SORIMMARA

Third time dining in here and I swear it used to be better. Noodles used to be dry (now they are in water seems like so they can weigh more and therefore charge for them more. Why would you put noodles in water since they are gonna be boiled in the end? Don’t think I will end up returning.

I like the rose malatang soup! Creamy with a nice touch of spicy goes well with the toppings. Cilantro comes at an extra $2, and min of 1lb excluding broth. There are a lot of food selection for you to customize your bowl, but not as many as other malatang places, and no tong-ho

Sorimmara in Federal way is a very unassuming building. It is a very different style of typical restaurant where you get seated and get a menu. When you enter you grab a large metal bowl and help yourself to any vegetable and meat. You pay by weight of what you put in your bowl. They take your bowl and ask you what flavor of broth and spice level you want. They bring it to you also with whatever you order after they cook it in the kitchen. The food is wonderful with amazing flavor and variety. The staff are very friendly and respectful as well making sure to ask about different options and so helpful. My only complaint is the coldness in the restaurant. It was uncomfortably cold where I just couldn’t relax and truly enjoy the food without thinking of how cold I was. And not a huge issue but the chairs felt like you were sitting in outdoor plastic chairs. Overall the food and staff definitely made up for the shortcomings of atmosphere.

This was my first time visiting, and it will definitely be my last. They had two scales, and when I weighed my food on one, it came out to exactly 1 pound. But then the worker told me that scale “isn’t used” and insisted on weighing it on their scale, which suddenly showed 1.28 pounds. What kind of nonsense is that? Then, when I asked for a slightly larger sauce cup because the one they provided was ridiculously small, they said I would have to pay extra for sauce. Seriously? To actually enjoy the food, you need to dip it in different sauces, but they act like giving a slightly bigger cup means I’m stealing sauce. Absolutely ridiculous. On top of that, they overcharged me by manipulating the weight and then had the nerve to demand money for sauce. And it’s not like the food was insanely delicious either. If you’re reading this review, don’t bother going. I would NEVER recommend this place.

Build your own hot pot from a variety of vegetables, noddles, meats, and seafood; which then gets weighed, followed by a choice of broths or stir fry. The result is a deliciously satisfying meal, with plenty in the way of leftovers. Their Korean style chicken wings are a must have; crispy and scrumptious. Service is quick and efficient.

Went on a Thursday evening and was pleasantly surprised that they didn’t have a long line. My girlfriend the soup and loved it. She chose spice level 3 and was in tears eating it. Lol! I got the stirfried malatang, spice level 2, and it was perfect. We both love spicy food. Lots of options for the ingredients. Will be back for sure! Nice meal for a cold rainy night.

I really enjoy malatang and have been to many places, but this is the first time I’ve seen such an unreasonable sauce policy. They only give a tiny cup, and when I asked for a bigger sauce bowl, they said I’d have to pay extra because it counts as “extra sauce.” Their explanation was that some customers take too much and don’t finish it, which causes waste; but isn’t that just part of running a malatang restaurant? Refilling multiple tiny cups isn’t considered extra, yet using one normal bowl is. It makes no sense and only inconveniences customers. The beef quality was also disappointing; it looked like it had been sitting out for too long, turning brown and not appetizing at all. With unreasonable policies like this and beef served in such poor condition, I definitely won’t be coming back.

I was so excited to hear that there will be a new mala place near me! The food was great, and I really liked how they have all the fresh ingredients and prewrapped some of the ingredients so it is easy to grab from the fridge. Will be coming back soon!!

My first time at Sorimmara was great! The process was quick and simple. I grabbed what I want, then have them weigh it and choose a base. They're having this promotion where it's 20% off Monday-Thursday! I got the Rose Mala and it was very delicious! I was also able to make my own sauce which was nice. Would come here again.

