Came in after work for some happy hour. I really enjoyed the Korean fried chicken both the spicy and the sweet. The egg soufflé was huge! Bigger than expected and was pretty tasty too. Soju is of course on the menu, but I really enjoyed the sweet Sikhye instead. Thank you! read more

Chingu - Korean fried chicken - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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This is truly a hidden gem in San Mateo! Immaculate vibes and top notch service. You can really tell that Chingu's owner put in a lot of effort in the interior designs (also my water cups were never empty lol) Came here after a gathering to get some soju and some late night snacks. They have every flavor of soju imaginable! They also sell the "hangover cure" flavor mix ins for the plain soju which was super fun! They give us banchans even tho we didn't order any food. The staff were super nice and attentive. We ended up ordering the fried chicken skin and it's just so crispy and delicious (very unique) Definitely will be coming back for some late night craving and try some Korean comfort foods! read more

Chingu - Wall of shame - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

One of the servers was extremely rude. I have been a regular customer since the restaurant opened, and I really like the food. I went to the restaurant around 10:00 p.m. on April 14. I placed an order for my four friends, about seven dishes, and also asked for a soju. He asked for my ID, so I gave him my driver's license. He criticized my age and then threw my ID on the table. This was very disrespectful and unacceptable behavior. I tried to explain to him that it was my real ID, but he ignored me and walked away to the kitchen. I thought he might have been joking, so I tried to confirm, but he told me I was lying about my age and using a fake ID. There were many people in the restaurant, and his behavior made me feel disrespected and insulted. Because of this, I told him I would cancel all of our orders, as I did not want to stay any longer due to his behavior. read more

Called ahead of them to ask if this restaurant has availability, said they are not busy. Drove 30 mins to this restaurant, it was full and no table. Horrible service. read more

San Mateo sorely needed a place like this. Open late, good food and alcohol for reasonable prices, and great vibes all around. Our group of 9 had a great time at dinner, the team at Chingu is awesome and really took care of us! Bottles of soju are around $15 and they have lots of flavors to try. Corn cheese - more cheese than corn!! Make sure you have your lactaid handy :D Chicken buldak - this was my favorite dish. Chicken is so juicy and flavorful and great with the onions and cheese on the side. Pork ssam - this comes out on a burner with veggies and cheese. The pork is cooked maybe a touch more than what we preferred, and didn't help that it kept cooking over the burner Army stew - comes out on a burner with tons of goodies. Flavorful and hearty. Bibimbap - solid option Bulgogi fries - another favorite of our group. Meaty, cheesy, and savory. Will definitely be back! read more

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My friends and I still frequent Chingu a little too often, and my 5 star rating remains the same, but now that I've tried pretty much everything on the menu, I have to say that the bibimbap is my FAVORITE thing on the menu. Bulgogi fries a very close second. The menu just refers to it as "bibimbap" but it's actually dolsot bibimbap so it will come served in a stone plate so you get all the crispy rice goodness at the bottom. I'm a sauce girl, so I though the tiny cup of sauce on the side was not going to be enough to mix in, but it actually was! Super flavorful, packed full of veggies, and also don't skimp on the meat. Hosting parties: A friend of mine actually had her birthday here once and we had a wonderful time. She booked dinner for about 22 people, so they pulled together about half of all the tables into two seating arrangements. They placed buckets of soju on the tables as well. We still got to enjoy the loud and vibrant atmosphere with all the other diners who were there for a normal Thursday night dinner too, but no one seemed annoyed that a large group of ~20 was being rambunctious. Staff were very accommodating to our birthday decorations and even let us keep the cake we brought in the fridge AND cut/served it for us when the time came! read more

