Loved the ambiance at this spot, it feels almost hidden in a random location but it's the perfect spot for a date night or to celebrate a special occasion! The staff was very helpful and sweet to do the actual grilling for you. They also surprised us with a birthday gelato! On to the food... the quality of the beef was amazing! It was truly deciduous and the beef combo small was perfect size for 2 people. The combo also comes with the egg, salad, and soup. Would highly recommend this place! read more

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We went for the SF Restaurant week - amazing deal! One order for $90 is for two people. The food is good and plentiful. They cook everything for you on the table grill, the meat warmer that they place the meat on between the meat courses is a nice touch. The dipping sauce for the meat as well as the soy paste and flaky sea salt were very good, though the wasabi did not seem great quality - it was lacking flavor and spice. The service was very attentive and friendly. They all seemed sincere in wanting for their guests to enjoy their meal, have a good time and leave with a full belly. We will be back! read more

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Ordered: Mango Cider (~$10): Mango, Yuzu, Lime, Ginger Beer AB Wagyu Pizza (~$22): thinly sliced raw Australian wagyu, crispy tortilla, ponzu aioli, green olive, white truffle oil Small Beef Combo (~$122): includes beef brisket, snow flower kkotsal (boneless short rib), & marinated galbi; served with house-made ban chan, salad, signature sauces & dipping salt; combo includes egg soufflé, ssam (assorted lettuce wraps), and spicy beef tofu stew Side of White Rice (~$3) Aya's take: Chef Akira Back has 20+ restaurants but has yet to make his way to NYC. I've had the opportunity to try his San Diego restaurant and was excited to see ABSteak super close to where I was staying. The AB Wagyu Pizza was a great start; the raw Australian wagyu was vibrant, fresh, and light. The white truffle oil was the perfect pairing and the crispy tortilla was a good vehicle. This caught my eye as he has a tuna version at Lumi which I loved. The ambiance is giving upscale Korean BBQ so we decided to share the Small Beef Combo for 2 people. It was plenty of food. The ban chan to start with didn't stand out to me, the salad was pretty flavorful, but I loved the egg soufflé and the spicy beef tofu stew was one of the best I've had. As for the meats, the snow flower kkotsal (boneless short rib) was definitely the best one. The beef brisket was super fatty and the marinated galbi didn't stand out to me as much. I expected higher quality meats, and was also shocked that this whole meal didn't come with a side of white rice - pretty much a staple with Korean BBQ everywhere I've ever had it. I ended up buying a side but this was truly unheard of. At this price point, I had higher expectations for the meal overall, but ultimately, there were some hits & some misses. read more

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I can't believe this place only has a few reviews. This is a MUST TRY KBBQ spot! The yuk hwe pizza (AB pizza) is something you honestly won't find at most other places, and it was absolutely amazing. The meat quality was great overall, especially the brisket, which I really enjoyed. I came here for my boyfriend's birthday, and he loved it too. The ambiance was nice, the service was excellent, and everything made the night feel special. So glad I chose this place for such a good day! read more

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Service was amazing, atmosphere was superb, but the quality of meats was lacking. Really wanted to give this this place at least 4 stars given I had high hopes, and the service was really good, but we were just a bit disappointed in the quality of the snow flower kkotsal. Did not see as much marbling as I did other pictures. We ordered the premium combo and the meats were just okay. The side order of beef tongue we ordered was honestly the best thing. Service was good, but they did forget one of our cocktail orders. Then when it came, it was the wrong one. Willing to try this place again in the future, but there are other options that we would prefer right now. read more

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Unsuspecting Korean BBQ spot in downtown San Francisco with a nice ambiance, tasty food and okay service Good: +No wait and we were seated promptly +Offered coat check service since they cook your meat at your table +They cook the meat for you and the vents mostly work well +Beautiful presentation Okay: -Service was just ok for the amount of people working there. -Was hoping they'd sell the experience a bit more explaining the different food and how to eat it -Extra order of ssaam was $6 which worked out to $1 a piece of lettuce.. this would have been fine but when we got the first order, I asked if we could get more and the server said yes so was a little disappointed to see the additional charge -A bit pricey for the amount of food.. thankfully there wasn't an extra charge for a refill of the banchan(side dishes) read more

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We made a reservation at ABSteak for our anniversary and we got the premium combo. There were lots of banchan and the beef stew was good. The meat was fine but nothing stood out. Some of the cuts were a bit chewy and I wasn't super impressed, but it was not bad. The drinks were pretty good. Overall the ambiance was nice and the place wasn't too crowded, although the service was a bit slow as the servers seemed understaffed that night. read more

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Celebrated our wedding anniversary here and what a 5 star experience! This was our first time here and I wanted to support this business so decided ABSteak would be perfect since we love KBBQ. We arrived a couple of hours early before our reservation, but we were seated right away. The restaurant is beautiful and feels so intimate. It's not your typical KBBQ restaurant that is filled with smoke and the smell of bbq. We had the best service. The menu was explained thoroughly to us, which helped us decide on how to order. We ordered the AB Wagyu Pizza, the upgraded beef combo and added the picanha. My favorite was the picanha. Our meal came with so many sides so we were stuffed! We didn't have room for dessert, but we do plan on coming back again. read more

