You Ask: Is Shik Do Rock on the Rocks?

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Several readers have asked about , the mainstay Korean restaurant at 1137 Solano Ave. that had a loyal following and was located on the same block as the and .

The neighborhood spot suddenly shuttered recently, and there was no sign or indication of whether it was relocating, renovating or closing for good.

called the number listed for the restaurant, and got a message saying it was no longer in operation. A check of Shik Do Rock revealed little; the restaurant was virtually empty and there was no sign out front.

A call to the owner – listed as Hyesook Chong – wasn’t returned.

So we decided to check a few other sources: the Albany Planning & Zoning Department; Allen Cain, executive director of the ; and Izik Stepakov, owner of , the clock and watch repair shop that, until recently, was located next to the restaurant.

Cain said in an email that the building was going to be leveled and replaced, but he didn't know about the restaurant's plans. 

Stepakov said he received a letter from his landlord in March saying the owner who rented out the site (to Time Masters and Shik Do Rock) had decided to raze the property. The owner intends to build a three-story mixed-use facility, with commercial and residential space, Stepakov added.

Stepakov said his lease was month-to-month and that he hadn’t had any problems with the landlord or the property owner.

Stepakov found another site just west of the post office, at 1201C Solano Ave. He said the restaurant owner told him she wasn’t going to start over again because she had invested a substantial amount of money in the restaurant.

A check with the city’s planning department showed that no formal action has been taken on the two properties, which sit vacant.

No business license has been issued to date, so neither plans for the site nor a projected timetable were available.

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Everybody makes mistakes ... ! If there's something in this article you think should be corrected, or if something else is amiss, call editor Emilie Raguso at 510-459-8325 or email her at emilier@patch.com.