SORIMMARA: A Spicy and Customizable Korean Culinary Journey in NYC

SORIMMARA Introduce

Hidden on the second floor of a building in the bustling heart of Koreatown, **SORIMMARA** offers a truly unique and engaging dining experience for New Yorkers. This Korean restaurant, which also functions as a pub, specializes in popular Chinese-Korean "mala" dishes, such as malatang and mala xiang guo. The name and concept are popular in Korea, and SORIMMARA brings this customizable and intensely flavorful trend to New York City. The interior, with its primitive red color scheme and playful panda mascot, is on-brand and creates a friendly, approachable mood that perfectly sets the stage for a fun meal.

What sets SORIMMARA apart is its "build your own combo" concept. Customers can choose from an extensive and clean selection of fresh ingredients, including various vegetables, noodles, meats, and seafood, to create their own personalized bowl. Once your bowl is filled, you choose your preferred sauce and spice level, and the skilled kitchen staff prepares it for you. This interactive process ensures that every meal is perfectly tailored to your taste and preference, from the level of numbing spice to the combination of ingredients. Whether you're a fan of fiery flavors or prefer a milder, savory taste, SORIMMARA allows you to be the chef of your own meal.

SORIMMARA is conveniently located on the second floor at **2 W 32nd St, New York, NY 10001**. Situated in the core of Koreatown in Midtown Manhattan, this location is easily accessible for both locals and tourists. The fact that it's on the second floor makes it a bit of a hidden gem, and while some may find it hard to spot from the street, it's worth the quick trip upstairs.

The surrounding neighborhood is a hub of activity, with numerous shops, bars, and other restaurants, making SORIMMARA an ideal spot for a lunch break or a destination for a night out. The restaurant's atmosphere is casual and designed for groups, but it's also a great spot for solo dining. While there is no dedicated parking, paid street parking is available in the vicinity. For those with accessibility needs, the building has a **wheelchair-accessible entrance**, ensuring that all guests can easily get to the restaurant.

SORIMMARA offers a flexible range of services to cater to different dining preferences, from a full sit-down meal to a quick, convenient option.

Services offered include:

Dine-in: Enjoy the full, interactive experience of building your own bowl and having it prepared by the kitchen staff in the comfort of the restaurant's casual setting.
Takeout: For those on the go or who prefer to eat at home, SORIMMARA provides a takeout service. You can build your own bowl to go, or order from their pre-set menu.
Delivery and No-contact Delivery: The restaurant offers both standard and no-contact delivery options, bringing the unique flavors of malatang and mala xiang guo right to your doorstep.
Lunch & Dinner: Open for both lunch and dinner, SORIMMARA is a popular spot for a midday meal or a fun evening gathering with friends.
Onsite Services: This includes the self-service "build your own bowl" concept, where you can select ingredients from a clean and well-organized display.

SORIMMARA distinguishes itself with several key features that make it a standout destination for spicy food lovers.

Highlights of SORIMMARA include:

Customizable Mala Bowls: The main feature is the ability to create your own malatang or mala xiang guo. You can choose your ingredients and spice level, ensuring a perfectly personalized and flavorful meal every time.
Authentic and Unique Flavors: The restaurant specializes in mala, known for its numbing and spicy sensation from Sichuan peppercorns. This provides an authentic and exciting flavor profile not found at most other Korean restaurants.
Fast Service: Customers often note the quick and efficient service. Once you've selected your ingredients, the food is prepared and served promptly.
Variety of Dishes: Beyond the main mala dishes, SORIMMARA offers a selection of other Korean and Chinese-Korean favorites, including various types of **Guobaorou** (sweet and sour fried pork), **Tteokbokki**, and fried rice.
Family-Friendly Atmosphere: With a casual atmosphere and a dedicated kids' menu, the restaurant is a great option for families. The fun, on-brand decor and cute panda mascot add to the family-friendly vibe.

SORIMMARA is located at **2 W 32nd St, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10001**.

For inquiries or to place a takeout order, you can contact them at **(212) 695-7272**.

Choosing SORIMMARA is a great decision for anyone in New York looking for a delicious and highly customizable spicy food experience. The concept of building your own bowl is a major draw, allowing you to control the portion, ingredients, and flavor to an extent that most restaurants don't offer. This is particularly appealing for those who love to experiment with different combinations or who have specific dietary preferences. The clean and well-organized ingredient station is a huge plus, giving you confidence in the quality of what you're choosing.