I went to ABSteak on a Tuesday for dinner. The sign to locate the restaurant from the street is not too easily noticeable until you walk right in front of it. Once inside, the actual restaurant is a floor below street level. Around 6pm the restaurant was not too crowded but more diners came in as my dinner progressed. The inside of the restaurant is very classy with a lot of white lights surrounding the rooms. For starters I had the AB Wagyu pizza, seafood pajeon, and egg souffle. The pizza had Australian raw Wagyu beef on a crispy tortilla "crust" and reminded me of fresh hot pot meat on a wrapper with very nice flavor. The pajeon was a bit doughy and lacked the amount of seafood I expected. The egg soufflé had a great texture and was very enjoyable. To drink, I had their mango cider which tasted like it contained real fruit and was very refreshing. Next was the deung shim (USDA prime ribeye) with banchan, salad, sauces and salts. Honestly, the ribeye was cooked perfectly with the right amount of seasoning and didn't need any sauce or salt. The dish was placed on a mini grill which cooked it a bit more so those that prefer their meat medium rare should not place the dish back on the grill. The jjigae and kimchi fried rice felt a bit off, especially with the amount of green onions placed on top. The jjigae was mostly broth and the rice was clumpy and sticky. Lastly, for dessert the black sesame and lychee gelatos were both rich in flavor without being overly sweet. Overall, I had an enjoyable dinner at ABSteak, despite the shortcomings listed above. Service was attentive but a little slow, especially when bringing out dessert, but I definitely would love to come back to try out more things on the menu. read more

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My boyfriend booked this spot for us for Valentine's Day, and unfortunately we both left pretty disappointed, mainly because of the service and inconsistent food quality. What we liked: The ambiance is beautiful. They clearly invested a lot into the interior and architecture - it feels very chic and aesthetic, perfect for a date night. We were seated promptly with our reservation. The beef brisket was actually very good, and the banchan were decent and refillable at no extra charge. Where things went wrong: The service felt really off from the beginning. There were still open tables, but the staff seemed overwhelmed. Because this is a place where staff cook the meat for you, it's important that they can keep up with every table and it honestly felt like they were understaffed. I don't necessarily blame the individual employees; it felt more like a management/workflow issue. Service was slow and inconsistent. We would ask our main server for things, but she would disappear for long stretches, so we constantly had to flag down other staff members. She also seemed new, she was gone for about half of our visit and then suddenly reappeared later. The biggest issue was the cooking. Since they cook the meat for you, you rely on them to do it properly: - The pork jowl was burnt to the point I didn't feel comfortable eating it, so we asked for a replacement. - The replacement then came out undercooked. At that point I honestly would have preferred to cook it myself. We also had multiple order mistakes: - We ordered soft tofu soup but were given soybean paste soup instead. - The corrected soup came out extremely red and oily, almost unnaturally so. - The pancake arrived undercooked; you could visibly see and taste the mushy batter, and by then we were too tired of trying to get fixes. - We were also double-charged for the pancake and had to ask them to correct the bill. Overall, almost everything required follow-up or correction, which made the dinner stressful instead of enjoyable, especially disappointing for a Valentine's Day reservation. I think this restaurant has a lot of potential because the space and concept are great. However, they really need better staffing, more consistent training (especially with cooking and cutting the meat), and a smoother workflow. With improvements in management and service organization, this place could be much better. read more

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We tried out this restaurant as a suggestion from a friend on a Tuesday night. The total came out to about $230 for two. We ordered the large marinated beef combo, which included sides, salad, rice, egg drop soup, and soybean stew. The combo came with beef brisket or belly, beef bulgogi, and marinated galbi. My favorite was definitely the brisket--super flavorful and easy to chew. The marinated galbi was a bit tougher to chew. read more

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revisited a few times and it's grown on me especially since there's not many good kbbq options in sf and san ho won doesn't count imo since all their meats are cooked in the kitchen. pretty slept on since i'm always able to walk in. vegas/miami vibes but not necessarily bad. biggest miss is that there never seems to be enough staff and sometimes they drop the ball on bringing out dishes even though 90% are raw/banchan. meat portions are small, would do at least three meats for two people. read more

Korean BBQ has always piqued by interest, but not being a huge red meat consumer, it's just not a dining style I had yet to visit. I'm always up for trying new things, so when my friend invited me to try ABSteak, I was looking forward to seeing what it's all about. The outside of the building is unassuming (like much of SF really)- but when you walk inside and down the staircase, you're greeted with beautiful modern decor and a cylindrical wine cellar separating the bar and dining area. There are also 2 VIP rooms that look like they hold 10-12 people for private dining. Once seated, the menu was a bit overwhelming just due to lack of experience, but Peter was great. He walked us through the menu and provided suggestions on the various cuts of meat. We opted for D- the Premium Combo, which included kkotsal (boneless short rib), American wagyu ribeye, marinated galbi and pork belly. While I enjoyed every cut, I have to say the pork belly and marinated galbi were my two favorite. The house made ban-Chan was a series of small sides/marinated veggies that were delicious and a perfect complement to the flavorful meats. The ssam included perilla leaf, which we were advised can sometimes have an overpowering taste for some, so to start off trying it with a small piece added to the other lettuce. I found that I really enjoyed the perilla as a stand alone with the marinated galbi. Our meal also started with an egg soufflé, which was fantastic! (If only I could ever get my eggs even remotely as fluffy!) And lastly, of course, the cocktails! We ordered the Paper Plane and Royal Sonbi. Each of us enjoyed our selection. I'll have to make a second trip back to the city as I'm also intrigued by the Gochujang Margarita and the maitake and asparagus dish (that we simply didn't have space for!) I'd highly recommend an evening at ABSteak and look forward to another visit. read more

