We thankfully didn't have to wait that long on a Friday evening -- I think our table was ready in…read moreabout 15-20 minutes at most which was surprising. Beware, they do close off the waitlist signup and will also completely close off the front entrance when they think they have enough guests to be done for the night. You can sign up via Yelp Waitlist online although this is not always guaranteed (we found that sometimes the system glitches and doesn't let you sign up because it doesn't believe that there is enough current wait?) The soups are super high quality and I think I will be coming back on the regular for the tendon seolleongtang in the future. As someone who is super involved in athletic pursuits, I gotta get my collagen fix in to prevent injuries and keep those tendons strong, and this is probably one of the best spots to do it. My GF had the spicy kalbi soup and also really liked it.

Daeho Kalbijjim & Beef Soup has a few locations in the Bay Area and we opted to get on the Yelp…read moreWaitlist for the Japantown location. (Definitely get on the waitlist early because it'll be a good 1-2 hour wait anyway, and they will shut down the waitlist should you attempt to do a walk in.) The estimated wait time was definitely off, as it took about 30 minutes more. After a good long wait, our table of five were seated at the table at the very front by the window. We were never given menus, but did spend our two hour wait perusing the menu already so we had an idea of what we planned on ordering. We had to get up and get our own physical menu. It did take awhile for someone to come and take our order, and eventually the hostess did. They automatically serve water, but do have hot boricha upon request. They only served three different banchans - but I loved the kelp noodles one as it's rare I see it offered. Our dishes: * A2. Kalbi Japchae $14 - The Japchae isn't something I would typically order as a dish, but I did like their version. It was freshly cooked, so it was hot and very tasty. Usually I have it served as a banchan and it's room temp. I also like the noodles they used as it's different than other typical japchaes. * A3. Kalbi Tteokbokki $14 - This Tteokbokki was pretty good too, and the Kalbi was tender and enjoyable. I liked that this dish wasn't spicy as most tteokbokki dishes seem to be. I could easily order this dish on its own and be satisfied with that. * B2. Back Rib Jiim (Braised Back Rib, Special Center Cut) $75 + Mozzarella Cheese $6 * B1. Daeho Kalbijjim (Braised Short Rib) $86 + Mozzarella Cheese $6 As with the kalbijjim, the whole spectacle is having the servers torch the cheese table side. They come armed with two torches, so it makes quite a show. After our server was done doing the first dish, he walked away and we were left wondering which dish it was as we ordered two similar dishes. Each order comes with 2 rice bowls - white or purple. I wasn't a fan of them bringing out the rice bowls early with no covers as the rice got cold. I'm used to Korean restaurants having rice covers and was surprised theirs did not. We were pleasantly surprised with the amount of meat in both dishes, and definitely had leftovers. Our mistake was ordering two dishes that were along the same flavor profile, so we got bored eating the same thing. We should have ordered only one kalbijjim and maybe a suyuk or jeongol. The major issue was we had was the service. We were largely overlooked as those waiting for tables were blocking our section. The staff rarely came by to check on us and we were constantly trying to grab someone's attention without having to get up and chase them down. We also realized we never got serving utensils for our kalbijjim, which would have been helpful. It was a pain trying to get refills on our tea, water, banchan, etc. There is also an automatic 18% service charge, in addition to the 5% mandatory SF ordinance charge. I wouldn't mind the automatic service charge if we got decent service. Constantly trying to get someone attention by waving our hands, napkins, etc. is tiresome and really put a damper on the whole experience.

One of the best Experiences eating out in San Francisco I've had, by far outdid all of the other…read moreKorean spots I've been to in San Francisco when it comes to food, environment, and service. The staff were super welcoming and respectful. The food is amazing, you can tell they take their time and put heir heart and soul into it. It's a very peaceful environment where it felt super easy to communicate and have an enjoyable time with somebody else. I will definitely be coming back and I will recommend this place to everyone I can!

