All the food was really good! Best pork jowl I've ever had - better than Bansang (which I love as well) but this pork jowl had a lot more flavor. Would reorder all the items here! The dessert was also really surprising and sooo tasty! Service was great and the staff made great recommendations! Very nice ambiance and had heaters for outdoor seating. read more

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Cute place with a nice heated outdoor patio. Really lovely vibes and bustling environment. Staff is super friendly and conversational as well! Would recommend making a res as it seemed super busy. Loved the makgeolli flight! Most were pretty good but one was pretty strong. Loved the yakult one and the traditional one. I liked all the food we got, though it's pretty pricey in general. The seoul crudo and tuna dip were great to share - portions were pretty big. There's too much dip for the amount of crackers though. The rigatoni was great but portion was pretty small. Pork jowl was also delicious; loved how it came with lettuce so you could make a wrap. Would definitely recommend! Dessert was a banana injeolmi panna cotta which was light (though also a huge portion) and not too sweet. A fun way to end the meal! read more

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Lovely dinner with girlfriends on their heated outdoor patio! Very friendly and prompt service. $45 per person for a light but tasty dinner, we did get a couple pots of makgeolli that was very tasty! Reservations made a week or so in advance for 4 of us on a Saturday around 6 or 7pm. It was really packed so that was needed. A friend found parking within a few blocks. Seoul crudo - 4 stars, beautiful! Perilla oil noodle - 3 stars, light on flavor. Tuna dip + trout roe - 4 stars Pork jowl jeyuk - 4 stars read more

I came here on a Tuesday evening with a reservation for a party of 5. I would definitely recommend making a reservation early if you plan on eating here because there aren't that many tables and it gets pretty popular during dinner time! We ordered everything family style and got the Rigatoni alla Kimchi Vodka, Pork Jowl, and Korean Popcorn KFC. Honestly, everything was kinda mid except for the kimchi rigatoni lol. That was easily my favorite dish and I would definitely order it again if I came back! I think the best thing about this place is probably the vibes, especially if you can sit outside. They have a really cute outdoor patio that would be perfect for a casual dinner and drinks! read more

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Nice ambience and fun menu. Amex had a credit through resy here which was the reason we came by. Enjoyed the food and drinks (complimentary makgeolli for my bday too!) read more

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Very unique Korean tapas bar with large selection of makgeolli - I'm not totally sold on makgeolli yet but they have a ton! All kinds of different flavors on their menu. It's a sour fermented rice drink. We got pretty much everything on the menu with the exception of the pickles and olives plate. We really wanted the pork jowl but they were sold out (we were seated at 8) - oh well. I really enjoyed everything, the burratta was light and delicious, tuna was great, hamachi excellent, KFC was not super crispy (light breading) but cooked to perfection and I liked the sauce a lot! Nothing was heavy and the dishes are small and thoughtful. Great spot for a date night or bite with friends. Service was excellent as well. read more

Jilli - Warm lighting? Orange lighting - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

Good service, hard to find parking, plenty of tables, but reservations are recommended. Friend had a birthday. They gave her a free rice wine drink! Service was great. Only one bathroom. No ice in ANY of their drinks. Fruit Teas do not have fresh fruit. Waygu beef tartar: Meh, flavorless beef with housemade chips. It's very meh all around which means it needs flavor. It needs some pizazz. 2/5 stars Rigatoni kimchi vodka: OMG was this spicy. Don't be fooled when the menu says not that spicy. Didn't taste the kimchi, I live kimchi by the way, I just tasted hot sauce on noodles. We returned this dish. 0/5 Pork jowl: Tender yes, and the veggies to wrap it with were fresh. Problem was, again no real flavor. Couldn't tell this was marinated for 24 hours. Honestly, it could be marinated for one week, and it still would have been plain tasting. 3/5 Perilla oil noodle: Decent, simple noodles that taste like a simple banchan but for double the price. 3/5 Banana Panna Cotta: If it wasn't for this dish I would have starved and died since I didn't eat much of the other dishes because, well, they weren't that interesting. This panna cotta was jello like and tasty, with an extremely light Banana taste and some crunchy things, I think soybeans or something. 4/5 read more

Jilli - Disappointed with their food/flavors - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

