Came here to celebrate my husband's birthday and it was perfect for the occasion. The restaurant had a very cozy and simple aesthetic, it was cute for a nice little evening dinner. We made reservations for 7:45pm on a Tuesday night! They suggest ordering an item or two from each section of the menu but all vibes are welcome! We ordered the oysters and Wagyu beef tartare tartlets to start, followed by the scallion croissant, chilled perilla somyun and halibut. We ended with the Yeobo, Darling kalbi and banchan with ssam greens. What an experience, we were so full we skipped out on dessert sadly. Since it was my husband's birthday, they did come out with a little dessert and candle. All the dishes were really good but I especially liked the halibut. Our server told us next time to save the scallion croissant to dip into the halibut's chili vinegar sauce...GENIUS. Will need to try that combo on the next visit. Definitely would visit again! Loved how fresh the dishes tased, and service was great. read more

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We went here for a birthday dinner, and unfortunately, the experience was very disappointing. The food was just moderate, especially considering the price. The service was also quite slow. We didn't even receive water until we asked for it, which I would not expect from a restaurant at this price point. At the end of the meal, we asked for a to-go box to pack our leftovers. The female server offered to pack the food for us. When we were ready to leave, we asked where our food was, but no one seemed to know where it had gone. The food we had asked to be packed was barely touched, so it was especially frustrating to leave without it. A male staff member told us that he would contact us by email regarding a partial refund. It has now been almost a month, and we still have not heard anything. Overall, this was a very disappointing dining experience, especially for a birthday dinner. For the price we paid, I expected much better service and follow-through. read more

It was a calm Thursday evening. My partner and I were celebrating a very important occasion and thus decided to check out Yeobo, Darling. Shortly after arriving, we were sent in and were seated at a small table. Our server, Linda, then greeted us, explaining the menu and she told us to order 5-7 items for 2 people. With that in mind, we ordered more than we needed. We also got two of the soju cocktails. They both ended up really just tasting like yuzuade and were really minimally soju flavored. Firstly, for the small dishes, we got two Wagyu Beef Tartare Tartlets. This was the best thing we had in my opinion. The flavor was nuanced and balanced, and I had no complaints at all. We also tried the Corn Custard, which was really easy to share. Flavorwise, this thing was so awesome except for the trout roe on top. It was really hard and super fishy. I think everything else about this dish was perfection, but it would've been nicer if they utilized a different type of roe. Next, for the medium sized dishes, we got the Scallion Croissant, Gulf Prawns, and the Yeobo, Darling Chicken Wings. The famous scallion croissant was really delicious. The scallion flavor was a lot more prominent than I expected and the rou song butter paired nicely. The gulf prawns were a sleeper pick for me. The flavor was extremely nostalgic, and the prawns were cooked very nicely. Finally the chicken wings were rather disappointing. They weren't bad, but for a dish with the restaurant's namesake, I'd expect these to be phenomenal. Moreover, we ordered one large entree of the Hokkaido Scallops. These were executed very well and was a good dish overall. These didn't have any sort of wow factor though. Finally, we ended with the Chocolate Mousse. This dish had a very addicting flavor and had a wonderful mixture of textures. They also included a little candle on the plate for our celebration. Overall, I think the food is really good here and the service matched. Our server was sure to have little talking points and was really sweet the whole night. read more

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First time here, was lucky to get the only available reservation time 8:45pm on Thursday evening to celebrate birthday. I was concerned that the restaurant closes at 9pm. I left a voicemail and the manager returned my call assuring me we will get the full experience and we did! It was the restaurant manager who made our meal an awesome one. Our server was a bit lackluster unfortunately. Hubby and I ordered cocktail drinks and 3 dishes: - Vesper: nice and strong - Yuzu: a little too tart - Hamachi (no amberjack tonight): our favorite dish - croissant loaf: a must try. The meat floss butter was a nice Taiwanese touch! - Lu Rou lasagna: Recommended by manager. It was unique! I wished the lu rou was better Overall, we enjoyed the food and the experience. Would love to return to try different dishes! read more

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Excellent fusion restaurant with unique flavors inspired by Taiwanese and Korean dishes. My favorite here was the scallion bread, it was very warm and comforting. Chicken wings paired nicely with the peppers. The other dishes were great too. Recommending trying their wide range of dishes when coming here, mix in some of the warm dishes with the cold to give it more of a balance. read more

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Incredible birthday dinner for my family - though they didn't catch it was a birthday, I did see other tables get candles. The food was incredible - very unique and creative fusion dishes. My favorite was were the corn tartlet, Lu ruo lasagna, scallion croissant, and the Wagyu was great. Very quiet and nice inside with attentive servers. The price was reasonable for four of us read more

Yeobo Darling - Taiwanese Near Me - Menlo Park, California

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We heard about Yeobo when moving to the Bay Area and we finally got reservation for this place after such a long time. Our party of 6 was very excited. Lots of fingerfoods and their main is supposedly family style. However, the portion is very very small. Even with the main entrees, 2 people, at most 3 can easily devour it and still have room for dessert. Our waitress did an excellent job of recommending the amount of dishes to order for 6; but still it doesnt make sense if 1 dish is only enough of at most 3 people. We either have half a bite worth so all 6 can try or half of us will not bother trying. Flavor is good and very well-rounded. It's interesting to see how some traditional meals are transformed. Service is amazing. Atmosphere is cozy like your family dinner rather than fancy fine dining (eventhough the price is LOL) Overall, it was a fun experience. I would only come back after a while for a different menu ! read more

