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Buoy is a cafe turned cocktail bar in the evenings. The ambiance is simply perfect, with moody lighting and a clean, sophisticated feel. My friends and I came for one thing only, the $20 thirsty Thursday soju cocktail deal. 1 hour, all you can drink soju cocktails. We actually arrived 30 min before closing so I really appreciate the staff letting us know they could only serve us until closing. We ordered all the drinks off their cocktail deal menu. Standouts were definitely the black and white tiger, which were two coffee based drinks. Whether you get the cream top or not, both drinks were sweet and delicious, you could not taste the alcohol. The Seoul Breeze was also delicious, with a warmth from the ginger that gave each sip a perfectly cozy feel. Ume blossom was on the sweeter side, but it was delicious as well and I appreciate that they use real strawberry puree! We got 2 drinks over 30 min, largely due to the drinks needing a while to come out. I estimate you could probably get about 4 drinks in an hour, and you know what, $5 per drink is fantastic with how good these taste.
Oh ma god.....I'm gonna come back here again and again until I've tried every single thing on this menu, and probably more times after that too. The vibes were super nice inside with all the dark lighting and staff were all so nice. We went for the Thirsty Thursdays deal, which is $20 for unlimited soju cocktails. Obviously we had to try every single one, and my favorites were the maesil one and ume blossom. If you're thinking about getting one of the coffee based drinks, definitely get the one with foam (white tiger). The one without it definitely was hard to finish, but we did have six drinks so maybe it just felt difficult near the end of the all you can drink experience lol. The food is just another story. A bit expensive, but when we saw how everything was plated and how delicious everything was, it all made sense. They decorated everything so beautifully with all the edible flowers, and the ssambap was especially beautiful with the mountain of aromatic greens on top of the bed of rice. Truffle honey potatoes were okay, honestly couldn't taste the honey or truffle. Will sooo be back!!!! Highly recommend this one.
Came here on a Friday night for dinner around 7:30pm. The place was packed, dimly lit and had more seats than I thought. Perfect place for date night. The setting is "elevated casual" but intimate. Service was amazing, food and drinks were all amazing. I had a great experience and will be coming back. I really enjoyed the soju based cocktails. We got the Seoul breeze and Coco soju colada. Both delicious and sweet. The Seoul breeze was more refreshing, and the coco soju was creamier. We ordered the golden toast, yuzu carpaccio and wagyu charcoal grilled galbijjim to share between two people. Reasonably priced for the quality of food. The golden toast and wagyu were my favorite. There was the perfect amount of fresh fish, ikura and Korean flavors in the golden toast. The wagyu was flavored really well and paired nicely with the cilantro sauce.
3.5 STARS Date; Saturday, February 21st, 2026 Time: 5pm Party of: 2 Meal: Dinner Reservation Made Thru: Opentable a lil more than 3 weeks prior *Burrata Salad ($17) *Minari Bossam ($33) *Salt Bread ($5.50) x2 *Collar ($19) *Golden Toast ($19) *Tax ($8.61) *Service Charge ($19.80) A girlfriend and I were seeing a show at the Orpheum. Met up for dinner beforehand at Buoy. It was pretty easy to make a rezzie thru OpenTable the month prior. I am currently meatless, so pescatarian. I asked the server what I could order and she okayed the clams. I was actually eyeing them prior, so ordered that. Unfortunately, she came back about 10-15 mins later and let me know there is chicken broth in the dish. I ended up changing my order to the special - the collar and the toast. I believe the only other option would have been the ssambap, but I'm not really into to much rice. And I think the cucumber salad as well, but I wanted something more substantial. The burrata salad was tasty. I'm normally not a fan of sweet in my salads, but it wasn't too overpowering here. Still pretty balanced. The toast I found a lil too sweet. The sashimi tartare was a lil mushy in texture, but the toast gave it a contrast. The collar sauced a lil too much, but the texture was nice and silky. I didn't try the pork belly, but my friend seemed to like it. It came with kimchi which she's not a fan of. Lucky for me, cuz I finished that dish. They do charge a standard 20% service charge which is fine. I typically tip that or more. Tho I do hate that I am paying tax on a service charge vs no tax on tip. Anyways... Their menu is slightly confusing. It says this is not a gratuity, but they do not expect an additional tip. So I didn't tip on top. Convenient if going to a play at the Orpheum. REVIEW #3989
Tomato Kampachi Yuzu - They use the fish of the day, and overall it's a very citrus-forward dish with a lot of sauce. The sauce itself adds good flavor, but there was just way too much of it--it probably would've been better served in a bowl. The raw fish being chopped into small pieces also caught us off guard. Charcoal Kalbijim Steak - The flavor reminded me of jerky, which was unexpected. The sauce leaned heavily sweet, almost like a thick cane sugar molasses, and it didn't really pair well with the meat. The combination just felt off. Also, only two slices of meat for $37 felt pretty overpriced. Ginseng Clam Soup - I kept looking for the ginseng flavor but couldn't really find it. The clams were quite small and didn't add much taste, and there were barely any roasted rice pieces in the soup either, which made it feel a bit underwhelming. That said, the service was excellent--super friendly, attentive, and easily the highlight of the experience.
