Love this place! It's like a mini pub which is perfect for either large gatherings or just a date. Staff explained the menu well and food was well made. Love the ambiance inside with kpop videos on the tv and music. They have a soju wall when you walk in! Grilled pork - pork was tender, well seasoned, came with kimchi and cheese. Goes well with rice! Corn cheese - a must order. Cheesy, sweet, I love having it with meat or solo. Fried chicken - forgot to take a pic but flavors were very mild. read more

Chingu - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Open late for tasty eats! A group of friends and I ate here past 9pm on a Saturday to celebrate another friend's dance performance. So their group of about 30 took over almost the whole place while 5 of us joined in at another table. We made it in time for late night happy hour 9pm-11pm! It was about a 30 min wait for the table. HH: *6pc half and half fried chicken x2 (soy garlic & sweet n spicy) *Corn cheese *Mandu *Calamari rings *Lychee Soju Regular menu: *Army stew *Grilled Beef Ssam *Deep fried chicken skin We were so hungry after watching the performance, can't even imagine how the performers felt! The stew came out first. My spice tolerance must've gone up. It was medium spicy and had lots of stuff in it like hot dog, spam, cabbage, zucchini, rice cakes, ramen, mushrooms, etc. Grilled beef ssam had lots of meat and was plated nicely. The platter was heated on the hot plate so we cooked the beef more. Chicken wings were great! Loved the soy garlic. Mandu was so good! Dumplings are my favorite and these were so crispy. Calamari wasn't bad; they looked like onion rings with the fried batter. Corn cheese was cheesy haha. Fried chicken skin arrived last. Fun times clinking shot glasses full of soju. The group we dined with were so loud but it was all in good fun. Chingu is a great late night spot to chill with friends. Wait staff was prompt and accommodating. Food didn't take too long to arrive. They bring out each dish as soon as it's cooked. Make note the restroom doesn't lock so if the door is slid closed, it's occupied. They have a sign on the door. Street parking and there should be some lots and garages nearby. read more

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Small table for two. We ordered 3 dishes and they barely fit on our table. The food is just average. We added cheese to our tteokbokki, and I would say the spice level is at a medium. This was the most solid dish at this restaurant imo. Korean fried chicken was slightly crispy but mostly saucy. The soy wings were better than the sweet and spicy ones. The beef ssam... I honestly don't know what's going on with that dish, but the flavors didn't really impress. The beef is TOUGH. If only it were tender. Every bite I had to chew the hell out of it. Also, we ordered a bowl of rice and the rice was hard as if it had been sitting in that bowl for over a day. read more

We made a reservation and went here after work. The restaurant opened late and comp us with a free bottle of soju woohoo~ the service was quick. The place has nice korean pub vibe and laid back. The waiter is fast and attentive. I enjoyed the food although we ordered too much. The bossom wasnt what i expected it to be. I was hoping for more clean and boiled pork lol but it was tasty no matter what. I would come back and max the happy hour time. read more

Chingu - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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This place is super aesthetic, both inside and out! The service was great, and the food was pretty good overall. The chicken wings were a little dry, but the army stew was warm and comforting. The tteokbokki was good, but the fried mandu were definitely my favorite! read more

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Quality/Quantity - More of a bar than a restaurant. Us young hip cool people come here to drink and hang out. And of course, we have to get some Korean Tapas while drinking. LOL. But today, my daughter wanted a quieter place, so we decided to go to Mala Town Express instead; sorry. Be back next time with a younger hipper crowd than my daughter, lol. HH available; see picture or their website. HH very simple menu; see their website. Decent size regular menu. Ambiance - Small local business. Counter table and regular table seating. Music blasting, think night club. Very limited metered street parking. Free parking on weekends. Open 6 days a week from 5pm or 6pm to 10pm, midnight, or 1am. Again, think of a bar scene. Service - Very welcoming. Good service. Cracked a few jokes. Price - Reasonably priced. Especially during happy hour. Do keep in mind that these are tapa size portions. And while drinking, it can add up... Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 2024; look forward to coming back. read more

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Amazing service and food! My friend and I shared the Japache noodles & Kimchi fried rice and omg it was delicious and super shareable since they are large portions! Love the noodles for takeout or to dine in. They also have a SUPER spicy sauce if you want some... beware! A drop goes a long way . Love Chingu! read more

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A little context here: I just came out of a late showing of Disclosure day (terrible btw don't watch). And after 2.5 hours of one of the worst theater experiences in recent memory we needed some grub. Love the area ofc and the fact that the spot is open late. The food was alright. Didn't blow me away but was good. Props to the server who had to deal with a party of 10 larpers at 11:00pm on a Tuesday. Thinking back, the Bibimbap was a little bit on the oily side. Let's just say I became Lewis Hamilton on the drive home read more

Chingu - Bibimbap / 비빔밥 - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Went on a Thursday evening, maybe a couple of hrs, right before the opened. Party of 4 & we were seated right away, because they were not busy at all. The employee who greeted us, was super friendly, he was also our waiter & stayed on top on making sure we were good with water refills, or any questions we had about the menu. You have to find parking on the street OR they have parking garages. Variety of items to choose from on the menu, appetizers, soups & main dishes & we were able to get a little bit of everything. Pricing was not too bad, for the amount they give for each dish. Everything also had its own unique different flavors. read more

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Food stopped being serve at a certain but we came to for the soju and it did not disappoint! The interior was simple, with plenty of ambiance lighting. It was my kind of vibe where we can just sit at a table, good music going on, and just drink with some friends! Service was great, they were attentive and quick to bring out our bottles. A good, chill place to drink with some friends! read more

It's so nice having a late night option that's not fast food. Chingu has some great bar bites and some huge portions especially after a night of adult juice activity. It's a great casual feel. I especially love the cheese corn. read more

Came by for a late dinner with friends around 730pm so we were able to catch the back end of the happy hour. It was pretty empty until around 9pm when alot more people came as I think this is more of a place to hang out after dinner than eating dinner. Parking in downtown San Mateo can be a little challenging but you will find parking around the corner. Food: 4/5 Korean fried chicken - 6 pieces of chicken and a some pickled radishes. Well fried and good flavor 4/5 Bugolgi fries - good portion and the bugolgi tastes good. Just feels right eating bugolgi on top of fries 4/5 Corn cheese - you can never go wrong with this cheesy goodness 3/5 Perilla pancake with fish paste was just okay Definitely would recommend as a place to hang with friends and enjoy some food and drink! read more

Chingu - Happy hour menu 6-8pm - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Cozy Korean tapa spot opened until late hours for those looking for a late night snack or late dinner. The vibes are definitely immaculate with the kpop music, music videos playing on the wall with a projector, detailed decorations like the soju bottle wall, and more. Will definitely make you want to stay for a long period of time talking. We visited the restaurant twice, and the first time the food deserved a 5/5 rating. However, on our second visit, the food leaned more towards a 3.5-4/5. The Korean fried chicken was very salty with a very thick batter. It was also a little over fried to the point where the meat was dry and bones broke in half easily. Will probably come back a third time to break the tie to see which one is more of the real experience. PSA: there are some details that they do not inform you ahead of time. For one, there is a small additional fee if you pay with a card. The second thing is that if you ask for extra lettuce or leaves with your bossam, it is also an additional cost. We didn't find out until we saw the receipt. read more

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A little hidden gem if you are looking for good Korean food or have late night munchies. My favorites were the Korean oden and the egg soufflé. Amazing flavors on a cold night. Kimchi fried rice was good too. My only critiques were the wings and short ribs were over sauced where it was a little too caramel like. Service was excellent. Enjoy so much by the gentlemen attending our table. Highly recommend. read more

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this place is a hidden gem in San Mateo..the food is very tasty and my family who always loves Korean food believe that this place is a A+ rating. The service is excellent, they are all attentive to their guests needs. Will be back definitely! read more

Chingu - our order..the tofu soup, the pork belly, kalbi , chicken wings, chicken skin, calamari ! all excellent!!!! - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

The waitress was especially unhelpful when it came to deciding what to order. We asked "how sweet is the fried chicken?" and she replied "that's a weird question to ask". How is it weird to ask about the taste profile of the dishes on the menu that is your job to explain to customers?! So anyway, we ordered the fried chicken, half in each variety, and the sweet-and-spicy variety was indeed a saccharine nightmare. The honey soy chicken was good though. On the other hand, the starters (blanched bean sprouts and pickled napa cabbage) were very nice, the side of radishes with the chicken was nice, and the sizzling plate pork and bean sprouts was especially tasty. Although I would very much like to eat this dish again, the fattiness of the pork belly might be a concern. The interior has some panels resembling shipping containers, which is a terrible idea because they do absolutely nothing to dampen noise, so it's incredibly loud inside just from people's conversations being bounced around. read more

Chingu - Fried chicken (half-and-half), banchan (side dishes), and stir-fried pork belly. - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

