Surprisingly affordable for lunch and the food and service were terrific! Stopped by here for a light lunch midweek. I just wanted something light so I had the tofu with a smallish side plate of Japchae (clear rice noodles). Tofu tends to be a rather plain bland dish, but not here, they gently fry it and serve it with some fried bits on top with fresh sprouts. It was delicious! Expansive interior with subdued lighting makes for a calm dining experience. Loved it here. Will be back! read more

See all

After my husband and I tried Pogu once, we came back the very next day wanting to try a bunch of different/new dishes. It's special enough for special occasions but also not overly stuffy or formal for casual meals/outings. Korean restaurants in the Bay usually don't have a ton of vegetarian options and if they do, it's normally more of an afterthought versus a thoughtful and an equally delicious dish. At Pogu, the vegetarian dishes are also great. Big shoutout to Shoon and all of the staff! They're helpful, prompt, and friendly. We love bringing friends and family here. It's fun and unexpected being located inside of Jagalchi. read more

We've been waiting awhile to try POGU given how busy it could be. We should have gone sooner as it was a great dining experience. Our server explained the menu and we decided to get a meal set for 2 people. It was the Set A. The banchan came out first which has a few small dishes. They were tiny and I am sure we could have asked for more but most Korean places don't skimp on the banchan. A special treat was the bread with a matcha butter. Bread was warm and went well with the butter. The Set included japchae a beef bulgogi pancake which was unique, tofu stew, and pork belly. Loved all the dishes except the tofu stew. It was watery and not as rich as other places. Nice interior with tables spread apart nicely so you don't feel like it's crowded. Definitely a great option for upscale Korean. Can't wait until our next visit. read more

See all

I'll start by saying we love there bakery and market. But POGU, the restaurant in the middle of this beautiful store was very disappointing. On a positive note, the small amount of banchan we are very tasty and the rice bread, sulpang, was good with the matcha cream. The kimchi was crisp and tasty. But sadly, everything we actually ordered was only OK: 1. Got the tofu appetizer. This was probably the best thing we ordered. The tofu was pretty good, but the kimchi it sat on was unlike the kimchi on the side. It was ground up into small pieces and not very good. 2. The noodle soup with the bone broth was very plain. 3. The seafood jigae was definitely our least favorite. Just sour and not that good. Serivice was excellent, but this place can definitely go with upping the quality and taste of the food. We totally didn't expect the restaurant to be this disappointing in such a cool location within the market. read more

See all

Now that the hype has settled, decided to finally check it out POGU with a couple of friends for a Friday lunch. Since there was 3 of us and to make sure that everyone in our party got back to their work on time we went with the set menu that was offered which included: tofu jjigae - spicy but didn't pack a flavor punch galbi buchimgae- favorite as the tender and fried pairing was delish with the dipping sauce galbi & pork belly- tender but a little short on seasoned was the consensus unagi bento- not bad but have had better as the skin was a little flabby buckwheat noodles- great flavor and generous portion or soba noodles paired with a umami type of dressing. Seafood salad- seemed fresh and was good break from the other dishes some banchan were included and they were fine & overall it was plenty of food for 3 people but expect a high price point than normal but 5 star for very fast and friendly service. read more

POGU - Feast for 3! - Korean Near Me - Daly City, California

Finally tried this restaurant for the first time on a Monday early afternoon, there was no wait and plenty of tables. My friend and I split set meal A and it was very filling for two people, with leftovefs to take home. We started off with bread with matcha butter , the butter was so good! The dishes slowly all appeared: sashimi salad , pork belly with a side of vegetables, a seafood beef pancake, japchae, and a kimchi soup. Really loved the freshness of the sashimi salad which also had dragon fruit in it. The beef pancake was really flavorful.. the kimchi soup was a little too spicy for my personal taste. All in all pretty special experience inside a grocery store! read more

POGU - Banchan,pork belly ,and salad - Korean Near Me - Daly City, California

See all

We came for a walk in dinner on a Saturday and got seated right away. All the dishes we ordered were good. I really liked how they marinated their LA Galbi short ribs. The seafood soup and grilled black cod were good too. The workers were all super nice too and checked on us throughout our dinner. read more