I was so excited to finally try this spot. There are so many amazing Asian restaurants in Fed and though I have my favorites, I felt it was my duty to give Sorimmara a try. When I walked in, the inside was decorated really cute and the AC was blasting, which I appreciated since I chose to eat hot pot on a 85 degree day (the best time imo). I was satisfied to see the huge fridge lined up with so many ingredients. I thought it was cool that there were 2 options for pot sizes, one more suitable for sharing with a big group and one personal/for 2. They pretty much had everything you could want for hot pot... so many types of noodles, tons of veggies (missed the potatoes /: ), and a good selection of meats! I will say that I wished the veg was a little more fresh. We did go in around 2, so maybe they had been sitting there for awhile. I got the medium mala broth since it was my first time and didn't want it to overpower everything else by numbing my mouth completely, which was a good choice. They do have a decent sauce bar with your essentials.. garlic, chili oil, soy sauce, vinegar, etc. but they only have us little condiment cups to make our sauce which was a little difficult, but I went back a couple times and used one of the little side dishes meant for eating on. One major thing that I will note is that they take your bowl of food to the back to transfer the broth into and it does start the cooking process. I definitely prefer the dip-as-I-go method so that things don't overcook, but I accepted that. Overall, it was definitely super delicious and satisfied my hot pot craving. My pot came out to ~1.5 lbs, which cost me $25, which isn't bad at all! I would for sure come back!

The restaurant has easy parking off the Main Street which feels a little easier to get to. The restaurant itself is very clean and organized. You walk in, grab a bowl, and start grabbing items to fill your bowl with. The spicy is just right and customizable. If you do not spice, you won't have that numbing effect, but I'm sure it is still good. There is a self serve sauce bar as well. When I was full, I asked for a to go container. The employee brought me one and looked at how much was left so she went back for two more. It was so good, and the price is so cheap.

Great addition to the Federal Way asian food scene! Mala has been trending hard the past few years in Asia so I was super stoked to see that it was accessible in the area. There's something so satisfying about that mala numbing spice in broth. This is a place where you self serve your ingredients! There's a 1 lb minimum. Ingredients look fresh too. Additionally, there's a self serve sauce bar! Once you take your bowl to the register, they will prepare the food in the back and bring it out to you. I opted for the soup and it came with a candle burner to keep cooking it as you eat. The interior is clean but no frills. This is just nitpick for improvement but there's nothing wrong with the space. The staff are super kind and friendly! Plus ample parking in the lot.

Amazing went well! great customer service, and good food. Appreciate the atmosphere. Parking a little tight.

My friends and I wanted to try this place out so we decided to go on a weekday. There were plenty of parking around the plaza which is a huge plus. Upon entering the restaurant, I noticed it was spacious and there were lots of table seatings. There were some cute panda artworks on wall displays. Since it was our first time, there were instructions printed upon the front entrance. You basically grab a bowl and fill as much hotpot ingredients (meats, seafoods, veggies, noodles etc.) from the fridge then weigh it on the scale. You then select your broth for them to make it in the kitchen. FYI your bowl must weigh over 1lb. After you pay, they provide you with sauce cups for the DIY sauce bar. Half of us decided to get the rose mala xiang guo flavor while the rest tried the malatang flavor. Once the food was ready, the waitstaff brought it to our table. When I was grabbing some of the ingredients, there were so many items to choose from so it was nice to have lots of options. One thing I did noticed were that some of the veggies didn't look as fresh. Also, some of the empty bins were not refilled, which deducted one star from my rating. Overall, I thought the soups were good and spicy despite we each got mild. I particularly liked the rose mala flavor the best since it was milky and had the most flavor. I sampled one of my friend's tteokbokki dish and thought it was delicious. This was definitely a fun experience to go as a group as we were all DIYing our own hotpot. Will for sure come back again for some mala hotpot.

Finally a mara place semi close to me. When you walk in, there's silver bowls to the left. It starts at $15.99 a pound and you have to get one pound to start or else you have to go put more stuff to make the 1 pound mark. It can get quote pricey fast depending on what you put. So prob best to weigh after you out what you like and the add to your bowl if needed. There's fresh veggies, meats, seafood and etc. If you can't handle spice, you can let the staff know and they can guide you through the process. But they also have a whole rub of korean ice cream and even banana milk and whole bunch of drinks. If you're not into hot pot, they have fried rice and ddukbook and rice balls. They have a sauce bar to the right and there's a sauce recipe you can follow. The staff is super friendly and they come check on you often enough. But overall, would give it a 3.5. The place was overall pretty clean. The layout can be kinda weird for tables and I wouldn't recommend sitting next to the restroom. if you're looking for spoons or chopsticks there are located on the side of the table as there is a drawer there.