The food was pretty solid however the service was sadly a letdown. When we first arrived, we stood at the entry way for a few minutes and weren't really acknowledged by any staff. When we got seated, another party was sat next to us 5 minutes after and they were attended to first (took their order, food brought out first, etc) I just felt that was a little off putting. For food we ordered the army stew and Korean fried chicken. The portions are generous so I think it's perfect for hanging out with friends/big groups! The tables are pretty small so it did take up a lot of room. The place is suppose to be like a Korean pub so it's definitely lively and loud! The army stew had lots of toppings and even some I'm not used to seeing such as bacon and jalapeños. The KFC was so good! Very crispy and sticky -- both flavors left a good impression. Between the hot & spicy and the soy sauce glaze flavor, the soy sauce glaze is my favorite. Didn't really see our server much throughout the night and it was hard to flag her down when she was mostly in the back. It's slightly pricier than other Korean restaurants I've tried but the portions balance it all out. We also had an issue with paying, we told our server we were ready to pay and she said she'd be right back with the bill but she never came. So we walked up to the front and then another server helped us check out. Overall, good food, just disappointing service :( read more

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Very disappointed, overpriced. Was originally very excited about this new Korean restaurant in San Mateo. However, after spending $60 per person post tax and fees, I feel like there are better choices in San Mateo with the same price. Tofu soup - it has plenty seafood inside, but tastes very mid. Korean fried chicken - probably my favorite along the 3, but the honey flavor is too sweet / heavy for me. Grilled wagyu: it is very hard to chew at the beginning, then it's overcooked later. There's no way for us to tell when is the right time to eat it, and no one came to help / explain. A waste of money. The store itself is pretty cute. read more

Great place for a late night meal! The army stew really hit the spot after a night of drinking. The soup was very flavorful. The rice plate was also so good. The portions are also VERY big, we ended up having a lot of leftover stew. The service was very nice! The waitress even pushed together two tables for us even though there was only two of us because the table was full with the big dishes lol. The inside is very trendy and I've never been to Korea but I imagine it's the same vibe and aesthetic! read more

Chingu - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Authentic Korean food, in an Industrial themed restaurant! The walls are decorated with an ocean shipping container. I highly recommend the following: jap chae (glass noodles with beef), soon dobu (tofu soup), egg soufflé (steam eggs, Korean style). read more

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We are always in search of good Korean food- and this place is just perfect for late night snack or to hang out with friends- resto has a fun vibe - lighting could be better! The servers are just OK- they can be more attentive and be approachable- they tend to hide out in the kitchen- but overall it's worth trying out! read more

Very cool hole-in-the-wall tucked away in central San Mateo, great for dinner, late night snack, or drinks with friends. Recs: - Japchae (9/10): This hit. Super yummy, though portion size was on the smaller side. - Rice drink (8/10): Forgot the name but this non-alcoholic rice drink was really unique and tasty. Would recommend trying. - Steamed egg souffle (7.5/10): Huge, comfort food, good for sharing, though a bit salty. Would come back if I'm in the area! read more

Chingu - Steamed egg soufflé - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

Army Stew - it was decent, nothing special about it. The portion was fair, but for the price, I expected more in terms of flavor and ingredients - 3/5 Cheese Corn - just okay. Nothing special, and honestly, the portion size for the price felt like robbery - 3/5 Service was one of the better aspects of the experience. Despite the place being busy, the staff remained friendly and attentive. - 4/5 Ambiance - Loud. If you're into a noisy atmosphere, you might enjoy it. If not, it can be overwhelming - 2/5 Overall - 3/5. The food is alright but overpriced for what you get. The portions lean on the smaller side, and the noise level can be a dealbreaker unless you're with a lively group. It works if you're with friends who are in the mood for a loud, casual dining experience, but I wouldn't go out of my way to return. read more

Chingu - Corn Cheese / 콘치즈 - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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If I could give this place 100/10 star rating, I would do it in a heartbeat! Chingu is the best Korean pocha spot in the Peninsula hands down. My boyfriend and I are regulars here and we keep coming back -- the quality of food, the ambience, and especially the service that the staff provide are TOP NOTCH. Aaron and their crew are so attentive, so friendly and just make the overall experience at Chingu so amazing!!! If you're ever in the area and are craving Korean food and looking for fun and great vibes, Chingu is your spot! read more

Very convenient hours, open late compared to other places around! Good place to come with a big group and the vibe is catered towards family style appetizers and entres to share with the table. I really enjoyed the bulgogi fries & cheese corn (you can never go wrong with this!), but this isn't something I would crave on the daily. Cute and trendy with the soju wall and would recommend to go here for some good korean food! read more

