The atmosphere wasn't the best, the service was a little slow but the food was incredible. We had the kimchi nachos and it was beyond amazing. I recommend checking them out for sure. read more

929 Kitchen & Bar - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

929 Kitchen & Bar is a great Korean fusion style restaurant. I say "Korean fusion" due to the very modern interior and also the modern take on traditional Korean dishes while still maintaining their authentic flavor. Located in the Vista at 929 (hehe) Gervais Street, street parking can be fairly hard to come by depending on the time. There are parking lots around you could look to, though you'd have to pay. The inside looks nice and modern and there is a fair amount of space. Service is good. The food is good also! I have not tried a lot, but what I have tried, I have enjoyed. Their Spicy Rice Cake (tteokbokki) is good. I absolutely love tteokbokki, which is traditionally street food and served as an appetizer here. My only complaint is that the rice cake was a lot softer than I am used to. The Korean tacos are also great! No complaints there, I'm a huge fan of Korean tacos and similarly modern takes on Korean fusion food. The fries were alright. I would definitely come back again to try out some more items! read more

929 Kitchen & Bar - Spicy Rice Cake (tteokbokki) - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

We chose order pickup so I have no clue what the atmosphere was although the restaurant looked great inside. The food wasn't as great as we hoped it would be. Three of us ordered different noodles, two of them ramen. We all asked for spicy and none were spicy. More on the bland side. I'm hoping the food is better during a dine in service if we choose to turn again. read more

This place was a fantastic find. The food was amazing! I had the kimchi pancakes and creamy curry udon and both were SOOOO good. If I lived nearby I would come back and have these over and over again. All the staff were also so nice, friendly and helpful. Last but not least, it's a nice space so essentially - an amazing place all around!! read more

I literally have zero complaints about this restaurant (I am curious to know why you all have so many WiFi logins though lol). I am here in Columbia from Charleston due to Hurricane Florence and am staying in the Hilton nearby. One of my friends tagged me in a status on Facebook that 929 Kitchen & Bar posted regarding those that had to evacuate and that they would provide 20% off to those! This was the first thing that caught my attention! It's already stressful enough to have to uproot your life and shack up in a room for days, but to have to pretty much eat out everyday can be a bit expensive! This 20% definitely helps as every bit does help during times like these! The menu has plenty of options to look through and select. I had the Rice Balls with Mini Dried Anchovy as an appetizer and they were so good. Just the right amount of flavor in each rice ball. For my dish, I ordered the Seafood Stone Bowl Bibimbap and it was sooooooo delicious! So many flavors, colors, and definitely a great portion size for the price! Just the right amount of spice. My daughter (she is 4) had the kids sized Chicken Japchae with a side of rice for $9. This was not on the menu; all you have to do is ask. Her dish was plenty and full of flavor as well. Our waitress was attentive, helpful, and the atmosphere was nice as well. This restaurant is located in the perfect location! If I'm ever back in Columbia, I'll be back! read more

929 Kitchen & Bar - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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My fiancé and I had one of our favorite dates here pre-COVID. We've been thinking about the bibimbap and noodles for years! We recently returned for a USC game and our experience was phenomenal once again. Glad that this place survived the pandemic and I know we'll be coming back whenever we pass through town. Reasonably priced for delicious flavors. read more

