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The ambiance and service were awesome, but the food was a bit of a miss for me. I liked the clam dish, but the chicken pancake and ssam weren't too special given the price, and the food took a long time to come out. I think if your group is mainly here to drink and food is secondary, it could be a vibe but prices are still a bit steep for bar snacks ($20+ range).
From chef Danny Im and the creators of Nara restaurant, comes Anju. Anju is a Korean word for food that people eat while drinking alcoholic drinks like soju, beer, or makgeolli. On a Friday night (1 month after opening), with a reservation for 4, we all found the food delicious, visually appealing, and reasonably portioned. Ambiance: casual, date night. Larger venue than expected Service: helpful with recommendations and efficient Food (must haves, starred): -Korean fried chicken* -seafood soup* -imperial rolls -oysters (happy hour special: $3 each) -chicken pancake I can't wait to be back to try more food such as the garlic noodles and brussel sprouts. This is my new favorite Korean anju spot.
Pease don't be that person who orders an anju (drinking food), puts in front of themselves, starts grubbing, and does not share with the rest of the table. You will be judged and have to kill the entire bottle of soju by yourself as punishment. Hello, hangxiety. J/k! When I first saw ANJU's ad on Yelp and noticed there were no reviews yet, I assumed it was a rebrand of Sushi Shio. Turns out, it's actually under new ownership...the owner mentioned that he also owns Nara on Polk and Ganji in J-town. Rezzies are recommended on the weekends. There's a small garden patio in back if you have your furkid with you. M E N U Small focused menu of Korean Izakaya (Tapas) with modern twists. With the sister resto being tonkatsu focused, I hope they consider adding donkatsu to the menu. Everyday HH Specials, 5 pm - 7 pm: $3 Miyagi Oysters + $5 Sake Shots D R I N K S * Suigei Sake Shot (HH-$5 x2) The chilled sake was smooth, easy to drink and not too sweet. * Soju, Pink Label Jinro is Back, no sugar (375 ml-$15) Light, smooth, and clean with no harsh aftertaste....pretty much the same as the retro blue label. F O O D * Hamachi Truffle: Seared Yellowtail w/ jalapeno, potato crunch, garlic, ponzu, white truffle oil, sriracha (5 pc-$21): https://tinyurl.com/4axwkvmy Fresh and buttery with a nice garlicky tang and mild kick. The truffle added a subtle earthy aroma, and the crispy potato gave it a great crunch. The toppings complemented the hamachi instead of masking it, and the light sear let the its natural flavor and texture stand out. * Dakangjeong: KFC w/ sweet & sour sauce ($14): https://tinyurl.com/4cwz27fu Addictive flavor with a balance of sweet, savory, and mildly spicy notes, plus plenty of umami. While the chicken morsels (boneless thighs) were juicy, I wish they had a crispier, more evenly coated batter. The accompanying pickled radish provided refreshing acidic in-between bites. For the love of cheese pulls, maybe they can consider an optional add-on of melted mozzarella, fondue-style. * Crispy Suyuk: Slow Butter Poached Pork Belly w/ salted baby shrimp, salad ($22): https://tinyurl.com/ms3hmwmr While it wasn't actually crispy, the poached pork belly was still delicious and hella tender. The salty, umami funk of the saeujeot balanced the richness of the pork, while the lightly dressed salad added a refreshing crunch and a bright, tangy heat that kept things light. * Rib Kiss: 6 Hour Slow-Cooked Beef Rib w/ seasonal veggies ($36): https://tinyurl.com/2vx3cdry The beef was meltingly tender, easily pulling away from the bone, and coated in a savory-sweet, garlicky sauce with a mild spicy kick. Served over crispy brussels sprouts, the sizzling platter gave the it a nice smoky char that added another layer of flavor and texture. * Garlic Noodles ($16) Perfectly springy and chewy with aromatic fried garlic + shallots and green onions. Eat this with the Rib Kiss! S E R V I C E Friendly and warm staff with positive vibes all around. Always a bonus when they offer water to my dogs. The owner, Danny came by to introduce himself and to ensure we were enjoying our meal. Food came out FAST....and we were done in less than an hour. A M B I A N C E The dining room looks exactly how I remembered it from its Tawla days (before Sushi Shio) - the same upscale, contemporary décor with an open kitchen...now with added neon IG lights for a trendy touch. I especially love the cute garden patio with just two tables...it feels more intimate and private. P A R K I N G Very difficult street parking. There's a parking lot a block away on 14th and Mission. Overall, we really enjoyed our meal at ANJU and appreciated the warm hospitality, along with the great selection of sake and soju to pair with the food. Looking forward to see how their menu evolves!
