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    Matko

    4.3 (49 reviews)
    ModerateKorean, Fast Food
    Closed 11:00 am - 6:30 pm
    Updated a few days ago

    Order Matko Takeout or Delivery

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    MATKO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Matko

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    Savory Chicken Bowl
    Annie L.

    Matko serves Korean lunch bowls which are quite delicious! First you would choose your protein, we opted for the beef bulgogi and the spicy chicken. Second, you would choose your base. I chose half rice and half japchae and my hubby got all rice. Third, you choose any add ons. I ordered the kimchi with the gochujang (medium spicy sauce). I would say the meats are good quality especially the bulgogi was mild and when dipped in the sauce gave so much flavor! The purple rice was soft, warm, loved the side of corn, radish and cucumbers. Not fatty pieces on the meat. Nothing was soggy or oily. Overall, a solid place to have lunch and I would be back!

    Soft Tofu Kimchi soft & side of purple rice
    shannon m.

    I had no intentions of eating out for lunch today but I ended up walking to the Market - looking around and ventured over to Matko to check out their menu. First, the two ladies working there were so friendly and made me feel welcomed; they even offered to give me some samples to try. I've had their beef hangover soup which is tasty but the soft tofu soup grabbed my attention. Let me tell you the soft tofu soup was absolutely delicious. The soup's vibrant red color would make you think it's super spicy, but it's not. I love tofu and kimchi so having it in the soup together was a match made in heaven. One of the ladies suggested eating the soup with rice and so I got a side order of purple rice, and she was right, it was absolutely delicious. I don't believe I've eaten purple rice before but I will surely order it every time I see it now. The rice was so flavorful- eating it by itself was good but preparing it with the soup really kicked it up a notch.

    Soft tofu bowl with japchae and double fish cake
    Christina C.

    One of the few eateries left within The Market and it's pretty good. I've been back several times during lunch for the soft tofu kimchi bowl and change up the base and sides. The kimchi sauce is mild but sometimes, mild is what the day, and my tummy, calls for. I'll have to come back and try the meat bowls. Ordering is self-service, then the friendly staff assemble your order, and call your name when it's ready. Plenty of tables and chairs within The Market to sit down and enjoy your meal.

    Beef Bulgogi Bowl with Gochujang Sauce
    Milind L.

    A great spot for quick Korean food. Feels like many Korean food options are far from Mid Market/Civic Center so I'm glad there's one around! The beef bulgogi bowl was delicious. The meat was cooked well and thin strips. However, it wasn't that flavorful by itself. But if you get the gochujang sauce, it adds a large dimension of sweet, savory, and spicy flavor. Definitely will be getting again when I need more Korean food fix. Comes with cucumber, corn, and pickled radish for free sides. Quick service for lunch on a Friday and there's lots of seating in the Market area.

    Beef Bulgogi Bowl with pickled radish, fish cake, bean sprouts, and kimchi
    Jem T.

    A great vendor inside of The Market and a very convenient bowl lunch near my job. The bulgogi with purple rice and banchan was not only delicious, but was served a generous portion. The staff only greets you, but nothing more beyond that. It was semi-busy during the lunch hour, which was expected. Since this is located within the market there is a bustling ambiance, but that does not interfere with the quality or portion of the food. The price is average for the City, depending on your appetite, there can be leftovers for snack

    Spicy Pork Belly Bowl
    Anna Z.

    What a gem! This place is located inside Whole Foods - esque market called The Market. It's on your left in the back when you walk in. There's ample seating inside and outside of the food court - quite spacious. I went here for a late lunch, not expecting much. Either I was really hungry, or this place is amazing! base: I chose purple rice and japchae. Banchan: pickled radish, kimchi, fish cake and cucumber. Toppings: sesame seeds, scallions and crisps onions (all!!) Special sauce: magic aioli I'm writing this down so I can remember to get this same order again - this does not taste like food court food!! The portion is BIG. Just drooling looking at my picture again. I really recommend if you're in the area!