See all

The long overdue visit and review since we first saw the grand opening. Came on a Monday evening and it was quite empty, which is great since no wait on kitchen items! No weekend crowds meant the whole store was calm and a peaceful vibe. Started off with a kiwi makgeolli, which is essentially a Korean rice wine. It was surprisingly good, milky and kinda sweet & tangy. I shared a POGU Set A and a few entree/sides with two other people. It was a good amount of food and we had leftovers. The POGU set/entree came with some unique, refreshing banchan consisting of kimchi (of course), rolled egg (my favorite), marinated raw squid (very chewy, a little salty), and kimchi carrots/daikon (we couldn't figure it out with our waiter). Almost felt like we were back in Seoul. There was an appetizer salad, with a small loaf of their in-house bakery bread (salppang) paired with a matcha butter that was incredible! The salad, meh, but the matcha butter was to rave about. We had tried these from their bakery before but were underwhelmed. I guess the secret is to heat them up a little and have some sort of flavor-infused butter. Our next item was the HweMuChim (raw fish salad). It comprised of salmon roe, tuna, salmon, and black fish roe, dragonfruit and a variety of greens with the Korean specialty perilla accenting the bowl. Very visually appealing! Best fresh with all the textures are still contrasting. The tofu kimchi jjigae (tofu stew) was solid, but nothing mind blowing. I will note that the tofu itself was very silky and not overcooked at all. The galbi scallion pajeon might be my meal highlight, if not top 2. The short rib was extremely tender and seasoning was balanced. The soy-based dipping sauce was a fortifying layer that soaked in so nicely. The pancake batter was airy and crispy at the edges... just how it should be. Grilled samgyup (grilled pork belly) was perfectly charred and went well with the fresh veggies (perilla leaf, lettuce, red onion, bellpeppers). The abalone and grilled vegetables were tasty additions. It seems they have rotating fish specials, perhaps following what's in season (?), but this time they had grilled black cod in a miso sauce. The cod was indeed soft and buttery, with that outside char, splendidd!! Miso sauce was sweet and slightly earthy. These two go together like pb&j. Overall the menu was extensive with many options and variety. The pricing is not as crazy as it may appear. Granted it's a bit more than your usual local mom and pop Korean joint, but the food is very refined with lots of creativity. Would love to come back with more people so we can share more items! read more

See all

I come to Jagalchi often and pass by POGU all the time but never actually ate inside because everyone would tell me how expensive this place is with small portions. Finally decided to give it a try and I'm so glad I did! We made reservations for a Sunday night but would've been fine without one as the restaurant was quite empty. There were only a few tables filled. We ordered set B and the quality of everything was excellent! read more

See all

4.5 review rounded up to 5. Quality/Quantity - Quality of food is spot on for a Michelin star chef, restaurant. This restaurant is NOT Michelin star, but this restaurant is led by chef owner Chef Tony Yoo; the first Korean chef to earn a Michelin star. My wife and daughter are regular customers here and at the Jagalchi supermarket. My first time... And am so glad I finally made it. My wife and daughter have done the tasting menu for $95 per person. And on other occasions, a la cart. My daughter enjoyed the experiences more so than my wife. Today we got the following, both recommended by the waitress. Grilled Black Cod - This was cooked PERFECTLY, so tender and flavorful. My only complaint was that there were a lot of bones. Both the center bone and a few smaller bones in the rest of the fish steak. But it was cooked perfectly; it melted in our mouths! Gangwon Buckwheat Noodles - A signature item. See the before and after pictures. I do not think I did a good job mixing it, so my suggestion is that you mix it for us for best results...? It was still good, but did not compare to the cod. The chicken was really good in this dish, chewy but in a good way. All 3 banchan were of good quality, flavor, etc. Even the salad. The bread was firmer than I preferred, but the butter was AMAZING!!!! FYI - Banchan refills only twice, additional refills = $3 each refill. No additional bread refill, but it was suggested to buy more from the bakery. But it was the butter that really sold me! Complimentary tea, thank you. Ambiance - Cool set up right in the middle of the supermarket. My pictures do not do it justice. Good size. And very spacious. Today, it was NOT busy at all. Plenty of mall parking. Open kitchen with two large charcoal grills. 160 seats, including traditional Korean pillows set on the floor at low tables. Open 7 days a week from 11am to 10pm with a lunch break for the team from 3:30pm to 4:30pm. Catering available. Service - Good. Very welcoming from the hostess. Gave us a perfect table for my guest that has a hard time walking. Both waitresses and the bus girl also did a very good job. All very professional and checked up on us often. When I asked for more stuff and I did that often, they were all very accommodating. Price - $61 + tip. Expensive, but that is the cost for quality. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since March of 2025 and to Chef Tony Yoo's other restaurants. read more