I didn't have high expectations but was very pleasantly surprised by how good the food is here. We made a reservation for 7:30pm on a Wednesday and good thing we did because the place was packed and had a wait! I would definitely recommend making a reservation even for a weeknight. It was quite cozy inside and they also had a heated outdoor patio - not sure if they allow dogs though. We ordered basically their entire menu and the food came out FAST and was so delicious. Everything was cooked perfectly and seasoned very well. The maitake fries and fried chicken were standouts, but everything was tasty. Don't skip dessert because the injeolmi banana panna cotta was the best dessert I've had so far this year at a restaurant. They also have a big drink menu with lots of different makgeolli - we tried their house makgeolli that comes in the traditional tin pot and bowls and it was deliciously fizzy and refreshing and not too sweet. read more

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Had a reservation on Friday night and enjoyed our time here. We liked the sonagi mageoli and food were solid. The fried chicken was battered thinly and the crudo was also really good. Cheese tteboki with crunchy potato on top was a surprisingly delicious choice! Will come back for their other drinks and food. It's a great date spot to try some interesting drinks and Korean inspired tapas read more

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I wandered by this place one random Saturday on a walk and knew I had to come back with friends so we could try as much as possible. We ordered - perilla oil noodle: I had been skeptical of perilla in the past but this dish convinced me. Its muted sharpness paired perfectly with the earthy buckwheat. A great starter since it's not too rich - Waygu beef tartare: I realized I don't like beef tartare but my friends enjoyed! You do have to mix everything before eating though - Tteokbokki: a classic, but could have been a bit spicier to be washed down with the makgeolli. I loved the seaweed crisps as an accompaniment! - Kimchi vodka rigatoni: I don't want pasta unless it's Korean pasta. Flavorful without being too heavy - Pork jowl jeyuk: we were recommended to get 2 servings for 4 people else it would be "just a tasting" but it was too much and too rich after all the rest of the food. Each serving comes with about 8 slices so decide how many as you will. I also found these kinda dry and tough compared to other pork I've had so I wasn't a fave for the wait and price - Makgeolli flight: the namesake of course. We got the curated/recommended flight which came with a dry version, a red yeasty smoothie-texture version, a classic version, and an extra sweet version. The classic and extra sweet were our favorites so we ordered bottles to take home. One flight for 4 people was still enough to make us tipsy Super fun decor inside too! Logistics: - indoor and outdoor seating - Limited street parking nearby but close to the 55 and 22 bus lines - Reservations strongly recommended read more

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Jilli is really small inside actually but they also have a back patio. The server is very informative and attentive. They recommended 2-3 dishes per person, we got 4 savory dishes and 1 dessert. Tteokbokki: spicy and sweet and a good staple, the rice cake was nice and chewy but honestly nothing crazy and a bit expensive so I wouldn't get this again I feel like I could get more umami ones from somewhere else. Perilla Oil Noodles: people might think this is boring but I actually loved it, very simple flavors, and it really brought out the nutty flavors of both the perilla leaf oil and the soba. Crudo: This was probably one of my favorites, very refreshing and the sauce was a slightly tangy, spicy and sweet korean sauce that's also very unique. It's not the typical just gochujang flavor but had more depth and I loved it. Pork Jowl: Okay this was ACTUALLY my favorite one. The pork jowl has the perfect chew and bite to it and wrapped in perilla leaf and lettuce, they also had 2 sauces that were very flavorful. Even this one is pretty unique. Banana bread panna cotta: Lovely light dessert that was strong banana flavor with some rice crumbles on top! Overall this is a great place for a social dinner I'd come back again! read more

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This place is so good!! We ordered a couple items to share between the two of us and may have ordered too much. My top favorite items are probably that Seoul crudo and the pork jowl jeyuk - both absolutely delicious! The rigatoni was also pretty good as well with the kimchi and bacon bits, and the cheese tteokbokki was also surprisingly good and very flavorful! There were crispy bits in this that made it quite nice. Perilla oil noodle was nice palette cleanser for some of the heavier items. The panna cotta was so delicious! Parking is rough but the food and staff are great! There is also patio seating in addition to the indoor tables and bar seating. read more

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Pretty interesting fusion Korean bar snack spot Nice cool vibes - moody lighting and good for chatting and catching up Fav dishes were the jowl and yukhoe. They were savory and pretty balanced. Yukhoe had good seasoning and not too slimy and the jowl was tender Maekgolli flight was really interesting and have varying levels of sweetness and infusions with different flavors! read more