The unique and bold flavors of the mala dishes are what make this place truly stand out. Whether you go for the soupy malatang or the dry, stir-fried mala xiang guo, the numbing spice and rich flavor are an unforgettable combination. While some diners may find the "rose" versions to be an acquired taste, the traditional mala is a fan favorite for a reason. The fast service and convenience of takeout and delivery also add to its appeal, making it a reliable option for a satisfying meal whether you're dining in or staying home.

While the atmosphere is casual and the focus is on a quick bite, the quality of the food and the uniqueness of the concept make SORIMMARA a worthwhile visit. Its location in the lively Koreatown district makes it a perfect stop before or after exploring the area. For a flavor-packed, interactive, and fun meal that you can tailor to your exact preference, SORIMMARA is highly recommended for anyone who loves a bit of spice and adventure in their food.

SORIMMARA Menu

Tteokbokki
Mala Tteokbokki $17.99
Spicy and sweet Korean tteokbokki with special Mala sauce.
Tteokbokki $14.99
Spicy and sweet Korean tteokbokki.
Rose Tteokbokki $20.99
Spicy and sweet Korean tteokbokki with rose sauce.

Guobaorou
Pork Guobaorou / 鍋包肉 (L) $37.25
(Basic serves 2'3) crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, pork sirloin and special sweet and sour sauce.
Shrimp Guobaorou / 蝦子锅包肉 (L) $40.95
(Basic serves 2'3) giant shrimp, special sweet and sour sauce, crispy on the outside and moist fried on the inside.
Mala Mayo Shrimp / 麻辣蛋黃醬蝦子锅包肉店 (S) $31.25
Giant shrimp, special Mala mayo sauce, crispy on the outside and moist fried on the inside.
Chicken Guobaorou / 雞肉鍋包肉 (S) $25.25
Crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, plain chicken and special sweet and sour sauce.
Chicken Guobaorou / 雞肉鍋包肉 (L) $37.25
(Basic serves 2'3) crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, plain chicken and special sweet and sour sauce.
Pork Guobaorou / 鍋包肉 (S) $25.25
Crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, pork sirloin and special sweet and sour sauce.
Cream Shrimp / 奶油蝦鍋包肉 (L) $43.35
(Basic serves 2'3) giant shrimp, special cream sauce full of flavor, crispy on the outside and moist fried on the inside.
Shrimp Guobaorou / 蝦子锅包肉 (S) $28.95
Giant shrimp, special sweet and sour sauce, crispy on the outside and moist fried on the inside.
Cream Shrimp / 奶油蝦鍋包肉 (S) $32.25
Giant shrimp, special cream sauce full of flavor, crispy on the outside and moist fried on the inside.
Mala Mayo Shrimp / 麻辣蛋黃醬蝦子锅包肉 (L) $43.25
(Basic serves 2'3) giant shrimp, special malamayo sauce, crispy on the outside and moist fried on the inside.

Rice / Rice Ball
Malamayo Rice Ball / 麻辣蛋黃醬飯糰 $23.99
Flavored and tingling special malamayo sauce, mayonnaise, seaweed flakes, pickled radish, carrot, rice.
Rice $2.00
White rice.
Mala Rice Ball / 麻辣飯糰 $23.99
World's first, no. 1, mala-flavored rice ball. Special Mala sauce, mayonnaise, seaweed flakes, pickled radish, carrot, rice.