Very classic pocha experience - drinks, shareable bar bites - great for a gathering with friends. Came here on a Friday night with a large group (10 people), and we were able to easily make a reservation earlier in the week online. Everything was setup when we arrived, with prompt and friendly service. It's not a large space, 2 high top tables by the window and probably 5-8 tables with stools/benches inside. We ordered food and drinks for the table, everything was good and very shareable. Out of the apps, I liked the stir-fried chicken gizzards most, with the sweet and sour wings a close second (the hot were pretty spicy and I like spicy food!). We did double up on some orders and I think the portion sizes could've been a bit larger at that price point, but overall we left satisfied read more

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The food is pretty bad. The kalbi short ribs were super tiny pieces and no depth of flavor only sweet. The fried chicken wings were dinky and itsy bitsy for the price. The only thing saving the meal was the army stew. Hard to mess this up but at least it was kinda filling. Only 6-7 tables and high tables by window. More of a place to just get a drink rather than dinner. Service was good. read more

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Annyeonghasayoh my chingus, let's talk about Chingu! It means friend in Korean. And what a great name, because I came here with my friend after a flight to SFO. We came by at around 8:30 on a weeknight, and we were sat right away. The small restaurant is designed like your typical loungey club-like Korean drinking spot, with dark walls, simple decor, and vibey music. Bar food and Korean staples are the name of the game here at Chingu, so that's exactly what we got. I got a dolsot bibimbap, which is the hot stone pot mixed rice, and my friend got the Korean Fried Chicken, opting for a combination one with two flavors. I think Korean Fried Chicken has been solved, because the average chicken I have at these places is pretty stellar in general. Great thing to get if you want something tried and true. I also really liked my bibimbap. Pretty standard stuff, with bean sprouts, mushrooms, bulgogi, carrots, etc. Something super familiar that I think most folks would be totally cool with! We're not huge drinkers, but that would be THE thing to do here too, so if you're hankering, this is the spot for you! read more

Overall, a pretty solid Korean dining experience with a few highlights and a few minor downsides. The marinated raw shrimp was my favorite -- super fresh and slightly sweet. It's perfect with rice, especially when you wrap it with seaweed. Definitely a must-order. The corn cheese was also really good. Sweet corn with stretchy melted cheese is always a winning combo, and this one didn't disappoint. It's one of those dishes I always order at Korean restaurants. Unfortunately, they were out of beef for BBQ that day, so we went with pork instead. It was a bit on the salty side -- I feel like the beef would have been a lot better. The fried chicken skin portion was generous, but a little too dry for my taste. It's okay overall, just nothing particularly memorable. We also ordered a soybean paste tofu soup, which had that classic doenjang flavor -- rich, savory, and comforting. I personally really enjoyed it. The interior is also worth mentioning -- the wall decorated with bottles looks really cool, especially when the lights are on. It gives the place a nice atmosphere. read more

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Nice addition to downtown San Mateo! I wouldn't go here for dinner but instead light bites with friends. Portions are a little small for the price. Food came out quickly. I came here a long while back when they were in soft launch period, so my review may be wildly out of date. Chicken Wings: 3.5/5 A little dry, but flavor was good. Nice and crispy. Japchae: 4/5 Quite tasty, though noodles could be firmer. Tofu Stew: 4/5 Quite different from tofu stews at BCD or SGD, but not bad. A cross between regular tofu stew and soybean stew. Beef Ssam: 3/5 Not quite what we were expecting. Grilled beef that you can wrap with lettuce or perilla leaf. Would not get again for the price. read more

Came here on a Saturday night for a birthday party and had a great experience. The interior was beautifully decorated, and the waiters were very friendly. We ordered the tteokbokki and fried chicken wings, which were both delicious, especially with the soju. Although there was a mix-up with our order, the staff were very attentive and corrected it quickly. They even gave a free bottle of soju to the birthday girl, which was a really nice surprise! Would highly recommend if you're looking to celebrate a birthday or just for a night out! read more

Chingu - Tteokbokki / 떡볶이 - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Wow this place is such a vibe! So happy my friend showed us this spot because I want to come back asap. I love the decor and how casual it is. We opted to get some snacks and drinks before dinner. We gazed at the menu and you can definitely eat a full on dinner or lunch here. -chicken skins: 5/5, this was sooooo good. So crispy and tasty. It came with mayo as the dipping sauce. I wish it came with vinegar because that's what I'm used to but it was still good. -honey butter almond makgeolli: 4/5, first time having this and I was surprised at how sweet it was! Such a delicious pairing with the chicken skin. -makgeolli: 4.5/5, I liked the flavor of this more than the honey butter but I'm glad I got to try both! So delicious Coming here for a snack makes me really excited to come again to try their other meals. Will definitely be coming back again read more