We were hungry and arrived at Japantown at around 8:35pm. We hadn't had time to read reviews or…read morefigure out what our choices were. We parked in the garage and went up to the second floor. There were three restaurants in the immediate vicinity. One told us that they were closed, one was in the process of closing and Seoul Garden was open until 10pm. Many, many years ago, my wife and I ate at Seoul Garden several times. We think that it was called the Emperor's Dinner which was a massive variety of Korean dishes. We're pretty sure that ownership of this restaurant must have changed since then. When we walked in and during the time we were there, we only saw one motorcyclist pick-up an order. There were no other guests. Our table was four adults and two kids. We all had different hunger levels so our order may be considered somewhat odd. Seafood Jun Pan-Fried Mondoo Army Stew Soy & Garlic Wings Mackerel Bibimbop Assortment of 8 Different Banchan (refills were offered) For the duration of our meal, we only saw the gentleman who took our order and served our food. He was very cordial and accommodating. As some other guests have mentioned, the prices are not for the faint of heart. On the flip side, I'm also a believer in that you get what you pay for. The Banchan was excellent and the fact that he asked if we wanted more rather than us having to ask was great. Everything that we ordered was for sharing so people could get a taste of different items. I focused on the Jun, Mondoo, Wings and then did my best to clean up all the Banchan. At the end of our meal, containers were brought out for leftovers and then everyone was served some delicious Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream.

Pricy tapas but worth it especially as a celebration; all dishes even apps were a hit!…read more Appetizers + Hokkaido scallop and shrimp ($28): very smokey cabbage, super flavorful with the mustard seed, pollock sauce (8/10) + Aged kimchi mulhwe ($30): refreshing contrast to the scallop, amazing bite of amberjack w celtuce and chive kombu oil (10/10) Main + Prime rib fingers and rice cake ($32): so fun, crispy tteok but chewy inside w a sweet glaze and crispy tender rib (9.8/10) + Braised black cod ($42): extremely tender and fatty cod but would prefer less gochujang sauce. Daikon, barley, shishito nice small bites (8/10) + Galbi steak ($59 + $5 lettuce wraps and ssamjang): made yummmy bites, ssamjang pulled everything together (8.5/10)

Really appreciated the welcoming atmosphere our server was very informative about the menu and the…read morerestaurant interior makes it a great place for a date night. We ordered the mulhwae and chicken wings Mulhwae was definitely an interesting take but there no distinctive flavor and the soy wings were too salty for my liking. Overall the food was mediocre despite it being a michelin rated restaurant.

YakiniQ really said "leave hungry? never heard of her."…read more Pulled up with my homie Jun because this man treated me to lobster last time and you already know... Asians keep receipts but in a wholesome way We don't split love, we rotate blessings. For $49.99/person, this AYCE Korean BBQ was straight violating my self-control. The short ribs?? HELLA BUSSIN. Like actually criminal. Every bite had me ascending like a TikTok food review in 4K. Meat so juicy I almost stood up and thanked the cow personally. The grill smoke got us smelling like seasoned warriors walking outta there but honestly worth it. Staff kept the meats coming faster than my auntie asking why I'm still single. And let me put y'all onto some elite Chinese vocabulary real quick: "好吃到舔手指" (hǎo chī dào tiǎn shǒu zhǐ) = "so good you lick your fingers." That's EXACTLY the vibe. Finger-licking good fr fr. YakiniQ got me fighting for my life, unbuttoning my pants in the parking lot, and already planning my return. 10/10. No crumbs left. Their "Red Hot" peanut sauce is the carry here - no doubt. Highly recommend with my utmost respectful regards!

Horrible meat quality and even worse service quality…read more Imagine being first in line with a party of 2 and then watching a party of 3 and another party of 2 getting sat before you. Well we didn't need to imagine because we watched it happen in front of our faces. The party of 3 actually got their food and the other party of 2 got their side dishes before we even got our water. You literally have a Yelp waitlist to help you stay organized and all you have to do is follow it. Somehow they still managed to fuck that up. We got the premium AYCE--expecting some higher quality meat. We were deeply disappointed. The SF Cut Short rib was the saddest short rib I have ever seen. There was little to no meat on the bone. The ribeye was extremely thin. Not even a full minute of cooking on both sides and it was well done. At this point I turned the heat down to the lowest setting. The short rib bites were filled with tendons and ridiculously hard to cut much less chew. The boneless short rib and the ribeye caps were skinnier than a coke addict. 10 seconds on each side and they were basically well done. That was the end of round 1--I thought I was being hangry and grumpy so I tried to let them get their redemption. Hahaha or so I thought. We got the miso pork belly which somehow managed to burn itself on the side of the grill while the center part was still raw. I put two pieces on the grill. Clearly the meat cutter didn't know what they were doing because while one looked like it had cancer causing blackness on it the other one was still more raw than a dog. I guess they just can't cut the meat uniformly even. The beef tongue was also extremely thin and burned immediately when put on the grill. It's Korean BBQ--your restaurant and chefs don't even cook the meat. How can you not know how to cut meat properly? Not to mention paying extra for "premium" meat only to have the exact same quality as the rest of your meat. I would recommend this place to anybody who wants their Korean BBQ experience ruined. Honestly come here for your first or second time at Korean BBQ and then go somewhere else and you will be GLAD that the other place exists. YaqiniQ BBQ is by far the worst KBBQ I have been to.