Love a place that lets me choose my own selection of items!! Very fun & clean stations for choosing my veggies, noodles, and protein, the sauce bar is also has lots of options! I liked everything a lot, but my -1 star off 5 stars was the broth not being super flavorful! The mala spice was a good numbing spice, however did not carry much other flavor. Would come back to try again & also try some of their appetizers that look really good!!

It's a fun experience to do a build your own hotpot! The Mala spice levels are spot on-- NOT the sit in your bathroom all day levels. The service was attentive! Tbh the ingredients are all the quality that you easily grab at h mart-- yes it's more expensive than doing it at home but YAY to no doing dishes! Not friendly to go more than a party of 4 due to small space but a nice night to grab a soju!

Yumm!!! Really like this mala place. The price is $15.99/pound and you have to get a minimum of 1pound but that's not hard. I usually end up with 1.5-2 I get the soup base at a spice level of 4 and it's not that spicy for me but it may be for others. The broth itself is quite delicious but a little thick. The service is very minimum but that's because you basically serve yourself buffet style. The parking lot can fill up quick so just be aware of that.

I really enjoyed my Rose mala xiang guo ! Cream shrimp guo ba rou is must order item. I ordered level 4 for my rose xiang guo and be aware!!! Hella spicy. Like x10 of 2x fire noodle. I learned my lesson. Might order level 2 next time. I highly recommend rose sauce too. Its creamy and gooey with hint of after taste of mala. This is not chinese mala place, they have recreate the dished in Korean style and I liked it much. I hope they have more selection of ingredients and all the ingredients get taken care of well and more often. For example, bean sprouts water was a bit yellow and cloudy and that makes it less appetizing. They still looked fresh but .. you know what I mean. Oh and you pay before you leave.

Sorimmara Sorimmara recently opened in Federal Way, so I decided to check it out. Food: You start by grabbing a stainless steel bowl and selecting your ingredients--seafood, meat, veggies, noodles, etc. Afterward, they weigh your bowl. The only soup option is malatang with five spice levels, while the rest are dry pots. I wish there were more soup options available. Service: Staff takes your bowl to the kitchen, cooks it, and brings it to your table. They were friendly, but the process could be improved. Having to wait in line again to pay after eating is inconvenient. Ambiance: AC was on full blast, which made it chilly, but once the hot food arrived, things warmed up! The price point is slightly expensive and 1lb minimum is required. Overall, I enjoyed the soup and happy to give them another chance in the future!

4.6/5 This is a new Korean hot pot spot that just opened, so of course it's going viral. We came in on a Sunday afternoon, no wait time and plenty of open seats, although as soon as we got to our table, there was a line out the door. As soon as you walk in you're greeted with their wall of items and you immediately start building your bowl. Different types of proteins, veggies, noodles. You fill your bowl with what you want, it's then weighed and charged $15.99-$18.99 per pound. Ambiance 4/5 - simple decor. Maybe 15-20 tabletops total with their anime mascot painted on the walls. They also have a sauce bar that you can mix your own dipping sauce . It's not like haidilao but enough options to get the job done. Service 5/5 - service was top notch. The woman who delivered our food to the table was so sweet and always had a smile on her face. Your bowl of food sits on a burner similar to boiling point but you can adjust and extinguish the flame yourself! There's. Little drawer on each table that has extra spoons, chopsticks, napkins, even a bottle opener. Really nice having that readily available so you don't have to wave someone down. Food 5/5 - food was delicious. I had the rose Malatang which is more of a sauce. My partner had the original Malatang which is soup based and closest to hotpot. The rose was creamy and had a nice kick to it. My partner added cheese to hers but doesn't suggest it. At one point it all just kind of globbed together. That being said a must try. Building your own bowl makes it fun and you get exactly what you want, but be careful before you end up like me with eyes bigger than your stomach trying to finish your 2lbs. Bowl lol.