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Came for a late weekend dinner since all the regular times were taken! Definitely make a reservation ahead of time. This is a Korean Taiwan- inspired restaurant. We tried a number of things on the menu and most all dishes felt like it was lacking one component to the dish to make it perfect. However, a few dishes were perfect and stood out. I really liked the Wagyu tartlet, yuzu smash (alcoholic drink), anchovy rice, and the milk ice cream! The vibe has a good date night or celebratory vibe as well. read more

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This place is hard to make a reservation. We managed to land on a 8:30pm reso on Friday night and seeing that they close at 9:30, I was worried a lot of dishes would get sold out and we would be sent out the door in an hour. I was totally wrong! We were greeted and sent in to seat quickly. The seats have a sling at the bottom to place our bags. The fact that the seats are one piece without a gap between the back and the seat so we can put the bags behind our backs is already a big peace of mind. Monica took good care of us. I forgot how many times she refilled our water without asking; my glass is always full. She was warm and friendly and never overextended her time with us. She gave us a quick intro on the menu since it was our first visit. We went with the following: -Chilled Brentwood corn custard, trout roe, hearts of palm. It tasted good and the trout roe didn't taste as funny as my experience in Sweden. It was not as chilled as we'd like, but overall the taste is good. -Scallion croissant, rou song butter. The bread is crusty on the outside but soft on the inside. The moment we cut it up, the buttery aroma spreads and put us at awe. The rou song butter is fine and filling. I do wish there's more rou song as we dig into the butter. We've heard good words about this bread, glad that it is consistent and carries its reputation. -Halibut, cabbage, chili vinegar. Very tasty! Although a bite size portion, the rolled up halibut in cabbage is very balanced and flavorful. I only wish there's another piece for me to revisit. -Yeobo Darling chicken wings. It's like the Korean chicken wings, tasted good, not disappointing but honestly, how much better can chicken wings be in a place this good already. So I would say it's a steady dish that can't go wrong, but also hard to wow. We chose it as it has the restaurant name on it, but I would not call it its signature dish. -Lu rou lasagna. Interesting dish, the pasta was baked crispy at the edge and covered by the lu rou inside. It's like tasting a twisted version of meat sauce noodle in a Chinese dish. Worth trying. -Duroc pork collar & banchan. This is a jackpot dish. We couldn't stop talking about it all night long! Thick layer of pork, roasted and covered in the Korean gochujang sauce with a hint of miso? The texture is soft, juicy and absorbing. The fact that the chef can make it this thick yet maintain a consistent texture is impressive. We love this dish! -Crispy anchovy, koshihikari rice. We rank it as high as the pork collar. Soaked in flavor yet crispy, each grain carries the flavor equally. There's the right amount of anchovy on top, delivering the right flavor profile. Top dish! -Chocolate mousse, taro rice cake, cocoa nib tuile. We found the other 2 desserts too common, so we chose this one. A layer of hard cocoa on the top, with taro soup in the middle and some chocolate mousse at the bottom. It's hard to scoop all the way to get everything, but the taste is interesting and rich, slightly salty and not just plainly sweet. Interesting dish. The ambiance is a bit dark with warm yellow light. Slightly hard for us to read the menu under the dim light. And a bit embarrassing as we photographed each dish the flash went out. Limited street parking but there's a public parking lot at the back. Restroom's scented candle is another touch of service done right. read more

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Service is definitely the top notch! The ambiance is nice, although I just can't get used to dark room, hard to see the menu The food are expectedly delicious (I am more familiar with Taiwanese and Korean food) and presented in a surprisingly way ~ Overall it's a place I would visit again read more

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A fun Taiwanese-Korean fusion spot we've been wanting to try and now that I've been here twice over the last few months, it's time to share! Plan ahead and make a reservation: if you plan a few weeks out, you should be able to make a reservation at a time of your choosing. If you don't mind eating at later hours, you might be able to grab a reservation ~a week out (aside from major holidays). The vibe and service here is upscale comfort, a perfect spot for date night, or dining with an intimate group of friends. Parking is easy to find on the street or in the lot behind the restaurant. The top dishes I enjoyed across the two visits: 1) Must-try: Scallion croissant, rou song butter - yummy (subtle) flavors and delicious textures 2) Both the small bites were yummy, including the chicken liver w/pineapple & cilantro, and wagyu beef tartare tartlet w/smoked soy. 3) If you like wagyu / beef, get the Wagyu Kalbi & Banchan and don't forget the Ssam side order. Sure, it's a bit pricey but worth it. I love my greens and begrudgingly ordered a Ssam side order to go with the Wagyu Kalbi. It just feels like the Ssam should come with the Kalbi dish, y'know? But I was very glad I ordered the Ssam. It comes with several sets of carefully curated and washed/dried leaves (3 types) and they were perfect with the Wagyu Kalbi. 4) Lu Rou Lasagna was unique and yummy too. I would definitely return to Yeobo Darling - for special occasions, or when we feel like treating ourselves to some Taiwanese-Korean fusion fare. read more

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I've been eyeing this Korean Taiwanese fusion restaurant for a while now and thankfully we were able to snag somewhat last minute reservations for the day before our 5 year wedding anniversary (and it was wonderful timing because I went into labor the same night and delivered on our actual anniversary!) We ordered four dishes from section two. We weren't sure if it would be enough food, but it ended up being a perfect amount (perhaps because I was pregnant and there wasn't much more room in my belly haha). My husband started off with the wagyu beef tartare tartlet, which he enjoyed. For our four shared dishes, we got: 1. Scallion Croissant: This one was my fav! Recommend eating it all fresh while the texture stays crisp on the outside. The rou song (meat floss) flavor from the butter didn't come out as much as I'd like it to but I still enjoyed the Asian twist to the croissant. 2. Yeobo, Darling Chicken Wings: It didn't feel very special, but I'm always down for chicken wings. Could've been more tender. I enjoyed the shishito peppers that come with it. 3. Lu Rou Lasagna: A fusion of two things I really love! Lu Rou is slow braised minced pork belly. I forgot what the green "pasta" is made out of, but it was tasty. I had to get the chili oil on the side (due to my husband's spice intolerance). Not sure how it would have been with the chili oil incorporated into the dish, but I didn't think the chili oil added much. I bet Lao Gan Ma (chili crisp + chili oil) would've been superb with it. 4. Chilled Perilla Somyun: This was a refreshing dish, which helped balance out the other heavier dishes. I wasn't super wowed at first bite, but enjoyed it more and more with each new bite. I wanted to try the Wagyu Kalbi, but the price point is more than what I'm comfortable with. We opted out of dessert, but were pleasantly surprised when they brought out a small dessert for our anniversary. It was some sort of roll with chocolate over it, yum! Service was great. I appreciate that they inquire about food allergies prior to ordering. Throughout the meal, they always made sure our water cups were filled. The food itself doesn't necessarily make me want to come back a second time, but it was great as a one time date night spot! read more

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So many creative and yummy options! We were lucky and able to get a same day reservation at 5:15 pm on a Friday. Service is impeccable and it looked like there was more staff than tables when we arrived but over the course of dinner, as the rest filled up, it made more sense. We loved the custard appetizer. So smooth with great textures and flavors from the potato, fish roe and everything else in the bowl. The lasagna was very unexpected yet delicious with layers and ground meat. The pawns had great flavor and we liked the sausages and tomatoes it came with. I also love that the bodies were de-shelled as already. The cold noodle was very interesting with the foam. It's a very mild flavor so this dish is more about the presentation and textures. The scallops were fresh but not that interesting. I love Hokkaido scallops but I prefer them raw. This cook was good, just not that interesting. The spicy hot tofu soup was fine. It didn't feel different or elevated from what I've had at other places and a touch too salty for our tastes. There's plenty to try on the menu and would have loved to try the kalbi but our bill was quite pricey already. I highly recommend giving this restaurant a try, it's a great treat and dining experience. read more

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Good service and good food. Only lacking in ambience of a high end restaurant. Hard to mark reservations. Too many pork so not good for people with food restrictions but we are happy with our choices. read more

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A rising star was just added to the @michelinguide earlier this year. Finally scored a reservation to see what the hype is about. They serve Korean-Taiwanese fusion with a family-style menu made for sharing - split into snacks, appetizers, and entrées, plus a separate dessert menu. We went all in and ordered a little bit of everything... aka a full feast. Snacks: oysters, beef tartare Apps: scallion croissant, chicken wings, lu rou lasagna Entrées: kalbi & banchan, crispy anchovy rice, ssam greens Dessert: house-made donut + soft serve Everything looked sooo pretty--even the little details like the greens. Portions are on the smaller side for the price, but some dishes really stood out. Loved how tender the kalbi was, and the croissant was crispy with a strong scallion aroma. The rou song & butter combo was such a smart touch. Don't skip dessert - the donut was super soft and not too sweet, especially with the soft serve. Overall, a really creative and harmonious blend of flavors. Service was attentive and checked in often throughout the meal. read more

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Really an amazing experience overall. This place was really hard to get a reservation, but I was very fortunate to get a reservation on a weekday for dinner. It was as good as expected, I really enjoyed the croissant bread and the Uni potato, the galbi was amazing but the highlight for me was the icecream!!! The texture and flavor was one of the best icecream dessert I ever had. Definitely recommend this Korean restaurant 10/10! read more

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I came here on a Saturday night with a reservation for a party of 4. The items we ordered included the brentwood corn custard, scallion croissant, halibut, pork collar, anchovy rice, ssam greens, and lasagna. as for cocktails, we ordered the jasmine sour, yuzu smash, and natural oasis. my favorites this time around included the halibut and scallion croissant. i was also impressed with the pork collar and how tender it was. i definitely like the pork collar more than the galbi that we ordered last time. out of the cocktails, i liked the natural oasis the most, followed by the yuzu smash. the jasmine sour was distinctly sour but i couldn't make out any hint of jasmine. i was surprised to see the bill at the end had a line item for SM surcharge of 6%. i didn't see this surcharge mentioned anywhere on the menu. after going home and reading some other reviews that mentioned the surcharge, it appears that it's optional? but i didn't see it anywhere on the menu and the server didn't mention it either. with the way the surcharge is listed in the itemized bill, it doesn't look optional. what i dont like about the surcharge is that it gets included in the subtotal which means that the tax that is charged is inflated and inaccurate. read more

Cute place, lovely ambiance, amazing service. The bread was great and unique. The rest of the dishes were also very good. We enjoyed the appetizers more than the heavier mains. Prob a personal preference. Price was pretty expensive but nothing out of the ordinary for the Bay Area. Will return. read more

I've been wanting to try Yeobo Darling since they opened, and finally snagged a spot pretty late into the evening on a weekday. While the food was good, I think it ultimately didn't live up to my expectations. The one that stood out is the scallion croissant. This modern take on a classic was delicious! It was buttery, warm, soft, and the pork floss butter paired perfectly with the bread. The Santa Barbara uni was also delicious - it is a pretty small bite for $29/each, but my partner and I both commented on how fresh and well paired this dish was. We also tried the perilla somyun, pork collar, and crispy anchovy rice. The perilla noodles were light and a refreshing break from the heavier dishes, but I didn't think it was distinctive enough for me to want it again. The pork collar was soft, but fell a bit flat - I struggled to finish it. The rice was nice and paired well with the pork collar, but I could've done with just plain white rice. The service was very attentive and the dining area was beautiful. I also love how innovative their menu was! However, while we left full and generally satisfied, we also agreed we didn't feel (especially for the price tag and difficulty securing a reservation) like there were any dishes aside from the scallion croissant we'd make the effort to come back for. read more

TLDR; For a highly regarded restaurant designed to fuse Asian flavors with a very modern twist; I was left unimpressed for the high dollar amount. ---- Finally got a reservation for a Friday night for a group of 4. After seeing many reviews and videos online about the scallion pancake, I was very excited to finally grab a slot. When entering, the restaurant is quaint with a modern, minimalist interior. It's very small but def felt intimate. Our waiter was friendly and gave a thorough description of the menu since it was our first time. He was also receptive to our jokes when made especially when I didn't like the drink I ordered (the one with the corn liquor). For the food, unfortunately nothing really stood out to me, except for the somyun. For me, I am not a huge fan of milky things or cold noodles (just a preference of mine), but this was surprisingly the best dish for me as it hit the all or most of my flavor requirements. I think it's the creamy pine nuts that really held it together. Everything else as you can see in my receipt was nothing to rave about. Chicken wings were good but again, it didnt taste unique or told me this was a signature dish - like the reviews or TikToks. Oh and if you want a bowl of rice, it's $6 each lol. Even though the drinks were not to our liking but the staff were nice to take back my original drink and exchange it for the yuzu smash. But even that didn't make up for the disappointment that much. It was just very sour with a little amount - not that I needed more. We were expecting more for an upscale and hard to get place, but for the price you pay, I would not recommend this to anyone I know. Even as a special occasion I must say this was not worth it for me and my friends. read more

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I came here for my birthday and had a solid experience overall. The service was nice and great throughout the night, which I always appreciate. The standout dishes for me were the scallion croissant, the lu ruo lasagna, and the chicken liver wafer appetizer. I also thought the beef tartar tart was tasty. On the other hand, the dumpling soup was just ok and didn't really hit the same high notes as the other plates. I really liked the Korean and Taiwanese fusion of flavors; the profile felt very familiar to me. While the meal wasn't mind-blowing, it was enjoyable and it gave me a lot of inspiration and interesting combination ideas to try out at home with my own cooking. One letdown was the birthday recognition. They stuck a candle on my dessert and that was it, which felt a bit disappointing since I was hoping for something that made the occasion feel a little more special. That said, I will definitely return to try some of the other dishes on the menu. read more

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Came back for boyfriend's birthday and we genuinely enjoyed all of our choices. I was very appreciative for the staff who knew the menu thoroughly and took time to point out all the hidden shellfish on the menu (even the fish sauce had shrimp in it!). We had the butternut squash which was just as dreamy as the first time and the Lu rou lasagna which boyfriend also really enjoyed. New for both of us was the amberjack for which I really enjoyed the play on texture and taste of the sea with the seaweed oil. For mains we shared the duroc pork collar which was so tender and unctuous and the anchovy fried rice which was my personal favorite of the two. It was sweet and sticky on the bottom reminding me of zhongzi and then crispy with the tiny Korean anchovy on top. Would have this again! To round out dessert we tried the bergamot parfait which was light and bright with citrus, yet decadent with the sago and creamy meringue. It was the perfect way to end the meal. Plus, the birthday candle was cute! The only reason why I still have this at a 4 is that this time the dining room was unexpectedly loud. It was actually difficult to hear each other across the table which didn't seem to fit the ambiance that Yeobo is trying to have. read more

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Advice: don't be misled by influencers on tiktok or Instagram. It's best to go back to the days of Yelp where people weren't doing it just for likes . I was so disappointed with this page and I think even three stars is too generous. Here's what we got and my rating for each one 3/5- scallion bread - the bread was served warm and with a light butter with pork floss or as they like to cal it "rou song" (mandarin phonetic spelling) . This was very oily and the bread wasn't dense so you needed to hard the bread down as you cut it . Which I found messy. It was a little too greasy for me 3/5 - Kaluga hybrid cavier - this was a little bit sweet mixed with the saltiness of the cavier. This was good but it was also something that was easily forgetable. 2/5 lu rou lasagna - this was the biggest disappointment. It just tastes like a minced beef dish with a sweet Bolognese sauce. Nothing special. 3/5 wagyu kalbi - the flavors for this dish was good. However the quality wasn't was good as some of the pieces were just fat. Which left us with a lot that we weren't able to eat. 3/t -Karat cake - Overall, for the prices, quality and quantity of the dishes, you are better off somewhere else. If you want good quality wagyu, you can get more for a better price at 10 Butchers. read more

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A Korean Taiwanese modern fusion elevated cuisine in a neighborhood, casual fine dining blanket. For those who remember Maum, you can see the familiar brush strokes. Yeobo Darling provides creative small plates à la carte dining, ok service and questionable value. The food was creative, fun and balanced. Despite mostly ordering items that were heavily recommended to us by multiple people, we were a bit underwhelmed; expected more highlights given the hype, price, and the type of restaurant they are going for. The best dish by far and away was the scallion croissant with rou song butter. Basically, scallion pancakes creatively reimagined with pork floss butter that added a savory component and paired beautifully. This collaboration with the Baker Next Door is honestly worth being sold separately as a to go item. The only thing I wish it had was a bit more scallions on the inside. On the other hand, the lu rou lasagna was even more creative combination but the flavors felt flat and came short of expectations. Would I take this over a solid lu rou or a classic lasagna? Probably not. Would I reorder if came again? No. The chicken wings' sauce was creative and nicely balanced but par of the KFC course and not distinctive enough. Similarly, by the end of the meal I forgot we even had the oysters with white kimchi and I swear it's not the Alzheimer's kicking in extra early, I hope. Their specialty Karat cake was not too sweet and well balanced with unique frosting but not sure it lived up to the insane levels of hype. The kalbi was melt in your mouth delicious and the anchovies rice paired well with it but at the price point you can get the same (or higher) quality meat in many places. Not to undermine the recipe, it was prepared well but it's hard to mess up a high quality cut. The banchan was a little too neutral and plain to really cut through the deep richness of the meat. Lastly, to end on a high note, the Santa Barbara sea urchin, potato, kombu bite was amazingly delicious. The highlight was absolutely the potato pave which was prepared to perfection and it paired nicely the briny and salty uni. And I expected nothing less for a nearly $30 bite. Even when comparing to high end sushi prices, there are a lot of other bites at that price point I'll choose before this. And therein lies my dilemma with Yeobo Darling. When you are paying a minimum of $200+ per person to barely feel satiated, you fairly start to compare your experience with others in that bracket and unfortunately that's where the shortcomings become even more evident. The creativity is there but the flavors, uniqueness and memorability were a bit more shaky. Simply put, the value you're getting is in question. The service also fell short of expectations for this caliber of restaurant. Yeah it's a casual fine dining place but I've come to expect a lot more in comparison. It already started off shaky with having to wait 15 minutes after our reservation time despite arriving early, next to the door that was seriously leaking in the cold, windy air from the outside; not a very premium experience. Similarly, at our booth table, the windows were leaking cold air the whole time. Being at the corner we also felt like a bit of an afterthought for our server and I was trying to get the attention of the staff a few times throughout the meal to no avail. Thankfully the back waiters were on top of refilling our water but that's the only part of the service that lived up to expectations. At half or even two-thirds of the price, I'd feel much more positive about the experience because my expectations would be lower. At the caliber they're aiming for, there were simply too many shortcomings - from the meal, to the service, to the hard product. The competition at that price point is strong and when you come with a lot of hype and swing hard, you better not miss. read more

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This place was great! We went on a Wednesday night and didn't have a reservation, but we were seated at the bar after a 10 minute wait. The restaurant was nice and cozy inside, and the servers were all very nice. - The beef tartare was quite flavorful - it was garnished with sesame oil and asian sauces and almost reminded me of poke. - the scallion croissant was quite buttery and flaky. I like that it can easily be split into 4 pieces, though I low-key wished that the rousong could be stuffed inside the croissant itself. - the lu rou lasagna was super duper flavorful. It was so so good read more

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A really fun Taiwanese-Korean fusion spot that hits both comfort and creativity. The scallion croissant bread with rou song butter was a standout--perfectly flaky with a savory scallion aroma. The fried chicken wings were crispy on the outside, juicy inside, and well-seasoned without feeling too heavy. The Gulf prawns with Taiwanese sausage and kumquat delivered a great balance of flavors. The karat cake tied everything together with crispy edges and a soft, flavorful interior packed with umami. The soju cocktails were a nice surprise, especially the yuzu smash--refreshing, citrusy, and dangerously easy to drink. Service was excellent and thorough--attentive without being overbearing, with great pacing and thoughtful recommendations. read more

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Food: 2.2 out of 5 - food came out unique but flavor $ taste needs improvements Service: 4.4 out of 5 Ambiance: 4.2 out of 5 Portions: 1.5 out of 5 - too small Price: 1.3 out of 5 - portions & taste of food- over priced Location: 4.5 out of 5 Parking: 4.6 out of 5 * 6% of SM surcharges really read more

Yeobo Darling - Beef tartare very tiny small bite for each - Taiwanese Near Me - Menlo Park, California

My boyfriend managed to snag a resy here for Valentine's Day after I mentioned I wanted to check this place out. The one thing I was looking forward to trying the most--the scallion croissant bread with rou song butter--was HEAVENLY. It was served perfectly warm with countless pillowy layers and had a crisp but not too hard exterior. The rou song was a scattered topping on the butter, but I kind of wished it was more integrated into either the bread or butter so it wouldn't fall off so easily. I could have downed two loaves of that bread easy. The rest of the Valentine's Day menu consisted of canapés and many seafood heavy courses--highlights included the hokkaido scallop and duck breast with pureed squash. I thought the Taiwanese beef cavatelli was a similar spin on their famous lu rou lasagna, but the green pasta was a little tough and not our favorite. The abalone jook was stunning visually and very flavorful but quite a large portion. And of course, dessert completed the meal. Ther signature Karat cake was one of our favorites with a not too sweet cream cheese frosting and spiced crumb. Service couldn't have been better in any way. Great addition to bay area fine dining scene, definitely deserve their recently acquired Michelin star. read more

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TLDR, everything was delicious!! walking in, you feel transported to cool SF or NY restaurant. Not santa cruz ave in menlo park. Elegant, fancy! $16 for guava spritz, delicious but pricey! corn custard: delicious, fresh! was enough for 4 people. scallion croissant: must have. love that it has savory bent with the dried pork threads (Taiwanese!) perilla somyun, unique presentation, fresh, light, enough for 4 Chicken Wings: reminded me of similar with michelin chefs in Seoul Lasagna: amazing in that limited cheese for those that are lactose intolerant, lots of meat, crispy edges! dessert: chocolate mousse and soft serve. Not so taiwanese in that many of us are lactose intolerant. Would like to see Sulbing or Shaved Ice with Taiwanese (fruit, molasses, grass jelly) doughnut add on was pretty and delicious. birthday: lovely candle! read more