We went on a Thursday night after visiting the asian art museum, it ended up being a great last min reservation spot. From the moment you enter, you see the modern minimalist bar, there's korean r&b playing with a kdrama projected on the wall. The space is super stylish, and that definitely becomes part of the experience. Service was also a highlight, our server was really helpful in guiding us toward dishes that would work well for sharing. The standout of the night was easily the yuzu kampachi. I'm still thinking about it today. It's a kampachi crudo with chogochujang, served inside a tomato. The fish practically melted in my mouth, and the yuzu sauce was so bright and full of flavor that I ended up putting it on the ssambap too. This was definitely the favorite of what we tried. The minari bossam was sous vide and had a nice sear that gave the fat extra richness while still keeping a lot of the pork flavor. It felt more comforting, bright, and fresh than a dull, more traditional boiled bossam. The fresh kimchi and minari helped a lot with that balance. My only complaint is that I wish it came with lettuce or a more substantial wrap component. there were greens underneath, but I think lettuce would've helped cut the richness even better. The ssambap was fine, but honestly not very memorable. It was mellow and worked as something lighter to balance out the heavier dishes, but it wasn't something I'd go back specifically for. The charcoal grilled galbijjim steak was another strong dish. It felt very contemporary in style rather than traditional. The sweet soy chimichurri glaze was really enjoyable, and the whole dish came together nicely. It felt polished and well-executed, even if it leaned more fusion. At the end of the day, I think this is more for special occasions than an everyday favorite. The food was great but the story, ambiance and service are a huge part of the appeal too.
A little late review, but I wanted to share my experience here. We came for Valentine's Day dinner and had such a great time. I really liked the minimalist and aesthetic vibe of the place. Our server was very friendly and made sure to check in on us from time to time. I also found out that during the daytime it's a bakery, and at night it turns into a restaurant, which I thought was really cool. I def wanna come back and try the bakery during the day. For dinner, we got the Valentine's tasting course. We had the Hokkaido scallops mulhwe, golden toast, wagyu yukhoe, ginseng sake stew, and wagyu charcoal grilled galbijjim steak. For dessert, I got the matcha strawberry bingsoo, and my boyfriend got the black sesame brownie with yuzu cream. Everything was so delicious and really filling. It was a great experience and a nice spot for a special occasion. Hope to come back again!
Came here for my birthday dinner! I was in awe the moment I walked in. Very vibey and intimate, with a kdrama playing on the wall. Very spacious with tables and bar seating. I made a reservation for 2 on a Sunday evening at 5pm. We opted for the set menu - 5 recommended dishes from the chef plus a choice of dessert. Everything was played for us! I loved absolutely everything except the dessert, which was a black sesame brownie with yuzu and some type of matcha dessert. Seoul Breeze Cocktail: 8/10! Nice and light, had Korean pear juice and soju! Started off with a very refreshing poke-like dish. Just enough as an appetizer! 10/10 Fish: 10/10! Can't remember the name, but it had almost like a teriyaki sauce. The only thing is that I wish it was de-boned. Golden Toast: 10/10! I wish they gave us more than one each! Albacore soup: 10/10! I can't remember the exact name of it, but it was creamy and delicious. I typically don't like albacore, so this was great! Charcoal Grilled Galbijjim Steak: 10/10! Loved the sides, and defs a modern take. Very juicy and tender, came with potatoes, too! Dessert: 0/10: Presentation and overall taste was bland. The combination of the yuzu and brownie didn't mesh well, and the matcha dessert needed a bit more sugar, and I'm one to not like anything too sweet. They even gave us a sweet sake in between dishes! Overall, such a great vibe for a date night with a partner or friend. I'd love to try the other items on the menu.
This is the first restaurant I've eaten at in a while that sincerely blew me away with the presentation and flavor profile of the dishes. My friend and I had a great time yapping at the bar counter (didn't make reservations before-hand). I will 100% be back to Buoy Bar in the next few weeks to eat again! What we ordered: + Bossam [6/5 - would recommend]: Oh my gosh... I've never had bossam this delicious. The bossam itself is the most flavorful slice of meat ever-- it's nicely crispy from the torch but still dripping in tender sauce. Using it as a wrap for the crunchy fresh veggies underneath was AMAZING. It's such a good dish that I will literally order this every time I come here... + Buoy Ssambap [6/5 - would recommend]: I don't even like fish roe but this dish blew me away. Somehow Buoy has managed to pull together rice & roe to create the most fluffy, light, and refreshing ssambamp I've ever had. The rice is almost unbelievably good and the roe flavor is very light. I was quite pleasantly surprised by this dish! + Honey Butter Potatoes [3.5/5]: Subtle but good flavor, and the cheese was really yummy. I didn't really taste any honey, so this was more like a normal side of potatoes. I personally thought they were a little overcooked and hard to bite into. + White Tiger [4/5]: The cream top and espresso in this was simply amazing; strong, earthy espresso flavor with the fluffiest cream top ever. I would recommend to mix the cream top with the drink as soon as it comes. My only suggestion would be that this cocktail is way too sweet. + Yuzu Spritiz [4/5]: Flavorful, spritzy, and fruity! Really enjoyed this drink. I wish it was a bit stronger. In general, I wasn't really that impressed by the drinks (in comparison to the food). Can't wait to come back. :)
We popped in on a Sunday night without a reservation and were able to get lucky bc the bar seats were available for a party of 3. We ordered a mocktail (ginger, pineapple, and fizzy), Pina Colada, and chamomile tea for drinks. To eat we ordered the gluten-free black sesame brownie (wow -- it had a crème brûlée top) -- everything was delicious. The ginger pineapple was quite sweet and the brownie as well, so good to share the love here. Service was great, the bartender and wait staff were warm and attentive. They had pretty full tables and they have an area in the front that's sort of more cozy seating that we'd like to check out for a lounge and bottle popping sip and chill corner. Loved the Kdrama movies projected on the wall. Overall the space, was very modern mid century and great place for a solo or couple drinks or small group gathering, Will be back for sure!
An "elevated" Korean restaurant that fails to deliver on the elevated part. They have a 5-course tasting menu for $89 pp that consists of 4 bite sized appetizers and 1 small entree. None of their dishes wowed me. Their scallop dish had little bits of scallops. Their banchan was flavorless. Favorite dish was probably the yukhoe. Their bossam was the worst bossam I've ever had in my life. Tasted like smoked ham.