I love the concept of picking out my ingredients for my soup. I had never had Korean style malatang before and was eager to try when this place opened up. The first thing I noticed is that they had a pretty large variety of ingredients to choose from. Lots of veggies, meat items, and noodles. I do wish that the slices of meat were not all stuck together like a block. It made it hard to figure out exactly how much meat I was putting in my pot. Overall, with how big the bowl was, it was super easy to put too many ingredients in and found my final bowl having more than I could eat. I got the malatang soup and my friend got the rose, both level 2 spicy. Both of the soup/sauce bases were pretty good. I really enjoyed the flavor of the soup. I also liked that there was a sauce bar on the side in case you wanted to have something to dip your things in. Both of our dishes also came with a hot fire to keep our food warm - not sure if other malatang places do this but this was a super nice touch! My friend and I agreed that it would make more sense to share the rose mala since it was a heavier dish. I would definitely get the soup again. There is plenty of seating in the restaurant. Some of the areas are colder than others because of where the AC is, so if the restaurant if busy you might get stuck sitting in the cold. I really liked the kpop they were playing and it was a nice casual place to eat.

We're not a big fan of mala sauce so we ordered without mala. But we could taste the mala in our rose mala xiang guo, so kinda disappointed. We ordered level 1 (mild)on both dishes & it wasn't bland. MalaTang broth was flavorful & shrimp guobaorou was just ok, needed more sauce. Staff were friendly enough. Overall, pretty decent but little on the pricy side.

Korean style malatang same numbing spicy but they also have variations of rose and black mala. They also have mala xiang guo which is a soupless version! Sauce bar is included! You can also add cheese topping! 5 different spice levels or if you aren't into the numbing part you can ask them to remove the mayu sauce! I liked the mala xiang guo, the malatang broth wasnt as strong in mala flavor and the xiang guo was. Both of them come with hot fire which was nice! The pork guobaorou was slightly crispy but the sweet n sour sauce tasted mostly like tangy light ketchup. The fried layer and the pork basically fell apart when cut in half.

So many options here. You can go all seafood, all meat, all veggie, or mix & match. The broth spice level is totally up to you. I like the variety of options. I've been here twice, I will definitely be back to mix & match different options. Service is always excellent, and they will explain how everything works. $15/lb for the veggies & broth, it's a huge bowl! Good deal.... Just weigh your bowl & don't get greedy! Lol

I'm so happy to see Federal Way get a new Korean restaurant that serves delicious and amazing noodle soup with tons of wonderful toppings! I personally am a Fan of Balls - fish balls, lobster balls, cuttlefish balls! I liked how the spice levels were very customizable and if you truly love spicy, you will leave burning! Give this place a try if you love noodles and spicy!

Love this concept. I ain't really with that numbing stuff , so I'm glad I can get it pretty mild. The rosé is my favorite so far. LOTS of items to choose from. I've nvr seen so many rice cakes in different forms in my life. The tables have drawers where the utensils and napkins are . Oh and you get to make your own sauce @the sauce bar. That's where you can add more of that malatang (numbing) sauce. Heads up: My eyes are bigger than my stomach and It can get pretty pricey so be mindful of the weight of your bowl. Don't say I didn't warn u.

Let me start by sharing I quite like this establishment in Shorline. The Federal Way one just wasn't as fresh or complete in their items. From selecting the malatang ingredients, I felt frustrated by the way of their fridge designs. There were 2 sides to each fridge and the doors only allow 1 side's access at a time. I had awkward wait times while guests in front got their items and rushed so I'm not blocking those behind. The veggies weren't the freshest, as I had to select individual spinach pieces to avoid the wilted ones. Some of their seafood was in huge ice blocks, some barely defrosted. For a by the lb place, that's a big issue. My mom and I both got $35+ in our items to get a truly reasonable amount of food. Clearly this place isn't cheap, but for the cost there should definitely have been quality enhancements. The north location has a more robot sauce bar. Some raw green onions and cilantro to bring some freshness goes a long way. Add ons for a cost is a standard in the industry but to pay $2 for cilantro just seems against principle. Nonetheless, the cooked product itself was tasty. My mom who's new to the city really enjoyed the meal. The rosé mala dry pot pit is quite special and adds this interesting flair that resembles Italian cream sauces. By the way, they do give free ice cream for writing reviews.