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I thought this restaurant was great! The food was very good and I appreciated its uniqueness. I was here for a birthday dinner and we both ordered the "Beef Combo A" and it was a great way to experience different kinds and cuts of meat...we also did the "wagyu upgrade", which made certain meats more decadent. All the meats we had were tender and flavorful. They cook everything for you, which enhances the experience. We ordered additional plates like the Wagyu Pizza, Egg Soufflé, and Kimchi Fried Rice and everything was so tasty. The service was alright. I felt that the host was very nice, but our particular server wasn't very warm and, to some extent, not very knowledgeable about the menu. Despite that, it was still a great meal. The ambiance is incredible - such a modern and sleek set up! If you're looking for a great experience in a cool setting, with great food, this is the place to go to. read more

The whiskey dry aged steak!! Excellent notes of sweetness and savoriness. The choice of meats were very high quality. We felt like you couldn't go wrong with anything on the menu. The garlic chips were delicious with every bite! The whiskey sour had the best balance of sweetness and sour. read more

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Presentation and ambiance are top notch! Food was good but not quite as strong as some other kbbqs I've been. The vibe is high end but not sure the flavors fully met the high expectations. Of the dishes: Banchan was not my favorite. There was kimchi, radish, bean sprout, and salad. They were just okay. I would have liked more variety and stronger flavors. Oyster was fresh and meaty. Wagyu tartar was beautifully presented and delicious! For main, I got the chadol as I was in the mood for brisket, it was good but not more so than others. The egg souffle was a bit disappointing, texture was off and was super mild in flavor. Egg at kbbq is one of my favorite, when I go to ayce, I usually go through three of them so I was sad to not be able to finish one. The service was very nice. Maybe a tiny bit too friendly . Anyway it's a good date night spot read more

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Ordered everything in the once super famous nightclub infusion lounge. Got Wagyu, cuts, Wagyu pizza, and more not pictured. Place is aesthetically super nice. I could have used maximum lettuce but they were understaffed when I went. Still amazing read more

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Upscale Korean bbq with a beautiful restaurant atmosphere and premium quality meats. We got the galbi, bulgogi, and Picanha. All of the meats were delicious and premium cuts but our favorite was the galbi. They offer a wide variety of unique sides that were delicious as well. All of the staff were helping cook our meat and replenish for us. Overall a great spot especially for a celebration. read more

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High end kbbq spot. You are definitely paying for quality and the experience as opposed to quantity. Located downtown, we had a reservation on a Thursday and there's a parking garage nearby but it was a Thursday where there was a free rave in the street so we ended up taking public transportation. Located close to a hotel it might be easy to miss and you take the stairs down. Nice sleek spot and they also have dining rooms for larger parties. We had a party of 4 and got the Combo A (large) and added pork jowl. Combo A included beef brisket, a choice of the snow flower kkotsal (boneless short rib) or rib eye, we went with the kkotsal (boneless short rib), and marinated galbi. In addition we ordered seafood pajeon (pancake), Wagyu pizza (first time I've heard or seen this), pork kimchi fried rice, and the soft beef spicy tofu soup came last (which I like to enjoy at the end which is a little more Korean traditionally enjoyed). The combo also came with tons of banchan, we asked for more salad which is a charge, and the egg soufflé which was so good. They cook for you here so you don't have to worry about cooking it yourself and making sure the meat it cooked. For the dessert they only had ice cream and one of the chocolate desserts which we got and one they gave us an ice cream for a birthday. Service was good, wasn't busy but there was a point when we were like which person was our server when someone kept on asking the same questions, regardless we got what we needed. If you're looking for a higher end kbbq spot in the city, this is a good spot! read more

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We ordered a lot and everything was good. My favorites were the beef tartare, marinated galbi, and beef tongue. Loved the egg soufflé and the yuzu lotus root and melon banchan dishes as well. The snow flower kkotsal was a bit too fatty for me, though fans of richer cuts might enjoy. read more