Overrated and overpriced, Buoy Bar certainly won't be in my regular rotation of SF restaurants. I wouldn't have any qualms, had the food been delicious or inventive, but Buoy bar's food is barely pedestrian. The mains, like the Galbijjim steak is passable, akin to Daeho in flavor yet a fraction of the portion. The minari bossam with a scant portion of pork came atop a bed of minari (no surprise there). The minari was nicely seasoned and the pork was good but otherwise nothing remarkable for a dish that clocks in at just shy of $35. I'm struggling to find any saving grace, but the service also was slow and lacking. The rice also, for an item that generally has a high profit margin, came in a portion so measly that I felt almost inclined to ask for more à la Oliver Twist style. God, this was disappointing... Truly no wonder why it was easy to snag a reservation on a Friday.
We had a great dinner at Buoy Bar in San Francisco. Our group of five arrived around 6:45pm and were seated right away. The space is modern and stylish, and it transforms nicely from its daytime role as a café into a lively dinner spot with a full bar. We ordered five dishes to share, which ended up being the perfect amount of food for our group. Everything we tried was really good, flavorful, well-prepared, and nicely presented. I had one Golden Kick mocktail that was refreshing and well-balanced, and my friends said their cocktails were excellent as well. Overall, Buoy Bar delivered a wonderful dining experience: great service, delicious food, and a sleek, contemporary atmosphere. We'd definitely come back.
2 months ago
Everything here was incredible. From the cocktails to the appetizers to the main dishes. The pork belly had a refreshing element to it because of the veggies. The sauce helped brighten it up even more. The wagyu steak was so tender. The glaze was sweet but not overwhelmingly sweet. The churros (from my guess) is made from their famous salt bread. Come by on a Thursday for thirsty Thursdays! Unlimited soju cocktails for an hour. The service here is great. We were warmly greeted by the hostess. Our servers were pretty attentive. They made sure the drinks were flowing. We were sat in the lounge, which made our experience a bit more cozy but feel a little excluded. If possible, I would sit in the main area because it is more lively. read more
2 months ago
One of the most underrated restaurants I've been to. Everything we tried was sooo good. I need to come back to work my way through the rest of the menu and try the drinks. It's definitely on the pricier side, but the quality of the food and the presentation made it worth it. The space is small and intimate, which is perfect for a date night. We ordered the Golden Toast, Yuzu Carpaccio, Wagyu Yukhoe, and Minari Bossam. Every dish was delicious! My favorite has to be the Yuzu Carpaccio. It was served inside a tomato, which was such a fun presentation, and the flavors were super refreshing, bright, and balanced. Definitely the highlight of the meal. I can't wait to come back and try more of the menu! read more
Buoy's modern take on Korean dishes caught me by surprise. Usually im apprehensive with fusion restaurants but the depth of flavors and textures in their dishes were well done! My reccs: * Yuzu Kampachi (best dish imo) * Salt Bread (2nd best) * Coco Soju Colada cocktail * Truffle honey butter potatoes * Wagyu Galbi Crunch * would skip the ssambap read more
Buoy is a cafe turned cocktail bar in the evenings. The ambiance is simply perfect, with moody lighting and a clean, sophisticated feel. My friends and I came for one thing only, the $20 thirsty Thursday soju cocktail deal. 1 hour, all you can drink soju cocktails. We actually arrived 30 min before closing so I really appreciate the staff letting us know they could only serve us until closing. We ordered all the drinks off their cocktail deal menu. Standouts were definitely the black and white tiger, which were two coffee based drinks. Whether you get the cream top or not, both drinks were sweet and delicious, you could not taste the alcohol. The Seoul Breeze was also delicious, with a warmth from the ginger that gave each sip a perfectly cozy feel. Ume blossom was on the sweeter side, but it was delicious as well and I appreciate that they use real strawberry puree! We got 2 drinks over 30 min, largely due to the drinks needing a while to come out. I estimate you could probably get about 4 drinks in an hour, and you know what, $5 per drink is fantastic with how good these taste. read more
Oh ma god.....I'm gonna come back here again and again until I've tried every single thing on this menu, and probably more times after that too. The vibes were super nice inside with all the dark lighting and staff were all so nice. We went for the Thirsty Thursdays deal, which is $20 for unlimited soju cocktails. Obviously we had to try every single one, and my favorites were the maesil one and ume blossom. If you're thinking about getting one of the coffee based drinks, definitely get the one with foam (white tiger). The one without it definitely was hard to finish, but we did have six drinks so maybe it just felt difficult near the end of the all you can drink experience lol. The food is just another story. A bit expensive, but when we saw how everything was plated and how delicious everything was, it all made sense. They decorated everything so beautifully with all the edible flowers, and the ssambap was especially beautiful with the mountain of aromatic greens on top of the bed of rice. Truffle honey potatoes were okay, honestly couldn't taste the honey or truffle. Will sooo be back!!!! Highly recommend this one. read more
Came here on a Friday night for dinner around 7:30pm. The place was packed, dimly lit and had more seats than I thought. Perfect place for date night. The setting is "elevated casual" but intimate. Service was amazing, food and drinks were all amazing. I had a great experience and will be coming back. I really enjoyed the soju based cocktails. We got the Seoul breeze and Coco soju colada. Both delicious and sweet. The Seoul breeze was more refreshing, and the coco soju was creamier. We ordered the golden toast, yuzu carpaccio and wagyu charcoal grilled galbijjim to share between two people. Reasonably priced for the quality of food. The golden toast and wagyu were my favorite. There was the perfect amount of fresh fish, ikura and Korean flavors in the golden toast. The wagyu was flavored really well and paired nicely with the cilantro sauce. read more
16 days ago
