was basic enough to take some elders that were sensitive to sodium and strong spices. We were able to walk in for a party of 4 around lunch time without any issues.
Ambiance & Service
The interior boasts contemporary, bright Asian style maple, wooden accents all over. The restaurant is fairly small, and we were seated in a booth.
The service was very quick, and the servers were very patient with elders.
Food
The Jeju Tangerine Fizz - Jeju Island ($6.50) came with house-aged Jeju tangerine preserve, fizzy tangerine water, and tangerine sorbet. This was very delicious and refreshing for a hot summer day. The tangerine preserve was not overly sweet, and it had a subtle juicy, tart flavor.
The Suyuk, Korean-style Slow-Simmered Beef ($21) came with slow-simmered beef slices. They were crafted from their traditional gukbap broth with fresh chives and mushroom served with fermented tangerine soy dip and ssamjang aioli. This was similar to bossam, where it’s stewed pork slices and vegetables that you can dip. Even though this probably is something to share with a table, we decided to give it to the people that wanted something light. The ingredients were all flavorful, and my partner did not mention anything soapy about the green onions.
The Lava Rock Cheese Tteokgalbi ($9) was Korean galbi beef and pork patties stuffed with mozzarella and deep fried to a crunch and served with rosemary lime aioli. Despite the small amount of portions, this was pretty good as an appetizer.
The Sogogi - Gukbap ($16.50) came spicy with a hearty Korean soup with tender beef in a rich savory broth with rice and traditional condiments. This was very similar to kimchi jigae, and everything tasted pretty good. Spicy didn’t have much heat, but it definitely added flavor. For the price, it was a great value, and it reminded me of many Korean rice sets that I’ve had in Korea and in America. The banchan (condiments) all tasted very good, especially the potato salad. I was pleasantly surprised by the fermentation on the kimchi, which was very flavorful with sour and super umami notes. It was spot on much better than a lot of even high end Korean restaurants in the city.
Overall Impression
Woodam is a Korean value-type restaurant that even though they serve just a few things, they do it very well. I wouldn’t hesitate to come back here again if I was in the area and craving for something rustic and delicious.
Yelp Jabs
There was so much meat inside the soup. I had to complain that there was too much meat. And they also have an extra meat opinion.
It’s ironic that an Elitist that lives in Flushing would complain about too much meat. My stew had a lot of meat, but I definitely wouldn’t say it’s too much. There were definitely a lot of bones, so I think volume wise it may have been deceptive. Most Flushing locals and Asians would crave for more meat if asked.
Only Four dishes in the menu and Two of them are not available.
When we came, I noticed that some of the workers were still setting up signs and getting some of the interior situated. It felt like they were still trying to set up the restaurant to be ready for prime time. When we arrived for lunch, they had everything on the menu, so it was not a problem for us.
Revisions
- Jul 12, 2025 - Initial revision.