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Finally ... high quality & high end KBBQ in SF! ABSteak is located inside Hotel Fusion where Infusion Lounge used to be. When I heard Kpop playing, I knew we were in the right place. We descended a sleek black marble staircase and stepped into a dark & luxurious space that felt like an underground speakeasy. Our group of 12 were seated in a private room. Our server was exceptional and went ABOVE & BEYOND. He thoroughly explained the menu in detail and gave us recommendations that would fit our party size. He even brought all the dishes to each side of the table, presenting them to us just so each of our phones could eat first, followed by him cooking all the meats & cutting them into the right sizes for us. Super attentive, friendly, entertaining, & knowledgeable! We ordered quite a lot, but my personal faves were: Chadol, Snow Flower Kkotsal, Wagyu Striploin, Marinated Galbi, Woo Sul, Wagyu Pizza, Prime Galbi Rice. We also tried 2 different bottles of soju: Yobo & Seoul Night. I preferred the Seoul Night since it was smoother. Because we had a large group, we were able to try a bit of everything on the menu and it was the right amount of food. Lastly, I really appreciate the meat warmers for cooked meats & loved that the grills are smokeless so we didn't smell like BBQ afterwards!! Overall an amazing experience with great company. Left me a lasting first impression. Highly highly recommend if you like Kpop, premium BBQ, and a sexy ambiance (& perhaps going on a weekday). read more

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It's so hard to find a decent KBBQ spot in SF, and ABSteak fills a much needed void. Close to public transit, great ambiance, super clean, high quality meats, decent banchans, solid service. I swung by on a Thursday evening with some coworkers. ABSteak was close to our hotel and I had a good feeling about it from Yelp. No reservation, and it was only a 30 min wait for a table. We ordered the small beef combo A and added the beef belly, beef tongue, and a kimchi fried rice. Combo came with tofu stew and steamed egg. Skip the beef belly unless you love the taste of tallow. I'd say portions are on the smaller side. The small combo was supposed to be enough for 2-3 people, and wasn't nearly enough for our party of 3. One thing I have to complain about is them charging for ssam (lettuce to wrap your meat)! Only SF KBBQ spots do this and I truly don't understand why. It makes patrons feel like you're nickel and diming them. And $6 per refill is egregious! What would your ajumma say?? Overall a solid dinner and I would return. Probably top 3 KBBQ spots the Bay has to offer, and definitely the best I've had in SF proper. Just stop charging for ssam read more

Came here for a conference and wanted to try something a little different as this restaurant had really high ratings, but I was quite disappointed. We tried a few meats and appetizers as the waitress suggested, dry age steak and beef tongue along with a capriccio pizza. The side dishes were horrible, the kimchi and radish were like out of a can and flavor-less. The complimentary salad was also very boring and nothing special. They had sauces but nobody really explain how to make it work together. I had much better Korean bbq at 1/3 of this price, so I wouldn't recommend this place. The atmosphere is really nice, so it is good for a date or something more formal. read more

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My girlfriend and I visited on a Saturday night for a birthday dinner. We started with the strawberry bingsu cocktail and Combo C. The meat quality was decent overall--the snow flower kkotsal was the standout, while the other cuts were fairly average. The banchan, unfortunately, lacked depth of flavor. Service fell short of what you'd expect from a higher-end KBBQ experience. There were long gaps between grillings, the staff burned our pork belly and had to redo it, and we had to ask twice for our rice. For a birthday celebration, I also wouldn't recommend this spot; they didn't offer a dessert or even present us a menu for one. Overall, for the price point, the experience felt pretty mid-tier. In my opinion places like San Ho Won or Cote (not in SF) deliver a more refined high-end KBBQ experience with better value. read more

ABSteak by Chef Akira Back - Steakhouses Near Me - San Francisco, California

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First impression: full disclosure ABSteak is located not in a bad area of the town but we walked in with a situation with an intoxicated homeless person and 4 cops at the front of the restaurant. We had to detour and walk in through the hotel next to the restaurant and when we walked in it was an empty bar and no hostess for our 8:30pm check in. Service was slow to start, but quickly recovered . The decor is sleek with black marble staircase leads to a cavernous dining room and K-pop, glossy black tables and a floor-to-ceiling tubular glass wine case. All the server go through a month of training program to grill your meat table side, and yes our meats were served and cooked perfectly. Banchan is served with kimchi and pickled radish, "AB pizza" is a thin layer of wagyu draped across a saltine cracker-ish tortilla. The beef tongue is definitely the star of the show! Beef tartare has a beautiful presentation, highly recommended! It was a fun night out, beef galore! read more

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It was my first time visiting ABSteak and it was better than expected! The service was impeccable - the servers were very attentive to our needs, consistently refilling our banchan (including the salad) and water. We ordered a large beef combo to share among three people, and it was a satisfying amount of food with great quality as well. The servers also helped us the grilling so it made the experience even better. The only minor complaint was that the air conditioning was a bit low and the restaurant was quite hot with all the grills on. read more

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Ambience - check. Food not so sure. Service is mid upper range. To clarify, everything we tried was good except for the soup and kimchi fried rice. Too much onions and green onions, and the fried rice is too greasy/watery? Not sure what happened because steak was cooked perfectly medium rare. Ice cream- tried black sesame and lychee, and now im sugar high. Yay! read more