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I've been meaning to try this Korean Taiwanese fusion place for a very long time, and finally snagged a reservation for my birthday. We tried several dishes and the overall consensus for us was that given the price in mind, the food was average at best based on the items we ordered. The restaurant is small, modern, and intimate, and there's plenty of parking in the back lot. The tables are very close together though, and it's a bit uncomfortable when you're getting up to walk through since the gap is pretty narrow. I was worried that I was going to knock over the table next to me or have my clothes touch their food when I got up. I could completely hear the right table's conversation since the tables are so close and a large majority of the table on my left side, so I would say that's something to keep in mind depending on what your conversations are/if you don't mind people hearing your entire conversation. The restaurant does have curtain "dividers" which offer some privacy. Since the restaurant is more of a fine dining place, portions are a bit small. The server gave us a recommended number of items to get from each section, which I think were 3 from the "appetizer" section and 4 from the other two sections due to portion size. We got: - Wagyu beef tartare tartlet: this was fine. It was what you would think it would taste like. - Hybrid caviar with sweet potato: very sweet and basically tasted like a dessert to us. We weren't too fond of it - Hokkaido sea urchin - really good but tiny and pricey - Scallion croissant: This was delicious! A bit oily from the butter but that's to be expected. It was crispy on the outside, with flakey buttery deliciousness one the side. We enjoyed the pork floss butter with it. - Chilled perilla somyun: light, subtle flavors. I liked that it helped break the greasiness from the main dishes. - Lu rou lasagna: a unique twist on lasagna. I appreciated that it didn't have the heaviness that you would get from lasagna but the meat filling was very sweet. We overhead our table neighbors make this comment as well. - Pork collar - juicy but very fatty. I wasn't a big fan of the glaze. It reminded me of ketchup - Kalbi - If you're debating whether to get the kalbi vs collar, I'd say get the kalbi. It's more expensive, but more enjoyable. The meat was tender, but that's also to be expected when it's wagyu. - Ice cream/soft serve dessert: I'd suggest skipping this. We didn't order the doughnut, so perhaps it would had been better with that, but it tasted like a standard ice cream you'd get from an ice cream store. The toppings on it didn't do much for us. The banchan for the kalbi and pork collar was just ok, but neither comes with lettuce/greens, which is an additional charge that I was surprised about. Out of all the items we ordered, we thought the croissant, kalbi, and sea urchin were the best. I wanted to save the noodles and wait until the kalbi and pork collar came out to continue eating it, but I think the workers were waiting for us to finish the noodles to bring the meats out. They asked us if we were still working on it, and I said I was and wanted it with the meats, and that's when they brought other the other two dishes shortly after, so I guess they were waiting for us to finish it before they brought out the meats. I don't eat at a lot of fine dining restaurants, so perhaps this is the standard, but just something to keep in mind if you're still working on your dish but want your other dishes to come out! There is an "optional" 6% charge for quality of life. I was put off by this because I don't think most people are going to ask for this to be removed since that would be awkward. Overall, I'm glad we tried this place, but I wouldn't be back since the dishes didn't really wow me given the cost and we felt like it was not worth it. read more

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Snagged a reservation on a Friday cuz we knew someone who works here. Celebrating my friends birthday and we ordered a lot of dishes to try! They also put a candle on the karat cake for her. Karat cake had a nice frosting that I actually enjoyed eating, and the cake itself was super moist. The wagyu tartare tart had great umami flavor, and the tart crust was amazingly thin and crispy. Somyun is rare to find so we had to try it and it was very interesting and refreshing. Not the most appetizing to look at but definitely give it a try if you like cold noodles. Pork collar was a must order, well seasoned and tender. The banchan was a bit lackluster, very pure and pickled, no extra flavors. The scallion toast is soooo flakey, we loved tearing it into pieces and savoring all the layers. The sweet potato roe appetizer was amazing. One of my favs The tofu dish was too fishy (in a bad way) for my taste. Didn't like the fishy aftertaste. The fermented rice wine I got was also extremely good! So clean and crisp Great date spot. Excellent service. read more

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Boyfriend and I have been seeing a lot of reels about Yeobo Darling, so we were really excited to try this place out when he was able to get a reservation on OpenTable. Unfortunately, we did not understand the hype after we tried it out ourselves. Unlike other reviews, we got to the restaurant 5 minutes before our reservation, and we were seated within 10 minutes. (When we checked in, the hostess told us our table is almost ready, as the table just got their bill.) The restaurant had dimmed lights, but still bright enough to see well. I'm actually a fan of the curtains that splits up the tables. I think it cancels out the noise level, and it helps to be fully present in the conversation on the table. We got the St. Simon oyster, honeynut squash, scallion croissant, gulf prawn, duroc pork collar, and karat cake. The only thing that surprised us and thought it matched the hype and the way the restaurant is designed was the honeynut squash. Everything else was just ok, considering all the circumstances. read more