Chingu - Bulgogi Fries, Japche, Cheese Corn, and Buldok Chicken - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Ive been here twice and every time- its been a great experience Chingu has very tasty food and perfect for a late night snack + drinks The servers are soo friendly Definitely highly recommended Shout out to Aaron, Edward, Alice and Jeanine* read more

Heard about this place from my friend and was really excited to try. My friends and I ordered the army stew, bulgogi fries and grilled pork belly Ssam. I enjoyed the army stew a lot and the pork belly was really good but a little pricey for what we got. I also liked the bulgogi fries but the fries were soggy. I wish the staff was more inviting. The women who was helping was a little moody and not as attentive. But overall I like this place in downtown San Mateo. There are no place like this here and it opens till very late at night! read more

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Great food, good flavors. Classic korean comfort food. Place was a little small inside and service was a tad slow. read more

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Bulgogi fries!! Super tasty, nicely dressed. Cheesy, meaty, very good. Crispy fries. Would get again, it was a hit at the table. Army stew was good, getting hotter as it cooks down. We forgot to turn off the burner so it kept reducing down into a thick sauce lol. Lots of goodies in there, good flavor. Tasty banchan. The vibe inside is kind of dim and industrial. Kpop videos playing on the tv. Cool, open late. read more

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The ambiance pairs industrial-chic décor with cozy lighting -- ideal for a fun night out with friends. While it may lean toward the trendy end of things (and can be a bit loud), if you're looking for bold flavors, comfort food, and a good time, Chingu is a strong pick! read more

Chingu - Chingu delivers a lively, modern take on Korean dining with an inviting K-pop lounge vibe in downtown San Mateo! - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

Order: * Korean Fried Chicken (Honey Soy and Sweet Spicy) * Sundubu Jigae with Pork * Soy Marinated Shrimps Pros: * Hip K-pop bar lounge vibe, but comfortable for all ages. Friendly and helpful service. * Marinated shrimps were on point - I would get them again. * Both the honey soy and sweet spicy were delicious (although slightly overcooked). The sweet spicy is definitely spicy, but simultaneously with a deep, well rounded flavor. * Sundubu didn't have a spice level option, but it was also right on point. Cons: * Back to the chicken, although I still enjoyed it, it was overcooked because the exterior was a bit too hard and the interior not as moist as it could be. Comments: * I plan to go back for the food, service, and vibe. I'm also not aware of any other spot in the area that offers the same menu and vibe. With that said, I'm knocking it down for the overcooked chicken. read more

Seems this spot opened recently so I might have to go back after they've been open a while to see if the wrinkles are ironed out. I really wanted this to be my new favorite but the service, food, and ambiance fell short. I had to ask for everything and felt bad having to flag down the server but they didn't come by except to deliver the food (which comes out in courses instead of all at once). The drink was forgotten (had to ask for that too) and it seemed they haven't gotten used to the normal cadence; maybe they were short staffed or still working through training. The food was ok, more of a take on traditional dishes. Black pepper was more prominent in the kimchi fried rice, which I'd never had before. The bibimbap's ingredients were also non-standard (it is a dish meant to be made from leftovers so maybe that is their take). Japchae was good - all the stars go to that. It's more bar than restaurant but all the hard surfaces bounce around the sound that it's challenging to have a conversation even when you're sitting next to someone. read more

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For a pocha(korean pub) this place isn't bad. For the vibes i give it a 7/10 For the food i give it like a 5.5/10 Nice ambience to the place, small, loud, kpop music playing, great for drinking! Tables are relatively small and the platings are kind of big so be careful of how much food you order! We got the fried chicken gizzards and the Wagyu ssam! Chicken gizzards 4/5 Good portion and really tasty. Came with fried gizzards and fried garlic and a sesame oil to dip. Tasty but It was just a bit on the saltier side though. Wagyu Ssam 2/5, rated super low despite on how it looks. Plating was great but its portion was quite small. Maybe about 8 pieces of beef. A lot of lettuce though. Just didn't feel right paying almost $50 for this. However their ssamjang was great! Amazing dipping sauce, perfect balance between savory and slightly sweet. Overall, i'd come back, try out other things. It's a great place to hangout over drinks, might update my review after i try their other foods. read more

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Was in the area and looked up this spot and found that it was new and in their soft opening. It's tucked in downtown San Mateo and is mostly street parking, so could be fairly busy on weekend evenings. The place is narrow, quite small but the ambiance gives what a typical late night Korean spot gives. We luckily were able to get seated right away! Service was fairly quick and friendly. They had banchan but they didn't offer everything because it seems they ran out of kimchi. We ordered the Korean fried chicken wings, steamed egg, and a veggie tofu soup. Everything is definitely shareable! It was quite delicious. I say my favorite was the wings. The tofu soup was good, but I don't think it had enough spice to my liking. They didn't have options to change the spice level. The steamed egg proportion was a lot!! This is definitely a great spot to check out with a group! They have kpop going on in the background, and the food is meant for sharing. It's a nice spot to check out! read more

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Stopped by Chingu with friends and tried a good mix of dishes to share. Overall, a fun spot with tasty food, lively vibes, and solid service. Here's what we ordered: Korean Fried Chicken (Half & Half) - Crispy and juicy, exactly what you want from KFC. The soy garlic had a satisfying crunch, while the sauced version had that sweet-spicy kick without being overwhelming. Definitely the star of the table. Kimchi Fried Rice - A generous portion, nicely seasoned with just the right amount of kimchi tang. Great as a side to the meats, though it could've used a fried egg on top to take it up a notch. Tteokbokki - Chewy rice cakes in a flavorful sauce with a balance of sweet and heat. Comforting and hearty, though the spice level might be mild if you prefer it fiery. Corn Cheese - Classic Korean drinking food, rich, creamy, and slightly sweet. It's heavy, but it pairs well with the fried items. Kalbi Short Ribs - Tender and marinated well with that savory-sweet kalbi flavor. Nicely charred edges made it extra enjoyable. Fried Chicken Skin - Crispy, addictive, and a great snackable side. Salty and crunchy, but definitely a guilty pleasure. Service was attentive and the food came out at a good pace despite the busy dining room. Prices are fair for the portion sizes, and the menu has a lot of variety for groups. Overall, Chingu is a fun spot for Korean comfort food with standout fried chicken and plenty of shareable dishes. read more

Chingu means friends in Korean ( says Google, sorry if I'm wrong) I get why this place is call chingu, great place to hang out with friends and eat. For a party of 5 we got bulgogi fries, Corn cheese, grilled Pork Belly Ssam, bulgogi beef stew, and Ttoekboki ( with cheese for an additonal $3 fyi). That was the perfect amount for us, the orders were a lot bigger than we thought, saw a lot of people took home leftovers. The wait was about 45 mins after the first set of people sat down, so i would go early/ slightly later after opening or walk around downtown. Lots of families where there with young ones as well but it is a pretty small place. Would I go again? With my chingu yes! read more

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This restaurant is great for a night of company. All the waiters/waitresses are accommodating and are the definition of amazing teamwork. They go the extra mile to make your experience wholesome. The food comes out promptly and drinks were always plentiful. If you want to have a great night with friends or even if you're alone, you'll feel like family here. Our server was Jeanine and she is one of the best servers I've had in a restaurant. She happily took care of any issues that we had with the food and made sure it was all enjoyable. read more

I'd give it 3.5 stars, if we had great service from the start it would've been 4 stars but it tainted the experience. Came here for dinner and it's not a place to go to if you want to chat/be able to hear the person across from you because it's one of those Korean bar-like places where they play K-pop loud and project the music videos on the wall. It was clean and had a cool bookshelf of soju bottles as decor. Service was horrendous until we moved to a different table. At first we had this younger girl as our server and you could tell she was not happy to be there. She wasn't attentive and never came up to us, every time we needed something we had to get up out of our seats to talk to her. We ended up switching from the bar tables to the shorter tables because the guests in our party needed back rests and the bar stools had none. But after we moved we got a great server. It was this young guy and he was super attentive. He asked us about refills on our sides pretty often, drink refills and all that without being flagged down. Food itself was not bad, definitely not traditional ssam it was probably made this way to appeal to more people but it wasn't terrible. I shared it with my boyfriend and he really liked it but he's also never had ssam. I thought it was mid. read more