They just opened July 2026 and we're still taking photos when we came in! Food was delicious and staff were so kind!!!! We got 5 appetizers including the oyster, cucumber, kanpachi, hamachi, and uh one more can't remember and they were great! The kampachi with balsamic stood out. We got the beef rib for the larger size anju to share and some dassai 45. The beef rib was fine, not galbi Jim but the seasonable veggies were cooked perfectly and were crispy with butter on the edges *drooools Can't wait to come back!!!
It's rare to go to a restaurant and every single dish is a 10/10, but Anju did that and more. This is a great place to come drink with a group of friends, and have gourmet food at the same time! Our server, Shin, was so sweet and the chef shared his culinary knowledge with us. The ambience is fun nightlife vibe and friendly, especially because the staff are so nice! We tried the Kanpachi Carpaccio, Clams in sake broth, chicken pancake, oysters, garlic noodles, cucumber salad, and cornbread for dessert. I am not lying when I say every single dish hit the mark. Paired with a delish peach shochu Favorites at the table were the Clams, oysters (two said the best they'd ever had), Garlic noodles, Chicken pancake (the crissssp!!) and dessert. But also everything. Order it all!!! I can't wait to come back here and try more of the menu with friends and family! Thank you Anju! :)
It's been a while since I've really been happy when trying a new spot in the city. Not knowing what's what I tried my luck for a two top here shortly after it opened. We got two seats at the bar. So the menu here is totally vibes "Korean Izakaya" and the staff is friendly if not hilarious at times. You'll see some standards like smashed cucumbers and hamachi truffle sashimi...do not ignore them. They are both amazing with flavor and punch. The Korean fried chicken is boneless (thank you). There's a chicken pancake which is also really yummy and interesting. Other staples like the all too typical garlic noodles were just perfectly done. I've come back a few times and ya...still fabu.
A new Korean Japanese bar focused on Korean inspired bar food and drinks opened up in the mission! Decided to come on a Wednesday and it gets packed so a reservation is highly recommended! We tried the pork belly (delicious), chicken pancake (just ok; very garlic-y) and garlic noodle (perfect compliment to the other two dishes). They also have a small happy hour menu focused on oysters and select drinks. The pricing for the drink seems ok but the pricing for oysters are still $3/oyster.
Absolutely loved Anju, and will be back! The decor is nice with the metal pattern features and exposed kitchen, and there's an outside back patio with overhanging lights. For food, we've had a lot of luck just asking servers for the popular items, so we did that. With all the attention to detail, the food feels really elevated. I've had hamachi with ponzu and jalapeno at restaurants plenty of times before, but Anju added some crunchy bits and each bite was in its own spoon, so you get all that ponzu sauce in your bite vs having most of the ponzu just sitting on the plate. Our favorites were the pork belly with lettuce, the fried chicken, and the chicken pancake with garlic. Lots of garlic slices in that, and we love garlic - so that was tasty.
Went for the soft opening and the service and food were great. Everything was made **super** cleanly and their sake menu was great! Strongly recommend the Oysters (try it with the lime!) and the fried chicken.
Service was wonderful...really nice servers! Had the garlic noodle and it was delicious...so much garlic!!!!
