Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Matko

    4.1 (87 reviews)
    ModerateKorean, Fast Food
    Updated 2 months ago

    Order Matko Takeout or Delivery

    Matko Photos

    Business Info

    MATKO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Matko

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Montage of images from Matko
    Ed U.

    I must be in some Korean Chipotle mood because this is actually the second spot I've been to based on the same concept. The other one was the even newer Mad Seoul over in the Gourmet Ghetto in Berkeley which provided a bit more variety, a tad more freshness, and definitely a more personable owner. This is a food court operation, and expectations should be lowered as such. However, it's definitely one of the better options at One Market if you find yourself milling about here. The concept is well suited for worker bees who follow rote procedures in their jobs anyway. You pick a base and a protein first, and mine was easy, the Soy Sauce Chicken over the Mixed Greens. Then a sauce on the side, and I threw caution to the wind and went for the Mayo which had a welcome dose of sriracha mixed into it. After that, you get four banchan items. Mine were corn, seaweed, kimchi and cucumber. The result was a hefty bowl for $10.99 with a few unexpected extras like a small helping of rice noodles, cherry tomatoes and green onion (photo: http://bit.ly/2LhGcsM). It was genuinely good stuff for a relatively fast lunch in a pretty sterile food court. FOOD - 4 stars...big lunchtime bowl with lots of chicken...and good AMBIANCE - 3 stars...don't even think of a booth, food court gets intensely crowded during the lunch rush SERVICE - 3.5 stars...a lot of fast decisions, get prepared TOTAL - 4 stars...Korean mix bowls are the new black

    Flaming Chicken
    Piyush G.

    Average food, nothing that I would be really excited about. Being in my building it could be a goto spot, however I wasn't impressed as much for it to be in my rotation.

    Chicken with purple rice
    Angela L.

    This is an updated review after they changed menu for 2019. I used to come here for lunch pretty often and I would usually get the bento box with a protein choice and some banchan. This is the first time I tried their new menu. Now they have an original option and a mini option for $1 difference. I got the miniko because I don't eat huge portions and thought that a $9 bowl would feed me. Can't believe I spent almost $10 on this... only a few pieces of chicken, glass noodle that are very hard to chew, some salad and no banchan!! I waited for a super long time as well. My colleague lined up for a neighboring store and I waited 15 minutes longer after she got her meal. Japchae noodle 0/5 This is not japchae noodles at all... the glass noodle was super hard to chew... ended up not able to eat it. Flaming chicken 2/5 The chicken is okay but comparing my attached photos you can clearly see that the portion of meet decreased by 50%... No banchan at all 0/5

    Jarred D.

    Matko is a fantastic spot if you want to sample Korean food! How it works: 1: Pick an entree (or two) from their selection of Seoul Pork, Beef Bulgogi, Spicy Pork, Soy Sauce Chicken, Kimchi Tofu, etc. 2: Pick a base: Purple Rice or Japchae Noodle. 3: Pick a sauce: Red, Mayo, or Teriyaki. 4: Pick 4 Banchan/sides: Radish, Kimchi, Cucumber, Corn, Fishcake, Seaweed, etc. The set above is their OriginalKo. If you want to exclude the Banchan and just have the entree and base, you can get the MiniKo. This is what I did and was pretty satisfied with how flavorful and filling it was. My MiniKo was comprised of the Purple Rice base and the Beef Bulgogi and Spicy Pork as my entrees. The Beef Bulgogi was tender and had great flavor. The Spicy Pork was not too spicy and was enjoyable to eat; however, it had too much of the fat. Portions for the entree are large in comparison to the base. I wish they added more of the base for a better balanced dish. Overall, their meat and side options are pretty wide for a small store. The possibilities for mixing and matching are plenty, so you can try a lot here! Service is pretty quick too, so it's prefect for a quick bite.

    Purple rice, soba noodles, spicy squid, spicy pork, and banchan
    Tina N.