While in SF, you have to visit this cozy establishment on the corner of the street. After my…read moredaughter and I checked in to our room, she was famished. This was her first long drive by herself (we took separate cars). I pulled up my Yelp app to see what was nearby. Not only was it one of our favorite foods to eat, Yasijang has a pretty good start rating as well! Now... if we could've only walked in the right direction, we would've been here within minutes from our hotel, lol! While it was still bright at 7 p.m, as you walk in, the windows are darkened and outdoor lights were strung up inside to set the mood. It felt like you were transformed into another world. Inside seating is limited and each table has a touch lamp. This makes for a more intimate setting. For my daughter and I, we were excited to try something different. Midori was our server. She quickly got us some waters to start. We ordered an apple mango Soju. Soju is a popular alcoholic beverage in Korea. It was very smooth and slightly sweet. My daughter enjoys these. For me, it was too sweet, but I'm someone who doesn't drink juice or soda, so my opinion on being sweet doesn't count, lol. For dinner, we ordered 3 rolls: The Rainbow Roll The Lion King Van Ness Roll All these rolls were very tasty, and my daughter's favorite, The Lion King. She normally goes for this one at any sushi restaurant, but here at Yasijang, the Lion King was unique. It was darkened on top. It seemed to be cooked more to give it extra texture. It was interestingly delicious for me and super delicious for her. I enjoyed all the rolls, but if I had to pick one I liked the most it would be the Van Ness Roll. I like rolls with texture (the cucumber), and this rolls has the thinnest slice of lemon in it.. it made it taste refreshing! My daughter isn't a fan of Wasabi or ginger, so that leaves it all for me... and I do enjoy bites of ginger and here and there. I will put the Wasabi on straight... although ending with that slight burning in my sinus... I don't put it on every roll... but I do use most of what I'm given depending on my mood. While sitting, we watched Midori serve the other tables some interesting dishes, like the Samgyeopsal Gui.. grilled pork belly with kimcheein on a sizzling plate. The smell was beautifully intoxicating for me. They also ordered a soup that cooked at the table. I want to come back to try those! While we had such an amazing experience here, I wouldn't recommend coming here with large groups as it seems to only be able to accommodate 1 larger group at a time and the rest of the tables for 2-3 comfortably after the food is out. However, I highly recommend coming here to try their unique flavors. Yasijang is at the top of my places to go when I come back to visit SF!

My friend and I came here right at 5pm before seeing a 7pm show at the Orpheum on a Tuesday…read moreevening. The place was much smaller than I originally thought and the seating arrangements were interesting. What turned me off was the place smelling like cleaning solution because I'm guessing they cleaned right before opening. It went away after a bit, but it wasn't a great first impression. Food was surprisingly good. - The Spam Roulette was a fun appetizer if you and your company are daring enough. I didn't get the wasabi bomb, but my friend said it was packed - be warned! - The Mini Jeon was very crispy. It was good on its own or with the sauce. Solid choice for something crispy. - The corn cheese was the star. This was by far one of the best that I've had. It's creamy, buttery, and the corn was sweet. The best part was that the cheese had a really nice char flavor from the blow torch. It boosted the flavor of the entire dish. The flavors just worked beautifully in that dish. Highly recommend. - The Sooyuk was a sleeper. It was good but I've had better. - The Volcano Roll was solid. I was hesitant getting sushi at a Korean forward spot, but it was good. Service was okay. There were times we had to signal to the server we were ready or needed their attention because they were talking to another staff. This was when it was just us inside the restaurant. When there were more parties, the service was better. The food came out at a good pace and the server checked in on us multiple times so that's a plus. If you need a place before a downtown show, this is a solid spot that you can go to. They take reservations too which is nice.

best chinese korean restaurant in town i came here since when I was kid same recipe same Owners…read moredelicious food never disappointed