    Beef Bulgogi
    Adam B.

    Way better than the Matko I tried at 1 Market Street, right around it's first opening. Seems like they've had some time to improve their meat cooking techniques and textures. If you ask for the family size portions, you can get containers of just meat for only a little more than the mixed bowl. Totally worth it! Beef Bulgogi: Pretty solid for a grab-and-go counter. Full of marinated flavor. Thinly sliced with good bits of fat strands to enhance the flavor of the meat. Doesn't have the nice char you'd get from doing KBBQ at your own table, but still flavorful enough. Spicy Pork Belly: Wow, really really rich. Tasted like there was a ton of gochujang in this, in addition to other spices, so very intense. A little bit of a spicy tang by lunch counter standards, but not anything like the spicy level when you ask for spicy at a Korean restaurant. The slices of meat were very thin, like bacon slabs, not like thick Chinese or Filipino pork belly chunks. Japchae: A more exciting carb than rice. Slimy noodles with a little bit of sauce flavoring. Goes great with the intensely seasoned meats though.

    Montage of images from Matko
    Ed U.

    ** The following review reflects my takeout experience DURING the shelter-in-place order currently in effect. ** Oh yeah, I've been to the other Matko at One Market Plaza, and actually I didn't even notice they had an operation in The Market on Market. It's part of that crowded bar island next to the Slice House, so if your nose veers toward pizza ovens versus Dutch ovens, you may not notice them either. There's quite the collection of green and orange Creuset pots on the counter each of them containing a warmed component of a customized build-a-bowl creation. Just call it a Korean-style Chipotle. The menu of selections was pretty extensive and requires studying if you've never tried it before. For the reasonable price of $11.95, you get a base, a protein, four banchan accompaniments, and up to three toppings. Yep, that's one hearty bowl. Since I've been getting predictable choosing mixed greens over purple rice, I went for Japchae Noodles instead as my base because the sweet potato chewiness sounded appealing to me. For my base, I went for the mild Savory Chicken since it was dark meat made even more moist by soy sauce. The banchan choices were easy for me: pickled radish, seasoned cucumber, sweet corn, and fresh kimchi. And of course, I ordered all three toppings: sesame seeds, chopped scallions, and crispy onion. When I brought the creation home, it was quite a tasty combination of flavors and textures from crunchy fresh to marinated supple (photo: https://bit.ly/2VK09LE). I kicked it up a notch with wasabi sauce because that's what shelter-in-place is all about - setting my tongue aflame in the privacy of my own home. FOOD - 4 stars...really hearty bowl of Korean-style goodness AMBIANCE - 3 stars...my experience was takeout, otherwise rather crowded in here SERVICE - 4.5 stars...quietly efficient, meticulous in presentation, and generous in portion TOTAL - 4 stars...who needs Chipotle? RELATED - In the mood for Korean? Here's a collection of places I've tried and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2vxIt8t

    BYO Dosirak Korean Lunch Box!
    Cherylynn N.