My friends and I had a great meal at Anju! We got the happy hour sake and oysters, which were delicious, and were able to try several other dishes too. We were seated at the back patio and it was a quaint atmosphere . The service was attentive and we also had a drink with the owner! Thank you for the meal
Ever since moving from Korea, I've been on the search for good anju in sf, and this absolutely hit the spot!! The owner was incredibly welcoming, and you can really tell they care about both the food and the people who come in. We ordered the dakjeon and the sooyuk, and WOW. The dakjeon was perfectly crispy on the outside while still juicy! The sooyuk served on the little grilled plate was amazing too (it stayed warm the whole time) the pork belly was so flavorful, and the salad that came out with it paired so well :) Loved the cozy vibe, I'll definitely be back with more friends (probably sooner than I should). 10/10!
4.5/5 rounded up. Pros: Good fit for the neighborhood, some yummy dishes, and good drinks selection. Service is great and casual vibes are excellent. Cons: A little pricey, food definitely needs to be paired with drinks for things to hit. Lots of other great Korean restaurants in the city--Wouldn't go during the most busy times. A new upscale Korean spot open on Valencia? Sign me up. The neighborhood itself is fun so if you wanna walk before or after your reservation, it can be a cute date night. Food is rich in the ways you want when pairing with drinks. They have low alcohol options so you can enjoy without getting sloshed at the end. Meat lovers soup is pricey but delivered 1000%. Skip the Dak Jeon (chicken pancake) unless you're looking for a protein fix. However none of these dishes beat out Sungho, Yasijang, or any of the other established Korean spots in SF. Overall Anju is a fun spot great for Valencia and the Mission, and I'll definitely come back, but they've got a bit of extra work if they want to stand out against the competition. I'm looking forward to seeing how they do. read more
29 days ago
ANJU does a great job putting a modern twist on Korean food while still keeping the flavors authentic. Everything we ordered was flavorful, well-seasoned, and beautifully presented. The food came out nicely paced, and the portions were good for sharing. The atmosphere is also really nice -- trendy and lively without feeling too pretentious. It's a great spot for a date night, dinner with friends, or even a group gathering. A few dishes really stood out, but honestly, everything we ordered was solid. Definitely a place I'd come back to try more of the menu. read more
1 month ago
was so excited to try anju after reading all the reviews, but i just didn't get the hype. the food was aggressively mediocre and a little overpriced for the amount we got. we ordered the bluefin tuna tartare (favorite of the night), the crispy suyuk, and the sul-jjim. nothing was bad exactly, but honestly nothing stood out either. maybe we ordered wrong, but i wasn't really impressed by any of the flavors. ambiance was fun and the service was really good though! might give it another shot down the line for the drinks and treat it more as a pregame spot. read more
The ambiance and service were awesome, but the food was a bit of a miss for me. I liked the clam dish, but the chicken pancake and ssam weren't too special given the price, and the food took a long time to come out. I think if your group is mainly here to drink and food is secondary, it could be a vibe but prices are still a bit steep for bar snacks ($20+ range). read more
2 months ago
From chef Danny Im and the creators of Nara restaurant, comes Anju. Anju is a Korean word for food that people eat while drinking alcoholic drinks like soju, beer, or makgeolli. On a Friday night (1 month after opening), with a reservation for 4, we all found the food delicious, visually appealing, and reasonably portioned. Ambiance: casual, date night. Larger venue than expected Service: helpful with recommendations and efficient Food (must haves, starred): -Korean fried chicken* -seafood soup* -imperial rolls -oysters (happy hour special: $3 each) -chicken pancake I can't wait to be back to try more food such as the garlic noodles and brussel sprouts. This is my new favorite Korean anju spot. read more
2 days ago
2 months ago