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Good Korean BBQ is always a great choice for Saturday dinner. My friend and I shared the maitake mushrooms and asparagus, seafood pajeon, marinated Galbi and wagyu bulgogi. The banchan included a mxed green salad, kimchi daikon and sprouts. These were a nice and light way to start. The meats (Galbi and bulgogi) were both really fabulous. They gave us a number of condiments/sauces (miso with garlic, fried garlic, pickled onion, wasabi and salt) and the miso was my favorite. For those of you who are wondering, the server does the cooking. I would also recommend the maitake mushrooms and asparagus. The seafood Pajeon was OK but really lagged the other dishes. My friend and I were both really full after this. Amazingly, we didn't leave the place smelling like Korean BBQ. Service was excellent but slowed down as the restaurant filled up with people. Our server/cook was great. I really liked the space - they are located in the basement level of Hotel Fusion and it felt like a nice modern steakhouse (it was classy but not stuffy). I also liked the music (KPOP) they were playing. With tax and tip, this was about $110 per person - it's really a good deal for the amount of food and the quality of the experience. Highly recommended if you are craving for higher end Korean BBQ. read more

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Holy Kimchi, Batman!! This was one of the most surprising finds for me this year. A buncha ole' friends were meeting up in The City for dinner reunion and 2 of us walked up this place. As I was standing on the sidewalk I looked up and saw the Fusion Hotel signage and was like, "Shoot! I haven't been in this area in ages." I looked toward my friend and said, "Remember we used to go a club called Infusion Lounge?? It's somewhere around here." As I cranked my head in circles looking for the nightlife establishment that had taken many of my credit card swipes and left my more than a lil tipsy at times...i was like, "It's gone. No, wait! I'm standing right in front of the old doors!" I peered inside and recognized the quick descending somewhat spiraling staircase and exclaimed, "This IS the old Infusion Lounge!" LoL So the place has toned down a bit as the loud music of yesteryear is gone. But the flashy ambiance remains. The tunes are now replaced by the most popular K-pop songs that even non-Koreans even recognize! (ie - APT. by Rose & Bruno Mars). They have done some remodeling to configure the place as a cozy restaurant with many privatized tables and a couple rooms too. Gone are the dance floors and secluded side rooms. The main bar is recognizable still. As well as the upward ramp way to what used-to-be coed restrooms. An open kitchen service counter now has taken over the dance floor and out pumps high end wagyu beef dishes and other delicacies. They just opened Nov 2024 and seem to have most of the kinks worked out when we were there. The service is fantastic and they are very doting to grill the meats and pass some out as they come off the hot grill perfectly seared. The food is good and some are a slightly new interpretation of ole favorites. An interesting raw beef pizza is on the menu. The soon doobu jjigae is good but the broth is not quite what I expected. The pancake is up to par and crispy. A full bar is available as well as few signature drinks which are all worth trying at least once in your life. All-in-all. I'd say it's a great night out with friends. Keep in mind though that this isn't a cheap night out. But hey that never stopped young single people and couples!!! read more

ABSteak is a worldwide chain that just opened up a restaurant in downtown Union Square. With all these new restaurants opening up, I'm hoping it will bring some life back in downtown. ABSteak is a premium kbbq restaurant offering about 13 premium meats, appetizers, side-dishes and more. The menu at the restaurant is different than the one on the website. It's pricier than what I expected, at about $50 per plate of 6 oz meat. They also change out the grill for each different meat that is cooked/served. Parking is very limited with metered (and one-way streets), and the Ellis parking garage less than a mile away. It's a small door located next to Hotel Fusion. When you enter, it will lead you downstairs where you're welcomed by the giant wall art that says "ABSteak" and a bar to your left. The interior is very upscale and modern/trendy. There is a showcase of wine in the middle of the restaurants. My party of 4 and I were seated in a booth with a grill, with the option to cook ourselves or have them cook for us (we chose for them to cook for us). Staff is attentive and very nice. We were given condiments (salt, wasabi, ssamjang (fermented soybean paste based sauce), and fried garlic) for our food, and there was a hot warmer plate for your fresh grilled meat. We asked our waiter how much food he thinks we should order for our party of 4 and he told us 1 appetizer, 3-4 meats (they're all 6 oz), and a side dish. Things we ordered: - AB WAGYU PIZZA: Thinly sliced rare Austrailian wagyu beef, cripsy tortilla, ponzu aioli, green olive micro greens, shallots, white truffle oil. Optional: Fresh truffles or ossetra caviar for +$25. They served it with a mini spatula so it felt like you were eating a pizza, hehe. This dish was a surprise to me at how perfectly thin and crispy it was, with it's subtle white truffle oil taste. Sprinkled with thinly cut shallots and micro greens, the wagyu beef was very thin and matched up perfectly with the tortilla. The truffle taste wasn't overwhelming and the crispy-ness of the tortilla made it just perfect. The wagyu was tender and I didn't encounter the awkward part whether you chew up the whole thing or you eat part of it like you would with a pizza. Definitely recommend! - GALBI FRIED RICE: Marinated prime boneless short rib, green onion, king oyster mushroom, onion, cold-pressed sesame oil, and sesame seed. This dish was a favorite amongst our table, especially my dad! They dish comes in a hot bowl and is mixed in front of you before serving. The rice has a sticky-like texture, with a bit of a sweet saucy taste, probably from the marinade, but it was so good. Lots of flavor! - CHADOL: Australian Wagyu Brisket (6 oz) - You can never go wrong with brisket! Easy to cook and serve, I sprinkled this with some of the salt that was offered and it brought out slight fattiness with the right amount of flavor. I wish we could've ordered more, - WOO SUL: Australian Wagyu Beef Tongue (4 oz) - Beef tongue ain't for everyone, but that means more than me! Nicely thinly sliced on a new grill that was changed out, it gives it the scored look on the meat and the waiter made it just slightly crispy how I like it. It oozes with flavor and is slightly chewy (which is probably why the guys don't like this). - 45 DAY - DRY AGED RIBEYE (6 oz) - Meat was tender and cooked perfectly thanks to our waiter, this ribeye did not wow us. The meat was good but didn't offer much to our taste buds. It tasted no different than a regular ribeye imo. - MARINATED GALBI (6 oz) - Save the marinade for last, as it will blacken your grill. The meat is served with it's marinade and rolled up, and scored with deep cuts. This cooks a little longer than previous meats because it's thicker, but it was cooked so good. After cooking it for a few mins, you can still taste the sweet marinade and the tenderness of the meat. Definitely something to try out! I'd recommend coming to this place for a splurge or special occasion. They have a limited meat menu with almost all of them being 6 oz. I almost thought we were going to be hungry afterwards, but ordering the fried rice was a good idea for all of us. I'd recommend ordering the AB Wagyu pizza, briskets, marinated galbi, and galbi fried rice. Our bill was around $320 including our $45 corkage fee. Would love to try other dishes next time on the menu. read more

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Date of Visit: 12/5/2024 Finally visited the ABSteak by Chef Akira Back near Powell in the center of San Francisco. It was on my list before the grand opening back on October 8, 2024. This is the second restaurant in California, while the first one is located in Los Angeles. ABSteak by Chef Akira Back is in a massive, 6500 sq ft space at 124 Ellis Street, features custom designed grills using smokeless Japanese binchotan charcoal. Customers can pick from all premium cuts of meat such as wagyu and dry-aged beef, artfully displayed in a glass case next to the open kitchen. We made a reservation about 2-3 weeks ago for a party of 4, and were welcomed by the front desk while we checked in our coats. Gochujang Margarita $20 My friend got the Korean style gochujang margarita made with mezcal, lime, jalapeno, gochujang, and seven-spice. Keopi Martini $20 I got this one which is a twist of the espresso martini, made with Mizu barley shochu, fresh espresso, Mr. black coffee liqueur, and demerara. 2020 Far Mountain Fission Cabernet Sauvignon $24 Husband got a wine to pair with meat. Lexington to Busan $21 Friend's husband got the whiskey based cocktail made with Nikka coffey grain whiskey, barrel-aged tokki soju, sweet vermouth, and angostura bitters. Server welcomed us with some Korean banchan, such as kimchi, bean sprouts, and some sauces. AB Pizza $29 We got this highly recommended appetizer, which is the thinly sliced rare Australian wagyu beef topped on crispy tortilla. Finished with ponzu aioli, green olive microgreens, shallots and some white truffle oil. Miyatake & Asparagus $18 Another appetizer is the Japanese miyatake mushrooms with asparagus. For the meat for the grill, we got three different kinds in total. Marinated Galbi $54 The 6oz marinated USDA Prime boneless short rib was quite tasty. Woo Sul $36 My favorite is the 4oz Australian wagyu beef tongue. It was grilled to the point that it was very juicy and tender. Whiskey Aged Ribeye $74 We also got the 6oz USDA Prime 45 Day dry aged Whiskey Aged Ribeye. The taste of whiskey was quite subtle, but the meat was quite juicy and flavorful. Pork Belly Fried Rice $22 We also got the pork belly fried rice with an onsen egg on top. Went really well with all the grilled meat. read more

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We had a wonderful experience at AB Steak for our Anniversary Dinner. The ambiance of the restaurant is classy and elegant. With incredible service with top notch meat selections, Korean BBQ will never be the same. My partner and I enjoyed an array of meat selections along with soups and small plates. Everything was very delicious and flavorful. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Our favorites were: * Chadol * Picanha * Lotus Salad * Asparagus and Mushrooms We left the restaurant with our bellies full and with huge smiles on our faces. We will definitely be back soon! read more

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Hyped for the hype. Michelin-starred Chef Akira Back has 28 restos worldwide. Their LA location of ABSteak boasts a 4.6 rating with AZN approved reviews. Considering LA/SoCal is the epicenter of Korean food and peeps didn't seem pressed about the premium prices, it must be bomb...right? Well, we're going to find out! Opening this week is ABSteak's second California location in the former Infusion Lounge (RIP to all my bad decisions). Open for dinner only. Rezzies on OpenTable. M E N U Modern Korean Steakhouse (in-house dry aged meat + premium cuts). Full bar. Sadly, the SF menu is different than the LA one...no egg soufflé or ganjang-gejang (raw soy marinated crab) at this time. =( F O O D * Housemade Banchan (complimentary first round; $3 for each dish thereafter) // 4 Stars: https://tinyurl.com/y7fztzp9 - Kimchi - Cucumber Muchim - Pickled Radish - Ssam: Romaine lettuce, perilla leaves, and cucumber spears for DIY wraps Solid banchan with the fresh cabbage kimchi being the highlight; crunchy with good heat and light tang. * AB Pizza: Raw Australian Wagyu Beef w/ crispy tortilla, ponzu aioli, green olive, microgreens, shallots, white truffle oil ($29) // 3.5 Stars: https://tinyurl.com/3m9uksf6 Low key tasted like charcuterie on a cracker, not much marbling on the wagyu. Just expected more for a signature app. * Saewoo Jang: Soy Marinated Prawns w/ garlic, jalapeño, lemon, sesame seeds (6 pc - $32) // 4 Stars: https://tinyurl.com/3ej37y9y Salty, sweet, and citrusy with a bit of heat. If you like amaebi, you'll enjoy the fleshy, firm texture. Don't forget to suck the heads. IMO, all it was missing was a bowl of rice and roasted seaweed. * Snow Flower Kkotsal: Australian Wagyu Boneless Short Rib (6 oz - $68) // 4.5 Stars: https://tinyurl.com/muj5vwps - Cooked medium rare/medium: https://tinyurl.com/yc5m9zb4 Fav thing of the night! Insane marbling. Rich, melt in your mouff beefy goodness. Top with a sprinkle of salt + smidge of zesty wasabi and you're golden. It was even bomb nekkid. Get this! * 45 Day Camembert Cheese Aged Ribeye (6 oz - $62) // 3 Stars: https://tinyurl.com/mwjf5u6 - Cooked medium rare/medium: https://tinyurl.com/28v9upvr Camembert cheese is smothered on the ribeye and aged creating an intense gamey flavor. When grilled, we found the texture uneven with most parts being quite tough and chewy. If you hella love THE funk, this may be your jam. * Condiments: Wasabi, fried garlic, maldon salt, ssamjang (fermented soybean paste based sauce) A little bit of each goes a long way so the meat remains the star. * Wagyu Dwen Jang Jjigae: Australian Wagyu Brisket, rich soybean stew, tofu, green onions, zucchini, mushroom, jalapeño ($27) // 3 Stars: https://tinyurl.com/5n6ww7w2 Hot and comforting with the well-marbled, soft wagyu brisket being the highlight. Seems they went heavy on the doenjang (soybean paste) because it was very salty. Wish they used silken tofu and wish an egg was included. * Sik Hye Sorbet: Housemade Korean Sweet Rice Sorbet w/ pumpkin puree, pine nuts ($6) // 3.5 Stars: https://tinyurl.com/5n9xvyux Really enjoyed the subtle malty sweet flavor with a nutty crunch from the pine nuts. Perfect for the AZN palate. The sorbet was too firm tho and we had to crack it to eat it. S E R V I C E Friendly and knowledgeable with smiles all around. Your server cooks your meat for you so you can just kick back and enjoy. A M B I A N C E Next level Korean BBQ resto that screams rich rich with a display of wagyu + aged steaks and wine. The underground space is dark and cavernous with seating for over 100, separate bar area, and private rooms. Each table is custom designed with a smokeless grill (we didn't smell afterwards). P A R K I N G Nearest garage is a block away at Ellis-O'Farrell Parking Garage. $5/hour from 3 pm-6 pm, $4/hour after 6 pm. Overall, ABSteak may be a good option for a corporate meal and/or if you don't want to trek to Sunnyvale/Santa Clara for premium KBBQ. Dont sleep on the Snow Flower Kkotsal! read more

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Came by for dinner the other night and it was decent experience. Chef Akira Back used to be a professional snowboarder and has restaurants in Paris and Dubai that are both featured in the Michelin guide. Their Beverly Hills location has 4.6 on Yelp which was impressive. As soon as Eater wrote about this upcoming restaurant, I made a reservation right away as the other Michelin starred Korean restaurants in the city I still haven't been able to get into... I'll have to either get my Wealth Advisor or get an Amex Platinum to get in... ABSteak is a new spin from the Infusion Lounge that closed down in 2018. Their receipt still calls themselves Infusion Lounge: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/infusion-lounge-closes-for-complete-transformation-300632731.html The entrance to the restaurant is located next to the Fusion Hotel. Ellis O'Farrell SFMTA garage is merely a block away. The restaurant itself is in the basement and can be accessed by a set of stairs or lift. The vibe of the restaurant seemed over the top luxurious with super dark lighting and staff wearing dark uniforms. Some staff wore black gloves. Meal started off with the beverage service. This was quite pronounced as the only menu that was presented to us were beverages. Only after we completed the beverage service did we get to see the food menu...odd.. The food menu was a slight disappointment as it was an abbreviated version of the online version. For example, there was a fried rice along with several desserts listed online but not available at the restaurant. The online menu featured 8 oz per serving while the restaurant only offered 6 oz per serving. Due to this change, opted for the sae-woo jang assuming that they were cooked shrimp and was surprised that they came out raw. Staff even provided disposable poly gloves to eat the raw shrimp. As the grill was ready, we took advantage of the grill to cook the shrimp. The seafood pajeon was decent although the green onion strips were a touch long and the breading was a touch thick. The whisky 45 day aged ribeye was quite flavorful and cooked to a medium rare by our waiter. There was a bold meat flavor but I couldn't taste the whisky. The marbling on this was decent. The marinated galbi was the highlight of the meal with a super flavorful marinade, well marbled short rib and this was cooked to perfection by the waiter. Ended the meal off with the Hanwoo?!? for $24. I was really curious as one of my goals is to eat Hanwoo beef in Seoul in a few weeks. The $24 price point for dessert is even higher than Nopa/Evvia. The dessert was merely a melange of biscuits, chocolate, along with some stale cake...yikes. ~$125/head after tax and gratuity for dinner. read more