Remember that scene in the beginning of Back to the Future where Marty McFly & his band are auditioning for the battle of the bands? Then Huey Lewis almost immediately stops them and says, "I'm sorry fellas, but you're just too darned loud??". This is exactly how I felt as soon as I sat down. 929, you're just too darn loud! I LITERALLY HAD TO SHOUT AT THE PEOPLE ACROSS FROM ME AND TALK LIKE THIS THE ENTIRE MEAL!! Obviously, this makes for an unpleasant dining experience to say the least. As for the food, the menu choices are all over the place. The descriptions on the menu and website seem to be very proud of their Korean cuisine; that they want to introduce us to "the heart of Korean flavor". So why is there teriyaki chicken, chicken katsu, and udon?!? My friends' tacos came with parmesan truffle fries?!? Flavor-wise my food was mediocre at best I ordered the dolsot bibimbap, which came with what seemed to be miso soup (where's my soondubu jigae :-/). The egg was way overcooked and the actual bibimbap was pretty bland without the gochujang sauce. One friend I was with seemed to agree with my assessment of the food. The other friend in our party really liked his tacos, so that's good at least. Another positive was our server: Lindsay (couldn't actually hear her name of course, just happened to see it on my receipt). She was very attentive and friendly, and apologized at the noise level at the end of our meal. Unsurprisingly I do not recommend this place at all. If I want Korean I'll go to Korea Garden or Arirang. If I want Japanese I'll go to either of the Inakayas here. And if I want parmesan truffle fries I'll go to any other modern restaurant that serves it. The owners really need to rethink and refocus their menu, and do something to improve the overall ambiance. read more

929 Kitchen & Bar - Gimbap roll - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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The type of spot that turns the "I don't really like Asian food" friend into a believer. Lord was I happy to visit this place in a sea of southern food! Don't get me wrong- I love all types of food but after a week of celebrating a USC grad I was thankful for our turn at a Korean-inspired spot. I visited with a group of 14. Despite the size the service was great and the bartenders were super accommodating. I like this place mostly because it really appealed to all taste buds. It was also so affordable! It was our favorite meal of the week, and also coincidentally the least expensive. We ordered basically all of the apps, and I would recommend only the dumplings and the fried chicken bits. They were out of this world. The rest however were for lack of a better word "meh." I ended up splitting an udon noodle stir fry and the sweet and spicy stir fry. Honestly the noodles took the cake for me but they were both awesome. I love when Asian food isn't greasy and is fresh and made with high quality ingredients. The bulgogi beef is out of this world! The only other cons I have is one drink on the menu I didn't especially love, it was a spicy drink with mezcal and Chile salt. Coming from someone whose favorite drink is a spicy marg, I was not a fan. I felt like I poured gasoline down my throat and it ate through my esophagus (clearly not being dramatic ;) ). All in all I wasn't a huge fan of the cocktails but the beer selection was great! And cheap! $ I would definitely come back if I ever end up in Columbia again. read more

929 Kitchen & Bar - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

The menu has changed and the prices are high. The quality and portion size are not equatable to the price point. I understand investing back into the business and doing renovations, but that should not have an impact on the quality of food. read more

I didn't know what to expect having never tried Korean food before. I ordered the squid and pork belly stir fry and was so impressed with the flavors and presentation. I loved it so much, I returned a couple more times, trying a different dish each time. Once I was given two sauces and had no idea what to do with them. The friendly manager gracefully explained them to me and told me to use one or the other (not both.) I ended up going with the spicy sauce, I'm glad I asked! read more

I've been to 929 4 times since it opened. It took until that 4th time for a server (actually, the bartender, bless her) to ask if I wanted my tofu udon WITHOUT fish sauce. My sister and I (both strict vegetarians, whereas I try to be vegan as much as possible) were appalled that nowhere on their menu does it say their tofu items are made with fish sauce. For us, our choice not to eat fish is purely our own. But what if someone had some kind of fish or shellfish allergy??? I'm always very disappointed when I find out Asian restaurants do this. If a dish can be made WITHOUT fish paste, and taste literally identical to the dish WITH it, then why not just get rid of the fish sauce??? It's the same issue with kimchi. There are multiple brands of vegan kimchi that taste identical to nonvegan kimchi, yet I've still learned to never order kimchi at a restaurant because of this. Offering tofu is great. Making that tofu non-vegetarian friendly be default is terrible. read more