    I found this place on Yelp while looking at all my lunch options in the area. I was excited to try this but I thought the food was just ok. It is similar to Chipotle but Korean food. You start off with the base (salad, rice, noodles), and then the banchan (kimchi, corn, cucumber, bean, radish), then the protein/entree (chicken, pork, beef, squid, tofu, mushroom). Price was around $11 to 14 depending on the number of entrees. I got the purple rice, soba noodles, spicy squid, spicy pork, and banchan to try. I thought it was just ok! A lot of the reviews said the spicy pork is the best but I didn't think so. It was not spicy and didn't have much flavor. The squid also was not spicy and tasted rubbery. I didn't like the soba noodles at all (tasted weird). The purple rice and the banchan were just ok. Overall, the food was average but I don't mind coming back to try other items there.

    Soy Marinated Chicken over Purple Rice - loved it!
    Cindy L.

    I went in with zero expectations, thinking it would be Panda-Express-level Korean fast food, but came out pleasantly surprised. It may not be 100% authentic, but heck... it's way better than all the other "Korean" spots I've tried around here, and it's clean & healthy! When I approached the counter, the extremely welcoming employees immediately offered me samples of all the main entrees. I ended up sampling the spicy pork, chicken, and bulgogi. The chicken was very tender (4/5) and the bulgogi was aite (3/5), but the *flavorful* spicy pork blew it out of the park for me (5/5) - it. was. delicious. Despite loving the spicy pork, the health-conscious-voice in me told me to go with chicken on a Wednesday afternoon. I ordered a purple rice bowl with chicken and most of the banchan (kimchi, cucumber, corn, and pickled radish). The banchan was placed on top of a small bed of mixed greens with a soy vinaigrette dressing. Everything in the bowl was delicious, but what surprisingly hit it home for me was the purple rice. The rice was perfectly warm, soft, and fluffy, and made the whole meal come together. I could not be more satisfied. I've been eating mostly salads for lunch for as long as I can remember, but Matko is so clean and delish that I'm going to start changing up my regiment to include it in my lunches! P.S. Come before 11:30am to avoid the crowd, and take your sweet time to sample the various entrees (: P.P.S. Despite tasting as good as (or even better than) white rice, did you know that purple rice is a whole grain and full of fiber? From a nutritional standpoint, it is very similar to brown rice!

    Soba Noodle w/ Soy Chicken. Spicy Pork and Beef Bolgogi
    Adam B.

    I was hoping for something the caliber of BibimBar, but got worse than Sorabol. I'm usually a fan of the Chipotle-ization of any cuisine, since I love the fast casual concept, but not this time. The meats, all of them, were very disappointing. Soba Noodle: Was expecting to see something like japchae as a noodle option, but soba was fine. Had a nice chewy hefty texture. I appreciated that the noodles didn't stick together. Not an overpowering taste, so to let the other mix-ins take the spotlight. Soy Chicken: Large chunks of what tasted like boiled chicken. It could have been roasted, maybe. Very bland regardless. Spicy Pork: The most tolerable of the meats. Thin slices of soft pork belly in a chili (but not spicy at all) sauce. Could have been better if they upped the spice level and/or crisped the pork belly a bit. Beef Bulgogi: Bulgogi literally translates to "fire meat". So I kinda expected some grill marks or seared bits. None of that, just sogginess and disappointment. Like when you try to stir fry too much meat at once so everything ends up cooked yet wet. Hotteok: Ok, this was decent. Sweet and peanutty filling stuffed inside a fried pancake.

    Mealpal lunch -- Seoul pork bowl
    Bonnie Z.

    I tried the SPICY PORK BOWL from Matko through MEALPAL today. Portion was large and filling -- see water bottle for scale. The bowl came with pork, purple rice, radish kimchi, shredded pickled daikon radish, and steamed corn. I disagree with other reviewers that the pork was fatty and oily -- it was very tender and flavorful! Meat was topped with sesame seeds and green onions. The pork itself actually wasn't too spicy. Radish kimchi gave the dish a spicy kick instead. The daikon was a bit sweet and the corn had good crunch. Loved the three different veggie banchan sides! The purple rice was filling and seems healthier than white rice (it was just a tiny bit overcooked). Flavors were on par with Spice Kit but this place had a bigger portion and more veggies. I only wish they didn't put hot foods in plastic containers because they're sitting in a big heated insulated box by the register for you to grab after scanning your QR code. This may be one of my new favorite Mealpal spots! I noticed this was a new offering in my Mealpal app after the new year. However, searching through Yelp reviews showed that Matko was on it back in 2018. As you can see in my attached pics, the portions seem to be a lot bigger in 2020 compared to 2018! Just putting in my two cents if you weren't sure about trying this place out via Mealpal or just in general.