Directions and tips to dine here ( we figured out ourselves by observing other patrons and after reading the instruction sign by the entrance) : - grab an aluminum bowl and fill it up with your toppings of choice - bring bowl to cashier to weigh toppings and to pick how you want it to be cooked. During this time, you may also order appetizers or to include any add ons to your bowl. They will also ask where you'd like to sit - you will be given number tag(s) that corresponds to your order -there's a sauce bar right next to the cashier. I find it easier to make the sauce right after putting in the order(s) vs returning to the sauce bar after situating at the table - at the chosen table, utensils and napkin can be found in the drawer below the table. If you want a small bowl to transfer your food into, you will need to ask a server for it. It will not be brought to you when food is delivered - when ready to pay, you'll need to go to the cashier again to close out your tab Was excited to try a new place and left somewhat disappointed. First impression, the aluminum food bowl that is used to weigh the food of your choice has an unpleasant smell, smelled like it was wiped down with a dirty rag. The open style fridge was right by the entrance, which made it worrying with all the dusts coming in with people coming in and out. The shrimp appetizers was delicious and the Malatang style hotpot we chose was good. The broth is flavorful and the ingredient options was plentiful and ok for what it is (mostly frozen meats and seafood aside from fresh veggies). However, after dining here, we both had stomachaches and it didn't surprise us for the fact that the bowls smelled awful and the open fridge was facing the sun and open to all the dusts. We love the concept but it would've been a better experience if staff were more attentive and to stay on top of quality/safety control.

I came here a few days ago with my mother to try out this awesome Korean-Chinese fusion focusing on malatang or stir fried mala xiang guo. They have been advertising on their Instagram and offered a coupon for their guobaorou so we were excited to try their hot pot and something completely new to us! As we entered, we were greeted warmly by staff members and then directed to seat ourselves anywhere we wanted before explaining to us how ordering worked. They gave us a pitcher of water and cups and small plates were already neatly stacked at our table to use. The real neat part of their table is they have a drawer that has a bottle opener, chopsticks (they do have forks if you ask), soup spoons and napkins. They also have a QR code on the table to look at their online menu as well, but you can also ask for a physical menu from the register as well. The interior is very modern with silly quotes alongside the different parts of the restaurant that we thought was pretty funny. They have a big TV screen playing an assortment of Kpop videos. There were several tables and chairs that could fit parties of 2, 4, 6 and more people throughout the restaurant. They also had a self-serve sauces, topping/condiment, and other goodies next to the register to grab for your hot pot or stir fried goodies. The staff here were friendly and knowledgeable but they were distracted by the mishap in the kitchen as it was delaying orders and confusing the staff members both in and out of the kitchen. We decided to grab our bowl with our choice of vegetables, meats, and noodles and then handed it to a staff member so they can get it all prepared for the final act of becoming our malatang. They asked if we wanted to split the malatang portion in half as we were going to share it anyways, which I thought was convenient and they did split the ingredients evenly! It did take some time to receive our order but I believe there was a mishap in the kitchen from hearing what was being exchanged between the staff members and whom I believe was the manager or owner. It took about 20-30 minutes to receive our shrimp guobaorou then another couple of minutes to receive the pork guobaorou then after another set of minutes we got our malatang. Other than the unusual wait (we got there early and got our bowl to the cashier before other parties but parties that came before us got their orders given to them first), we are looking forward to coming back and trying out new menu items too.

I kept seeing this place on Yelp and Instagram so thought we'd give it a try. My impressions are: -It was more expensive than I thought it would be. I expected to pay ~$50 for two people but ended up paying $86. Of course it's by the pound so it is our fault, but I felt it was hard to gauge because you put everything into metal bowls (btw they are tared at -0.58 lbs when weighed). Maybe it would be nice to have a scale near the ingredients so people can weigh as they pick ingredients and see if they'd like to spend more money. It did make a ton of leftovers though that will last a few meals. -I think if I were to return w/ other people, it would be a smarter move to agree on a sauce and share one big pot together. -Choosing your own ingredients was super fun! I'd advise to not load up on things in the front of the line (mostly veggies) so you have space for the proteins that are at the end. I really liked the sweet potato and cheese rice cakes. The glass noodles (especially the wide ones) were super chewy, almost too chewy for me. Tbh a lot of the veggies (cabbages, kale, some of the spinach) when I went didn't look fresh but all the proteins were great! -I ordered the mala xiang guo sauce and my bf got the rosé mala xiang guo. The rosé one was creamier and I preferred it over the regular mala. Spice levels are spicier than you'd expect. My bf who can typically handle a good amount of heat got level 3 but later said "I can't believe this is a 3". I can only handle mild so I got a 2, and it was spicier than I typically like, bordering on too much. Something to keep in mind! -There was a make-your-own sauce bar w/ sauce recipes on the menu. I liked the peanut sesame recipe because it helped tone down the heat -There was kpop playing on a big TV the entire time. Service was ok. Not outstanding but fine. Had to go up and ask for to-go boxes, nobody explained to us how the process worked (easy to figure out though, and later I did hear a male worker explain to new customers how things worked). Our table didn't have cups or little plates, and the girl who seated us didn't give us menus (but when I looked around, other tables had those things and customers were given menus. Not sure why that didn't happen for us).

Don't get the tomatoes sauce. It's tasted like spaghetti sauce. It's not as good as I thought. It was just an online hype

So excited to have more hot pot options closer to Tacoma. I loved the diy/build yourself option. There were lots of different options to add, a large variety of rice cakes and veggies, different types of noodles and several options of meats. Only thing I would change is maybe having more options on the broth however, I did thoroughly enjoyed my hot pot! If you haven't done a diy hot pot before I would definitely recommend it and the price is by weight so be careful!

Went here on a Sunday afternoon with my family. The place was busy and there was upbeat music playing. When you first walk in, you grab an aluminum bowl and start building what you want in your soup. Family and I ordered the maltang and we each got different spice levels. The soup base was average. They did give you plenty of options in terms of what you'd like to add to your soup. However, my family and I were unwell after lunch here. Every single one of us had stomach problems afterwards. It could've been how long the food is left out and improper control of all the raw food. Giving it a 2 star because the service/staff was friendly.

First impressions were it was a little disorganized. The food is right when you walk in and looking at it all, the food safety practices look a little iffy (cross contamination, temperature regulation, etc). I'm not sure if they do self seating but we were worried about getting a big enough table. One of the workers told us we will either have to sit separately or wait (when we already finished filling up our bowls) and luckily there ended up being a table ready but I'm unsure how it would be handled if we decided to wait with all of our food already picked out. They do pricing by weight which I'm never a big fan of because some food that are heavier should actually cost less. Someone in our group ended up with a $50 bowl but it definitely wasn't worth that much. Pretty expensive for what you get. Additionally, almost everyone (7 people) got sick afterwards for a couple of days- there is a definite need to take a look at the food safety practices. Overall, it seemed like a fun concept but was lacking in execution with expensive prices for subpar food.

My first malatang experience but have had many make your own Korean food experiences like Dookki (make your own tteokbokki) for example. The staff try to be helpful as the process is a little confusing. You just grab a bowl and fill it up then place your order for what type of vehicle you want (soup, fried noodle) and weigh it. But you return to pay after you eat at the same counter you placed your order at. I think in this post-Covid world, they could do a better job of making sure the tongs are clean (many of them fall into the ingredients contaminating them) and the sauce ladles are all sticky. Flavors were good and you can cut down on the mala (Chengdu numbing pepper) if you want.

Great service great vibe It was such a great meal but its a bit pricey However you are coming for an experience you cant get anywhere

I think the food and experience was fun! I love how you can customize your food and the rose mara was so good! The staff were really nice too, I love how welcoming they are. Only downside for me is how long it can take to make your bowl since it's a small space. Some people will go back and forth from one section to the other and you'll end up waiting longer.

So delicious. There's a great selection to choose from with good quality ingredients. I got the soup base, and it was a good level of spice and flavor. The sauce bar is a must as well! I went for lunch on Thursday and the service was good.

This is the worst Guobaorou I have ever had. The crust is chewy like a plastic. The flavor of malatang is okay. But the food is overcooked and served in a hot pot with fire underneath which is unnecessary. The staff probably don't clean the chairs when they clean the desks. I can see sauce on some chairs from the previous customers.