929 Kitchen & Bar - Spicy fried tofu Japchae - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

The location is in the vista and it's a Korean fusion restaurant with food ranging between 13-25 bucks. It is right beside Panera and across from Kaminsky's. The atmosphere is very modern and contemporary. I like it! You feel very warm and welcome when you come in. The service was alright. It took about ten minutes for our waitress to come back and get our food and it wasn't as busy. It took about thirty minutes for our food to come out as well but I didn't mind since I was catching up with friends. We got beef bulgolgi bibimbap and seafood japchae. The rice bowl was 13 bucks and the noodles were 12 bucks so kinda steep but I mean it is the Vista. There were not many options on the menu. Also no free banchan (side dishes) The bibimbap in my opinion wasn't so special. The egg was also cooked all the way which I prefer it to be runny. The gochujang sauce that comes with it is amazing though. The japchae was very flavorful almost sweet I definitely recommend getting that. Would I come back if I'm craving Korean food? Probably not. There are many local Korean restaurants on decker blvd which are more traditional and cheaper. I gave this place three stars because of prices and wait time. read more

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Love this place! We've ordered take out twice from here since quarantine started. Definitely on the pricer end and might be a little overpriced which is why I'm putting 4/5 stars. The quality of food is great though. The veggie pancake was great and crispy (though a little greasy yes). The best though was the Wok Fried Yaki Udon with Tofu. Noodles were thick and cooked perfectly. The sauce was great too. Definitely a go-to. I would want to try this place dining in. Maybe the price would be more understandable if we had actual service. read more

Great Korean fusion. Caters to the non-Korean palette while maintaining authenticity. read more

929 Kitchen & Bar - Seaweed salad, bulgogi japchae, bulgogi bibimbap, sake - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

I enjoyed the first visit here. We came during brunch on a Saturday after soda city market and tried little bits of a lot of things. The mandoo (dumpling) appetizer was delicious. The miso soup was fine. The chicken bulgogi stir fry was forgettable and the korean tacos were nearly flavorless. The bulgogi bibimbap was absolutely wonderful. I will definitely come back to try more food. Otherwise, the atmosphere is clean and very chic. Nearly everything is disposable (paper napkins with paper napkin holders, plastic baggies and straws and disposable LED light ice cubes? Supposed to be trendy, but I'd vote against it for sustainability and cost efficiency) which really stuck with me. What happened to washing linens? Why can't everyone just drink out of a glass? Also, the (people that I assume to be a) couple that (I assume- I know what assuming does ) run the restaurant were nice and meant to be accommodating, but I felt they might could use to relax behind the bar or read a news paper at a table instead of hovering. I think the eagerness to please could come off as desperation, and I think taking a few steps back could help to make them more successful. Either way, overall, the experience was nice, and I hope to return. I may wait a while and hope the excessive plastic disappears into thin air and the owners become more comfortable. Then I'll come back and tear up some of that bibimbap. read more

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"Overall, dining at this restaurant was a delight from start to finish..... I would like to come back here again and again.

Best Korean food in the state. Super friggin good but Jesus, that spice is a lot. My Korean friends ate through what set my mouth on fire.

Met a friend for dinner on a Friday evening. Was very busy. Small, but nice and very clean and pleasant staff. Was a bit loud for my liking but would definitely go back again. read more

929 Kitchen & Bar - Japchae with Beef Bulgogi. Taste delicious! - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

I had high hopes for this place! Atmosphere great! Service very good! But the food just very average. Not super flavorful. If I had not used the spicy sauce on my bulgogi bibimbap it would have been super bland. Maybe just too Americanized? The appetizer Korean fried chicken had more flavor and was an okay start. The special cinnamon dessert was again just an okay finish. May try again to see if just an off night. read more

Yummy in my tummy :-) we were in Columbia for a show. Had to eat late dinner. So yelped and got to 929. I'm so glad we got here. The food yummmm. It's Korean with American twist. I ate bibimbap after a decade and it was delicious. Beef udon noodles and the dumplings oh so good. Service was incredible, efficient and very friendly. Please stop by if you're in town. We will be back for more!! read more