Main Menu
Black (Jajang) Mala Xiang Guo / 韓國炸醬香鍋 (1) $29.95
A fantastic combination of special mala sauce and jajang sauce. (Dry tofu, dry bean curd, tofu skin, fish ball, sausages, rice cake, wood ear mushrooms(white, black), sweet potato noodles, potato noodles, enoki, king oyster mushrooms, napa, bokchoy, bean sprout). .
Malatang / 麻辣燙 (1) $25.00
A soup dish containing fresh ingredients in thick beef bone broth with special mala sauce. (Dry tofu, dry bean curd, tofu skin, fish ball, sausages, rice cake, wood ear mushrooms(white, black), sweet potato noodles, potato noodles, enoki, king oyster mushrooms, napa, bokchoy, bean sprout).
Mala Xiang Guo / 麻辣香鍋 (1) $29.95
Fresh ingredients with special mala sauce and stir-fried with cast iron. (Dry tofu, dry bean curd, tofu skin, fish ball, sausages, rice cake, wood ear mushrooms(white, black), sweet potato noodles, potato noodles, enoki, king oyster mushrooms, Napa, bok choy, bean sprout).
Rose Mala Xiang Guo / 粉紅醬麻辣香鍋 (2-3) $2,555.99
(Basic serves 2) a dish strongly stir-fried with a mixture of intense mala sauce and soft rose sauce. (Dry tofu, dry bean curd, tofu skin, fish ball, sausages, rice cake, wood ear mushrooms(white, black), sweet potato noodles, potato noodles, enoki, king oyster mushrooms, napa, bokchoy, bean sprout). .
Malatang / 麻辣燙 (2-3) $39.99
(Basic serves 2) a soup with fresh ingredients in thick beef bone broth with special mala sauce. (Dry tofu, dry bean curd, tofu skin, fish ball, sausages, rice cake, wood ear mushrooms(white, black), sweet potato noodles, potato noodles, enoki, king oyster mushrooms, napa, bokchoy, bean sprout). .
Rose Mala Xiang Guo / 粉紅醬麻辣香鍋 (1) $34.65
A soup dish containing fresh ingredients in thick beef bone broth with special mala sauce. (Dry tofu, drA dish stir-fried with a mixture of intense mala sauce and soft rose sauce. (Dry tofu, dry bean curd, tofu skin, fish ball, sausages, rice cake, wood ear mushrooms(white, black), sweet potato noodles, potato noodles, enoki, king oyster mushrooms, napa, bokchoy, bean sprout). Y bean curd, tofu skin, fish ball, sausages, rice cake, wood ear mushrooms(white, black), sweet potato noodles, potato noodles, enoki, king oyster mushrooms, napa, bokchoy, bean sprout). .
Black (Jajang) Mala Xiang Guo / 韓國炸醬香鍋 (2-3) $9.99
(Basic serves 2) a fantastic combination of special mala sauce and jajang sauce. (Dry tofu, dry bean curd, tofu skin, fish ball, sausages, rice cake, wood ear mushrooms(white, black), sweet potato noodles, potato noodles, enoki, king oyster mushrooms, napa, bok choy, bean sprout). .
Mala Xiang Guo / 麻辣香鍋 (2-3) $9.99
(Basic serves 2) fresh ingredients with special mala sauce and stir-fried with cast iron. (Dry tofu, dry bean curd, tofu skin, fish ball, sausages, rice cake, wood ear mushrooms(white, black), sweet potato noodles, potato noodles, enoki, king oyster mushrooms, napa, bokchoy, bean sprout). .

Self Menu
[Self] Malatang / 麻辣燙(Build Your Own Combo) $0.01
Choose only your favorite ingredients. Enjoy your own malatang. (Soup).
[Self] Rose Mala Xiang Guo / 粉紅醬麻辣香锅 / (Build Your Own Combo) $10.00
Choose only your favorite ingredients. Enjoy your own rose Mala Xiang Guo. (Stir fried).
[Self] Black Mala Xiang Guo / 韓國炸醬香鍋 (Build Your Own Combo) $5.00
Choose only your favorite ingredients. Make your own black Mala Xiang Guo. (Stir fried).
[Self] Mala Xiang Guo / 麻辣香鍋 (Build Your Own Combo) $5.00
Choose only your favorite ingredients. Make your own Mala Xiang Guo. (Stir fried).

Beverage
Bottled Water $0.99
Sprite $2.50
The cold, refreshing flavors of lemon and lime, perfectly blended.
Coke $2.50
The cold, refreshing, sparkling classic that America loves.
Ginger Ale $2.50
Diet Coke $2.50
A crisp, refreshing taste you know and love with zero calories.
Tea Pi (Lemon Red Tea) $4.99

Fried Rice
Mala Fried Rice / 麻辣炒飯 $27.50
Special Mala sauce, scrambled egg, sausage, crab meat, carrot, onion, green onion, corn, rice.
Fried Rice / 炒飯 $23.95
Scrambled egg, sausage, crab meat, carrot, onion, green onion, corn, rice. (Not spicy).
Malamayo Fried Rice / 麻辣蛋黃醬炒飯 $26.25
Special malamayo sauce, mayonnaise, seaweed flakes, scrambled egg, sausage, crab meat, carrot, onion, green onion, corn, rice.