Awesome concept of picking out all the fresh veggies (ideal for Vegetarians) and variety of meat into big container you can place them into. Everything was nice and FRESH... They do have few variety of tofu so you might want to ask. They weigh the container of all the items you put in there and ask you what you want them to do with it. Stir fry, make it into soup and so I wanted soup (ma ra tang 마라탕). They have 5 levels you can pick for spiciness. FYI, my soup with all the veggies and meat I put in there and after they cooked it for me only came out $20 and something cents which was highly affordable imo. Visited there on their first day (yesterday). After I paid, I wanted to offer them my honest review of their food and so I got to talking with the owner and the owner brought out the CEO (from Korea, I'm guessing). Love the idea but there's a lingering bad taste that I remember from using or experimenting with Chinese spicy fish soup base or paste if you want to call it and that was exactly what I was tasting which I didn't like. The CEO told me the staff there will ask you whether you prefer to have the chefs add "마유 (ma yoo)". Which I wasn't cognizant of being asked or couldn't remember but I believe "Ma Yoo (마유)" is sesame oil in Chinese and so I don't suppose that was it. I've tried 3 different Sorimmara restaurants in Korea (명동 Myung Dong, 한남동 Hahn Nam Dong and 해운데 Busan, Hae Un Dae) and they were great without any unpleasant taste. I hope the owner would taste test with his staff or friends and have them tell honestly so they can improve and/or fix the unpleasant taste. However, please keep in mind this is only my opinion and others may either prefer it or even like it better... Also, in Korea the food is brought out in a large (짬뽕) bowl but here they add the heater which I believe is a huge money drainer (큰 돈 낭비) for them. I can only think they added that for people to take pictures...? Another thing that was so different from chains in Korea is they had so many employees. I really want this place to stay open and do well but how will the owner make any profit? In Korea, I don't know how many chefs they had in the kitchen but there were only 2 people working in front (the cashier and the wait person/server). And I think you had to put the trays (after you're done eating) to the kitchen which I didn't mind. Here you don't pay upfront after they weight your bowl, they want you to pay "after" you eat and I believe they're leaning more for customers to tip the staff. I really prefer the concept in Korea with no worrying about how much to tip nor tipping at all but we're here in U. S. and so... Maybe the owner wasn't aware but they kept their restaurant rather chilly with air conditioner on cold. I also brought up hoping the restroom was cleaner although it was somewhat clean. I am giving them 3 stars for now but I will go again and mention about the weird taste in the soup or bring down spiciness level from 3 to 2 and see if that'll change... and change my rating accordingly. I believe honesty is the best policy where the owner(s) can test it out themselves and figure out whether they need to make small changes or not. I also do realize their age groups target should be people in their 20s and 30s and not someone like myself who's in mid 50s. I also want to add, I spent my "time" to write this long review because I CARE and hope for the better for their business and not try to besmirch their reputation...

I visited Sorimmara for the first time with my wife, and it serves the best malatang I've ever tasted. There's a lot of customization available, and the service is excellent! Similar to other dry pot establishments, you can select your own ingredients, and they prepare it for you. The broth is incredibly flavorful, and I highly recommend it.

Tastes exactly like the malatang from Korea. Ingredients seem very fresh and there is lots of variety. I got the level 2 and it wasn't spicy at all. The sauce to the pork was very good but it could use some more. I do wish that the beef brisket slices were separated by piece because it was all clumped together. One downside to this place is that you have to get at least one pound of food, so if you're not hungry, it's best to share with someone! Customer service was amazing. They checked in on us throughout and were very friendly. Would go back again!

Wow It is authentic and trendy Mara in Federal way There is rose , soybean, shanguo, fried shrimp and port!! Everything is so delicious It is an addiction Mara Definitely go again and recommend friends and family

Meant to post this earlier, but better late than never! I've been wanting a Korean style malatang place for a while. My husband, cousin, and I went to Sorimmara for their soft opening and was impressed. Usually soft openings are hectic for some places, but everything ran efficiently, and we were seated and got our food in a timely manner. We ordered the malatang broth and put a bunch of different veggies and proteins in it. I will say that if you're not careful, it can get pretty pricey. The staff were really friendly and checked in on us frequently. The place was clean and it was busy when I initially went. I tried to go again with some friends recently and it was still busy. Glad to see that it's doing well!