Chingu - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Came on a weekday night and was hesitant due to the mixed review but was glad to give this place a try! Place is clean, welcoming and is definitely a nice restaurant/pocha/bar add to the San Mateo DT area. It's not too loud to allow conversation. We got some appetizers like Korean fried chicken, soufflé steamed egg and for main entree the kimchi fried rice and pork ssam. It was all very delicious and fresh. The banchan was nice and the staff were attentive to replenish it and were nice to check on how our food were without interrupting all the time. I would recommend to give this place a try or chance for new business to grow! Would try and come again on a weekend to have a place to chill with friends with some nice soju!:) Add live karaoke and it will be so fun! read more

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Chingu (which means "friend" in Korean) is a dark, moody restaurant / pocha bar tucked away in downtown San Mateo. It is not nearly as good as what you'd find in LA, but I'll take what I can get when it comes to Korean food in the peninsula, and would come back for that reason. My party of 4 came at 7:30pm on a busy Friday. As of May 2024, their waitlist is on a clipboard inside the restaurant at the back. Seated at 8pm. I wish there was a way for them to contact you by phone when your table is ready. FOOD: Overall, the portions are small "tapa" sizes, so be prepared to order multiple dishes to feel decently full. -- Complimentary banchan: Standard kimchi, beansprouts, and sautéed spinach tasted fine. The potatoes were salty and not good in my opinion. -- Bulgogi fries (4/5): Good, but wish it came with more! -- Grilled wagyu ssam (3/5): Sizzling meat slices, mushrooms, cabbage, onions, and a fat pile of mozzarella cheese are served on a hot iron wok balanced on a portable gas stove. Served with lettuce and perilla leaves. The meat was very under-seasoned, even with the gochujang dipping sauce. It desperately needs salt, or a stronger sauce (like ssamjang). -- Kimchi fried rice with spam (4/5): Tasty, but small portion. I wish the shredded cabbage that covered half the plate was dressed. -- Soondubu jigae with seafood (3.5/5): Flavorful and traditional-tasting, but the shrimp was overcooked and mushy. I will get beef, pork, or veggie version next time. Service was good! I look forward to trying more dishes next time. read more

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Arrived around 6 PM on a Friday and was able to be sat immediately, the whole place was full by 6:30. It's a smaller space and there aren't that many tables, so would recommend coming with a smaller group. We got: Hongtae jiggae (mussel soup): my personal favorite, spicy and clear savory broth Stir-fried chicken gizzards: okay, the gizzards themselves are cut into small pieces, mixed with a lot of cabbage so it looks bigger Wagyu ssam: came with lots of sides and additions (mushrooms, cheese, cabbage, onions) Overall, the food is good and the portions are quite big, but still a bit pricey - everything is good for sharing! read more

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This is one of the few places that's still open very late at night. I came here around 11PM wanting to look for some nice decent food as a midnight snack. They're a Korean pub/resturant, playing Korean music with the music MV playing on a big screen. Their service, was a little slow, they only had 2 waiters, while the resturant was full of people, with more people waiting. Their food was pretty decent, like standarized Korean food. The egg in the picture, was pretty good in my opinion. A small little place to grab food late night. read more

Chingu - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

Another Korean restaurant to rave over and it's so worth it. Chingu is one of the newest to grace downtown San Mateo and it's hard competition when you have Daeho nearby in a larger environment and a Yelp waitlist available, but Chingu offers a smaller space with K-Pop MVs being projected yet playing k-pop songs that do not match. Whatever, it's fine. I still saw BTS' Jin's face being projected in his new music video and the visuals during dinner was fantastic. My husband and I came by on a Friday night about 30 mins after opening and were able to snag a table before it got busy. It looks like a lot of people order the army stew here, but we instead opted for the corn cheese, kimchi fried rice, spicy pork belly, and bulgogi fries. The food came out a little slow at first, but they gave us banchan to snack on and it was good. Their non-alcoholic rice drink was also very good with the food and I'd highly recommend it. Service was on point - we never felt like we were forgotten or ignored. Overall, it was a very satisfying meal and I'd happily come back again when the occasion arises... just as long as my husband pays because Korean food isn't cheap. read more