The food and service is AWESOME here. You get pretty big portions of 10/10 food. Our server, Alex, was so nice and attentive, which pushed it over the top!! read more

Columbia is my hometown and I always love coming back and trying new restaurants that opened up. It is a trendy place in a great location. Street parking only (as are most restaurants on Gervais). I came for Sunday brunch with a group of friends. We were seated right away. Our waters came out quickly and there was a carafe of water on our table for refills. I opted for a fusion dish as I eat Korean often. I ordered the bulgogi grits. The presentation was wonderful and the dish surprised me. It was actually better than I expected it to be. There was bulgogi and cheese on top of the grits with some sesame oil and green onions. I will definitely have to come back to try some of the more authentic dishes. I am excited that there is finally a Korean place in the vista! read more

929 Kitchen & Bar - Bulgogi grits - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Never really got to try it because they do not serve people at the bar. Was trying 929 finally at lunch so it's kind of a shame. Will not try again. I give it two stars because she was nice about not wanting to serve people. read more

Spicy pricey food. Always ready on time though. Parking is a challenge. Small place good atmosphere.

Service: First impressions are everything. There was a rocky start to getting served. But the owner made it right. Food: FABULOUS! I had the bulgogi lunch box special. Everything was delicious. My hubby had the tacos but they were actually a little overstuffed for his taste. And he is a big guy. But he said they tasted good. And the specialty eclair was really good. Cocktails: I had the fiery something or other. Don't remember exact name. And it was wonderful with a smooth burn. Atmosphere: Beautiful restaurant with comfortable seating. Overall: I'll definitely recommend to a friend and will return. I had a good birthday lunch. read more

929 Kitchen & Bar - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Tasty food and very generous portions. The service was very good and the atmosphere is excellent. Our table shared kimchi pancakes, seafood pancakes, dumplings and Kimchi bulgogi nachos. All were good but the seafood pancakes were the best. Definitely worth a visit! read more

929 Kitchen & Bar - Beef bulgogi bibimbap in a stone bowl. - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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I visited 929 on the second opening week when trying to find a Korean spot near the Vista. Food: This is a MODERN take on Korean food, so don't expect a traditional Korean restaurant experience. It's even said on the restaurant window. Go somewhere else for that. I ordered the Bulgogi Bibimbap in a stone bowl, fried dumplings, chicken stir fry, and chocolate dipped hazelnut éclair for dessert. Unfortunately, the Korean pancake wasn't available because they were out of kim chi. On the plus side, they actually make their own kim chi, so it was just fermenting in the back for next time. The flavors of everything were delicious as well as the quality. I just wish there was a little more meat in my bowl, so I'll probably just request extra next time. Also, for the +2 dollars I paid to have the stone bowl, I did not get very crunchy rice on the inner surface of the bowl I was expecting. I let them know this, so hopefully it will be addressed. Service: The quality of service was great. Both managers, Karen and Shawn(sorry if misspelled) constantly checked on us ensuring everything was good. We ordered the original Soju and they always kept our shot glasses full. They even joined us for grand opening celebratory shots. "Gun Bae" is cheers in Korean. This should be said collectively, loudly and often for a great dining experience. Shawn and Karen are 2/3 owners. The other one is a secret pastry chef that makes all the desserts in house. I look forward to coming back. Décor: The place is beautifully decorated and organized. Karen went to school for interior design, so it shows in every detail. Great music selection too. read more

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Attentive staff. Food was well-seasoned and good portions. Good ambiance and reasonable prices.