3.5 STARS Date; Saturday, February 21st, 2026 Time: 5pm Party of: 2 Meal: Dinner Reservation Made Thru: Opentable a lil more than 3 weeks prior *Burrata Salad ($17) *Minari Bossam ($33) *Salt Bread ($5.50) x2 *Collar ($19) *Golden Toast ($19) *Tax ($8.61) *Service Charge ($19.80) A girlfriend and I were seeing a show at the Orpheum. Met up for dinner beforehand at Buoy. It was pretty easy to make a rezzie thru OpenTable the month prior. I am currently meatless, so pescatarian. I asked the server what I could order and she okayed the clams. I was actually eyeing them prior, so ordered that. Unfortunately, she came back about 10-15 mins later and let me know there is chicken broth in the dish. I ended up changing my order to the special - the collar and the toast. I believe the only other option would have been the ssambap, but I'm not really into to much rice. And I think the cucumber salad as well, but I wanted something more substantial. The burrata salad was tasty. I'm normally not a fan of sweet in my salads, but it wasn't too overpowering here. Still pretty balanced. The toast I found a lil too sweet. The sashimi tartare was a lil mushy in texture, but the toast gave it a contrast. The collar sauced a lil too much, but the texture was nice and silky. I didn't try the pork belly, but my friend seemed to like it. It came with kimchi which she's not a fan of. Lucky for me, cuz I finished that dish. They do charge a standard 20% service charge which is fine. I typically tip that or more. Tho I do hate that I am paying tax on a service charge vs no tax on tip. Anyways... Their menu is slightly confusing. It says this is not a gratuity, but they do not expect an additional tip. So I didn't tip on top. Convenient if going to a play at the Orpheum. REVIEW #3989 read more
Tomato Kampachi Yuzu - They use the fish of the day, and overall it's a very citrus-forward dish with a lot of sauce. The sauce itself adds good flavor, but there was just way too much of it--it probably would've been better served in a bowl. The raw fish being chopped into small pieces also caught us off guard. Charcoal Kalbijim Steak - The flavor reminded me of jerky, which was unexpected. The sauce leaned heavily sweet, almost like a thick cane sugar molasses, and it didn't really pair well with the meat. The combination just felt off. Also, only two slices of meat for $37 felt pretty overpriced. Ginseng Clam Soup - I kept looking for the ginseng flavor but couldn't really find it. The clams were quite small and didn't add much taste, and there were barely any roasted rice pieces in the soup either, which made it feel a bit underwhelming. That said, the service was excellent--super friendly, attentive, and easily the highlight of the experience. read more
7 months ago
We went on a Thursday night after visiting the asian art museum, it ended up being a great last min reservation spot. From the moment you enter, you see the modern minimalist bar, there's korean r&b playing with a kdrama projected on the wall. The space is super stylish, and that definitely becomes part of the experience. Service was also a highlight, our server was really helpful in guiding us toward dishes that would work well for sharing. The standout of the night was easily the yuzu kampachi. I'm still thinking about it today. It's a kampachi crudo with chogochujang, served inside a tomato. The fish practically melted in my mouth, and the yuzu sauce was so bright and full of flavor that I ended up putting it on the ssambap too. This was definitely the favorite of what we tried. The minari bossam was sous vide and had a nice sear that gave the fat extra richness while still keeping a lot of the pork flavor. It felt more comforting, bright, and fresh than a dull, more traditional boiled bossam. The fresh kimchi and minari helped a lot with that balance. My only complaint is that I wish it came with lettuce or a more substantial wrap component. there were greens underneath, but I think lettuce would've helped cut the richness even better. The ssambap was fine, but honestly not very memorable. It was mellow and worked as something lighter to balance out the heavier dishes, but it wasn't something I'd go back specifically for. The charcoal grilled galbijjim steak was another strong dish. It felt very contemporary in style rather than traditional. The sweet soy chimichurri glaze was really enjoyable, and the whole dish came together nicely. It felt polished and well-executed, even if it leaned more fusion. At the end of the day, I think this is more for special occasions than an everyday favorite. The food was great but the story, ambiance and service are a huge part of the appeal too. read more
7 months ago
A little late review, but I wanted to share my experience here. We came for Valentine's Day dinner and had such a great time. I really liked the minimalist and aesthetic vibe of the place. Our server was very friendly and made sure to check in on us from time to time. I also found out that during the daytime it's a bakery, and at night it turns into a restaurant, which I thought was really cool. I def wanna come back and try the bakery during the day. For dinner, we got the Valentine's tasting course. We had the Hokkaido scallops mulhwe, golden toast, wagyu yukhoe, ginseng sake stew, and wagyu charcoal grilled galbijjim steak. For dessert, I got the matcha strawberry bingsoo, and my boyfriend got the black sesame brownie with yuzu cream. Everything was so delicious and really filling. It was a great experience and a nice spot for a special occasion. Hope to come back again! read more
8 months ago
Came here for my birthday dinner! I was in awe the moment I walked in. Very vibey and intimate, with a kdrama playing on the wall. Very spacious with tables and bar seating. I made a reservation for 2 on a Sunday evening at 5pm. We opted for the set menu - 5 recommended dishes from the chef plus a choice of dessert. Everything was played for us! I loved absolutely everything except the dessert, which was a black sesame brownie with yuzu and some type of matcha dessert. Seoul Breeze Cocktail: 8/10! Nice and light, had Korean pear juice and soju! Started off with a very refreshing poke-like dish. Just enough as an appetizer! 10/10 Fish: 10/10! Can't remember the name, but it had almost like a teriyaki sauce. The only thing is that I wish it was de-boned. Golden Toast: 10/10! I wish they gave us more than one each! Albacore soup: 10/10! I can't remember the exact name of it, but it was creamy and delicious. I typically don't like albacore, so this was great! Charcoal Grilled Galbijjim Steak: 10/10! Loved the sides, and defs a modern take. Very juicy and tender, came with potatoes, too! Dessert: 0/10: Presentation and overall taste was bland. The combination of the yuzu and brownie didn't mesh well, and the matcha dessert needed a bit more sugar, and I'm one to not like anything too sweet. They even gave us a sweet sake in between dishes! Overall, such a great vibe for a date night with a partner or friend. I'd love to try the other items on the menu. read more
This is the first restaurant I've eaten at in a while that sincerely blew me away with the presentation and flavor profile of the dishes. My friend and I had a great time yapping at the bar counter (didn't make reservations before-hand). I will 100% be back to Buoy Bar in the next few weeks to eat again! What we ordered: + Bossam [6/5 - would recommend]: Oh my gosh... I've never had bossam this delicious. The bossam itself is the most flavorful slice of meat ever-- it's nicely crispy from the torch but still dripping in tender sauce. Using it as a wrap for the crunchy fresh veggies underneath was AMAZING. It's such a good dish that I will literally order this every time I come here... + Buoy Ssambap [6/5 - would recommend]: I don't even like fish roe but this dish blew me away. Somehow Buoy has managed to pull together rice & roe to create the most fluffy, light, and refreshing ssambamp I've ever had. The rice is almost unbelievably good and the roe flavor is very light. I was quite pleasantly surprised by this dish! + Honey Butter Potatoes [3.5/5]: Subtle but good flavor, and the cheese was really yummy. I didn't really taste any honey, so this was more like a normal side of potatoes. I personally thought they were a little overcooked and hard to bite into. + White Tiger [4/5]: The cream top and espresso in this was simply amazing; strong, earthy espresso flavor with the fluffiest cream top ever. I would recommend to mix the cream top with the drink as soon as it comes. My only suggestion would be that this cocktail is way too sweet. + Yuzu Spritiz [4/5]: Flavorful, spritzy, and fruity! Really enjoyed this drink. I wish it was a bit stronger. In general, I wasn't really that impressed by the drinks (in comparison to the food). Can't wait to come back. :) read more
10 months ago
We popped in on a Sunday night without a reservation and were able to get lucky bc the bar seats were available for a party of 3. We ordered a mocktail (ginger, pineapple, and fizzy), Pina Colada, and chamomile tea for drinks. To eat we ordered the gluten-free black sesame brownie (wow -- it had a crème brûlée top) -- everything was delicious. The ginger pineapple was quite sweet and the brownie as well, so good to share the love here. Service was great, the bartender and wait staff were warm and attentive. They had pretty full tables and they have an area in the front that's sort of more cozy seating that we'd like to check out for a lounge and bottle popping sip and chill corner. Loved the Kdrama movies projected on the wall. Overall the space, was very modern mid century and great place for a solo or couple drinks or small group gathering, Will be back for sure! read more
2 months ago
An "elevated" Korean restaurant that fails to deliver on the elevated part. They have a 5-course tasting menu for $89 pp that consists of 4 bite sized appetizers and 1 small entree. None of their dishes wowed me. Their scallop dish had little bits of scallops. Their banchan was flavorless. Favorite dish was probably the yukhoe. Their bossam was the worst bossam I've ever had in my life. Tasted like smoked ham. read more
Overrated and overpriced, Buoy Bar certainly won't be in my regular rotation of SF restaurants. I wouldn't have any qualms, had the food been delicious or inventive, but Buoy bar's food is barely pedestrian. The mains, like the Galbijjim steak is passable, akin to Daeho in flavor yet a fraction of the portion. The minari bossam with a scant portion of pork came atop a bed of minari (no surprise there). The minari was nicely seasoned and the pork was good but otherwise nothing remarkable for a dish that clocks in at just shy of $35. I'm struggling to find any saving grace, but the service also was slow and lacking. The rice also, for an item that generally has a high profit margin, came in a portion so measly that I felt almost inclined to ask for more à la Oliver Twist style. God, this was disappointing... Truly no wonder why it was easy to snag a reservation on a Friday. read more
We had a great dinner at Buoy Bar in San Francisco. Our group of five arrived around 6:45pm and were seated right away. The space is modern and stylish, and it transforms nicely from its daytime role as a café into a lively dinner spot with a full bar. We ordered five dishes to share, which ended up being the perfect amount of food for our group. Everything we tried was really good, flavorful, well-prepared, and nicely presented. I had one Golden Kick mocktail that was refreshing and well-balanced, and my friends said their cocktails were excellent as well. Overall, Buoy Bar delivered a wonderful dining experience: great service, delicious food, and a sleek, contemporary atmosphere. We'd definitely come back. read more
Opened July 2025. Buoy bar is a nighttime addition to the Buoy Cafe during the day. Sunday night party of 2 6pm reservation made on open table. Walked in and was greeted by the bartender. Dimly lit, a cute date night ambiance. We sat at the bar and had great view of the head chef prepping the food. (Best seat in my opinion) Started with the Soju Einspanner (coffee and soju) great mix and not overpowered with alcohol taste. Yuzu carpaccio inside a skinned tomato?! The amount of citrus paired with the fresh fish was so refreshing... Haemul - OMG BUTTERY GARLICKY HEAVEN... mixed with crispy rice and clam overload oh wait there's more.... Abalone and octopus, all so tender and went so well together !!!! I've never tried a Korean dish like this and I am blown away. Charcoal grilled galbijjim steak - right amount of sweetness topped with chimichurri sauce. Sides of Shishito peppers, onions and potato's... this dish was also fantastic! I had a hard time choosing between this and the Bossam. Kimchi- 10/10 not your normal fermented kimchi, but rather kimchi mixed right there and served !! Crunchy, flavorful and right amount of spice. Salt bread- fluffy, sweet, light, salty... melt in your mouth... Esther was super sweet and helpful in the whole ordering process and describing everything to us. We felt so welcomed and our experience at Buoy Bar was great! We will definitely be back again. Their menu does change & I can't wait to try more of their food. read more
Came here on a Wednesday evening for dinner with three of my girlfriends and had a great overall experience. The interior was modern and stylish, creating a nice atmosphere for catching up over food. Service was also excellent -- our server was friendly, attentive, and even helped us take a great group photo (thank you!). The reservation process was super easy too, which made things convenient. Food-wise, everything we ordered was good and well-prepared, but the portion sizes were on the smaller side. Luckily we weren't too hungry, but we still ended up ordering a few dishes to feel content. Given the portion sizes, the prices felt a bit high for what you get. Overall, Buoy Bar is a lovely spot with great service and a nice ambiance, though I'd recommend it more for a relaxed evening out than if you're looking for a hearty meal. read more
We came here to celebrate a bday a few months ago. The only available seating that I was able to book was the lounge which has a coffee table. When we arrived we saw a table that was open so we asked if we can sit there, but they said no. We had the lounge area to ourselves until another party came, but when they asked if they can take that table that I asked about, the server allowed them to sit there. I liked most of the dishes we ordered here. We started with the watermelon tuna; it was hard to tell at first which piece was watermelon and which was tuna. But the dish was good so we decided to try another raw fish dish and got the yuzu yellowtail which tasted even better. I've made perilla pesto noodles at home but was curious to try their version which was good too and quite filling. I was trying to decide between the galbi crunch or the soy braised galbijjim. We decided to get the galbi crunch which was good. The dish that we didn't like was the mini bibimbap which was too salty. I wanted to try the gamjatang at the time but they just removed that dish from their summer menu. So we decided to get the clam dish, but the server warned us it's also salty. I asked if they're able to not use dairy for the dish, so she said they'll try but they've never made it that way before. The dish was pretty tasty and actually wasn't too salty. The hot salt bread that came with the dish was yummy too but I preferred eating it on its own rather than dipping it in the clam broth. But there were so many clams that I was full so I ate a little and packed it to go. I'm not sure if it's because I didn't eat much of it but they offered to comp the clam dish. They noticed that I checked birthday on the reservation and surprised us with a candle and dessert on the house; the black sesame mochi dessert was delicious too. Thank you. read more
Loved seeing a modern Korean cafe-to-bar open in Hayes Valley. The vibes here are soft and cozy, and the cocktails are creative and well made. We shared some carpaccio and butter sake clams, and my boyfriend got the minari bossam. Nothing in particular stood out to me, but I would come back during the day for the salt bread. Boyfriend recommends the clams. I'm conveniently pescatarian, but one thing I noticed is that there's virtually nothing on the menu that is vegetarian or vegan friendly. Hoping this review can be a gentle suggestion for new item that accommodates more dietary preferences! read more
8 months ago
1 year ago
Move over Espresso Martini because there's a new IT drink in the city: Soju Einspänner. For a year and counting, einspänner (espresso w/ layer of whipped cream) has been all the rage and now it's made it into the cocktail scene. Buoy Bar is the first (that I know of) to introduce the soju einspänner, soju that's been infused with coffee for 48 hours and topped with a frothy salted cream to keep you lit and SO excited like Jessie Spano through the night. I'm already anticipating Bay Area influencers flocking to Buoy Bar for this. *Cue in all the "Come with meeeee" tiktoks* But, for those who can't drink coffee (like me), Buoy Bar has a great list of soju, sake, and low abv cocktails to pair with delicious eats. Buoy opened last year and is known for their Korean rice flour desserts (love their roll cakes + salt bread) and trendy café drinks. The owner and brainchild, Esther is now venturing into savories with the soft opening of her nighttime Korean bar. M E N U Contemporary Korean Wine Bar with Tapas style dishes inspired by night markets and traditional Korean home cooking. 20% service charge that's not gratuity. No additional tip is expected but can be added. D R I N K S * Hououbiden Asahimai Sake ($22): https://tinyurl.com/mrxdc3tw Smooth and silky with a clean, crisp finish. Lightly sweet. * Seoul Breeze: Soju, asian pear, ginger ($14) Fruit forward, easy to drink. Not too sweet. F O O D * Complimentary Bar Snacks: Dried Dates & Coconut Chips * Salmon Carpaccio: Salmon, crunchy onion oil, pomegranate, avocado puree, beetroot tuile ($20): https://tinyurl.com/59ptf45c Break off a piece of tuile, top it with a slice of buttery salmon, avocado, and pomegranate - great contrasting crispy-soft textures with a delicious pop of tangy sweetness. * Kampachi Yuzu: Kampachi, soy orange sauce, chive oil, yuzu kosho, chilli, seaweed rice paper chips ($21): https://tinyurl.com/5cbdb7a2 Fresh mild amberjack complemented with bright citrus flavor and a kick of spice. Served with addictively crunchy seaweed rice chips as a vessel. * Yukhoe: Beef tartare w/ sweet soy garlic sauce, egg yolk, parmigiano-reggiano, asian pear ($27): https://tinyurl.com/46bydx2y Nice twist on a classic Korean app, the shavings of parm added a complex umami to the savory sweet beef tartare. * Galbi Crunch: Crispy fried short ribs w/ caramelized marinade ($17): https://tinyurl.com/2xtte8ez A good bar snack, the LA cut short ribs are battered, fried to a golden brown and topped with crushed mildy spicy chips and parm. Make sure to squeeze the charred lemon all over before enjoying. * Mini Bibimbap: Garlic rice, house-pickled onions, flying fish roe, kimchi, seaweed flakes ($12): https://tinyurl.com/ypmads8j The bibimbap (mixed rice) was elevated with the garlicky rice, full of savory flavors with a tangy spice and toasty flavor. * Perilla Pesto Pasta: Housemade perilla pesto w/ brisket, dried cherry tomatoes ($19): https://tinyurl.com/mpszfys7 Creative twist on a Italian classic, perilla leaves are used instead of basil creating a distinct herbacousness with a pleasant minty and earthy flavor. TBH, the brisket was not needed because the pasta stood on its own. * Butter Sake Clams: Manila clams w/ pine nut based broth, sake, butter, ginseng, chili, Korean salt bread (OTH): https://tinyurl.com/mtv6rnny Esther graciously brought this over for us to try because this is one of her fav dishes. Perfectly cooked, tender clams in a rich, soulful broth with the slight bitterness from the ginseng. The warm housebaked Korean salt bread is crisp on the outside with a fluffy cloud-like interior. SO BOMB when dipped into the broth. GET THIS! * Galbijjim: Korean-style braised short ribs in a sweet soy glaze, potato, charred shishito, shallots ($36): https://tinyurl.com/4ssna7t8 Love their modern twist on this traditional hearty Korean stew with the crispy baby potatoes and charred shishito peppers. The English cut short ribs were meaty and tender with a deep savory umami. S E R V I C E Our server, Ken was awesome - friendly, engaging, and attentive. Prompt food service with no lags. A M B I A N C E Sexy, sleek date night vibes with 7-8 tables, one booth, chef's counter seating, and comfy living room lounge area. P A R K I N G Street parking and there's a parking lot at the corner. Overall, Buoy Bar is a great addition to the city's food scene offering a curated drink menu and serving Korean tapas with modern, creative twists on the classics with well-balanced flavors (not dumbed down). IMO, def worth a trek across OR into the city for because you're not going to find any dishes like this in the bay! read more
I was excited to try Buoy Bar after seeing this Korean tapas bar open up in the Buoy Cafe space! My friend and I came for an early dinner before seeing a show at the Orpheum nearby. I started with the Soju Einspanner which I have to say was what I was most looking forward to trying after researching the menu and it was definitely the highlight of the meal. The soju espresso mix was great and the thick layer of whipped cream was such a treat! It's more of a dessert drink than something I would have with a meal ideally but the thick frothy salted cream was so so scrumptious and I loved eating it with a spoon with the coffee infused soju. For food we shared the Tuna Crisp, Butter Sake Clams, and Chili Jjamppong Pasta. The Tuna Crisp reminded of a spicy tuna tartare on a nice crispy chip. While I liked the creamy topping with crunchy garnishes, the combination was a bit bland. On the other hand the Butter Sake Clams and Jjamppong Pasta were both too salty for my taste. The pasta was bit better and I enjoyed the overall flavor but it could have been spicer and I was missing the rich seafood flavor of jjamppong noodles. The clams were the biggest letdown as I hoped for something with deeper flavor but this was just salty. It comes with a salt bread on the side which is a fun idea. I liked the salt bread itself but a bit odd to pair it with a super salty creamy clam sauce. The bread on its own is buttery, rich and topped with salt crystals so it wouldn't something I would want to dip in a salty creamy sauce. Would have preferred some crusty sourdough or something more plain in flavor honestly. Overall I love the concept of a Korean tapas bar but the execution of the food could be better. The ambiance and service is great and it's such a cool space but the food itself I'd give a 3 stars (especially given the price), bumping it up with the ambiance and cocktails taken into account. read more
Afternoon coffee + baked goods at The Buoy is always a go-to -- their fruit rolls and little bites are a must. But now they've leveled up with The Buoy SF Bar -- serving up innovative, beautifully plated dishes with Korean flavors at the core. Party of 5 and every single dish was beautifully presented and delicious. Fresh innovative ingredients and taste! My favorite was the perilla pesto pasta- some may say it's an acquired taste but if you love perilla leaves then highly recommend this creative and innovative dish! The minari pork bosam was also interesting - loved how the tofu was served as a purée mix with Korean daengjang vs whole raw tofu. Every bite was unique to its individual dishes. Stunning ambiance, excellent service (thank you Esther) and a cool bar/lounge vibe. Highly recommend checking it out! #TheBuoySF #KoreanInspiredEats #SFSpots #FoodieReel read more
ugh i simultaneously want to gatekeep this spot and tell everyone about it. if anyone asks me for a under-hyped restaurant rec, this is my spot. the ambiance is dark and moody and is amazing for a date night or girls night out (book the lounge on opentable for a group you won't regret it). the bar seating is super cute as well. service was also great, our waiter would come over and explain every dish for us! now onto food: everything was so, so good and well-portioned. the plates all look small, but i promise you'll be full. don't skip out on the drinks as well! i really enjoyed my white tiger (basically a boozy einspanner). some highlights for me were definitely the golden toast (really unique and flavorful app, would not think to pair avocado, ssamjang, and sashimi), butter sake clams with octopus (this was HUGE and the octopus was super tender! also loved the bits of scorched rice in the soup), and the minari bossam (such a great flavor and texture contrast). overall, buoy is one of my top restaurants in sf and i highly recommend! (but don't blow this place up too much please i still want to be able to make reservations lol) read more
4.5 stars My friends and I made a dinner reservation here before going to a concert at the Warfield, and it ended up being a great start to a fun night! Two of us arrived first and they seated us before the other two arrived, which was much appreciated. The menu is pretty small but we still had decision fatigue, so our server gave us some recommendations and suggestions for how many dishes to order from each section of the menu. - Minari bossam: This was SO GOOD. I've never had bossam so thinly sliced before, but it was kind of a game changer. The pork was so fragrant and paired well with the ssamjang and kimchi. I later learned that the bed of leaves are minari (and not cilantro, thankfully). - Charcoal grilled galbijim steak: The steak was perfectly tender, and the potatoes and onions on the side were marinated so well. - Truffle honey butter potatoes: I loved how these were crispy outside and fluffy inside.The honey butter and truffle flavors were well balanced and not overpowering. The dipping sauce was so good too! - Buoy ssambap: This was good but didn't impress us as much as the other dishes. We were all confused when it was brought out because we didn't expect it to be under a mountain of perilla leaf LOL. The fish roe helped change up the texture of the dish, but flavor-wise this wasn't anything special. - Yuzu spritz: I loved the yuzu flavor of this, though couldn't taste any alcohol (but maybe that's a good thing for some people). - White tiger: This sounded unique with the espresso-infused soju so we had to try, and it did actually taste kind of like coffee! Also no strong alcohol flavor. Service was attentive, especially in the beginning when we couldn't decide what to order and multiple servers came by to ask if we needed help lol. The prices were a little high for the portions, but the quality made up for it. I'd definitely come back again, especially for the bossam! read more
6 months ago
I've been to Buoy twice now, and the food has been nothing short of amazing both times. It's the kind of place where every dish is a standout, from the delicate flavor of the yuzu carpaccio to the perfectly grilled wagyu galbijjim steak. The commitment to fresh, high-quality ingredients is obvious. Beyond the incredible cuisine, the atmosphere is perfect. It's moody, cozy, and has that effortless, intimate vibe that makes it an ideal choice for both a relaxed get-together with friends or a romantic date night. The service really puts it over the top, though. The staff is super attentive without being intrusive. They take the time to explain each dish and even offer tips on how to properly experience the flavors. It's a complete experience that keeps me coming back. MUST HAVES: -Golden Toast - Yuzu Carpacccio - Chili Jjambong Soondubu - Ginseng Sake Stew -Minari Bossam read more
6 months ago
Holy crap that meal was transcendent. It's dinners like these that remind me why I keep coming back to try new restaurants. the ambience of this bar is wonderful and the food is a masterful blend of Korean traditional and high cuisine. They make their own fresh kimchi, along with many other sauces. The technique and intention in both the drinks and the dishes is phenomenal. Don't worry about reading more reviews, if you are reading this just know you have to give this place a try. read more
4 months ago
Mistakenly posted under Bouy, which is just the cafe/earlier service that ends at 3pm: Finally made it back for a dinner. The "Golden Toast", with avocado and hamachi, was excellent. I really liked that the perilla oil came through and was nicely balanced by a sun dried tomato. We followed it with the chili jjambong sundubu, which was more sundubu than jjambong, but delicious nonetheless. Garlicky and rich broth, clams and thinly sliced beef make this a must try item. Finally, we finished with the minari bossam, which was not what I was expecting at all. Usually the pork belly is cut into thick, squarish pieces, many times with soft cartilage running through. These were thinly cut transverse pieces like bacon. They were incredibly tender, seasoned with sesame oil and pepper. Accompanied by minari, which is like a cross between water cress and parsley, jeotggal (lightly fermented, salted seafood and kimchi side), and tofu ssamjjang (a creamy salty "spread" made with tofu and gochujang), this one kind of blew my mind. Roll these into each piece of pork belly for a "perfect bite". This dish goes so well with soju, which is what we independently decided to drink this night. We sat in the lounge instead of at the bar this time, which made it a much more relaxing experience. It kind of felt like being in a hotel lounge. The service was very good, as before, but it's a little harder to get attention because you are out if sight from the main dining area--both a plus and minus. read more
5 months ago
9 months ago
Buoy Bar is a great new addition to the Hayes Valley neighborhood. We've been missing solid Korean food in the area, and this definitely hit the spot. The menu leans more upscale and contemporary rather than home-style Korean, but the flavors were well executed across the board. The bossam stood out--delicately prepared sous-vide pork paired with pine nut ssamjang and minari leaves, which worked really well together. Service was warm and attentive. One small miss: it would've been great to have some traditional banchan to snack on before the meal. Overall, excited to see Buoy Bar make waves in Hayes Valley. We'll definitely be back to try more as the menu continues to expand. read more
1 year ago
Very cute date night spot. Cool ambiance and movies playing from a projector. Food was very delicious and comforting in the best way possible. I would definitely come back. The staff were very friendly! read more
3 months ago
I don't know why people aren't talking about this place more!! Definitely top 10, maaaybe even top 5 fave restaurants in SF. My GF was in town from NY (and you know they have a top notch culinary scene out there), even she said it was SO GOOD. I went home and instantly told my BF that I'm taking him there. Got the fried wagyu appetizer (I'd go back just for that), the potatoes, the one single scallop was extremely favorable but they should have had 2 of them in that dish and we got the thinly sliced pork as our main dish; I'd never eaten pork like that, where you wrap a piece of kimchi in it and then dip it in their chunky DELICIOUS sauce!! I will be coming back to have that again and honestly it tasted good as leftovers. We ordered 4 appetizers, their only rice dish, and 1 main and we were stuffed. Not to mention bottomless soju cocktails, we cleaned up 4 each. There aren't that many tables, we waited about 20 minutes and sat at the bar but I'd recommend making reservations. Again, people are not talking enough about this place. 10/10 on the food. I would've liked to be checked on just a little more by our server, but I'll live, and they play Korean movies on the projector. They also sell really cute merch, best believe I bought a shirt. Great bar, even better food. Chef's kiss read more
Food: - Kampachi Yuzu: one of my brother's favorites! Well balanced dish from the mild sweetness of the fish to the acid from the yuzu to the crunch from the seaweed rice paper chip - Yukhoe: leans more Asian pear/sweet forward vs other yukhoe that I've had but I actually liked that especially with the other flavors we ordered. This was one of my favs - Butter sake clam: the salt bread was chefs kissss - my single favorite item of the night. I was a bit worried given some of the other reviews which mentioned it was very salty, but I found that wasn't an issue (likely fixed the issue). I found the sauce to finish a bit more bitter than what I typically prefer. - Perilla Pesto Pasta: really loved the twist of using perilla leaf as the base for the pesto! - Chili Jjampong: so much flavor here and the serving size is pretty large too! Definitely would recommend ordering - Black sesame mochi: I'm a huge black sesame fan so this hit just the spot. I really enjoyed the additional mochi I've been to Buoy before for their roll cakes, so I was super excited to hear about the launch of the Buoy Bar (congrats on the opening!) when browsing the Infatuation's hit list. Reservations were fairly easy to secure and the service was very attentive. They checked frequently and I never had to worry about an empty glass of water. It's definitely worth a visit for the salt bread alone but I can't wait to return to try the soju einspanner or their mains. read more
5 months ago
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22 Franklin St
San Francisco, CA 94102
Hayes Valley, Civic Center
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(415) 416-9409
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http://www.thebuoysf.com
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