    3/3/20 UPDATE: I've returned three more times since their soft opening and I'm really disappointed that the portions have decreased with each subsequent visit. Today, my Dosirak with 1/2 rice, 1/2 salad had a one fistful of greens and about 2-3 ounces of purple rice. And, the protein and banchan was half the portion than my first visit. I don't know if they're trying to ration since their food is cooked at a commissary kitchen or if it's a training issue but I hope they work on being more consistent because I'm still hungry after eating my Dosirak today. =X ******************************************************************************* 4.5 STARS They say, "To Save Money, Never Shop When You're Hungry". Truth. Especially at The Market in the Twitter Building. It's double paycheck compared to Whole Foods (i.e. $11 for 8 oz of pre-packed asparagus?!) but hey, sometimes convenience wins when you need a healthy snack. I was shopping for bananas at The Market this morning when I saw "Secret Open" Sign for Matko at the cheese counter across from Slice House. I saw Spicy Pork Belly on the menu... *STOMACH GROWLS* So, I returned for lunch. No wonder I'm broque. Matko is a fast-casual eatery serving BYO Dosirak Korean lunch box (similar to HoM Korean Kitchen). This is Matko's second SF location. For your Dosirak, choose the following: https://bit.ly/2txHSq8 (1) Base: Purple Rice (Japgokbap), Sweet Potato Noodles (Japchae) or Mixed Greens; (2) Protein/Entrée: Bulgogi (+$1), Spicy Pork Belly, Seoul Pork, Savory Chicken, Flaming Chicken, Tofu Kimchi, or Mushrooms; (3) Banchan (choose 4): Pickled Radish, Kimchi, Cucumber, Sweet Corn, Fish Cake, Seaweed, etc; and (4) Toppings: Sesame Seeds, Scallions, and Crispy Onions. **Sauce (+$1): Gochujang (spicy), Pineapple Teriyaki, Gochujang Aioli, Ssamjang (fermented soybean paste). PRICE: 1-item entrée - $10.95 or 2-item entrée - $12.95. For the soft opening this week, it's 15% off so I ordered the 2 Item Entrée ($12.95) w/ Spicy Pork + Bulgogi (+$1), 1/2 purple rice, 1/2 salad, pickled radish, kimchi, cucumber, fish cake, sesame seeds, scallions, and crispy onions: https://bit.ly/3bbS4FL. For fast-casual Korean fare, the Dosirak was tasty, healthy, and filling. The purple rice was nutty and the mixed greens were fresh. Of the two proteins, I liked the pork belly a lot more because it was more flavorful with a good kick (the bulgogi tastes boiled but it's not). The banchans were surprisingly solid especially the kimchi (good pickled flavor and heat) and fish cakes. The pickled radish needs more acid. With the soft opening discount, it was a great value for the amount of food I received. I have enough food for two small meals. Service was very friendly. They're new and working out their kinks but their goal is to build your meal in less than 60 seconds. Open seating in The Market, café area, and outdoor patio area. Overall, I enjoyed my Dosirak. If you're in a time crunch and can't travel far for Korean food on your break, Matko is a good option. It's just one of the many new food vendors that's starting to pop up inside The Market which is great for those of us who work in the area!

    Tara A.

    Best new place in the Market!! I was there for their secret soft opening (15% off, yay!) and everything was delicious and super affordable. I ordered a 2 protein bowl with savory chicken and spicy pork belly. In hindsight I wish I tried the beef, but there's always next time! For my base, I ordered half purple rice and half japchae. I loved both of them and will probably get the same next time. For the banchan, you can't go wrong with any of them! I got the kimchi, seaweed salad, fishcake (so glad they have this) and sweet corn. The bowl was so big that I was able to save half for the next day's lunch! Super worth it and under $15. I can't wait to come back!

    beef bulgogi bowl w kimchi tofu, half spinach half purple rice base
    Chloe C.

    food - alot better than I expected. the beef bulgogi was the perfect sweetness and not too overwhelming. the beef was soft and easily breaks apart and thin (I thogujt it was be thick and chewy and dry). the kimchi tofu is soft tofu (my fave, I hate hard tofu) w kimchi like juices and sauce and it was super good flavor. the kimchi overall was good and not super spicy but still had flavor. everything went well w the purple rice and spinach price - it was like $16 ish? idk I ordered it for lunch at work

    Benny W.

    I ordered the Beef Bulgogi. The beef was tender and trimmed, which I really appreciated. The other items that came with it were fresh and delicious.

    Half tofu half chicken bowl with cucumber and corn
    Anvita S.

    Huge portion size and flavorful bowls packed with noodles, veggies and meat. My favorite is the glass noodles with pork belly, kimchi and crispy onions/garlic on top!

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    My bf and I had a reservation on Wednesday at 6:30pm. The restaurant has an elevated, casual…read moreatmosphere that was perfect for a date night. It was comfortably mellow, which made for a peaceful meal. We shared 4 dishes, starting with the Mulhwe Noodle per the staff's recommendation. This dish was very refreshing. I was a little worried that the chili broth was going to be spicy given the bright color, but it wasn't at all. The broth was light and enjoyable. The amberjack was also very good. Next, we had the Hokkaido Uni Scallop Toast. The bread was soft, buttery, and crispy. The uni and scallop were creamy, fresh, and not overpowering in flavor. The whole thing blended and melted together. The Braised Black Cod was a delight with the variety of textures and flavors. The fish was soft and almost custard-y. The barley and butternut squash puree were nice additions and paired really well. The sauce was delicious. The Galbi Steak was a standout. We added on the lettuce wraps and ssamjang, and I highly recommend this. The galbi was tender and juicy. It was good on its own but adding it in a lettuce wrap with the ssamjang took it to another level. Overall, I had a great dinner. I enjoyed all the flavors.

    We came here to celebrate my mother's birthday and everything tasted amazing!…read more We almost ordered everything on the menu and shared family style. The portions were on the smaller side so had we ordered an extra dish or two, I think we would've been very full. We ordered about 3 appetizers, 3 mains and 3 desserts and it was just about perfect. All of the dishes had well rounded flavors and super tasty. The matcha dessert was my favorite! I do have a natural sweet tooth but the presentation and overall execution was cool.

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    3.3(1.8k reviews)
    0.9 miJapantown, Lower Pacific Heights
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    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.

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    3.8(682 reviews)
    0.9 miJapantown, Lower Pacific Heights
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    San Wang Rest, San Francisco 2026 Feb 9 (4.29 of 5)…read more This restaurant wasn't on our radar, but we're glad we stopped and ate here. The food is excellent to okay, but the service is first rate. Once seated, we were offered a couple of complimentary dishes - kimchi and soup. Their food is decent and their service is great. Every table has white linen, even for lunch hour crowd. The price is awesome - the lunch menu includes a starter, a soup, and a hot pot of tea. (4.75 of 5) Kimchi: This complimentary dish is an excellent start before our lunch order. The delicious taste of tangy, savory, spicy, and sour, together with a complex, pungent, and, crunchy profile is the perfect start before our lunch selection. Its fermented cabbage has a strong, aromatic notes of garlic, ginger, and chili powder, which marries perfectly with our set lunch. (4.5 of 5) Soup: The soup of the day is a mild clear soup with bits of prawns and vegetables. This is lovely when paired with the boisterous kimchi. (4 of 5) Our orders from their Lunch Special: Vegetable Deluxe: A great selection of vegetables, though they're mostly semi-done to near raw. The wontons were really good though. (3 of 5) Broccoli Chicken: The chicken pieces are tender and the broccoli in this dish is cooked well. (4.5 of 5) Braised Tofu: This is my top dish. It's flavour-packed in a savoury, aromatic sauce. The tender, chewy texture acts like a sponge, absorbing the deeply flavourful sauce. Superb! (5 of 5)

    San Wang is one of Japantown's oldest and finest restaurants. While some might find it ironic to…read moreeat Chinese food while in Japantown, it's one of the best places you could choose for a meal while visiting the neighborhood. The ambience is warm and family friendly and great for big groups. The staff are incredible and lovely individuals that care very much about the patrons. If you need a break while traversing Japantown, take a seat at San Wang and enjoy the lunch menu if you can. The Sweet and Sour Shrimp is my favorite! If you're a local to the neighborhood like me and craving Chinese food, this is the best option. Try to catch them during lunch time! Everything is tasty and the staff are incredible!

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    San Wang Restaurant - Shrimp with Black Bean Sauce

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    Matko - korean - Updated May 2026

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