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Service: super friendly waitress who checked up on us super frequently.. she gave me a lovely birthday makeoli! It's a small area with some indoor and a cute outdoor seating area with heaters ++++ heaters saved me. Food wise it all tasted great and exactly as expected. My favorite is the popcorn chicken. It was so juicy and crispy and I love the pickled radish. I'd say that's definitely worth trying as well as the fried mushroom. For the sashimi plate I'd say you won't be missing out on much, it looks cool but pretty straightforward. Great place for drinks and catching up with friends! Overall on my list and probably will be back!! read more

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came here on a friday night with 5 people without a reservation. we almost didn't get seated but they were nice to accommodate us. kim was our server and she's the best!! she recommended the whole menu, which was so worth it. the only thing we didn't get was the burrata salad. everything was so delicious! we were starting to get sad that we won't get to eat here again since we're from LA, but we learned that they have a location in LA, too! the pork jowl was the best, so tender. my other faves would be the mushrooms, beef tartare, and the tuna. the drinks are also good! we got the yogurt and horchata makgeolli. i can't wait to go to the LA location!! read more

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Only reason for 4 stars is because I'm not convinced the prices are worth the portions. However, the food, service, and vibes were 5 stars! My friend got the makgeolli drink flight. I had one tiny sip of each. (I don't drink.) But my favorite one was "rice to meet you" which the server said is one of their most popular ones. It tasted like Milkis to me, very sweet. Three of us shared (and slightly over ordered) the below: Maitake fries - lightly fried mushrooms (delicious) Seoul crudo - delicious Perilla oil noodle - cold light noodle dish (good but not memorable to me) Wagyu beef tartare - good flavor but not my fave version of tartare. I like when the beef is smaller pieces or minced Rigatoni - delicious and even though the portion is smaller, it can be filling Pork jowl - delicious but on the heavier side since it's fatty KFC - tasty but not very unique to me (side of pickles are yummy but you can order those alone if you don't want the fried chicken) Banana panna cotta - SO delicious that after the 3 of us shared one, we each ordered an additional one to go...I love banana, and I love panna cotta, so this was my fave from the night! Service was very friendly. We ate outside, and they never forgot about us. I was 30 minutes early for our reservation, and luckily I was able to sit at our table and wait. The outdoor patio is cute with string lights and heaters, but it's uncovered so we got lightly misted on. Bring a coat if you eat outside just in case, but my table mates got too hot from the heat lamps while I loved it. Would come back to get the dishes I liked the most. read more

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Snagged a table here on a Friday afternoon in the patio. I love the concept of the restaurant, really fun tapas and drinks! Between the two of us we ordered the makgeolli flight, tea flight, soy vin pickles, honey butter chips, rigatoni alla kimchi vodka, and pork jowl jeyuk. The food was good and so was the service! read more

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Had a reservation at 6:30 PM on a Saturday for the patio area. Surprisingly it wasn't too cold because they had heat lamps everywhere, even though SF that weekend was super windy and freezing. We ordered the beef tartare with potato chips, tuna dip with crackers, cheese tteokbokki, and kimchi spicy vodka rigatoni. The beef tartare was my favorite dish of the night surprisingly!! It came with a seaweed-based sauce and honestly I was pleasantly surprised by how well it paired with the beef. The umami flavor worked really well together. The tuna dip with crackers was also good, but definitely on the heavier side. Very creamy and rich. The cheese tteokbokki was tasty too. I liked that they added crushed potato chips and fish cake into it because it gave the dish more texture and flavor, but again... very heavy. The kimchi spicy vodka rigatoni was honestly disappointing. I've definitely had better elsewhere and this one tasted pretty mundane :-( My biggest issue overall was that none of the dishes had harmony together. Everything felt too greasy, creamy, heavy, or carb-heavy, so by the end we didn't even really want to keep eating and only finished the pasta dish. The server recommended getting 2 to 3 dishes per person, but honestly we struggled trying to figure out combinations that would actually complement each other. I think it was worth trying once because it's so hyped on social media and I was excited to experience it for myself, but I personally would not come back. read more

