Jazz + Soju, Baltimore,MD
I had a wonderful time at Jazz + Soju during Baltimore Restaurant Week. Michelle Min opened this spot in 2018 at Anthem House in Locust Point. It’s a cozy place infused with elements of industrial decor. There are shelves full of vinyls and there are jazz greats on the walls such as Louis Armstrong and Ramsey Lewis. Unfortunately, my friends and I didn’t catch a night with live jazz, but we will definitely be back.
Our restaurant week dining experience at Jazz + Soju was a five-course dinner which consisted of the following:
First Course
Fried Dumplings
Second Course
Fire-Beef Bulgogi
Third Course
Jazz Soju Wings
Fourth Course
Beef Short Ribs
Dessert
Salted Caramel Mochi
By the way, soju is a type of alcohol that originated from Korea. I don’t drink, but I’m told that it’s good. Now back to the food.
The fried dumplings were perfect. Not overly fried and tough, as many places make the mistake of over cooking them. I loved the grilled flavor of the pork too. They do offer a vegetarian version of this as well.
The Fire-Beef Bulgogi was delicious. This was my first time trying bulgogi. Bulgogi means “fire meat”. It is a Korean dish which consists of thin, marinated slices of beef or pork. It’s often grilled over a fire. This was thinly sliced rib eye. I noticed grilled and teriyaki flavors. The beef short ribs were good as well, but I definitely preferred the bulgogi. This was also my first time trying mochi ice cream. Mochi is pounded sticky rice. It’s often described as a soft rice cake. It’s filled with ice cream. I enjoyed the sweet flavor. The chewy texture was new to me, but I was glad that I tried it.
Now, the moment that you didn’t know you were waiting for, the star of the evening, and the reason that I will return-(drum roll please)-the Jazz Soju wings, also known as, Korean fried chicken. This chicken will make you want to slap the table and shake your head in awe and disbelief. Am I being a bit dramatic? No. Not. At. All. The wings are twice fried in soybean oil to dissipate the fat. So, yes, not only are these wings amazing, but surprisingly they’re not greasy. I opted for their soy garlic flavor. The other flavor is spicy soy garlic. I’ll try those the next time. The wings came out hot and juicy. They have the perfect crisp. They were savory, with a subtle hint of sweetness hovering in the background. The winning combination here is having the chicken’s perfectly light and crispy skin melt in your mouth with the tender succulent meat. These wings were everything.
Thank you Jazz + Soju. I look forward to seeing you again soon.