Went there during the Fillmore Festival at around 11:30. Was surprised there weren't more…read morecustomers. I first started eating at this place around 1990 and have at times stopped going once I moved out of the city. I try to go at least once a year. Have always enjoyed their clams, dried fried chicken, jia jiang mian, and seafood noodle soup. Clams were still plentiful, plump, and very fresh. Noodle were still good. The owner recommended I try the Jjamppong and tubot. The jjamppong like their other noodles were good but the standout was the turbot: steamed to perfection, fresh, and tasty. I can't compare it to other fish but it was soft, smooth, and buttery. I have seen the owner before cooking in the kitchen but it looks now father time has caught up and he is thoroughly enjoying helping out in the front. He was talkative and pleasant to talk to.

Will definitely be coming back!!…read more Food: 10/10. Meat cuts (we tried pork belly and bulgogi) were fresh and tasty. Loved the variety of banchan. We also tried the rice cake and dumpling soup (so good) and they even gave the steamed egg on the house (so nice). Portions are generous. Service: friendly staff throughout the experience. There was a waitlist upon arrival on a Friday night, but it moved fairly quickly. Ambiance: casual, cozy vibe.

Food is excellent here!! Arrived Sunday at 5pm and there was no wait. Individual entree prices are…read morepretty high, but they load you up with really delicious and high quality banchan plus steamed egg and barley tea, so it is worth it. The lotus root and pickled radish were my favorite! Service was just okay - we ended up getting a different dish to what we ordered which was unfortunate, but it was still tasty! Also had trouble flagging a server down at times. The ox tail soup was delicious - oxtail just tender enough and broth was nice and rich/gelatinous. I wish they salted it for you though, not sure why this is the one dish on the menu you have to season yourself. I usually look forward to multigrain rice at Korean restaurant but they just serve plain white rice here. Overall, food was excellent and will definitely be back.

Miso soup is so good and flavorful. Ambiance is calm and clean. Chick katsu was flavorful. Staff is…read morefriendly and attentive.

Great experience with my family. We went shopping in Japan town and this was a great way to end our…read moretrip. Food was delicious!

DoorDashed Ollei for work and wow I was so impressed! We ordered the Seafood Pancake, Beef and…read moreSeafood Tofu Soup, and the various Banchan to-go. The portions are HUGE! My tofu soup alone lasted me two meals, and it is exceptionally spiced. There is a lovely seafood broth and the tang of the Korean pepper makes this dish so comforting and warm. The Seafood Pancake was a bit dry and not fried to my preference - but came with generous amounts of squid in the pancake. Overall, enjoyed this and WILL COME BACK. It was so good!

solid korean food at the edge of russian hill…read more the portions will definitely leave you satisfied, and the broths are packed with flavor. it seems the smart way to go is to order several different small plates and share with a group. but still, their main entrees are well made and worth their value.

Awesome place with a huge portion size of food!…read more Good: - Only waited about 5min for a seat on a Sunday night for dinner - They are generous with the banchan and we had a couple refills - The galbi jjim for 2 people was way too much and well worth since it powered 2 more meals after - super fresh and so many toppings - the meat is super soft - The watermelon strawberry drink was huge and great value Bad: - Takes a while for the food to come - The place is pretty small Overall would come again, super comfort food. Great value and just enjoyed the vibes.

super cute small-ish restaurant serving korean dishes and known for galbijjim! we came by to try it…read moreout and i really enjoyed it. it didn't seem too busy on a weekday night and our party of five was able to sit right away. the food also came out quickly once ordered! the only thing is that service could be spotty, as it seemed they didn't have enough staff for the floor when we were there. i didn't mind too much but keep that in mind if you are on a timeline! we tried the galbijjim, which comes with glass noodles, rice cakes, and cheese by default. they also gave us banchan and rice. the galbijjim was saucy and savory with tender meat & lots of cheese. i do think it's less sweet than daeho's version, which can be a plus if you find theirs to be overly sweet! additionally, they include the rice cakes and cheese, which are paid add-ons if you go to daeho. the banchan were better than daeho's in my opinion. their fish cakes were nicely grilled and kimchi tasted great. i only wish they had purple rice as an option! the portion was perfect for five of us so it's a really great value in my opinion. overall a good vibe, great food and banchan, nice portion for galbijjim. service can be slow but they're very kind and helpful.