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Came here with three other friends and we got a reservation despite it being super busy! Good: - The dishes were all super good and came out quickly - The makgekoli flight tasting was good, though it was a lot less than I thought given how expensive it was. We liked two of them but the other two were pretty sour - The vodka rigatoni was a standout for me, as well as the korean fried chicken - The ttekbokki was amazing too - good texture and very chewy - The place is really cute and good for a date night or casual catchup with friends! Bad: - It's pretty expensive for the amount of food you get, very small portions - It's super packed inside Overall this was solid Korean food, just pricey and fancy. read more

Jilli - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

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SF definitely needed this craft makgeolli brewery with modern twists on favorite Korean food staples! This has become my favorite restaurant in the city, with a modern ambiance, amazing food (be sure to get the perilla oil cold noodles, pork jowl and rigatoni alla kimchi vodka). I could cry from how delicious the food and drink is here! Jilli gets 5 stars for SAFAV: Service Ambiance Food Alcohol Value for Money read more

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I absolutely love Jilli! The makgeolli was so fun to try in a flight with quite a variety of selection. I love how the staff explains the notes of each one. All of the starters and entrees looked absolutely amazing and we devoured each one. My favorite was definitely the pasta, SO GOOD!! The chicken was also so perfectly crisped and delicious. I will definitely be returning for their amazing korean fusion food and delicious makgeolli! read more

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Came here two days in a row! It was very very very good The ambiance is super nice - I love all the decor in the restaurant, from the lights to the art! I also like the outdoor patio section, which is nicely decorated as well. The service was fantastic! The servers checked up on us periodically and even gave me a free drink for my birthday :) The food was also amazing! I tried the whole menu, and everything was delicious. My favorites were definitely the perilla oil noodles, the crudo, and the beef tartare. It was my first time trying raw beef (yukhoe), and I enjoyed it! The makgeolli (I tried the white lotus and the traditional) was also very tasty! Not too sweet and not much alcoholic taste :) Overall, I loved the ambiance and the food here - definitely would not only come back, but also would recommend to others! read more

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First time trying the makgeolli bar! Great selection but pricey. cute spot with modern chill vibes. Service was quick, food was delicious, overall good experience although if you aren't there for makgeolli, there's better food places read more

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After months of waiting to try Jili in SF, I finally made it for an early birthday dinner and it did not disappoint. Tucked away on the corner of Mission and South Van Ness, this small but cozy Korean spot is super hip, fun, and full of flavor. Out of the 12 dishes we ordered, my absolute favorites were the hamachi crudo, tuna dip with trout roe, pork jowl skewers, honey butter chips, shrimp toast, burrata with seasonal fruit, and the Wagyu tartare. Honestly, every dish hit. The popcorn shrimp, soy vinegar pickles, rigatoni alla kimchi vodka, and makgeolli flight were also solid. I can't believe it took me this long to get here, but safe to say it was worth the wait. Kicking off birthday month the right way ready to keep the celebrations (and splurging) going. read more

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Been to this Korean spot in the Mission a few times at this point. Focus is on "tapas" and makgeolli. Recommended to order 2-3 plates per person and share. - makgeolli flight - just get it to sample a variety of makgeolli and get a better understanding of the beverage - soy von pickles - sweet and sour and a nice banchan to have with your larger items - soybean clam chowder w potato foam - surprised by how much I liked this. Savory and buttery, perfect if its cold out - perilla oil noodle - must get. Might be my favorite dish, even though it's one of the more simple ones. So refreshing and light - tuna dip + trout roe - another favorite. Generous portion of tuna and trout roe and perfect for sharing - rigatoni alla kimchi vodka - add the burrata for +$4. spicy, creamy, rich. I like it so much I've been R&Ding it at home to replicate - pork jowl jeyuk - another must get. Takes about 20-30 min to prepare so it's the final boss of your meal. Marinated in gochujang and cooked over charcoal. Savory and paired with salsa verde and tomato ssamjang Jilli is a vibe. It's aesthetic and vibey inside, and also features an outdoor patio for dining. Reservations def recommended. read more

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Aww I really wanted to like this place. Food- good. Service- great/ expected. Atmosphere- great/ expected. We finished almost all our food, but to be honest, everything was just okay. I'd happily have it again but for the price, you're really there for the vibes, which is fine, but not what I was hoping for. I went for the food and drinks and the food did not stand out. The drink selection though, great and extensive (and not cheap. $17/19 per glass for their cheaper selection, otherwise it's $30 or more for the bottle.) read more