Friend picked this place for a girls night out. We came in around 6:30pm and they were nice to accommodate us at a table. This place is currently soft opening and experimenting on a few options (eg reservation or no reservations etc). It is currently run by Alice and her boyfriend. A very lovely couple. We ordered a chicken with cheese, some side dish (can't recall what my friend ordered), one shared pot of bulgolgi, and one bean soup. We surprisingly all loved the chicken dish. Not too spicy but with good flavor with optional cheese on the platter. Piece of heaven. We ended it up having 3 bottles of soju and had a drink with Alice. It was quite nice. We had a lovely time from 6:30pm all the way through midnight. They were busy. We appreciate them holding the cozy environment for us to catch up the whole evening. read more

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Finally, a place that stays open late in Downtown San Mateo! And Korean food too! I wanted to try this place as soon as it first opened for the army stew. Food: 9/10 We got the army stew, and it was a bit thicker than I liked, but it had a good amount of variety in the pot. They put beans inside which I thought was a little strange. The corn cheese was really good. Super cheesy Chicken Buldak was well-seasoned and spicy. Bulgogi fries was probably my favorite dish of the night, and it was so good to eat with the corn cheese and buldak. Service: 6/10 The service could use some improvement. There was a sign up sheet for the waitlist but it wasn't actively looked at. They ended up just pulling whoever was at the entrance. When they took us to our tables, they did not give us a menu so we had to pull images up on Yelp. Food also came out pretty slowly, but it's probably fine if you order soju to wait. Ambiance: 10/10 The restaurant reminded me of the late night pocha bars in kdramas read more

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Food is a 4, but service is a 2. Food was generally good - typical Korean Pocha food. The Korean Fried Chicken was nice and crispy, but a little dry inside. Sundubu Jjigae and the Kimchi Fried Rice were much better, but the rice felt a tad bit undercooked. Banchan provided was very flavourful and nicely seasoned, but there wasn't as much variety as expected. The restaurant recently opened and you can tell that they're still trying to figure things out in terms of service. We got the rice to the Sundubu only 20 minutes after we got the Sundubu, and they seemed to prefer to get all the tables one dish out first, before working on the next, which meant we waited for around 40 minutes between the Sundubu which came first, and the other dishes. You can tell they're trying their best, but seem pretty short staffed Would recommend coming in a few months, once they've figured things out. Excited to see how they will be in the future! Have high hopes for this place. read more

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Overall, probably a better bar experience than a restaurant. We lined up before 6pm to get in when they opened (why do they open so late??). Cool hip ambiance playing K-Pop videos. Music is pretty loud and acoustics are rough so it's tough to have a conversation. The food: Cheesy Corn- (5/5). - $13- by far the best thing we had. Think butter, melted cheese and fresh corn on a sizzling platter. Amazing! Bibimbap (1/5) - $25 - this dish was a failure. Served on a cold stone platter, flavors were lacking. The beef was very tough and overcooked. Soft Tofu Soup (4/5) - $29 - small portion but a solid delivery of this one with a raw egg. Service: disclaimer that after 3 weeks they still say they are in a soft opening. They weee clearly understaffed as it took an hour to get one of our dishes. They either need to hire or fix their efficiency issue in the kitchen. Overall decent but not fabulous experience. read more

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Sweet and spicy chicken wings are SO good! Menu is a bit pricey but love the ambience and quick service.

The Sundubu jjigae was closer to water than soup. They gave us a raw egg presumably to crack in it but the soup came out too cold to feasibly cook it. The japchae was okay but the beef has a grainy texture to it. Interesting ambiance though. read more

Chingu - Sundubu Jjigae / 순두부찌개 - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Went here for dinner. Street Parking only. Service was good very attentive. It's a cozy spot to catch up with friends. I got the tofu soup and Bulgolgi fries. All was pretty good but didn't have much of a spicy kick. read more

Chingu - Tapas Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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