Came a couple days after grand opening and I get that they're new... but they really didn't have it together. It took multiple tries to order... messed up on whos order was who... didn't light the burners... and missed bringing out an order. When we paid it took eternity. I'm hoping things got better for future customers because it was not a great experience. The food was okay... i've never been to a sorimmara before and I realized that it probably isn't my thing. It was insanely expensive as well. I'm not really sure why this place is so hyped but had to try it... wasn't impressed.

Waitress was friendly, Restaurant had good K-pop playing, Many customers, and good food.

Came for dinner for the first time and the food was delicious! I was eye hungrier than my stomach can hold, so I filled my silver bowl with food thinking I'd be able to finish it all, but my eyes definitely deceived my stomach. I got a Malayan with zero spice since I shared with my toddler and the broth was still really flavorful. The employees were extremely sweet and accommodating to my little one, getting extra things that was needed. The music was fun, not too loud so we could still hear each other as we're having a conversation. Really modern, clean and well kept. The food was priced really well for how much we got. Overall a great experience! We'll definitely be back

Food and Customer Service was excellent. Loved the idea where you can pick what goes into your bowl and the flavors were amazing this is my third time now and would continue to come back.

I would not recommend this place for vegans just yet. They do not have vegan broth available and cannot modify stir fry for vegans. The display menu has items mislabeled as vegan like Flying Fish Roe Rice Balls. The kitchen staff and server do not know if the Tteokbokki is vegan. I had a bowl of ingredients ready to be cooked prior to this knowledge of the restaurant not having vegan broth. I was not allowed to take the ingredients home to cook for myself :(

Have been here multiple times. First few times were okay. Little to no service. But the most recent time we went, there was mold on the wonton noodles that were set in the fridge. I notified the servers and they took our bowl back and allowed us to remake our bowl. But not once did they apologize or showed any concern towards us or the customers that were already present in the restaurant eating. Will not be recommending to anyone nor will we be coming back. Huge health hazard.

I tried Sorimmara for the first time and it wasn't all hyped up to be. It isn't your typical sit-down type of restaurant. When you first walk in, there is a sign stating to pick your toppings to which we did. When ordering your soup/broth, they weigh your item and if it isn't over 1LB, they will send you back to get more toppings. The process is very disorganized as once you place your order, you aren't allowed to pay right away; only after you eat your food. This is troublesome as you have to wait to pay in the same line that people are in line to weigh their items and order. The restaurant is small so it was very crowded and difficult to walk around. When the food came out, it was difficult for the staff to maneuver around the chairs, table, and people. There were too many tables and not enough room, especially for plates that our piping hot (could be very dangerous during peak times). The food wasn't all that great. It wasn't very tasty in my opinion and was mediocre. Additionally, we ordered the Egg Fried Rice and it was the worst, most bland fried rice we have ever tried. It was probably meant for kids who do not like spices or don't like mala.. Would not recommend getting it. It's a cool concept for the young generations but may be difficult for the older generations to handle the grasp of the concept (my grandparents/parents were so confused).

First off, WOW, was I REALLY excited when I first heard about a HotPot Mala place finally opening in Federal Way!! As a a HotPot Foodie Lover, it was a dream come true~ The food was amazing! If you like a true kick to your foods, you won't be let down! A TRUE Mala experience~ And wowww, was I blown away by the Shrimp Guobaorou, 100% recommend! Nice, chewy, yet crispy texture combination all happening at once, you WON'T be disappointed Great quality food, very attentive customer service, and overall had a very nice experience! Can't wait to come back soon to try all the other dishes

If you wanna try korean food with a mala twist this is definitely the place. Amazing food with so many customizable choices and options. Customer service was excellent, I had my nephew with me and they did their best and accommodate me and my nephew. This place has the best quiet and chill surrounding, definitely to come and casually eat or even eat with a group of friends.

Yummy soup and really nice staff! Over a great experience. Will be coming back again.

This is a great place to go. Amazing food and friendly staff! The soup was delicious ! Definitely coming back.

quite pricey but yummy hot pot and REALLY spicy if u ask for it. very relaxed environment and fresh ingredients!