SORIMMARA Details

Service options
No-contact delivery
Delivery
Onsite services
Takeout
Dine-in

Highlights
Fast service

Popular for
Lunch
Dinner
Solo dining

Accessibility
Wheelchair accessible parking lot

Offerings
Alcohol
Beer
Comfort food
Quick bite
Small plates

Dining options
Lunch
Dinner
Table service

Amenities
Restroom

Atmosphere
Casual

Crowd
Groups
Tourists

Payments
Credit cards
Debit cards
NFC mobile payments

Children
Kids' menu

SORIMMARA Photos

SORIMMARA Location

SORIMMARA

New York New York County New York West 32nd Street

2 W 32nd St 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10001, USA

SORIMMARA Reviews

An average rating of ★4.7 from 700 user reviews.

malatangspicyingredientsmala xiang guoguo bao rouchinesebrothcream shrimppandacreamy shrimp

★ 5★ 4★ 3★ 2★ 1

Sorimmara is located on the second floor, and unless you know where it is, I can see people finding it hard to find. I have seen several restaurants close down from this location, so I am glad Sorimmara is surviving. I had visited once before, over a year ago, and while it was okay, I did not think I would return. But I did.The interior is very much on brand, with the cute panda mascot and a primitive red color that helps increase appetite. It makes sense and gives a friendly, approachable mood. I noticed they were continuing to use the furniture from the last restaurant that closed, and it works. However, it is not a place I would want to stay in for an extended amount of time.The DIY ingredient section for the mala soup or dry pot was great because it was clean and allows you to portion your foods. We came earlier during lunch time, and I hope it stays that way even when more people arrive later.I saw that they now provide a side/appetizer situation (pickled radish with spicy seasoning is my guess), which I don’t think I was provided when I visited last time. It was a nice touch.Regarding the food, last time I got the rose mala dry pot, which was okay, but its milky/buttery nature made me certain I would not want to have it again. Unfortunately, when I came back with friends, they raved about the rose mala dry pot. I thought the formula or the recipe might have changed, but it had not. It was the same, and I was left disappointed. Also from my last visit, I had ordered several other dishes that I cannot even remember, though I believe one was the 꿔바로우 (fried pork with sweet and sour sauce). They were all not bad, but I knew I would not order them again. Hopefully, recipes have changed for the better since that was over a year ago.A major issue was with a cup; one had broken, and I almost cut myself because there was a sharp shard. That unfortunately left a bad taste in my mouth.The bathroom, specifically the one at the back, was pretty dirty, which was surprising because the restaurant had opened not too long ago (about 30 mins before we arrived), and there were basically only two or three people in the restaurant at the time.On the good side, the service was great! The lady helping us at the counter was a VIP. She did her job well and took care of everything once we placed an order with the ingredients in the bowl. Bonus points for giving us two bottles of water instead of one. I would have given 2 stars if it wasn’t for her.While I think it is unfair to judge the restaurant solely by the rose mala dry pot since I have not tried the regular mala, I do not think I would be returning for the foods I had, and also because of the overall imperfections that can get ironed out.
June 04 · Won Ko
If you enjoy spicy food, this place is definitely worth trying. You can customize your own bowl by selecting the ingredients you want for your hot pot, making it a truly personalized and flavorful experience. Highly recommended!
August 15 · Aishwarya Jain
I came here with friends after seeing it on TikTok and thought that it was okay. The interior of the restaurant is pretty casual and there's lots of table seating. They also have chairs with a space under for you to store your jacket and/or bags are you eat. The menu here offers your own DIY mala or entrees/appetizers that you can order.All of my friends and I decided to do their DIY mala xiang guo. They have a good assortment of different toppings, proteins, and veggies for you to put into your mala. I thought that while the variety was decent, it was less than I've been used to and the ingredients didn't seem as fresh and/or well-stocked. You also order your beef/protein on the side (aka you don't get to add it in yourself). My friends and I got their black mala as well as their rose mala, and both were pretty solid. The only thing that was disappointing was that both of my friends rose mala xiang guo was mixed up with another table. So, they both got orders that wasn't their's. Overall, the food was alright but I just wish the service was a bit more attentive.
April 08 · Mia Huynh
It’s definitely one of the best mala in the city. My favorite is their Dry mala with black bean sauce (jjajjang). Went here a numerous times already. We always go there around 3-5pm and it’s not packed at all.
September 15 · John Kevin
The food at 소림마라 is fantastic. I built my own Mala bowl and the broth had the perfect numbing spice and was packed with flavor. The ingredients were all fresh and there was a great selection. The only downside was the wait; it took a while for our food to come out. Still, for Mala this good, I'd definitely come back. Just don't be in a huge rush!
August 22 · Jimmy Hahm