    Lani S.

    I've eaten here twice. I was looking for Korean food near work and this place popped up on Yelp (thanks, guys!). They don't have things like japchae, but I get the concept. It has the basics and an overall healthier vibe. It might seem like a turn off, but I liked what I had both times. The first time I came here, there was no one in line (I came after the lunch peak). Staff was super friendly, explained the dishes, and offered to let me try anything. I was trying to avoid eating meat that day. I got the mushroom veggie entree with purple rice and all the fixings, which was fine. I decided the next time I'd get something with meat to get my money's worth. I did... the second time I got the soy chicken. Flavor was good. The plate/dish was filling, and I didn't feel all greasy. There are a few signature dishes/bowls (?), but it looks like most people do the Step 1-3 option (choosing a base, veggies, and entree). It is $10.95 for one entree, $12.45 for two, $13.95 for three, and $1.50 for any additional. I didn't love it, but I liked it, and I will probably come back at some point.

    Glass noodle with radish, kimchi, corn, seaweed, and mushroom.
    Emily M.

    I just tried this spot! Perfect for my glass noodle craving!!! I usually go to Bibimbar for glass noodle bowls but I wanted to try something new and I am very glad I did. I prefer not to eat meat for lunch, so I taste-tested the spicy tofu (not too spicy) and the mixed mushrooms (super saucy). Nice of them to let me try a few options. I opted for: mushrooms, seaweed salad, corn, kimchi, and pickled radishes with the glass noodles. LOVED the glass noodles. I cannot get over their texture, their springy-ness. I love that they're translucent, lol. Employees very nice. The interior vibe is really nice, feels very new and cafeteria-like, which looked nice. Good to get away from the hustle and bustle. I ended up taking my dish back to work and sat in front of my computer slurping my noodles. I ended up not combining anything, just eating it all separate, which I actually loved. That way I could keep my noodle experience PURE.

    Portions are pretty big
    Elaine S.

    This place is pretty good. Good option for lunch with big portions. I ordered the 2 item with mixed mushrooms and braided tofu, japchae and mixed greens, and banchan B. I'm happy w the vegetarian options they had! Mushrooms were full of flavor and they gave a good portion of tofu . Flavors are good and service is fast. I'd come back for lunch if i wanted something other than a salad. One complaint is i wish they used different containers. There a lot of food, that gets piled all on top of each other in one bowl. Which would be fine if it was something that you should be eating all mixed up (like a burrito bowl), but i see banchan as something to pick at on the side to compliment your meal. Big ask for a quick lunch spot but just my thoughts. I'd still come back though. Probably just split out the items when i get back to my desk. I'm very particular w the way my food is laid out... as you can tell.

    Beef Bulgogi with Greens and red sauce. Was way too salty for my liking but will be back
    Maila P.

    Two stars because food is still decent. I used to always order from here and feel full. Ordered today and finished hungry Decreased serving size by half!!!!!!!! Same price, less food. Why the change????

    Spicy pork - super fatty and oily
    Niina G.

    2.5 stars. I went with spicy pork over purple rice. The pork is flavored good but way too fatty and oily that the bottom of my plate was drenched in the sea of oil. I also had to threw away 1/3 of the meat because it was all chunks of fat! It comes with some garnish like pickled cucumbers and radish when you select Set A. I guess this is an add-on but the counter lady sells it to you like it's part of the meal. Overall it definitely falls short for a $12 lunch meal.

    Soy sauce chicken, japchae noodles, pickled radish, fish cake, seaweed, corn. I ate first before the camera!

    See all

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 11
    Thanks 0
    Love this 8
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Bruce C.

    Bruce C.

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of D Y.
    0
    398
    0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Alex C.
    2676
    1128
    1323

    7 years ago

    Helpful 15
    Thanks 0
    Love this 16
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Bruce C.

    Bruce C.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Maila P.
    60
    138
    385

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Niina G.
    28
    199
    140

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Yi Z.
    851
    3266
    1616

    8 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Bruce C.