Pease don't be that person who orders an anju (drinking food), puts in front of themselves, starts grubbing, and does not share with the rest of the table. You will be judged and have to kill the entire bottle of soju by yourself as punishment. Hello, hangxiety. J/k! When I first saw ANJU's ad on Yelp and noticed there were no reviews yet, I assumed it was a rebrand of Sushi Shio. Turns out, it's actually under new ownership...the owner mentioned that he also owns Nara on Polk and Ganji in J-town. Rezzies are recommended on the weekends. There's a small garden patio in back if you have your furkid with you. M E N U Small focused menu of Korean Izakaya (Tapas) with modern twists. With the sister resto being tonkatsu focused, I hope they consider adding donkatsu to the menu. Everyday HH Specials, 5 pm - 7 pm: $3 Miyagi Oysters + $5 Sake Shots D R I N K S * Suigei Sake Shot (HH-$5 x2) The chilled sake was smooth, easy to drink and not too sweet. * Soju, Pink Label Jinro is Back, no sugar (375 ml-$15) Light, smooth, and clean with no harsh aftertaste....pretty much the same as the retro blue label. F O O D * Hamachi Truffle: Seared Yellowtail w/ jalapeno, potato crunch, garlic, ponzu, white truffle oil, sriracha (5 pc-$21): https://tinyurl.com/4axwkvmy Fresh and buttery with a nice garlicky tang and mild kick. The truffle added a subtle earthy aroma, and the crispy potato gave it a great crunch. The toppings complemented the hamachi instead of masking it, and the light sear let the its natural flavor and texture stand out. * Dakangjeong: KFC w/ sweet & sour sauce ($14): https://tinyurl.com/4cwz27fu Addictive flavor with a balance of sweet, savory, and mildly spicy notes, plus plenty of umami. While the chicken morsels (boneless thighs) were juicy, I wish they had a crispier, more evenly coated batter. The accompanying pickled radish provided refreshing acidic in-between bites. For the love of cheese pulls, maybe they can consider an optional add-on of melted mozzarella, fondue-style. * Crispy Suyuk: Slow Butter Poached Pork Belly w/ salted baby shrimp, salad ($22): https://tinyurl.com/ms3hmwmr While it wasn't actually crispy, the poached pork belly was still delicious and hella tender. The salty, umami funk of the saeujeot balanced the richness of the pork, while the lightly dressed salad added a refreshing crunch and a bright, tangy heat that kept things light. * Rib Kiss: 6 Hour Slow-Cooked Beef Rib w/ seasonal veggies ($36): https://tinyurl.com/2vx3cdry The beef was meltingly tender, easily pulling away from the bone, and coated in a savory-sweet, garlicky sauce with a mild spicy kick. Served over crispy brussels sprouts, the sizzling platter gave the it a nice smoky char that added another layer of flavor and texture. * Garlic Noodles ($16) Perfectly springy and chewy with aromatic fried garlic + shallots and green onions. Eat this with the Rib Kiss! S E R V I C E Friendly and warm staff with positive vibes all around. Always a bonus when they offer water to my dogs. The owner, Danny came by to introduce himself and to ensure we were enjoying our meal. Food came out FAST....and we were done in less than an hour. A M B I A N C E The dining room looks exactly how I remembered it from its Tawla days (before Sushi Shio) - the same upscale, contemporary décor with an open kitchen...now with added neon IG lights for a trendy touch. I especially love the cute garden patio with just two tables...it feels more intimate and private. P A R K I N G Very difficult street parking. There's a parking lot a block away on 14th and Mission. Overall, we really enjoyed our meal at ANJU and appreciated the warm hospitality, along with the great selection of sake and soju to pair with the food. Looking forward to see how their menu evolves! read more
They just opened July 2026 and we're still taking photos when we came in! Food was delicious and staff were so kind!!!! We got 5 appetizers including the oyster, cucumber, kanpachi, hamachi, and uh one more can't remember and they were great! The kampachi with balsamic stood out. We got the beef rib for the larger size anju to share and some dassai 45. The beef rib was fine, not galbi Jim but the seasonable veggies were cooked perfectly and were crispy with butter on the edges *drooools Can't wait to come back!!! read more
It's rare to go to a restaurant and every single dish is a 10/10, but Anju did that and more. This is a great place to come drink with a group of friends, and have gourmet food at the same time! Our server, Shin, was so sweet and the chef shared his culinary knowledge with us. The ambience is fun nightlife vibe and friendly, especially because the staff are so nice! We tried the Kanpachi Carpaccio, Clams in sake broth, chicken pancake, oysters, garlic noodles, cucumber salad, and cornbread for dessert. I am not lying when I say every single dish hit the mark. Paired with a delish peach shochu Favorites at the table were the Clams, oysters (two said the best they'd ever had), Garlic noodles, Chicken pancake (the crissssp!!) and dessert. But also everything. Order it all!!! I can't wait to come back here and try more of the menu with friends and family! Thank you Anju! :) read more
It's been a while since I've really been happy when trying a new spot in the city. Not knowing what's what I tried my luck for a two top here shortly after it opened. We got two seats at the bar. So the menu here is totally vibes "Korean Izakaya" and the staff is friendly if not hilarious at times. You'll see some standards like smashed cucumbers and hamachi truffle sashimi...do not ignore them. They are both amazing with flavor and punch. The Korean fried chicken is boneless (thank you). There's a chicken pancake which is also really yummy and interesting. Other staples like the all too typical garlic noodles were just perfectly done. I've come back a few times and ya...still fabu. read more
1 month ago
A new Korean Japanese bar focused on Korean inspired bar food and drinks opened up in the mission! Decided to come on a Wednesday and it gets packed so a reservation is highly recommended! We tried the pork belly (delicious), chicken pancake (just ok; very garlic-y) and garlic noodle (perfect compliment to the other two dishes). They also have a small happy hour menu focused on oysters and select drinks. The pricing for the drink seems ok but the pricing for oysters are still $3/oyster. read more
4 days ago
2 months ago
Absolutely loved Anju, and will be back! The decor is nice with the metal pattern features and exposed kitchen, and there's an outside back patio with overhanging lights. For food, we've had a lot of luck just asking servers for the popular items, so we did that. With all the attention to detail, the food feels really elevated. I've had hamachi with ponzu and jalapeno at restaurants plenty of times before, but Anju added some crunchy bits and each bite was in its own spoon, so you get all that ponzu sauce in your bite vs having most of the ponzu just sitting on the plate. Our favorites were the pork belly with lettuce, the fried chicken, and the chicken pancake with garlic. Lots of garlic slices in that, and we love garlic - so that was tasty. read more
1 month ago
29 days ago
3 months ago
Went for the soft opening and the service and food were great. Everything was made **super** cleanly and their sake menu was great! Strongly recommend the Oysters (try it with the lime!) and the fried chicken. read more
1 month ago
Service was wonderful...really nice servers! Had the garlic noodle and it was delicious...so much garlic!!!! read more
2 months ago
My friends and I had a great meal at Anju! We got the happy hour sake and oysters, which were delicious, and were able to try several other dishes too. We were seated at the back patio and it was a quaint atmosphere . The service was attentive and we also had a drink with the owner! Thank you for the meal read more
3 months ago
2 months ago
Ever since moving from Korea, I've been on the search for good anju in sf, and this absolutely hit the spot!! The owner was incredibly welcoming, and you can really tell they care about both the food and the people who come in. We ordered the dakjeon and the sooyuk, and WOW. The dakjeon was perfectly crispy on the outside while still juicy! The sooyuk served on the little grilled plate was amazing too (it stayed warm the whole time) the pork belly was so flavorful, and the salad that came out with it paired so well :) Loved the cozy vibe, I'll definitely be back with more friends (probably sooner than I should). 10/10! read more
26 days ago
3 months ago
Such a delicious meal! Service was excellent and really wonderful hospitality by chef Kevin. The sakes and beers were delicious and reasonably priced and I really the food pairings. The tuna tartare, garlic noodles and seafood stew were very very tasty. read more
2 months ago
2 months ago
3 months ago
My favorite was the chicken pancake with pickled cucumbers, while the 6-hour slow-cooked beef rib was incredibly juicy and tender. read more
3 months ago
Really enjoyed trying this new restaurant would highly recommend giving it a shot. Relatively affordable for an upscale dining experience. Really warm and friendly staff. Amazing atmosphere and decor. Definitely get the hamachi, I could pound down like 90 orders of them thangs. The seafood tofu soup is also pretty gas and comes with a lot of protein. read more
1 month ago
3 months ago
More info about Anju
206 Valencia St
San Francisco, CA 94103
Mission
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(415) 400-4471
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3 months ago
3 months ago