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I heard this place was always so hard to get reservations but i was able to snag a last minute reservation for my birthday at 8:30PM thursday night for a party of three. It's very intimate as it is a small restraint with dim lighting. Pretty straight forward, order and food come out in a timely matter. The service was excellent as I was always never left with an empty water cup. The waiters always made sure that the table was clean as well, taking away done plates or crumbs on the table in operation for the next plate. I would say everything is pretty small in terms of serving size but it's pretty standard for a fancier place like this. The item that stood out the most were the Yeobo Chicken Wings. The shishito peppers were a nice touch and added more depth to the dish. I would skip out on the little appetizers as you won't be missing much. It's worth coming and trying once but not sure if i would go out of my way to go again. read more

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Amazing new modern Taiwanese Korean fusion restaurant in Menlo Park! I can see why it's one of the hottest restaurants in the Bay Area right now. It can be hard to snag a reservation on Open Table but it's worth it. The restaurant is gorgeous, the food is amazing, and the service is top notch! I came to celebrate my birthday and it was the perfect spot for a special occasion. The decor is very upscale modern and clean. The menu is smaller which I prefer so I don't get decision paralysis. They also had cutlery drawers for the table like they do in Korea which was a nice touch. We started with the honey nut squash dish and the scallion croissant. Both dishes blew us away, definitely must tries! Honey nut squash is pretty seasonal so get this dish while you can. It was a delicious custard made from the squash with a luscious sauce and trout roe. The roe added a nice pop of saltiness which went great with the custard. The scallion croissant was deliciously flakey and filled with scallions. It was pretty unique, I've never had a croissant like this before and it paired so well with the rou song butter. The wings were also great. Crispy and in a flavorful sauce. It was nice that they gave us a separate plate for bones and some wet towels to clean our hands after eating them. I also really enjoyed the lou rou lasagna! It came out piping hot and was very tasty. It was deeply savory and I could taste the Taiwanese lou rou braised pork flavor. We also ordered the duck special and the duroc pork collar & banchan. We got a side of ssam greens to eat with the meats. The duck was tender and flavorful and so was the pork. For dessert, we had the karat cake and the parfait. Both were delicious, the karat cake was incredibly moist and the parfait had the best grapefruit I've had in a while. Overall it was an amazing experience and meal. Our server Linda was very warm and attentive. Will definitely be coming back! read more

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I'm a huge fan of Chefs Meichih and Michael Kim from Maum days! So glad that we got to try their new restaurant and various dishes that blend Taiwanese and Korean flavors. We ordered their chicken wings, Lu rou lasagna, scallion croissant, and Wagyu Kalbi with banchan. Everything was delicious. My favorites were the Kalbi and the chicken wings; super flavorful and tender. The ambience is welcoming and intimate. The restaurant has modern design and very polished. All the staff were super friendly and attentive. The service was clockwork. Can't wait to come back to try other dishes! read more

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Wow this place was so good. Expensive, but really tasty. Decor was upscale with different shades of cream. The service was upscale as well -- people constantly filling your water, folding your napkin when you get up, etc. The sun hits the restaurant later in the day and they have curtains pulled so the tables not directly in front of the door were a little dark but adds to the mood. A little snug between the 2 person tables (I was trying hard not to hit the table next to us when I got up to go to the bathroom lol). Located in Menlo Park downtown, there's a parking lot in the back but we managed to snag a spot right in front of the restaurant! Recommend making a reservation (they fill up quick) though my friend was able to grab a seat at the bar during peak time before. - Scallion croissant: OUR FAVORITE. So good that we ordered another one as our "dessert" lol. Soft pull-apart bread with perfectly crisped outside, so buttery and tasty, we asked them if we could just order this takeout in the future but they said no just dine in only hahaha. - Wagyu beef tartare tartlet: really tasty, bite-sized, and full of flavor - Hokkaido sea urchin: really good but honestly it's nothing that special, it's as delicious as you would expect of a high quality uni toast - Salt & pepper coonstripe shrimp: yum, so good, just the right amount of fried-ness - Lu rou lasagna: unique and very tasty, less heavy than traditional lasagna which is ideal - Amberjack: good and refreshing but not that much flavor, wouldn't get again - Wagyu kalbi: good but as you would expect of good wagyu kalbi - Pork collar: good but fattier if you like that - Crispy anchovy rice: our favorite right after scallion croissant, loved the crispiness of the anchovies, lots of flavor read more

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Super super solid spot! The food was delicious but it was on the pricier side. I tried several dishes; Wagyu beef tartlet- pure beefy flavor. Although it was a tad bit small for what it is, it was delicious! The beef was super soft and the crust had a great mouth feel with every chew. Scallion croissant- I wish I could use this as pillow. Flaky and slightly crispy on the outside, ultra fluffy and soft on the inside, paired with the rou song butter almost made it a match in heaven. Yeobo darling galbi and banchan - Ultra flavorful, heavily and well marinated. The beef was oh so soft and tender and almost didn't even require any chewing. Crispy anchovy koshihikari rice - Fairly decent, I was expecting more flavor depth from the anchovies but it didn't have the flavor burst that I was anticipating. Overall, solid date night or birthday celebration spot! read more

Yeobo Darling - Anchovy rice (top) and yeobo galbi (bottom) - Taiwanese Near Me - Menlo Park, California

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I can see the hype. Was looking at reservations a month out at 12:30 am (they drop at midnight), and saw 5 pm or 8:15 pm options open (other options were fully out). Snagged an 8:15 pm slot for a party of 5 on Tuesday night. What we got: - Scallion Croissant, Rou Song Butter ~ This. Literally scallion pancakes reimagined. Comes in four pull-apart pieces, and within those four pieces is packed full of scallions. Crunchy on the outside, soft and layer-y on the inside. The pork floss butter adds a savory component that pairs well with the Scallion Croissant. 10/10 would recommend. - Amberjack, Cabbage, Sorrel ~ A refreshing appetizer. Cabbage wrapped in amberjack sashimi and garnished with sorrel, this was like a lighter form of spring rolls. Highlight was the sauce. Tangy, Sweet, with a refreshing kick. - Yeobo Darling Chicken Wings ~ The sauce is the star of the show. Sweet soy garlic with a touch of umami coated the chicken wing. Wings weren't as crispy due to the sauce, but this hits the saucy wings cravings! Warning: one of our pieces was slightly pink and bloody. - Smoked Duck Risotto, Seaweed ~ This was interesting. Slightly on the saucier side, this was more cheesy and of a dip rather than risotto. With bits of tender duck mixed in, this felt almost like a porridge. - Lu Rou Lasagna ~ THIS. Spinach chrysanthemum pasta sheets added color and crunch from the toasted edges. Filling added depth of flavor. Bechamel sauce added creaminess. Everything in this dish was so flavorful and paired beautifully. 1000/10 would recommend and get again. This item almost sold out for dinner service, and we got the last item. Shout out to the server for snagging us the last lasagna! - Yeobo Darling Wagyu Kalbi and Banchan ~ MELTS IN YOUR MOUTH. Semi crispy from the char and rendering. Marinated Beautifully. Served with kimchi, thinly sliced pickled cucumber, and ssamjang. But for the price tag and what is served, not the first thing I would gravitate to if I had to reorder. - Crispy Anchovy, Koshihikari Rice ~ Elevated rice that pairs well with other entrees. The anchovies add the perfect crunch (like crispy onions or garlic would do). This + Wagyu + a bit of sauce = perfect bite. - Milk Soft Cream ~ THIS WAS MASSIVE. Even for a party of 5, we had a bit left over. With Black Sesame sauce drizzled over and nutty brittle as a topping, this was the perfect way to end the evening. The soft serve itself was not too sweet. Brittle added crunch and the sweetness. Black sesame sauce hardened from the coldness, adding texture and a melt-in-your-mouth experience. Highly recommend. Drinks: -Yuzu Smash -Jasmine Sour All in all, we had a pretty decent experience. We were worried since our reservation was on the later side of dinner service that most of the desired items would sell out. Although it almost happened with the lasagna, we were lucky we snagged the last lasagna of the night! Some items stood out. Some items were alright. But all in all, would recommend! read more

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My friends wanted to try this and it was on my list for awhile so went on a Friday night. We were lucky and someone did not make their reservation so we were able to snag their table. Ambiance is nice, very dimly lit and intimate. Staff is very attentive. DRINKS Jasmine Sour: Bright and floral cocktail. It was a little sweeter than I expected but overall good cocktail. Yuzu Smash: This was straight up a lemonade. Mint flavor did not really shine through with this. Omnichan: My friend got this mocktail and I wasn't sure what to expect but it really just tasted like juice LOL APPS Wagyu Tartare Tartlet: The server told us this would be a small single person portion but it was literally a single bite. Honestly would have preferred this in a traditional tartare format. Meat was fresh and radish added nice balance to the bite. However, seasoning leaned a little too much into the sweet side than savory. Scallion Croissant: I was super excited for this but was left pretty disappointed. Croissant was super flaky but nothing about it screamed scallion to me besides the few pieces of sliced scallions scattered in the croissant. I was expecting that it was baked with scallion butter or something when baking to really get that scallion flavor but looks like not. The butter on the side was good compliment but nothing amazing. Smoked Duck Risotto: Really great smoky flavor that balanced well with the spice in the risotto itself. However, maybe a little too heavy on the cheese that they used though as it didn't blend well with the spicy smoky flavor. Honestly couldn't really tell that the crispy perilla leaves were there in the bite, wished maybe they were sliced larger so there is a better textural component that I think they were going for. MAINS Hokkaido Scallops: Honestly absurd that for $45 you only get 3 scallops. We had 4 so they added an additional scallop for $14. Sauce was good and scallops were cooked well. However, I am not seeing the vision with this dish. While delicious separately, I personally did not find that the sauce paired well with the scallops. Kalbi and Banchan: Can't really go wrong with kalbi. Seasoned well and tender in each bite. Banchan was limited to 2 options of kimchi and pickled cucumbers. Kimchi was a little strange, it was like thinly sliced and then wrapped in a kimchi leaf? Not sure how I felt about having to pickup multiple small kimchi pieces. Also it kind of is strange to me that there were only 2 items for banchan LOL Overall, for the portion size and price, I would not recommend. It is really hard to justify these prices for tiny portions when the flavors did not pack a punch or were harmoniously blending the Taiwanese and Korean flavors. To be honest it seemed more that each dish was either Taiwanese or Korean rather than both. While pricey, I would not have minded if the flavors were married and made sense for that price point. I do not see myself coming back and wouldn't avoid. read more

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My first time at Yeobo Darling to celebrate a birthday. The entrance was so unassuming and calm. But as soon as you walk, you can feel the calm interior and nice ambiance. Everything feels very luxurious and nice. The staff are all very nice and welcoming, they ask questions and don't rush you through the meal. Portion sizes were a little small and they do recommend 3-4 dishes for 2 people. For two ladies that don't eat very much, we can usually get away with less than the recommended portions. We finished everything that we ordered. Scallion croissant is very famous and everyone knows about it already. I highly recommend the anchovy rice. It was very tasty and had very nice texture that balances out the meat dishes. Of the two meat dishes, I was pleasantly surprised by the pork collar. Great flavor, a little spicy, and a good balance between fattiness and tenderness. read more

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