SOL, a modern Korean restaurant in Gulshan-2, Dhaka, spans 3,060 square feet and carries a quiet confidence that feels rare in the city. It opens in December 2025 with a clear, almost stubborn intention to bring Korean food closer to people in Dhaka without turning it into a luxury spectacle.
Founded by Md Saqib Farabi, Md Aaqib Farabi, and Najmul Nahid, SOL grows out of both experience and curiosity. The trio already has a background in the restaurant business, from Turkish kitchens to juice bars and burger shops, but here they take a more thoughtful route. They travel to Kuala Lumpur to study how halal Korean dining evolves in a multicultural setting, and what they bring back is not just recipes, but an understanding that Korean food, at its core, is about sharing, preservation, and a sense of homely comfort. That idea quietly shapes everything inside SOL. The space, designed by architect Utsha Zaman with interiors by Studio Roudh, blends grill-focused Korean cuisine with a restrained, Zen-like atmosphere. It offers premium table-top barbecue, refined dishes like Bulgogi and Bossam, artisanal drinks, private dining options, and a rooftop view of Dhaka quietly redefining what “international standard” means in the local restaurant scene.
This intention remains at the heart of SOL. It is built as a lived experience rather than a display. Korean cuisine here is treated as comfort food that is something warm, shared, and grounded. Soft lighting, indoor plants, and natural materials like wood, stone, and mosaic create a calm setting here, while a subtle soundscape of bird calls gently replaces the noise of the city.
The first impression of SOL is its quietness. The seating is intimate; some tables open up to a rooftop view of Dhaka, while private dining areas offer a more personal setting. The choice of materials is very thoughtful here; mosaic tabletops, familiar in local homes, absorb heat from the grills and reduce fire risk. Fair-face concrete and simple brick walls create a raw, grounded texture, sometimes carrying hints of jamdani-inspired patterns. There is also a clever invisibility to the engineering: an under-floor ducting system manages smoke from table-top grilling, keeping the ceiling clean and uncluttered. At the center of it all is the table, where food is served and slowly unfolds. SOL’s menu focuses on Korean barbecue and Korean dishes, with premium cuts of beef and ribs grilled right in front of you, turning the act of cooking into something shared. Dishes like Beef Bulgogi bring a familiar, slightly sweet depth, while Bossam platters and Mandu dumplings including a refined truffle version add layers of flavor and texture. There are playful touches too, like Rosé Kimbap with its pink-toned rice and salmon, or the rich, slow-braised Dong Po Rou that lingers long after the meal. Artisanal mocktails and teas complete the experience without overwhelming it. The owners and the design team avoid copying Korean interiors directly.
Instead, they look for the connections. Even the furniture tells a story: tables and chairs are custom-made and designed specifically for this style of dining. Chefs receive training with exposure from Malaysia and Thailand, and equipment is carefully sourced to maintain quality.
The name “SOL” carries a quiet poetry. In Korean, it refers to the pine tree, a symbol of resilience and longevity. It also echoes the sound of Seoul, and in English, it gently hints at “soul”, perhaps what the owners are truly trying to build here. The logo reflects this layered meaning, with a Hangul-inspired form that rises like a tree and curves like the roof of a traditional hanok house, flowing easily across Bangla, English, and Korean scripts. What makes SOL stand out is the balance it holds between international standards and local familiarity, between modern presentation and cultural roots. In many ways, it is a philosophy.
The team understands that Gulshan is an unforgiving place for new ventures, where only something genuinely good can survive. They approach the restaurant as a daily test rather than a finished achievement. Within a few months, SOL begins to see repeat customers, many of them well-travelled diners who recognize the care behind the experience. Still, the founders remain grounded. As they say, “This is a continuous process. Every day, we start again.”
The goal is simple: to create an experience where food, space, and culture come together naturally, and to maintain international quality without losing warmth. For them, SOL is still a work in progress, a constant effort to refine both taste and atmosphere. At its heart, it is built on a simple belief that good food should feel close, and a restaurant can be more than a place to eat; it can be a place where people slow down, share, and feel at ease, even if only for a while.