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Finally tried this spot and it did not disappoint! We made sure to make a resy and were seated outside in the patio. I'd recommend getting a resy since it is a small restaurant. They purposely seated us nicely by how the lighting would be best for our experience at night, while seating us close to the heater. All the food was a hit, there was not a single thing we didn't like. For a table of 4 got quite a few things and it was more than enough: table favorites: -kimchi rigatoni -SO good, perfectly cooked pasta and the kimchi flavor was so delicious (I dropped a noodle and everyone was so sad because it was that good) -shrimp toast - so crisp with juicy shrimp!! -pork jowl - so tender and meaty! other items, still so good: -perilla oil noodles - super tasty and light! loved this -carpaccio - fish in a spicy sauce -Tteokbokki Cheese - classic, how can you not like this -fried chicken - crispy and tasty! The Maekgolli flight was fun with 4 different maekgollis to try. We got a bottle of the sweet one (most popular one, last one on the flight) it tasted like yakult. It was so delicious, would come again to try the tartar or tuna dip, everything on the menu looked tasty. read more

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Been seeing this place on ig and always wanted to try! We sadly couldn't get a reservation because it was all booked so we did a walk in right when they opened. They said as long as they can have the seat back in about an hour, we can dine. We were so lucky. Still great service. We ate outside and it was such a nice day out. The tables are spacious and lots of greenery to give a cozy vibe. The pork belly was soft and juicy and the sauces paired nicely with the lettuce wraps. The rice cakes and cheese were spicy and chewy. I loved the fun sojus and flights that they had. It paired well with all the dishes. Would come here again! read more

Jilli - Tteokbokki Rose Small - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Amazing, I am so happy I got to try Jilli. You'd think it's just tapas but you do get pretty full! I don't drink so I was super pleased they had a non alcoholic tea flight! So you don't feel left out if you don't drink alcohol haha. Some must try's are: - Pork Jowl Bossam - hamachi Crudo - perilla buckweat noodles These three you HAVE to try! We did have the: - Shrimp Toast - beef Tartar Which were good as well, but it's more of the items I can pass on for next time to try others on the menu. I reserved and it was easy to go in... besides other guest cutting. Unfortunately I guess I wasn't waiting too close to the door but I was the first guest waiting and someone just cut us. So beware! If you reserve just stand in front of the door unlike me haha. Otherwise seating and service is super fast with reservations! I'm looking forward to visiting again read more

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Such a cute bar! Obsessed with the yakult flavored makgeolli! First time makgeolli drinkers should definitely opt for the flight for starters. For food we for the kimchi vodka pasta and the Korean fried chicken. The kimchi flavor was pretty subtle and food was really good! Seating is limited to make sure to stop by with a reservation. read more

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My friend and I were super excited to try this Korean makgeolli bar & tapas restaurant, and it did not disappoint. I made a resy for 5:15 on a Saturday night, arrived 15 minutes early, and was able to get seated immediately. My friend arrived right on time, and the waiter was at our table as soon as she was seated to take our drink order. We ordered the makgeolli flight of the day to start, which included options from classic to dessert/sweet. Later we also placed an order for three plates of tapas. We shared all the makgeolli, and I liked the classic and sweet flavors (the ends) the most. Out of the tapas plates, I like the Seoul crudo the best. It was light, fresh, savory, and perfectly balanced. The shrimp toast was also a solid choice and would get again. The rigatoni alla kimchi vodka was a little less exciting. It arrived at room temperature, which I was not a fan of, as I'd prefer it warm. The pasta was at least al dente, so there was no risk of it falling apart. Overall, this was a solid meetup spot, and the one thing we loved about it was that the music was ambient but not too loud, so we were able to actually hear each other throughout our conversation over dinner. This is one of our major pain points going out, so it was nice that Jilli was so accommodating and provided a comfortable environment with top tier drinks & tapas. read more

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Such a cute Korean tapas place! I've always wanted to come here because I love the concept of the Makgeolli bar and it did not disappoint. We sat outside on the patio and it was a bit chilly since the heaters are spread fairly apart. Makgeolli Flight ($40) - this came with the Traditional Sang Takju, White Lotus, Rice to Meet You, and Red Monkey Makgeolli. My favorite was the traditional one because it was sparkling and I really enjoyed trying a bunch. Rigatoni Alla Kimchi Vodka ($23): This was my second favorite dish! I wish I could've tasted a bit more of the kimchi, but the sauce was really good overall. Shrimp Toast ($18): Loved how crispy this was and the chili sauce it came with. K-Popcorn Chicken ($23): Crispy and spicy, but this didn't taste anything special to me. Still solid fried chicken though. Pork Jowl Jeyuk ($35): My favorite dish here!! The pork jowl was so tender and flavorful. The sauces also paired so well with the lettuce and shiso leaf. Wagyu Beef Tartare ($24): Really tender and fresh tartare. The chips to pair with this were so yummy. Injeolmi Banana Pana Cotta ($12): Ended with a dessert! It was okay to me, but I liked how unique the textures were. It tased like a thicker banana pudding with Cheerios on top to me. read more

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Came here for a girls' night and had a good time! I'd recommend sitting in the back patio since it was decorated nicely with string lights. Our waitress was attentive and checked on us often throughout the meal. There were four of us, and we shared the seoul crudo, yukhoe, kimchi rigatoni, pork jowl, and popcorn chicken. It ended up being the perfect amount since we weren't super hungry. Everything was good overall, but I'd probably pass on the popcorn chicken since there wasn't anything special about it. We also ordered the makgeolli flight. I don't remember the names of the three white ones, but we all enjoyed those. The Red Monkey, on the other hand, was way too acidic for our liking and was pretty hard to drink. Overall, the food was good, but I didn't think it was good enough to justify the price. I'm glad I tried it once, but I don't see myself coming back. read more

Jilli - Yukhoe & Seoul Crudo - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Getting a reservation at Jilli felt like a small victory and honestly, it was worth every effort to snag one! Came here with my best friend for a casual dinner and the size of the restaurant immediately sets the tone. Tiny, cozy, and the kind of place that feels like a find. We ordered the makgeolli, pasta, tartare, and the pork. Everything was a hit across the board. The pork especially stood out and the tartare was beautifully done. The makgeolli was a fun touch that paired really well with the whole meal. For such a small kitchen turning out food like this, it is genuinely impressive. The flavors were intentional, the portions felt right, and the whole experience just clicked. If you can get a reservation, do not hesitate. Jilli is a 10 out of 10 and absolutely a spot I will be returning to! read more

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Jilli is such a gem. If you love Korean food but want something a little more playful and shareable, this is your spot. The whole Korean tapas concept works so well here. Every dish feels thoughtful, beautifully plated, and packed with flavor. We ordered a mix to share and honestly there was not a single miss. The flavors were bold but balanced, and you can tell the ingredients are high quality. It is the kind of place where you keep saying "just one more bite" until the plates are empty. The highlight for me was the makgeolli flight. It is such a fun and unique experience, especially if you have only ever had makgeolli once or not at all. Each one had its own personality, from lightly sweet and creamy to more crisp and tangy. It paired perfectly with the food and made the whole meal feel special. The atmosphere is cozy but lively, great for a date night or a night out with friends. The staff was warm, knowledgeable, and happy to guide us through the menu and the makgeolli options. I will absolutely be back. Jilli delivers on flavor, creativity, and experience all at once. Highly recommend. read more

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Admittedly, the food here is good, a shame because the prices are pretty high. $35 for a small slab of jeyuk with no accoutrement aside from a few leaves of kaenip and lettuce feels just shy of highway robbery. That said, every dish was pretty incredible still. From the Seoul Crudo, which I assume is their rendition of traditional hoe (Korean sashimi), to the pasta, everything felt fairly inventive. The rigatoni alla kimchi vodka was good but lacked kimchi flavor, taking on the same profile as any other spicy rigatoni in the city. The Seoul Crudo is good, fresh, and everything you'd want in an Asian-inspired hamachi dish. The jeyuk was a standout and delightfully smoky while being every definition of the word sumptuous. The service is also great, and the waiter goes great lengths to walk you through the samplings of makgeolli. Would I come again? Perhaps? Jilli is unlike any other upscale Korean establishment I've visited in the bay, and their Korean dishes are uniquely good. My one gripe is the price; honey butter chips listed as 8 full dollars just irks me, an emotion that only SF can elicit. read more