    Bruce C.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Amanda S.
    1435
    1763
    7531

    7 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of XT H.
    60
    62
    30

    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sofia R.
    833
    1116
    3918

    8 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Bruce C.

    Bruce C.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Bob U.
    939
    1261
    302

    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Matko

    You might also consider

    Seoul Garden

    Seoul Garden

    3.3
    (512 reviews)
    2.0 mi
    $$

    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.

    Service is really great and the staff are super attentive and sweet, so 5 stars for this!…read more But everything we ordered was below average (2 stars), especially considering the price. And the Spicy Calamari & Bulgogi was actually $20 higher (!!!) than what's listed on Yelp (no prices on website), so find this pretty misleading. It was also overcooked, so bummer all around. Took a chance on this Japantown fav and left wishing I'd purchased basically anything else there. Apparently I'm not alone, while all the other restaurants were bustling on a busy Sunday evening, this one was virtually empty.

    Photos
    Seoul Garden
    Crispy fried chicken - very good
    Crispy fried chicken - very good
    Fried Rice

    See all

    Fried Rice
    Bansang

    Bansang

    4.1
    (615 reviews)
    2.2 mi

    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)

    Good, but expected more from a Michelin bib gourmand restaurant. For a bib gourmand, it's also on…read morethe pricier side (esp the entrees). We ordered the mulhwe raw fish (fish was delicious, the salad was really unseasoned/felt like it was just washed and plopped there, sad only had 4 pieces of fish), burdock jap chae (our fav), rice cake + rib finger (wayyy too salty, otherwise texture wise was good), and galbi (meat was delicious, broccolini was pretty bland and not memorable, not worth $58 imo). The absence of banchans were also a surprising disappointment for us, we look forward to that in Korean restaurants! Our food also came out extremely quickly after ordering, and we had opening time res, which made us feel that the food may have been all pre-cooked and just reheated. We also got a couple cocktails, they were interesting but a bit too calpico tasting for my liking. It's pretty clean/spacious inside, with large restrooms. Parking is slightly tricky, either street parking in front or Japantown garage nearby.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Uni Scallop Toast
    Uni Scallop Toast
    Pork Jowl Bossam

    See all

    Pork Jowl Bossam
    Yakiniq

    Yakiniq

    3.3
    (1.8k reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$$

    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!

    Came here last night to celebrate a friend's birthday. Had poor experiences at the Livermore…read morelocation in the past, so wasnt really expecting much from this spot either. Granted we were a bit late for our reservation, we ended up having to wait another 30-40 mins. The place (2nd floor) is small & awkward. We were all cramped waiting on the stairway and the actual seating area is also fairly small for a busy KBBQ place/big parties. The 8 of us squeezed into a booth with 2 chairs on the side. You can also feel whenever the table next to us got up and stomped/yelled/moved in their chairs-- which was really often. The basic AYCE menu is fairly limited-- esp for the side options. The marinated meats were pretty good as was the tteokbokki. Side & meat portions were alright, but the kicker is having to flag down staff to make sure they put in the order & bring it out. We asked for japchae about 5 times before it actually reached our table towards the end of our meal. The server/manager also told us that he had accidentally brought out 2 bottles of soju for us and that he'd COMP 1 bottle. We didnt notice that he had actually charged us for 2 and comped/subtracted a "third" one. So none were really comped at all. I just realized after we paid and that felt really sketchy. Idk if it's worth coming back here.

    Photos
    Short ribs
    Short ribs
    Yakiniq
    Seafood pancake

    See all

    Seafood pancake
    Irodori

    Irodori

    3.8
    (20 reviews)
    2.0 mi

    The service here was so bad that I think about it almost a year later and finally decided to leave…read morethis review. I almost never give bad reviews. The ONLY reason I give a 2 star is 1 star for the food which was decent, but nothing I couldn't get at another restaurant to be honest. And half of that star goes to the sweet waitress who tried her best with us. I came in with my boyfriend maybe an hour before break time midday (unbeknownst to us) as the sign outside is faded and in LIGHT blue marker on a soju standee. Pro tip: maybe you should update that off to the side sign in small letters as well as your closing time on google + Apple Maps before you grumpily yell at your customers to leave AFTER taking our money and giving us food (which btw we were there about 30 minutes). Or don't seat us at all. Thanks! Would not recommend.

    After the cherry blossom festival yesterday my friend and I decided to have dinner. We sat outside…read moreand no one came to take our order. My friend went inside and a server reluctantly came to our table. We ordered $90 worth of food and enjoyed people walking around. When the food came the waitress brought the check with the food and asked for our credit card. We hadn't taken a bite yet. They never offed us to refill our glass of water. When we did go to pay they asked us if the credit we were using was ours and asked for his id. They seemed to treat the other guest better. Maybe it's because we are Black Americans or maybe they just suck. The food was subpar the fried chicken was overcooked and my stomach hurt all last night. I live up the street on Bush so this would be a local spot. The service was terrible so they will never get my business again. Yes black people live in the neighborhood and eat Korean food and have credit cards.

    Photos
    Indoor
    Indoor
    Irodori
    Irodori

    See all

    Yasijang

    Yasijang

    4.7
    (237 reviews)
    1.6 mi

    I love this place--it's become my go-to spot with friends. The atmosphere is fantastic and really…read morecaptures the vibe of a Korean pocha (street pub). As a Korean, I definitely give the food my stamp of approval. The only thing I wish is that they gave some banchan with the meals for the full korean experience. That said, I've tried almost everything on the menu, and it's consistently delicious. My top recommendations are the fried eggplant, the spicy rice cakes (tteokbokki), and especially the wings. The wings are absolutely phenomenal and are a must-order every time.

    I really wanted to like Yasijang since it is close to where I live and run by some genuinely nice…read moreKorean folks, both in the kitchen and front of house. Unfortunately, most of the dishes fell pretty flat for me. Here's a breakdown of everything we tried: Mini Jeon - This came out as a set of three mini pancakes, and while they were fried expertly with a nice crisp exterior, I did not really get much of the ingredient flavors at all, which was supposed to have an array of vegetables and seafood. Truffle Bosot Fry - These were fantastic. Each enoki was fried so the stems were splayed out and then dusted in truffle salt. It was clear the chef has a deft hand at the fryer, as both of the first two starters had an amazing crunch to them. Spicy Tuna Tower - This seemed like a popular item, but it was really disappointing. It felt like a quantity over quality dish, with the spicy tuna indeed piled high, but very clumpy, as if it had just been scooped straight out of the fridge, and not a pleasant texture. There was not much flavor or spice to it and the kappa maki rolls that the tuna sat atop were unfortunately not made well, as most of them fell apart just from picking them up with chopsticks. K-Fried Chicken - Pretty good value since you get 8 decently sized pieces for $20, or $22 if you want to add a sauce. It was curious that they do not let you do half and half, since the sauces are likely pre-made and that is such a common option at most other KFC spots. The bigger issue was the fry on the chicken as huge pieces of batter were missing from every piece, and it did not have that signature shattering crunch I expect, which suggested the oil was not hot enough and that they did not double fry the chicken. The soy and garlic flavor was actually pretty good, so it was doubly disappointing that the chicken was not fried properly. Hwe-Muchim. - This dish was an absolute disaster. The cubes of fish and salad were absolutely drowning in cho-jang, and it was really unbalanced, so all you tasted was gochujang. The lettuce was so wilted under the sheer amount of liquid that it made the dish difficult to eat. I actually took this home, drained most of the liquid, rinsed off the fish, added fresh greens and a homemade dressing, and it tasted much better. The staff were friendly enough, but this place is clearly targeting a drinking or late-night crowd so I would avoid if your main goal is to enjoy the food itself. Seems like a fun enough place if you were just wanting to stop in and have some snacks with your drinks or as an end of night stop as the 4-cha or 5-cha (IYKYK).

    Photos
    Yasijang
    SPICY TUNA TOWER
    SPICY TUNA TOWER
    Flying fish roe, stir-fried kimchi, and fresh vegetables in a hot pot.

    See all

    Flying fish roe, stir-fried kimchi, and fresh vegetables in a hot pot.
    San Wang Restaurant

    San Wang Restaurant

    3.8
    (691 reviews)
    2.0 mi
    $$

    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.

    This place was really good. I found it through yelp. After being at the Japan town mall waiting for…read moremy family to finish shopping, I wanted Chinese food that was further away. So I found this place and we walked in with few customers. We ordered a soup, and were about to order something else when the server/cook suggested we order the meal for 3. He let us substitute the white rice for fried rice and cashew chicken for lemon chicken that we wanted. Boy was it a real treat. We added a chicken chow mein and we weren't disappointed. All in all, we came out stuffed with leftovers, and great service to boot. We were the only ones in the restaurant at the time which was surprising, how great the food and service were. Come here and you won't regret it!

    Photos
    San Wang Restaurant
    Dry-Fried Chicken
    Dry-Fried Chicken
    Pickled kimchi

    See all

    Pickled kimchi
    Han Il Kwan

    Han Il Kwan

    4.1
    (2.2k reviews)
    4.7 mi
    $$$

    Came here walk-in on a Friday evening at 6:30 and waited for almost 45 mins for a table for 2. Get…read morethe galbijim! It's a steal and It's delicious- so much meat it lasted me 3 meals. The wait for the dish was almost 25 mins but all worth it !The complimentary soup and banchan were huge and alright. The servers know what they were doing but one minor thing about my experience was that the waitress served a really really hot dish at her convenience and I had to move it to the center for sharing. Since they're busy they expect you to finish your meal, pay and go.

    food was good and there was no wait on a sunday afternoon for a table of 6. everything was on point…read morebasically except for the service- as soon as we told them we were only ordering three dishes, their demeanor changed entirely lol. that probably plus the fact that we were young/it was our first time here got them extra annoyed, even though we were polite. banchan was all yummy, rice was $2 per extra bowl (3 were included). we chose soft tofu soup over the steamed egg, which we were told was one or the other, per table. we ordered bulgogi, brisket, and a seafood pancake. literally all the dishes were good but we were not checked in on once. we noticed them checking in on other tables, but deliberately skipping ours. we'd have to flag someone down whenever we wanted something, and when we asked for banchan refills they said ok and never got it to us. we just ended up finishing our meal without it. service was rude, inattentive, and overall lacking. would come back again if i didn't care for service!

    Photos
    Comfortable inside space
    Comfortable inside space
    Marinated Beef Rib Eye
    Marinated Beef Rib Eye
    Fish Cake

    See all

    Fish Cake
    Ganji

    Ganji

    4.6
    (635 reviews)
    2.0 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Free WiFi

    What a gem amongst all the restaurants in Japan Town! It's in the outside center near the…read morestationary store Paper Tree for reference. Been here a couple of times already and the service never failed. Even came here during the Cherry Blossom Festival and the staff were still friendly / accommodating. They even put a spicy sauce on the side of one of the katsu plates when we mentioned that my dad couldn't handle all that haha. This cozy spot mainly focuses on katsu plates, but I like how they had off menu or specials to choose from if you'd like another option. I will say though them katsu plates were just chef's kiss. The meat is pounded thin enough where it's still juicy and tender, but doesn't affect the exterior from being crunchy and a bit flaky. Nothing was dry here yallll! I also like how it already comes with miso soup and salad. Huge fan of that Hamachi Truffle special though. Think of a citrusy flavor from the ponzu, fresh fish, a bit of micro greens, and a thin slice of jalapeño that just ~works~ on a cute wooden spoon that you want to steal I could honestly eat like 5 spoons of this. I'd skip on the calamari as it was kind of skimpy to share with a large group. Only note was that their fried katsu curry was a bit underwhelming with having more slices of carrots than potato! Would love to come back if I am ever in the area.

    Ganji is a solid spot for katsu in Japantown! The service was excellent--the staff were friendly,…read moreattentive, and quick to take our orders, which made for a great dining experience. The miso soup was a delicious way to start the meal, and when my katsu arrived, it looked amazing. The meat was hot, tender, and the portion was huge, so I definitely left full. My only suggestion is to ask for the curry on the side if you like your katsu extra crispy. I had the curry poured over it, and the breading got soggy pretty quickly. The only reason I'm giving four stars instead of five is the price. My dish was around $30, which felt a little expensive, although I can understand it given the quality of the meat and generous portions. Overall, it's a great place if you're craving katsu, and I'd definitely come back--just with the curry on the side next time!

    Photos
    Ganji
    Ganji
    Ganji

    See all

    Matko - korean - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...