12 Bold Korean Restaurants in San Francisco

From fried chicken to crispy rice bowls, satisfy your Korean food craving here

by Dianne de Guzman and Lauren Saria Updated Jun 1, 2023, 11:35am PDT

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by Dianne de Guzman and Lauren Saria Updated Jun 1, 2023, 11:35am PDT

If you book a reservation through an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

The Korner Store

As is often the case, you can find everything from elegant, upscale restaurants to tiny, mom-and-pop shops dishing up great Korean food in this city. And in the past few years, the breadth of what’s on those restaurant menus has only grown, too — resulting in a diverse range of Korean dining options with some specializing in specific dishes and others pushing to the heights of fine dining. Whatever you’re craving or wherever you’re going, let this list be a jumping-off point for your next Korean restaurant excursion.

Toyose

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Yes, it’s housed in a former garage — but don’t let looks fool you. Toyose is a destination for San Franciscans craving something spicy, and even more so if it’s late at night. This hidden-away restaurant has a well-established reputation for excellent kimchi pancakes, generous portions of fried rice, and spicy chicken wings. It’s a first come, first served seating situation, but if you need a fix there’s always the option for takeout, which the restaurant absolutely nails.

3814 Noriega St, San Francisco, CA 94122

(415) 731-0232

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Han Il Kwan

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Widely regarded as one of the city’s best options for Korean barbecue, Han II Kwan has been doing its thing in the Richmond District for years. It’s a casual, low-key place to get either an affordable lunch or a family-size dinner complete with soup, meat, seafood, noodles, and more.

1802 Balboa St, San Francisco, CA 94121

(415) 752-4447

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Manna

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Inner Sunset residents turn to this Irving Street corner restaurant for its solid and extensive selection of Korean food — everything from spicy seafood stew to kimchi pancakes. You’ll likely see lots of diners digging into some variety of bibimbap, with the crispy rice buried under beef, vegetables, seafood or a combo of all three.

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845 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122

(415) 665-5969

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um.ma

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At Los Angeles-based chef and restaurateur Chris Oh’s Inner Sunset restaurant, you can still get some of San Francisco’s most famous fried chicken wings for takeout or to enjoy on the reservations-only back patio. If you dine on-site look forward to Um.ma’s handsome outdoor setup, which allows diners to stretch out under string lights while grilling Kurobuta pork belly and “LA-style galbi” on tabletop barbecues.

1220 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122

(415) 566-5777

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Grilling kalbi, pork belly, and bugolgi outdoors at Um.ma

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ILCHA

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Almost equal parts Korean dining hotspot and drinking den, this casual Marina-Cow Hollow restaurant begs diners to wash down platters of crispy fried chicken and bubbling hot pots with sweet soju or golden-amber rice wine. The standout dish is a plate of soy-cured shrimp served alongside a bowl of rice topped with a fried egg and curls of dried seaweed.

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2151 Lombard St, San Francisco, CA 94123

(415) 613-9288

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A tray of fried chicken with pickled vegetable and sauce at Ilcha.

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The Korner Store Bites & Vibes

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This restaurant from Korean dining wiz Ina Jungin Lee isn’t hiding behind its name; instead, it’s exactly what it states, a place for bites and vibes. The newly reopened Korner Store is an excellent gathering spot for groups to take in classic Korean dishes made to pair well with drinking: corn smothered in cheese-pull-perfect mozzarella on a sizzling plate, boneless fried chicken, and tteokbokki, rice cakes in gochujang. There are plenty of beers and soju cocktails to imbibe in, but it’s also worth mentioning that Korner also serves Korean wine and makgeolli.

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4516 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94112

(415) 859-7111

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BANSANG

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Michelin Guide-worthy Bansang may be part of the Daeho empire, but this modern Korean restaurant feels and tastes entirely different. In a high-ceilinged space near Japantown, chefs Jin Lim and Ethan Mi offer diners a parade of small plates — each clearly rooted in Korean cuisine but transformed with a combo of attention to detail and luxe ingredients like uni and caviar.

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1560 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94115

(415) 697-5879

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Toast topped with scallops, uni, and ikura.

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Daeho Kalbijim & Beef Soup

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If you’re at Daeho you’re probably ordering the kalbijjim, a locally-famous behemoth comprised of rice cakes smothered in a sweet-spicy red sauce and buried under thick layers of beef short ribs so tender they fall away from the bone on their own accord — plus a fistful of cheese that’s blow-torched tableside. Not excited about that prospect? There’s a whole slew of other meaty options including kalbitang (or beef rib soup) and beef bibimbap. Wait times can be long, so plan ahead or try the mini-outpost inside H Mart.

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1620 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94115

(415) 563-1388

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Surisan

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From the owners of Kitchen Story and Sweet Maple, this Fisherman’s Wharf restaurant won’t win points for keeping things traditional but serves a tempting blend of Korean and American plates for breakfast and brunch. Start your day with either eggs and bacon or something less common like braised short rib Benedict.

505 Beach St, San Francisco, CA 94133

(415) 771-8449

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Suragan

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Suragan first earned attention for its mission statement of using historical Korean texts to guide its modern-day, 12-course tasting menu employing fine dining techniques. Since its opening in December 2022, the restaurant earned a glowing review and a “new discoveries” mention in the Michelin Guide. The menu changes quarterly to highlight different historical cooking texts, but diners can expect a high-end meal that plays with the roots of Korean food and translates it for today’s sentiments.

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250 Hyde St, San Francisco, CA 94102

(415) 376-8853

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Dishes of braised beef short rib, walnut ssamjang, rice, and lettuce leaves, from Suragan, a new restaurant in San Francisco.

Namu Stonepot

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Whether you get your fix at the Ferry Building farmers market on Saturdays or at the mid-Market storefront, Namu Stonepot promises a modern take on a Korean classic: rice bowls. The signature Namu Stonepot comes loaded with a rainbow of pickled vegetables, tofu, and kimchi over koshihikari rice. If you want something hearty try the gluten-free Mochiko Fried Chicken followed by a colorful boba tea.

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59 9th St, San Francisco, CA 94103

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SAN HO WON

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Chef Corey Lee (Benu) and Jeong-In Hwang lift the Korean barbecue experience to new heights at this wildly popular modern, minimalist restaurant in the Mission. At the center of the menu lies a selection of meats — everything from galbi to center cut beef tongue — all of which get charred on the restaurant’s custom grill fueled by lychee wood. Just make sure to save room for the excellent options from the other sections of the menu including various styles of kimchi, buttery sweet corn on the cob, and stew laden with silky tofu.