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Came with coworkers and immediately loved the energy of the space and the decorations! Service was great and appreciated the rundown of the makgeollis. I had come in with really high expectations for the food, but it, unfortunately, didn't hit the mark for me. We ordered a variety of foods from the menu: pork jowl, shrimp toast, rigatoni alla kimchi, chimmilier popcorn chicken, cheese tteokbokki, pickled radish, and the makgeolli flight! Overall, all items were good but not particularly mind-blowing. The shrimp toast had a nice crispy exterior, but I wish the shrimp itself had more flavor. The pork jowl was juicy and tender and was my favorite of the night. The popcorn chicken was also crispy with a nice flavor, but I felt there were pieces heavier on the skin compared to the meat ratio. The cheese tteokbokki flavor was just a bit lackluster compared to others I've had, so I would go for something more unique like the rigatoni or pork jowl. I really enjoyed the pickled radish sides! The vinegary kick from the pickled radish balanced the other tapas well. All their makgeolli is smooth and the makgeolli flight is a great choice to share as a group. We didn't like the pink strawberry? one, but again thought it was still worthwhile to try. I personally may not visit again, but I do think it's worth trying! read more

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Jilli is a specialty makgeolli bar with korean tapas - the ambiance is immaculate!! Definitely on the more expensive side, but service and vibes are great. Server recommended 2-3 dishes per person, but that ended up being a lot! My main issue is that the menu is quite heavy/oily and less vegetable heavy, so I couldn't eat too much. My favorites were the kimchi rigatoni, crudo, and popcorn chicken. The shrimp toast was good but too oily as the bread soaks up all the oil. read more

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Finally tried Jilli for date night! We were seated outside which was pretty cute although our seat was weirdly facing the wall and some plants. We obviously had to try some of the makgeolli and ended up ordering the flight to try more options. My least favorite was the hana forbidden takju which was pretty sour, but really enjoyed the rest! The easiest to drink was the rice to meet you which our server described as similar to Yakult. I also quite enjoyed the other two - Red Monkey (more unique imo) and white lotus. Food wise, we tried the perilla oil noodles, pork jowel jeyuk, and rigatoni alla kimchi vodka. I see a lot of people rave about the rigatoni - while it was yummy, I thought it wasn't too special. I like the perilla oil noodles which were pretty refreshing. The pork jowl was very tender and flavorful. Overall, a solid spot - fun for date nights or a friends catch up. Personally, it's on the pricier side for the portions. read more

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Food Rating: 7.4/10  Price: 8/10  Ambiance/Service: 10/10  Overall Rating: 8.46/10 Had a reservation at 5:15 on a Saturday and were seated immediately upon arrival. When we tried to order pickled radishes as a side, the waitress kindly let us know that the popcorn chicken already came with them and even offered to substitute with honey butter chips, which was a really thoughtful gesture. The food came out nicely staggered, which worked well since the tables are on the smaller side and gave us enough space to actually enjoy each dish. The ambiance was fantastic and would be perfect for a date night or a night out with friends. Honey Butter Chips - $8 Rating: (8/10) These were super crispy and tasted like they were fried in fresh oil. The flavor leaned sweeter than expected since the menu described them as savory, which caught me off guard. A spicy dipping sauce would have paired really well, and a bit more chives could have helped balance the sweetness. Rigatoni Alla Kimchi Vodka - $23 Rating: (8/10)  Really flavorful dish overall. The pasta was slightly overcooked, and unfortunately there was a hair in the dish. Pork Jowl Jeyuk- $35 Rating: (6/10)  A bit underwhelming, especially as the most expensive item. The pork was on the saltier side, which might have worked better if the sauces were adjusted to balance it out. The sauces themselves were tasty but became overwhelming when combined with the meat. Korean Popcorn KFC - $23 Rating: (8/10) Perfectly fried and super tender chicken. It was a bit too salty though I definitely needed water after a few bites. Pickled radishes were FANTASTIC! Makgeolli Fight of the Day - $40 Rating: (7/10) This was my first makgeolli flight and I would definitely try another one here when the flavors rotate, a bit overpriced though. Two of them were super light and refreshing. The brown rice one and the red monkey one were a bit harder to drink. I think keeping one of those and adding a more fruity option would balance the flight better, but that might just come down to personal preference. read more

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