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Hidden germ in San Mateo downtown! Food are delicious. Pork bossam are tender, flavorful. I love eating that with bachan and melted cheese. It came with lettuce too and it's a refreshing way to eat the bossam. The corn cheese comes in a hot plate which is the best way to serve corn cheese. The place is very cozy, great place to hang up with friends. Servers are VERY friendly and helpful. I had a very good dining experience here and for sure will come back if I am in the area again. read more

Chingu - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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A nice Korean restaurant with good service and food. It is small with casual feel to it. Seating is tight but not claustrophobic. I went here with my family and ordered sundubu jjigae, bibimbap, galbi and Korean fried chicken. The bibimbap and jjigae was well made and tasty. The Galbi, however, was way too greasy and the fried chicken -- the appetizer -- came last and was lukewarm. The staff was very friendly and were helpful. read more

The price is steep for the amount of food you get. There's also very little banchans, only bean sprouts and kimchi in a very tiny dish. Service was great, staff were very friendly. Food was okay, we tried the army stew, fried chicken and galbi. Nothing really stood out, food wasn't horrible but I wouldn't say it's good. Everything is just not memorable. Street parking only. Probably won't come back. read more

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Love Chingu!! Great place to go for drinks and korean food with friends. The service is great, staff is all so friendly and the vibe is overall very chill and good for groups. Drinks - we usually order beer and soju bottles but have also gotten the soju cocktail that comes in a watermelon rind. This was super fun and tasty but you definitely need at least 3 people to help drink it. Food - big fan of the korean fried chicken and kimchi fried rice with bulgogi. read more

My friends and I went around 9pm on a Saturday and there is Happy Hour there and it was great. The restaurant was pretty small but the ambiance inside was very fun. The waiter was very nice ice and helpful. The food was decent. Their spicy Korean Fried Chicken was spicier and more flavorful than expected and I really liked it. Overall, I will definitely come back and would recommend it to people. read more

Nice cozy Korean place in San Mateo. Food: chicken wings are a must. We got half/half spicy and sweet. Sauce is amazing and fried perfectly. Tofu soup was okay and I've had better. Ambiance: service is very attentive. Street parking, but it's on the outer edges of downtown so was t too difficult to find parking read more

Chingu - Chicken wings and tofu soup - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

Went here to eat with my friend before a concert. The wait took super long for just one order of bulgolgi fries. We ordered right when we were sat and the table after us received their food before us. No one came to check in or give us any updates about our order. We might as well should've made it an order for togo. The store wasnt even full and there were empty tables, so trying to justify read more

this review is mainly for the wait. i wanted to enjoy the food and we just ordered bulgolgi fries almost right when we sat down. we saw a table get sat down after us and received their order before us. we just ordered ONE THING. it wasn't even busy too. i would get it if there was a wait but genuinely how long does it take to put some fries in the fryer and grill some meat. idk if i would return. read more

San Mateo sorely needs more Korean options, and Chingu is the first Korean pub food entry into this space. We were the only ones there at opening on a weeknight, and then half an hour later, one other person came in to dine. In fact, the waitress said she was surprised to see us, and said that typically they only really fulfill takeout orders around that time. In an area where tons of Asians traverse, it's really surprising to see a lack of foot traffic for cuisine that's typically very popular in the bay. The place itself seats very little, and is dimly lit with K-pop playing on a projector. We were given crisp cold water with small metal cups to pour in along with complimentary banchan (small cuts of kimchi, bean sprouts, and broccoli). I unfortunately saw that the prices had risen from the last menu posted. I wanted the army stew because the dish is relatively cheaper here compared to other places. I pretty much never order this dish as I can make it at home for infinitely cheaper, but I was curious if it could change my mind. The army stew comes with a circular block of ramen, fresh tofu pieces, Vienna sausage, spam, kimchi, cabbage, zucchini, onion, braised soybeans, a few sprigs of enoki mushroom, and jalapeno slices. The soup looked more flavorful than it was; it tasted like a blander tofu soup base. I think there was just enough meat and tofu for two people, but not enough if you're a big meat eater. Additionally, there was too much cabbage filler, and the stew could have used more starch. The bowl is shallow enough for you to easily find ingredients within, and sits atop a portable burner that they light up for you. I didn't really enjoy my meal here, though the waitress was kind. I also was stressed out at the time, and being let down by the meal did not help. I don't think I'd return with how expensive it is or with the memory of the poor experience. read more