See all

Food was delicious, service was excellent and atmosphere is great. Location is perfect as it's within the mall and prices are reasonable. read more

See all

This was my second visit to Pogu and overall it was a good experience. We ordered Set Menu A ($90) for two people, which included four dishes. We were seated right away, and the staff were friendly. They brought us warm tea immediately, which was especially comforting on such a chilly day. The Galbi Scallion Pajeon arrived first. It was quite chewy but tasty, especially with the dipping sauce. The Hwemuchim included a fresh variety of vegetables, but it tasted very sour almost overwhelmingly vinegary so I couldn't really enjoy the other flavors. The grilled samgyup was good, though a bit on the fatty side. It was served with a variety of fresh lettuce & dipping sauce which complemented the meat nicely. The highlight for me was the Tofu Kimchi Jjigae. It had a deep, rich flavor exactly how a good kimchi stew should taste. Overall, the presentation was excellent and the meal was satisfying. To be honest, it felt like some of the dishes might have been prepared by a non Korean chef, but they still did a really great job. One more thing to mention. since the restaurant is located in the center of the market, the temperature inside feels the same as the market itself. It was quite chilly during our visit. I wish the space had been a little warmer and cozier to make the dining experience more comfortable. That's all read more

POGU - Korean Near Me - Daly City, California

See all

We came here for a Valentine's Day dinner yesterday. They had a Valentine's Weekend special where you'll get complimentary cocktails if you order a set. We opted for own choices of dishes instead so no cocktails for us. It was very interesting to eat in a restaurant located inside a grocery market. Given this though, there was a lot of space and the tables were spread out. The waiting area had nice accent chairs and sofas that didn't make me feel like I was in a restaurant or even a grocery market. The vibes were just overall interesting and different. We ordered a total of 3 dishes: Grilled LA Galbi, Doenjang Jjigae, and Gangwon Buckwheat Noodles. We also got a side of Assorted Ssam. For complimentary sides, they gave salad, sulppang bread with matcha butter, and some other banchan. Out of everything we had, my favorite thing would probably be the matcha butter. It was creamy, light, and yummy. All the food was good but nothing mind blowing. For the price point, we expected a little more. Service was decent. The water cups were small. They didn't give us a pitcher so we had to flag down our server a few times to ask for a refill. read more

See all

We wanted to bring my family here because we knew it was run by a well-known Korean chef and the restaurant did not disappoint. It's in an interesting location, inside Jagalchi, an upscale Korean grocery market. We ordered a little bit of everything, including buckwheat noodles with a pesto-like flavor, LA galbi, eel bibimbap and some sort of cod. I'm happy to report that all the dishes were delicious and most importantly, had a clean, well-balanced taste. I really enjoyed the bread and matcha-like paste that came as an appetizer to the main dishes. My mother in law and I wiped it clean. I'd come back again! read more

See all

Nice interior with an open kitchen in the center. Attentive servers brought us hot water in a nice modern chrome pitcher. We were shopping and decided to try a bite and tried the dollsat bibimbop and japchae. They first brought some banchan which was a welcome starter. Unfortunately the dolsat did not have any crunchy rice and really needed the sauce, the japchae was ok but lacked sesame seeds and veggies for texture. They did have a $45 daily special that looked good. And they offer bigger course meals. read more

See all

I made a reservation here for lunch, and I really enjoyed it. I ordered the grilled black cod, and it came with a free sangria! The sangria was nice and refreshing. The black cod came with pretty big pieces, and luckily only one piece had bones in it. Our server was really nice. read more

POGU - Grilled black cod - Korean Near Me - Daly City, California

See all

Had a double date night at Pogu and were very pleasantly surprised! The restaurant is within Jagalchi Korean grocery store. Lots of seating and you do end up feeling like you are in a larger building or mall type space because you can see shoppers in the vicinity. Open kitchen layout too. Relatively casual given this. Servers were knowledgeable and efficient The food was very good!! The whole meal was very colorful. Easy to come with a group and share a set or order individual plates. Lots of drink options. We were 4 people and 3 shared set A with two additional meats and lots of leftovers. Everything had a unique taste and presentation was lovely. Our favorite dish was the spicy chicken. The bulgogi was a bit disappointing and the only thing that made me question the 5 stars but overall really great so full score! read more

POGU - Starter salads and special bun - Korean Near Me - Daly City, California

See all

My wife and I have been eager to dine at this restaurant since its opening. After experiencing various dining establishments, I can confidently say this is the best restaurant I have ever visited. The quality and flavor of the dishes were truly exceptional. Our server, Junho, provided outstanding service, demonstrating extensive knowledge of the menu. He recommended the cod dish, which was simply amazing. Recommending this restaurant to all people!!! Message to Junho: Let's go T1!! read more

See all

They have an updated menu as of March 2026 and with MORE items than before! O R D E R E D - Grilled Black Cod - Grilled Short Ribs - Japchae - Kids Noodle Soup - Abalone Soup - Sashimi Salad V E R D I C T When I say more items, I'm talking about more grilled items like their short ribs and grilled fish. I cannot get enough of their grilled short ribs - keep those coming. Their abalone soup is also addicting in flavor, I wouldn't mind if they threw one more abalone in there - just saying. Japchae for $5 - yes please, I'll take 2 orders. Sashimi salad is good but you can also pass on that, it's not a MUST get in my opinion. I would get do another order of their short ribs. Service is friendly and going here with a toddler, they don't make it hard on you. They have some kids items and they are kid friendly to bring your little ones. Ambiance is cozy, but sometimes it can get a bit chilly when they have their AC turned up, but the team is super accommodating to help you move to a less AC spot. I haven't tried their drinks so I can't comment but their house hot tea is yummy - perfect flavor to help with digestion. It can be on the pricey side but they're also on the delicious side, so you pick! read more

See all

Mom & daughter date for lunch. No wait around 1pm in a Sunday. Seated quickly & water served right away. - POGU Set A to share with mama. -Bulgogi rice bowl for daughter. After ordering, complimentary salad, Kimchee and sweet bun with matcha butter was served. Delicious! A few minutes later our entrees arrived. Our table was full with so many amazing dishes. Daughter was delighted with her Rice bowl. Mom liked the Korean bbq, kimchee & omelette. She did not care for the seafood salad. I was in heaven with everything. Spiced just right with more amazing dipping sauces or spices to add for our taste. Total bill was about $150 for 3 , 1 soda. Apologies as I don't know names of dishes. read more

See all

Went for lunch on a Friday so we didn't have to wait. Yay. I've being waiting patiently to try this place out for sometime. So was super excited. Staff were friendly and were happy to explain when I had several questions. Very spacious and clean restaurant. At one point I forgot it was in the middle of a grocery store. I really loved the high quality table wear that added to the ambiance. Complimentary rice bread with the matcha butter was so good Tasty banchan made with good quality ingredients. We ordered: Black Cod - It was beautifully cooked. Slightly crispy in the outside and moist and fatty on the inside. My only complaint is that a couple of the Pieces were chewy. But overall good. Bimbimbap - was good. Veggies were fresh. Kimchi soup - was very tasty, the broth was absolutely delicious. Bulgogi with rice - the beef was perfectly seasoned with the right balance of sweet and salty. Unlike other places where it's usually too sweet. Toedboekki - Was ok. Will be back to try kimchi pancakes. The table next to us ordered some. They looked really good. Thank you! Will post more pictures later. read more

POGU - Banchan and Rice bread with whipped matcha butter. - Korean Near Me - Daly City, California

We came here on MLK after a morning stroll through the SF Zoo. Overall food was delicious, but nothing extraordinary. One feedback that could use improvement was service. The restaurant wasn't busy at all, but also seemed to be a bit understaffed. It needed me and my husband to flag waiters down just to get both our order in and finally the check. Food came out surprisingly fast so that was appreciated with two hungry kiddos. Price wise was a bit high but comparable to other quality Korean restaurants, so don't be too surprised. Not sure if I'd come back not for bad food or the unusual wait, but because there are so many more options to choose in that market! Enjoyed regardless read more

See all

First time visiting Jagalchi and checking out POGU, and it was such a fun experience! We stopped by for lunch after the Chocolate SF Fun Run since it was a pretty slow Sunday. Our family ordered a bunch of dishes -- Gangwon buckwheat noodles, tofu kimchi, 100 Years Abalone Jangajji, doenjang fish cake, and for dessert we had the Injeolmi mini cake along with gam sujeonggwa. Everything was delicious, beautifully presented, and really well balanced. Service was great too, and they even finished off the meal with a complimentary fermented plum drink, which was a nice surprise and perfect after all the food. Overall, we really enjoyed the whole experience. Will definitely be back to try more! read more

See all

I didn't expect a Michelin-starred modern Korean dining experience inside a supermarket, complete with a full cocktail bar, but here we are, pleasantly surprised! We came as a party of four and ordered a variety of dishes. My favorite was the buckwheat noodles, which I ordered with the chicken on the side since I don't eat meat. Also enjoyed a bottle of makgeolli, which they serve in a glass decanter and cute little dessert wine glasses which added to the premium experience. We tried for the first time the pocheon ildong makgeolli and made sure to remember it because the flavor was so nice and balanced. Boyfriend corner: says he thoroughly enjoyed the pork belly (grilled samgyeop). read more

POGU - Tofu kimchi jjigae - Korean Near Me - Daly City, California

See all

I really had no plan to dine in this restaurant in the mammoth Jagalchi store. I was going to try to buy one of the prepared bowls in the hot food section, but they were completely depleted. I saw a woman grab the last bibimbap bowl like she was Fran Fine at a Loehmann's year-end clearance sale. Not pretty. I casually browsed the menu here and took notice of the Samgyetang. My favorite, boiled Cornish game hen in a pot. But $38 seemed high. In fact, it was the highest priced entree except for the grilled BBQ platters. Do I dare? Indeed I did, and surprisingly I had just a five-minute wait for a table. The staff was young and nice and appeared to rotate responsibilities based on availability. Things started well. There was a green salad tossed in spicy chili sauce and just three servings of banchan including a creamy potato salad (Photo 10). The scene stealer though was the house bread. Prepared at the store's Basquia Bakery, it was delicious, soft and warm with a slight crust on top and accompanied by a whipped butter which I believe featured wasabi (Photo 7). The main event finally arrived, the Samgyetang, which came in a rustic metal pot topped with fresh abalone, shiitake mushrooms, green onion, green onion, and unshaved ginger. The young hen was hiding underneath in a light boiling chicken broth (Photo 9). It took a while for the chicken to cool down enough for me to try to tackle. Normally a hen should have plenty of fall-off-the-bone meat to carry me to the point where I can pick up the carcass with my fingers. However, mine was probably not cooked long enough to make much of a dent into the hen. I ended up taking much of it home. A nice touch was the comfy bowl of porridge on the side, a good place to park the poultry pieces (Photo 8). FOOD - 4 stars...overpriced and slightly undercooked hen saved by the porridge, broth, and bread AMBIANCE - 4 stars...spacious, almost fully insulated from the store due the placement of the wooden slats...FYI it's a LONG way to the restroom SERVICE - 4 stars...cordial and fairly attentive TOTAL - 4 stars...should give other menu items a try next time RELATED - Exploring the peninsula south of SF? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/e9SuEj2Z3s read more

See all

3.5 for the food 4.5 for service My daughter and I came on Christmas Eve. Pogu had a holiday special menu from 12/18 thu 12/25 that was limited to 40 sets ($85 for two people) per day. We didn't end up getting it. Upon being seated, we discovered that apparently when I made the reservation (for 7:30pm), I made a "regular" reservation, not the one for the special. It appeared there were still some reservations for the holiday special that were available for the evening, so we asked if we made the reservation for, say 7:45pm or 8pm, could we still have the set. We were told no. They were sold out. We didn't make a big deal out of it. The holiday set didn't seem like it was Korean cuisine and we wanted to try the Korean food here anyway. Here's what we ordered: Lobster and short rib tteokbokki (seasonal) $43 Shrimp scallion pancake $20 (We originally ordered galbi scallion pancake, but it ended up being sold out) Obang bibimbap $23 It came with a complimentary bread with (I think) a delicious matcha butter. While the food was good, it didn't wow us. The lobster and short rib tteokbokki was very good, however a bit spicier than I could handle. The scallion pancake was fine. The bibimbap was for balance (vegetables and rice). Presentation was outstanding - the food and the restaurant itself. Service was good. We were checked on at decent intervals, but toward the end, we did need to get anyone's attention. I understand, however. It was Christmas Eve. It probably wasn't a normal day by any means. I have to be honest. I'm not sure I'll be back here for Korean food at Pogu. I feel like I'd perhaps be getting hearty authentic Korean food for less at a mom n pop in the city. However- this was a nice experience in a lovely, modern space. I can appreciate the aesthetics for sure. read more

See all

Pretty fancy for inside a supermarket. We stopped by for lunch on a Saturday and there wasn't a wait. They were still having their holiday meal set promotion $85 for 2 which included scallops, risotto, steak, dessert and a bottle of champagne. The risotto was rich and creamy with dollops of a carrot puree, the steak was buttery but tender, the scallops were fresh on a bed of cucumber ribbons. The dessert were a cute Santa's on top of frozen cheesecake domes. There was 4 of us dining so we also added spicy chicken, soon tofu, and the seafood salad. It was plenty of food we def had leftovers. Not your typical bonchon but we got 2 butter breads with matcha cream, kimchi, potato, and pickled peppers. Will def be returning to try the other items. read more

See all

My friends and I visited POGU to celebrate a birthday and between the 10 of us, we ordered two Set Bs, two shrimp pancakes, two bottles of makgeolli, and two gangwon buckwheat noodles. Unlike restaurants that bring out one dish at a time, POGU brought out everything we ordered all at once. There was not a single spot on the table that wasn't covered with a plate of food. Service here was above average. Our party had questions about the chef's menu and the makgeolli options and the our server did a good job helping us navigate the ordering situation. Our party brought a cake for dessert and the server brought over plates for us and a knife to cut the cafe, and even came over to help us take a photo with their polaroid camera. What a nice and thoughtful surprise. Overall, food was good, but not mind blowing. There wasn't a single dish where I'd look back and say "that's the best ____ I've had in the Bay". Everyone in our party was happy that we did not go with the chef's tasting menu, as we had plenty of variety, had lots of leftovers to take home afterwards, and ended up spending a lot less than we would have otherwise. My favorite dish was the buckwheat noodles, which was cold and refreshing with bits of shredded chicken. It reminded me of Taiwanese cold sesame noodles if that's something you've tried before. Both of the BBQ items we tried -- the pork belly and galbi, were tender, and there was plenty to go around. The disadvantage of having all the food come out all at once is that it tends to get cold very quickly. I think this was one factor that contributed to folks eating less food than usual. Looking back, we probably should not have added on the two shrimp pancakes. They were not particularly special, and the included steak pancake in the set is enough to satisfy a Korean pancake craving. In terms of atmosphere, some people say the super market and mall environment take away from the dining experience but for me it was not a big deal. My bigger complaint was the large number of fruit flies that were hovering around our food throughout the meal. Additionally as we sat directly across from the exit of the kitchen, we also witnessed one of the waiters diligently swinging around an electric fly swatter to zap flying critters in the kitchen. Overall, I had a good meal for the price. 3.5 stars rounding up to a 4. read more

See all

Pogu is located in the newly opened Korean grocery store. Food is not food court type and a bit upscale. They also offer a tasting menu for $95. Food can be ordered separately. Decoration is mlde I ordered seafood soup, my friends got the buckwheat noodles and pork belly. Food completely exceeded our expectations! Don't let its location fool you. There are some really good food, top service, and pleasant setup over here. The service was friendly, fast, attentive. He was also helpful for us to pick our lunch dishes. Complimentary side dishes include a full size salad? Some traditional side dishes in small portions and can be replenished. I love my seafood soup. Fresh with loads of seafood. My friends ordered pork belly and buckwheat noodles. Both are delicious. We ended lunch with complimentary desert as their 100 day celebration. It was great Asian desert. Right amount of sweetness! We would love coming back again! Highly recommend! read more

See all

Woo hoo! I finally experienced The POGU I wish to have!!! The menu now has the signature Korean BBQ. We ordered a large LA Galbi and a regular pork ribs. While we all love the galbi, the regular pork ribs is definitely one to try! I don't see many Korean BBQ place here that serves pork ribs. Highly recommend to give this a try - they are marinated and very tasty. And I am so happy to see the offering of Korean pancake (and we definitely ordered that) and RICE (and yes, we ordered that for the night). They were the perfect compliment to the Korean BBQ (in my humble opinion). I see the team has made some tweaks to the menu - the "100 Years" Abalone Jangbap is not on the menu anymore (sad - but I'm willing to give that up in exchange for their delicious BBQ. lol!) But my biggest surprise, as a parent, is seeing the kids' menu section!! We ordered the soy sauce tteokbokki - It's super delicious and my kid enjoyed that very much. If you always want to try tteokbokki but afraid of the red spicy sauce, you should totally give this a try as well :) The Samyetang with abalone is still as tasty as before. This time we also got a bowl of room temperature rice porridge on the side too. But we two small abalones instead of one large abalone. Yet, it's still as good and tasty as I remember!! There's a huge improvement in the rice bread - it now comes with a delicious spread (almost like a whipped butter) and it doesn't have a weird crust on the top anymore. Oh, and we were served with our banchan at the beginning of the meal, rather than half way through like our previous visits. We came here to celebrate a birthday. I noted that when I made a reservation via opentable. And they brought out a piece of cake with candle at the end of the meal. Huge upgrade in the hospitality aspect and this is not something I expect :) I was told by the executive chef that their signature BBQ dish is the mero and she recommended us to try the pork belly in our next visit. I will keep that in mind and can't wait to try that in future! read more

POGU is located inside the Jagalchi market in Daly City. I've been eyeing this restaurant for a while now, so I was stoked! The interior is modern and aesthetic, and the utensils, plates, and dishes are Korean style. My buddy and I asked for recommendations and we were told the seasonal Lobster & Short Rib Tteokbokki and the Shrimp Scallion Pajeon were popular menu items. We proceeded to order that and also got the Eel Bibimbap. Before our main meals, we were given the Korean sulpang (rice bread) with matcha butter; this was really delicious. Sulpang + Matcha Butter (5/5): the butter was interesting and tasty with a hint of matcha. This went really well with the spongey, airy texture. Lobster & Short Rib Tteokbokki (3/5): the spicy yet creamy rose flavor was good and paired well with the lobster; however, the short rib was overcooked, tough, and did not taste fresh. Shrimp Scallion Pajeon (4.5/5): with each bite, I could tell they did not skimpy out on the ingredients like the shrimp and vegetables. This would have been better if it was crispy. Eel Bibimbap (4/5): the toppings for the bibimbap blended well together, and I loved how the pot created a layer of crispy rice at the bottom. I wish there were a bit more vegetables though. Overall it was a pleasant experience and I would come back to try something new. read more

See all

I recently got around to trying POGU inside Jagalchi. It's also been on my list for awhile but I don't live nearby so it's a little out of the way. However, I was grabbing dinner with a friend in the area and it was a Saturday night. We happened to check if there were any reservations available and to our surprise there was! We tried the following items: - Bulgogi Rice Bowl: my favorite dish that we tried. The bulgogi was so flavorful and tender. It was cooked very nicely. (5/5 stars) - Gangwon Buckwheat Noodles: this was good though I wish there was an explanation to all the different sauces that surround the noodles that you mix in. There were several different sauces but when you mix them all together it's hard to pinpoint the different flavors. Also it doesn't look spicy however there was definitely a kick in one of the sauces and unfortunately for me, I don't handle spicy foods well. My friend enjoyed it though. (3/5 stars) - Galbi and Leek Pancake: a newer item to the menu. This was good, the meat was tender and the dipping sauce paired nicely. I typically order a seafood pancake at most Korean restaurants but we decided to try this one since you don't often see galbi for a pancake option. (4/5 stars) Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. It was easy to get a reservation even on the same day. I had seen mixed reviews so I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of the quality of the food. The bulgolgi was my standout dish and I thought everything was pretty good. read more

See all

Finally got to try POGU while shopping at Jagalchi . Very modern and neat interior design. The hostess and our waiters are both professional and attentive. The food we ordered were absolutely amazing! They didn't go cheap and gave us plenty of abalone. The chicken in the samgyetang was so tender and the soup tasted very rich. I had a blast! read more

See all

Able to get a reservation via Yelp. It was some big green onion pieces in the pancake. The noodles have a surprising kick if someone is sensitive to spice. The menus seemed chaotic when trying to order. Portions were decently sized, and we got an extra kimchi salad. Staff was friendly, the plate was difficult to eat off of due to the size. Would come back and try some other plates. read more

See all

My friend and I ordered the galbi pajeon and eel rice bowl to share family style. Both dishes were delicious. The complimentary banchan also comes with a small side salad and bread. Even though the portions are small, I felt satisfied and we even had leftovers. The staff are very nice. The water cups are small, which helps to conserve water but requires the servers to refill frequently (or not). The entire dining experience was very pleasant, considering it's a modern and roomy restaurant inside a grocery store at a mall. read more

See all

We came here for Valentine's Day because we wanted to try something new, and we were even more excited when we found out the chef is Michelin-starred. Overall, it did not disappoint. They offered special set menus for Valentine's dinner, and we chose Set A, which was recommended for two people (the other sets were designed for larger parties). It turned out to be a generous amount of food -- and every dish was excellent. My unexpected favorite was the salad, which was similar to a poke salad with fresh cuts of fish and ikura (salmon roe). The pork BBQ was perfectly seasoned and cooked just right. The set also included tofu soup, japchae, and a Korean pancake -- all delicious. It even came with two complimentary cocktails, which were a great touch and very well made. It was a lot of food for the price -- truly great value for the quality. This was a wonderful introduction to this new Korean spot in Daly City (located inside Jagalchi at Serramonte). We're already looking forward to bringing the whole family back to try more of the menu. read more

See all

When my colleague wanted to meet at Pogu for lunch, I was intrigued to find a sleek restaurant tucked inside of a Korean grocery store. The restaurant was located right in the center of the market; while it was quiet during our visit, I'd imagine the space gets more lively when both the restaurant and market are packed around dinnertime. We made reservations just in case and were among a few diners during weekday lunch. While the restaurant appears large, most of the space is dedicated to the open kitchen, which is placed prominently at the center of the restaurant. Everything on the menu sounded tasty, but what caught our eye was the Chef's Selection tasting menu. (If five courses sounds intimidating, they offer various "sets" that include dishes that are intended to be shared family-style.) After ordering, we were offered water and hot tea, and the tea was constantly replenished throughout our meal. At the start of the meal, we were served a chewy and slightly sweet rice bread paired with matcha butter. The bread was delicious - it reminded me of cornbread but was less sweet and had a chewy texture (almost like a mochi cake, but much lighter). As each course was brought to the table, our waitress explained the components of each dish and how to best enjoy it. The first course was a rice porridge with abalone and topped with sesame oil. This was pure comfort food and the perfect start to the meal. The second course - and probably my favorite - was a seafood salad that was truly a work of art. The sheer number of flavors and textures was mind-blowing, yet everything went together harmoniously. I can't recall all of the components, but the salad included squid, shrimp, two types of roe, asparagus, carrots, dragonfruit, radish, and two dressings (I think one was sesame, the other tasted like wasabi). The third course was a beef and chicken noodle soup, which was light and cleansed the palate (our server explained that the broth was cooked for two days!). The fourth course was a perfectly cooked, medium-rare steak paired with seasoned rice shaped like sushi, complemented by beet and carrot puree. I was already pretty stuffed by this point, but I powered through because I'd never tasted steak prepared to this caliber. I always save room for dessert, and I'm glad I did because I really enjoyed the sweet finish to the meal - a cream-filled cake topped with mochi, red beans, and cookie crumbles. It was decadent without being overly sweet, and it hit all the right textural notes (chewy, creamy, crunchy). To finish our meal, we were offered a small cup of a plum-flavored juice to aid digestion. The exceptional food, thoughtful presentation, and kind hospitality made this is a dining experience that I will never forget. read more

See all

i've been wanting to try pogu for quite some time and yesterday was the day. we made reservations for 3 for a birthday celebration on opentable which was a breeze. it's quite slow at the restaurant so reservations are truly necessary. was seated promptly and was expected to place our order in 5 minutes. like lady, let me peruse the menu for a bit first. my server was very nice don't get me wrong but felt a tad rushed. order consisted of: grilled LA galbi ($35) grilled pork ribs ($30) grilled black cod ($32) assorted grilled mushrooms ($20) side of korean rice ($3) side of japchae ($5) pogu subak ($14) asahi ($8) the amount of food we ordered for 3 was plentiful. we were all stuffed but still had leftovers to take home. overall the food was just ok; just not memorable or worth returning for. i agree with some of the other reviews ... do it once and that'll be enough. read more

See all

Didn't have to wait when we arrived on Saturday at 7:30PM (party of 7). I think people have learned this place is overhyped. No complaints about service, but hard to imagine this is a high end place. Is it? Overall most things tasted meh. Wish they offered more side dishes. For the price, I had higher expectations. Tofu Kimchi Jjigae ($23) - Soup tasted...bitter? Barely any kimchi. Rice was good. You have to order the Seafood and Soft Tofu Jjigae ($25). if you want soft tofu. Who wants firm tofu in their soup?! Eel Bibimbap ($30) - Good balance of everything. I would order this again. Crunchy rice bits were really good. read more

See all

I was very excited to try this place. I went on a weekday for lunch trying to avoid the crowds. Got right in. Everything tasted great, but nothing that I would run back for. Although I will say that the service was great. Since there weren't a lot of people, he was able to spend a lot of time with us to go over the menu and give us suggestions. Unless there's no line and I was already going to get groceries, not sure i would make the trip to just go here. read more