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Walking around Downtown San Francisco is like a ghost town from Market Street to inside the once bustling San Francisco centre. Even the Food Emporium is very sad looking. Downtown San Francisco desperately needed a breath of fresh air with a high end Korean BBQ restaurant: ABSteak. It is a start to revamp the dining scene. We had reservations at 5pm. We were led down two flights of stairs underground. The restaurant is beautiful, dripping in opulence from the wooden chairs with plushy brown leather seating to gold silverware. The bar gave me old school San Francisco speak easy vibes (also probably going down several flights underground did it!). What I loved about this restaurant is the smokeless grill with built in vents so no smells! Another unique thing they had is a meat warmer for cooked meats. In the middle of the restaurant is a gigantic round wine cellar enclosed in glass. Just beautiful! Our sever was Eric. He was wonderful as he explained the menu and cooked for us so all we had to do was enjoy our dinner. We weren't famished so we opted for 2 premium cuts of meats: the Chadol and the Snow Flower Kkotsal. We also ordered the Pork Belly Kimchi Fried Rice. It was enough for the both of us to share. The fried rice arrived first with a raw egg on top. Eric mixed in the egg and served us each a bowl, delicious! The Chadol arrived next which is the Australian Wagyu Brisket. Thinly sliced, soft-melt-in-your-mouth piece. You can dip it in the brisket sauce or salt it up. You can also wrap it up in lettuce, layer on sauces. Next up is the Snow Flower Kkotsal which is the Australian wagyu boneless short rib. A thicker cut but nonetheless soft goodness. We enjoyed our dining experience and will be back in the near future! read more

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The service was just okay at best. Water refills were rarely offered, even though the restaurant wasn't busy, and we had to ask several times where our last order was. For a place that charges triple the price of a typical high-end restaurant, the level of attention and hospitality was lacking. We were celebrating a birthday, and they never even offered a simple "happy birthday," let alone any kind of gesture, which was extremely disappointing. Other restaurants we visited during the trip acknowledged the occasion, so this really stood out especially at this price point. Overall, the value doesn't match the cost, and I wouldn't recommend coming back. read more

Absolutely killer Korean barbecue. Excellent kkotsal, Wagyu, and pork belly. Nice comfortable atmosphere with friendly waitstaff. Would go back for sure. read more

The food and presentation was superb, as was the service. The restaurant interior is beautiful, elegant, and spotlessly clean. The prices are worth every penny. What more could you ask? Beyond not cutting up the lotus root in little tiny pieces, instead of the lovely presentation it had previously; or recently offering some lower priced menu items in hopes of attracting more middle of the road customers: The only problem is the location in Union Square, and it is a big problem. For literally 3-4 blocks all around the restaurant there are homeless people on the street. Nothing can be done about this. San Francisco is no longer the vibrant, clean safe city it used to be. So it's just not a desirable location for an otherwise fabulous restaurant that would be a roaring success anywhere else. If I were the owner, I'd try to get out of my lease and move - maybe St. Helena up north in Napa Valley, or Montecito down south in Santa Barbara County. Go where the money is. AB Steak is excellent, and consistently delicious. It can thrive if it is in the right location, and then it can stay the high end restaurant it deserves to be in every way.. read more

I'm normally not the kind of person to care about service at a restaurant, as long as the food is good. But I have to sing praises for the amazing service I got at ABSteak. Of course the food was yummy, but the staff made the meal memorable for me. The staff were all incredibly lovely and kept the atmosphere wonderful the entire night. I had a great time. Some examples of many things the staff did: - My cup of water was kept full the entire night without me noticing (2 hours, and I drink a lot of water). - Our waiter coordinated our dishes to come out so that we would be able to all enjoy our food at the same pace. This was difficult because I ordered my own dish (one course), while my friends shared a combo meal (multiple courses of meat). Somehow, we all started and ended eating at the same time. - Our waiter took the time to explain the menu, as well as thoroughly answer all the questions I had about the grill and the food. I would recommend people come here for a wonderful night. The food is delicious and the service is even better. I've never eaten at a Michelin starred restaurant before, but I can imagine this is what it's like. 10/10 would come again. P.S. I highly recommend trying the yuzu lotus root they gave as banchan. Perfect for cutting through the fattiness of the meat. I could have eaten 10 plates of it by myself with that if I wasn't stuffed already. read more

ABSteak by Chef Akira Back - Kabli Rice - Steakhouses Near Me - San Francisco, California