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Best pocha in the peninsula without making the trek up to the city or down to SJ. Super lively, loud and the drinks are flowing. Service is friendly and welcoming. There's a great happy hour Tuesday-Thursday 6-8pm, Friday-Saturday 9-11pm and Sunday 5-7pm! read more

Chingu - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Chingu! The restaurant is pretty cozy, with about three small window tables and two long bench seating areas. I really liked the soju bottle wall at the entrance. My friend and I came here for a late dinner. We got the fried chicken skin, corn cheese, tofu soup, and bibimbap. Everything was tasty, but my only gripe is that the items that were fried tend to be pretty oily! I felt like I was wearing lip gloss after eating the bibimbap (the serving is really large though, worth it for the money!) I would definitely come back but it's good to be aware of the oil levels. Also, the servers here are very informative and friendly!! read more

Food: We ordered the grilled pork ssam ($37) and it was served on a big hot plate with melted cheese, kimchi, bean sprouts and onions. It was good for 2 people. We also ordered the tteokbokki ($19) which was a big portion to share as well. Their food options are mostly to pair with drinks and yapping with friends. Service: There was only one person serving that evening and he was pretty efficient with taking care of all the tables. Ambiance: The restaurant is small and dark, in a good way. It's intimate and gives off a cool hip Seoul vibe. There is a big screen playing Korean videos on the repurposed metal container panels. Hot take: We stumbled across this spot because it was open late on a Tuesday. They're open until midnight on most days. We'd come back again.. with more friends and more Soju :) read more

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A hole in the wall spot in downtown San Mateo for late night Korean food! The inside feels small but there's plenty of tables, and it wasn't crowded on a weekday. Service was attentive and food was brought out fairly quick. It was actually happy hour when we went so we ordered the bulgogi fries and corn cheese which were a few dollars off from the regular price. Happy hour during the weekdays was from 6-8pm. We got the army stew to share among 4 people which was plenty of food. Really enjoyed the army stew and the assorted meats and vegetables it came with. I wish the portions for the corn cheese and fries were a little bigger but the happy hour made it worth it. Would definitely come back to try other food items on the menu and it's a great place to hang out with friends for a late night snack! read more

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I was really excited to try a new Korean pub in the downtown San Mateo area. However, the food did not meet my expectations. We ordered: -corn cheese: literally zero flavor besides a bunch of cheese and not enough corn to ratio. -fishcake soup: this was just okay but some of the fishcakes were not fully cooked and were hard to chew. -chicken wings: again, just ok. Crispy enough to be called Korean bbq chicken but nothing special. -egg soufflé: so bland...never been so disappointed with one of my favorite dishes that's actually super easy to make. -honey butter makkoli: tastes like juice and honestly way too sweet for my palate. Service was great and brought us what we asked for. However, the food could definitely use some work. I love Korean style pub food but this place did not satisfy my cravings. read more

Chingu - Honey butter makkoli - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

I got the Korean street food plus drinks to-go! They had the new honey-butter-almond flavored makkuli (HBAF) too! Whaaaaaaat!!! We definitely will be stopping by again to hang out with the food fresh and hot along with these drinks straight from Korea. What I also realize is that this setup is great for having the night-life feel without the actual drawbacks of being outside with the bugs and the wind and the cold and randos. The buldak chicken was a hit once again, and I was able to get the cheese pull even at home since I got takeout this time. read more

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The food here is good, but the service and ambiance is definitely probably more well suited for younger people without kids. It was hard to get ahold of the servers for the check, they barely looked at us and we had to attempt several times to flag them down. It felt like we were inconveniencing them, they never once smiled or exhibited great customer service. Not only that, we felt like we were a nuisance for bringing a stroller inside. It's super loud in here which is fine, our baby slept thankfully but we could barely converse over the music (maybe that's the point--just not ideal for us as new parents wanting to enjoy each others company) overall probably will not return but at the very least the food was enjoyable! Food 8/10, experience 5/10. read more

Chingu - Corn Cheese - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

This is a chill place to catch up with friends, grab a few drinks, and eat. Our table loved the grilled pork ssam, the half and half Korean fried chicken, the chicken skin, and the honey butter makgeolli. The raw marinated shrimp was delicious and most people were surprised that they liked it. I would skip on their raw marinated crab. It was hard to break and you end up feeling like you wasted food read more

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