Love this place! Our first time in Columbia and we were delighted to be here. Creamy curry udon with fried tofu is excellent. Cocktails are great too like the "White Ferrari". Mandoo (vegetable dumplings) fried to perfection. Everything had perfectly balanced flavors. Need to come back here. read more

Beef Bibimbap was pretty good but it could've used some salt. Korean Fried Chicken was pretty good. Mandoo was phenomenal. Customer service was poor, employee up front didn't talk much, and another employee was walking around with headphones on and couldn't hear a customer that was trying to get his attention. I ordered to go and it came out fairly quickly though. ‍ Wasn't as great as I expected tbh read more

Was in Columbia and looking for something different to eat. I have had experience with a Korean restaurant in Texas and it was great so I figured we would go for it. The Atmosphere was inviting and the staff very friendly. The food cane out fairly quick. We had the Tempura Shrimp and Kimbap rolls which were great. However the entrees were another story. My wife and I had the bibimbap w/ bulgolgi which we both found to be bland and not very palatable. My son had the tacos which he said they were good. My daughter had the seafood japchae and said it was bland and flavorless. Still a good experience but the food could have been better this day. Maybe it is because of COVID. But I wouldnt eat here again and I love Korean food. read more

929 Kitchen & Bar - Bibimbap w/bulgolgi - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Great selection of drinks especially the Soju (tried the espresso) it was the perfect balance of coffee and alcohol! Food was really good not to heavy or filled with sodium read more

Fresh, vibrant, and exciting restaurant!!! Service, food and atmosphere was very refreshing. Throughly enjoyed passing thru Columbia because of this restaurant! Highly recommend; thank you!!! read more

Do your self a favor and go here, its consistently amazing and one of my favorite restaurants in columbia. My friend told me to try bokooe, the green restaurant across the street but it doesn't even come close to 929 read more

929 is cute and trendy spot in The Vista. I have been here about three times and really like the ambiance and drinks here. I usually sit at the bar because they have great bar tenders that make a good cocktail! The only reason I don't give five stars is the food kind of leaves me wanting more. The food is just okay, so I usually only come for drinks. I really like the War of The Roses, that's my personal favorite. Good date spot, or pre dinner cocktail spot. read more

929 Kitchen & Bar - Great cocktails! - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Great lunch spot in the Vista! The minute you walk in you know you're in for a great experience. The place is very tastefully decorated. It's a smaller space but they have done a good job of maximizing the space. There is also a full bar with seating. They currently have a summer lunch menu in conjunction with a regular menu. The menu offering is very unique from tacos to bento boxes. I got the vegetarian bibimbap in a hot stone bowl which is served with a cup of miso soup. It was absolutely delicious. Would definitely come back. read more

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The food was delicious. Portions were large and inexpensive. We shared a lunch shrimp tempura box and left with full bellies. read more

929 Kitchen & Bar - Miso soup in a cute "thumb" bowl - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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I recently discovered this gem and I have nothing but the best to say about it. I am a little bit of a food snob, especially when it comes to Asian cuisine, but I am so impressed with this restaurant and bar. They have some of the best bulgogi I've had in years. I got the stir fry with bulgogi and my boyfriend got the Ttukbaegi Bulgogi and it came with three amazing side dishes of pickled vegetables! For dessert we got the hotteok with ice cream and it is so scrumptious. Highly highly recommend! The interior of the restaurant is also beautiful. *p.s. Also recommend the Korean fried chicken for appetizer. For drinks, I recommend their Korean beer and the organic cider for cider lovers! read more

Saw the cute window front on a Sunday and couldn't wait to try their take on modern Korean food! I came in just as they opened for brunch and took a seat at the window. I didn't see taco's on the menu as I saw in another Yelp review but wanted to try the bibimbap anyway. Had a grapefruit mimosa to boot. The staff was super friendly, the food was fresh but the flavor was not everything a traditional bibimbap should be. read more

929 Kitchen & Bar - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

This place is wonderful!! I got the Japcha and seaweed salad. You gotta check it out. It's wonderful!located in Gervais across from Kimenskies in "the Vista". read more

929 Kitchen & Bar - Japcha and seaweed salad - Korean Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina