This is a really great spot for beef-based Korean BBQ. It should be noted that all their meats are great, but they have a (well-deserved) reputation for high quality beef cuts here - I am told by those who know that it is one of the best beef sources for Korean BBQ in the South Bay. We got Combo C and loved it - brisket was tasty and perfect thickness, rib eye was amazing, and octopus was delicate and super yum. Walking in, I first noticed that I was the only non-Asian person in the place. I usually take that as a good sign in situations like these ;) + Food quality is excellent + Some non-standard sides and starter soups make this place stand out from more Americanised Korean places + Service is extremely friendly + Family run + Open late! - Service isn't fast - Interior isn't pretty Honestly those two negative points didn't make a big impression on me. I enjoyed the slower pace of the meal, and I personally don't care as much about the interior look if the food is great. Which it was!! read more

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Food here is amazing! Perfect KBBQ spot if you're going here with friends. A lot quieter than other spots, very enjoyable! Good quality meat, and waiters help you cook and cut if you need it! Really nice staff, good food. Tough parking though, only negative. Give this place a try! read more

Quality of meat was perfect, you can tell they spend the time to make sure your meat is a tasty as possible. Good portion of meat as well! You will however need to be adept at cooking as you will be grilling food yourself. may not be as beginner friendly and some may take it as bad service. But I found them to be very polite and attentive. Be prepared to cook and you will have a wonderful time. Me and my Gf will definitely be back. We had the combo for 2 and a tofu seafood soup. Way to much food but everything was tasty! read more

Fantastic quality of meat and Korean side dishes. I've been going here with my brother, sister and friends for over 15 years. Definitely recommend. I look forward to going back soon after a 2 year hiatus. A true gem. read more

A rather not disappointing KBBQ place. Ilbunjee is never the first name to come up if you compare to other well more known KBBQ places in the Bay Area such as Gen, Tobang, Gooyi Gooyi. But I think I actually prefer Ilbunjee over all the others! This isn't AYCE, but the quality of the meat makes up for it all. We ordered the brisket and the wagyu - wow, the meat was super tender, juicy (if you looked at all the oil that dripped off our grill). As other reviewers have stated, the meat is so good - you dont even need the sauce they provide you! The banchan (side dishes) are nothing memorable, although I'm a fan of the soup they serve before you meat comes, as long as the grilled tuna triangle rice sandwiches (yes I have no idea what they're called in Korean) that they serve after your meal. Kinda pricey but I did get the wagyu. Next time I'm coming back to try their combination platters since it seems you get more meat for your buck. Make sure you check this place out if you're not a fan of waiting in long lines for KBBQ. Small and unassuming place but great service and top notch quality meat. read more

I love it. Food is so good and it is nice to enjoy no-marinated meat, for once. Everybody was very nice, friendly and professional. Highly recommended. read more

If you aren't Korean, I suggest that you come here with someone who is so that they can order properly and shout across the room in Korean to the servers for more beer, food, utensils and what not. It helped tremendously, and when I sat there with a blank look on my face when the server spoke to me in Korean, my friend was able to immediately translate for me. When looking for this "hole in the wall" pojangmacha - tented street vendor in Korea - look for the big neon #1, the rest of the sign is in Korean. Be prepared to smell like bbq smoke for the entire night, so wear your non-dry clean only clothes. Also, build up a big carnivorous appetite, because this is no nonsense grubbing. The 7 of us left it up to the veterans to order. First, we had bottles of soju and Hite beer for the table, and a nice spicy soup, along with banchan. Minutes later, a huge platter of meats were brought over and the grilling began. Various cuts of pork and beef sizzled on the grill: pork belly, sirloin steak, thin slices of ribeye - all delicious. I'm sure there was more. It was a big meat fest. We had two grills going, and we managed to eat every last piece of meat. I think I've eaten enough meat for the rest of the week. Going to have a vegetarian lunch now. read more

Ilbunjee - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

I am feeling mildly obliged to give this place 5 stars, simply because you order this amazing plate of food because you want that delicious cook it yourself, FRESH FROM THE KITCHEN style kinda deal ... but then ... you don't actually do any work! I finally had a chance to come here after I tried to go to Gooyi Gooyi (and after I walked in I realized I had been there before ...) and they apparently ONLY take reservations. I noticed this spot was nearby so decided to give it a go. We ordered the two person combo for beef and I was happy to find that I could substitute for beef tongue even though it wasn't part of the combo. The meat cuts came quickly, and so did the service. The waitress (and yes, there is literally one) came and helped us heat up the plates, put on the necessary onions and meats and basically cooked for us. Honestly it was great experience because the quality of the food was great and the service was phenomenal. I can't complain. This place IS small though and the largest party they can really feasibly fit is 4 at a table. They have about 6 or 7 tables max so it does get a little busy at dinner. I highly recommend the combos because they're SUCH GOOD DEALS. Oh, and the food is GREAT! A+! read more

I have not written a KBBQ review for anywhere in the South Bay forever. But Ilbunjee #1 has awakened the sleeper. The only word for this place would have to be: QUALITY. Seriously the best KBBQ I've had outside LA. I don't miss Los Angeles K-Town AT ALL when I am eating here. Get this: they use five-stage filtered water for everything here. Not just the table water, no... but the jigae, the homemade panchan, the soups, pretty much everything that starts with water. Unbelievable commitment to excellence! They serve Berkshire's finest... Kurobuta is to pork belly as Kobe is to steak. Get it and thank me. They also have filet mignon, and when it gets that nice char, drool ensues. Unmarinated. Because it's that good, and the sides are ridiculous! With lettuce, tenjang, garlic, jalapenos, homemade potato salad, pickled cucumbers and radishes, and their seriously next-level kimchi, this place is stacked in every way. Relax and throw back some shots of Chum Churum while the owners of this little place aid in cooking and cutting your meats for you. Funny thing about my discovery of this place is that I have been working literally across the street for years not knowing what this place was. I noticed that Korean dudes would hang outside this place as I walked right on by. I would always be looking to enjoy my favorite Thai curry in the South Bay next door at Dusita. It wasn't until I asked my Korean dude friend who is clearly in the know that I realized what I was overlooking. It was like when The Beatles demo was rejected by the first record executive that heard it. What a fool I was. But now I have seen the truth. And the truth is that I have been utterly ruined for any other KBBQ place other than here. I'm sorry, but Jang Su Jang is not in the same league. Be advised, this place is small. Not a good idea for a large group, but for up to five, maybe six people it would be great. read more

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********************* 1300 ********************** Just another Korean joint here, a simple place, OK food, quick service, and cheap eat compare to the neighbor restaurants around here. My mom enjoys the soup that they comp you at the beginning of the meal, I thought that was the best dish they have! read more

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If you are tired of Kalbi or bulgogi like me and looking for other types of Korean bbq such as pork belly, pork jowl, wagyu, ribeye, flank, etc., this is the spot to go around s. bay. Quality of the meat is probably best among Korean places. They also have seafood you can bbq on the grill. And... I am drooling just thinking about it. Just FYI, if you are expecting marinated meat with bbq sauces, this isn't the place. Meat are brought out plain and you can dip them in the sauce if you want. As for the ambiance, as the name suggests, it has the hole in the wall, Korean street drinking place feel to it. Table is basically the big round plate on a barrel. Owners are very friendly and they will explain in detail about the meat but then again I speak to them in Korean so I guess it's easier for me. It could be pricey but I keep going back because of the meat quality . Definitely One of my go to Korean bbq place in town. read more

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Come here for the quality of the meat. I think it's better than Gooyi Gooyi (Although they may have better fried rice. ). Had the American Wagyu flatiron steak, and galbi, and just regular brisket. They were all pretty good. Nothing amazing, but pretty good. Had the doenjang jjigae with blue crab but it was salty. They were out of kimchi fried rice, so they gave us the octopus spicy fried rice. It wasy WAY too sweet. If you like sweet then, you should be fine. I barely touched it. The service was good in the beginning and then later it dwindled down to no service. The older gentleman knows how to cook the meat. read more

Ilbunjee - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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Umm, can we say YUM??? After hearing from Caroline L. how legit this place was, I couldn't wait to try it, especially since I have not been able to find a consistently good KBBQ place up here. Well, I think this takes the cake for me right now! I still think KBBQ is better in SoCal, but the meat here is pretty darn good. Our group of four ordered Combination #1 for three and it was just enough food for all of us. The filet and rib eye were so tender! This place is kinda hard to find because it is really small and the sign is only in Korean with the exception of the #1. So look for the #1 and it's sandwiched right in between Las Flamas and Dusita Thai. read more

Good authentic Korean BBQ without the need to queue! Ambience & Service A small, modest Korean restaurant. The furniture are rather dated and simple. Once you see the full Korean posters, the Korean music and Korean speaking in the restaurant - you know you are in for the real deal. Service is ok, courteous and prompt. Food We ordered a Beef and Pork combi ($59). It came with a salad (2/5), a fish cake soup (4/5), side dishes (3/5), rice (3/5) and the MEAT! (4/5) The beef was so yummy!!!!! So were the pork. There are Korean BBQ where they have the meat marinated, for this place, their meat are not marinated - or at least not as much. In a way, you can taste the meat so much better. Love both version of Korean BBQ and pretty glad this one was the "non-marinated" version. Parking There's parking but we were super doubtful and concern about parking within the small premises. Take note of the markings on the ground as it some are labels specifically for the Spanish restaurant. We parked at the nearby residential area, take note of the signages. Generally, free after 6pm. Overall, a good Korean BBQ joint to visit. Btw, you will definitely walk out smelly like BBQ. So do not wear your latest, precious fresh smelling sweater! read more

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This place lives up to its name! We went in for a late dinner (around 8:30pm) on a Saturday night because a couple of other places down the street were absolutely packed. This place was actually empty at that time, which made us think it wasn't going to be good. But we were totally wrong! First, the place looked almost like we were eating at someone's house. The tables and chairs, and even the dishes, felt like they came straight out of someone's home kitchen. It definitely gave the restaurant a more home-y, warm feel. The ajummeonis were so helpful in going over the menu with us as first-timers. They explained that, for a table of four, they would recommend one of the combos and perhaps another stew or meat item. We went with the combo #3 (beef and pork), along with the soybean paste stew with blue crab. We also opted for the beondaegi, or pupas! The combo came with salad, fish cake soup, and side dishes, all of which came out very quickly. The salad was nicely dressed, not too little or too much, and it gave a nice, refreshing start to the meal. The banchan was SO good - I was pretty addicted to the cucumber kimchi and pretty much finished that off all on my own. Fish cake soup was great as well. Then came the pupas. I have to admit, I wasn't brave enough to try them, but apparently the texture is soft? All of my friends at the table said the flavor was really good and that it paired well with the rest of the meal. Next up was the meat. I'm not sure what they do to their pork belly, but it is absolutely delicious! They're one of those places that actually cook and cut it for you, so if you're like me and you don't feel like putting work into your meal, you'll like this place. The marbling on the beef was beautiful as well, but I have to say I was really digging the pork belly the most. The combo also came with these rice ball things that were addicting! We opted for rice balls instead of white rice bowls. Finally, we had soybean paste stew with blue crab. I am normally more of a fan of sundubu (soft tofu) as opposed to the firmer tofu, but no complaints there. They were very generous with the crab in the stew, and the flavors were on point just like they were for the rest of the meal. I absolutely loved this place. It was really the perfect place to go, and I think surprisingly empty for a Saturday night, but maybe we went too late. I'm not Korean, no one at my table was Korean, but the ajummeonis came over to our table and made nice conversation with us at points throughout the meal. I enjoyed the food and the overall experience, and can't wait to come back! Maybe next time, I'll try the pupas. Maybe. read more

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If you have ever experienced Korean barbecue from Koreatown of Los Angeles, then you will know that there is nothing quite comparable up here. The closest to it's caliber that I have experienced around this area would have to be Ilbunjee #1 - Pojangmacha. The sides aren't as nearly as plentiful, but the meats are comparable in terms of quality and freshness. I've been here a few times and even though it isn't the best place for a large party, the food is great. There is a good variety of high grade beef, pork, shrimp, and octopus. I liked that the have combo options too. The other day I came with one other friend and we went with one of the combos that included rib eye, short rib, brisket, and some sort of steak (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/ilbunjee-1-pojangmacha-santa-clara-2?select=9pZsLNc6glUvhXyx8NJJyA#qCAfmTxR0ciFWuToTN4w1Q). We ordered an additional side of octopus, but I think we could have easily done without it, as the combo was quite fulfilling alone. Everything was fresh and so grilling was made easy. The combo totaled to about $25/person and the additional octopus dish was $16. With the food and a bottle of OB, our total came to about $80. Customer service is impersonal, but attentive. The parking lot is tiny, so be prepared. read more

Ilbunjee - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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Found this restaurant on Yelp so the seven of us ladies + a baby came here to celebrate a birthday. The "#1" on the storefront to identify the restaurant or otherwise I would have missed it. We asked the lady owner here and she recommended that we order 4 servings of the mixed meats for grilling and also the special squid "udon-like" noodle. The meats brought out were quite sumptuous. We had slices of beef, cuts of rib eye and pork. The squid noodle came in a hollowed out edible pumpkin which was really pretty. We were given yummy triangular shaped rice balls as well as raw sliced garlic, jalapeno and various dipping sauces for the meats. We also got banchan - small dishes of food served along with rice in Korean restaurants. Some were really good like the marinated sakura shrimp and pickled turnip. The restaurant provided tongs for grilling and scissors for cutting up larger chunks of meat. The grill heated up quickly and we were scrambling to take the meats out before they get charred. Not so fun for the person grilling and it was also a bit difficult to place the cooked meats as we were lacking empty plates to put them on. Over all the food was quite tasty and reasonably-priced. We had a good time and I would definitely return for more. read more

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I went to Ilbunjee on a Friday night with a couple friends at 7ish, and was pleasantly surprised to find that there was no wait. They were cleaning up some tables for us and were seated within a few minutes. The place is sparsely decorated, but clean and simple, and with only a dozen tables or so. I believe one reason why this place may not be as crowded as I would have thought is because there is no English written anywhere on the outside of the restaurant, unless you consider the big "#1" English. It's not exactly the type of place I would see many non-Koreans just strolling into on a spur of the moment, simply because of the signage. But don't worry, the menu has English translations. We ordered a beef & pork combination set for the three of us, and we were all pleased. We knew, however, that we were not fans of the samgyupsal/ohgyupsal types of pork, but the rest we liked very much. Because of personal preferences, we'll probably get the all beef combination next time. The quality of all the meat was good, and I especially liked the darker dipping sauce. This place uses the portable grills, just in case that information is important to you. And though you will probably smell a little like meat afterwards, I don't think the smell would be nearly as bad as some other places. I like that they seem to have a slightly better selection of alcohol here - a few minor variations of rice wines, soju, sake, plum wines, etc. In my experience, anything above just beer and soju is a bonus, and it is appreciated if you are eating with anyone who is not a fan of either of those two. One person in our party discovered an affinity for makkeoli, which we will be sure to encourage next time. The couple running it were very friendly and courteous, and I was really glad they allowed us to sit at the table for well over an hour after we had finished eating. These are the places I like most - you aren't rushed out of a table, or feel pressured to keep ordering food/alcohol in order to stay at the table. That said, they did not need the table as they had a few open. read more

Pros: great food, no wait Cons: slow service, pricey Ilbunjee is next doors to Gooyi Gooyi. I was surprised that the restuarant was mostly empty when I got there on a Friday evening. Both Gooyi Gooyi and Tobang had a long wait by then -- still a mystery to me why this place isn't as popular (yet). I ordered two beef dishes and one pork belly, which were all very good. Banchan was tasty too. Service, on the other hand, was slow, but our waiter served us a bowl of Kongnamulbab on the house :) Yummy. Will be returning on days I don't want to wait! read more

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Pretty good meats. Been to a lot of Korean BBQ restaurants, and notice the price here was on the high end, but it was good. Will come back to try the rest. read more

Interestingly, a Korean BBQ place with meat that is not marinated!! It definitely says a lot without the marinade because you can truly taste the good quality meat that is served at this small family owned establishment. We ordered 3-ppl portion of beef & pork combo with a bulgolgi fried rice to share among 4 adults and 2 kids and ended up with a lot of raw beef/pork packed to go. Food was great!! We definitely like the good quality meat that we got. The restaurant made an effort to serve Angus Beef and Black Pig pork so you don't taste the funky smell in most other pork served at other restaurants. The bulgolgi fried rice was very flavorful as well. The only bad thing about the meal was the amount of meat we ended up eating. :) Luckily, there is endless supply of lettuce that you eat to go with the grilled meat. We will definitely be back for more meat whenever we are in the mood for Korean BBQ. read more

Ilbunjee - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Bulgogi, wagyu, and pork. Oh my!. Meat, meat and more meat. This is the place to satify your Korean BBQ craving. The menu is basically just filled with meat combo choices. I even enjoy all there different small dishes. Probably a couple more choices than some of the other Korean restaurants. What's unique is the fish cake soup. Good and different. I would say this is the Korean version of Brazilian BBQ. Which means, meat and nothing else really. Excellent and flavorful fresh meat. They even cook it for you. Be sure to try their special wagyu meat. They are a bit more pricey than the other beef, but super tender and well worth the extra cost. Just be prepared that there aren't that many choices other than the BBQ meat. They have other dishes like fried rice, but I would just stick to the meat unless you're wanting some variety in your meal. You're definitely going to come out stuffed. They're great to accommodate large group and you can even make reservations ahead of time. This would be my go to place for Korean BBQ dinner. read more

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Short Story: An excellent authentic Korean restaurant that is a bit pricey...but worth it if you don't go too often! Long Story: I came here with a friend on a Tuesday night around 9PM and the place was moderately packed. We were promptly seated as we had a reservation. We ordered the meat and seafood combo that was about $25 per person. The meat consisted of chicken and beef and the seafood had shrimp, octopus, salmon, and scallops. It was very fresh and the food cooked quite fast on the grill. However, I don't think you get full off that entree. My friend and I could probably have ordered another one to be completely full. The service was pretty average. I would have liked it to be better, but since we sat near the corner, I think we were missed. The decor and ambiance are not that appealing...though I don't really fault them for that. I came here for the food and not the sights. Verdict: I'll go back when I want some authentic Korean food! read more

My friends and I tried to have dinner at Gooyi Gooyi, but with an hour long wait and 3 hungry appetites, we decided to pull out our Yelp app and look for another KBBQ place. I mean, we were on El Camino so it shouldn't be hard to find something else. Luckily, Yelp pointed us here. When we first walked in, I was worried bc there was no one there to greet us and just one table of people eating (Tuesday night around 7pm). After grabbing someone's attention from the kitchen, we were seated and given menus. We decided to order the beef and pork combination for 3 people ~$75. The menu is pretty limited and no frills...it's no Jang Su Jang. There wasn't any spicy rice cakes (dukkbokki) or seafood pancakes, etc. The banchan was also very simple: carmelized dried shrimp, potato salad, kim chi, cucumbers, pickled carrots and daikon, and bean sprouts. We were also given a simple fish cake and daikon soup and some lettuce to wrap the grilled meats. The star here is hands down the meats! Extremely juicy and tender beef rib eye. The black pork belly was AMAZING! The lady (owner) could tell we didn't know what we were doing, so she came over and helped us grill. The pork belly was so crispy and flavorful...and it tasted more meaty than greasy and fatty (if that's possible). There's also two different dipping sauces (oil/salt/pepper and a soy sauce based one) that were delicious. If you don't need an extensive menu and fancy atmosphere, this spot is for you. I personally prefer my meat un-marinated so I am in love with this place, especially bc there's no wait like at Gooyi Gooyi ! Not to mention, the owners here are very friendly and welcoming. Will definitely be back! read more

Ilbunjee - Beef and Pork combo for 3 ppl. - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Favorite Korean BBQ spot in the Bay Area. Been a regular before covid and also enjoyed the food recently as a pickup. Can't wait to go back again read more

If you are a huge carnivore like me you will find it really hard to not like ilbunjee #1. In fact, I think I fall in love almost immediately. Grab a few of your friends, share a huge plate of BBQ meat platter and cook the it on a sizzling hot grill. A night out with friends couldn't get better than this. Enjoy some Korean beer or soju while you slowly consume the juicy tenderness. The quality of the meat here is pretty good. The prime rib was absolutely hearty! This place might look a bit ghetto on the outside but once you get in, you will notice it is actually pretty clean and cozy with ample lighting and good ventilation. Don't expect quality service here. This place is meant to be a more casual establishment. Cook your own food and if you need anything don't be afraid to flag down the server. Might not be a good spot to take your first date to (try Jang Su Jang instead) but it is perfect for a larger group of friends. read more

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I was recommended this restaurant by a friend and had a really great overall experience! I ordered the smallest beef combo for 2 people & it was plenty of food for us. The sides were also very good, including the fish cake soup that I tried for the first time. The server was attentive, quick and very friendly. 5/5 for customer service, 4/5 for food. Be warned the parking lot is tiny! I got lucky finding a spot in the parking lot but it took a few rounds of circling back and forth. (I wish they cooked the food for us like other kbbq places I've been to, but it's okay) I also don't like that it's located next to a cash checking store because it tends to attract homeless people hanging out in front/side of the restaurant where I was doing outdoor seating. Besides these small nuances outside of the restaurant, I had an amazing experience and look forward to coming back! read more

Everything was SOOOOOO GOOD. One of the juiciest meats i've ever had! Their service was top tier as well, so friendly & so fast! Even their salad was good MUST CHECK OUT!!!!!!!! read more

I went to this place because of the reviews that the meat is good here. In my humble opinion, the meat was OKAY. We ordered Combo #1 for 2 people. I felt like the portion of meat offered was not a lot for the price of $50. We also ordered the blue crab stew. It was also okay. However, the soup on the house was delicious. Also, they only have purple rice and no white rice, which was not bad. Service was below mediocre. We had to wait awhile for the menu. We had to wait on way too many things actually. We ended up getting our own water twice. Good thing our table was by the water pitchers. Overall, this place was okay. There are better Korean barbeque restaurants around the area with more fulfilling meat and good service. read more

Ilbunjee - Combo #1 - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Decided to go here because we didn't want to deal with To Bang's wait times. We walked in and no one was there to greet us for the first 5 minutes. Two parties were already inside, other than that the place was dead empty in the front. To avoid anymore awkwardness, we decided to seat ourselves to the next open table and still had to wait for about another 5 minutes for the waitress to acknowledge us. She was surprised to see if and appeared apologetic, but it's really water under the bridge now. This place hits the "alright" is almost every aspect. The food was good, but nothing to write home about. Relative to if you're used to the kind of other Korean places in the South Bay. I will not come back to, it really feels more like 2-stars. read more

If you want Korean BBQ, then this is the place to eat. Although it isn't AYCE, you can order various combination meals such as seafood, beef and pork, beef and seafood, and pork and seafood. There are also sauteed dishes, stir fry rice, stews, and meat a la carte. I didn't eat the meat, but had the shrimp, squid, and the baby octopus. The octopus were very large sizes. Banchan were not memorable and didn't have a lot of variety. Service was not great considering that the restaurant is small. We had a group of 9. After ordering and receiving food to cook, it was difficult to flag down a waitress to refill banchan or water. If you do decide to come here, make a reservation for a large party or arrive early. read more

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Pricey but worth it. It isnt Ayce but cuts are delicious, owners/waiters are freindly and service is good.

With seeing several great reviews, I thought I will give 1 Restaurant a try. It was a little disappointing... They required 2 order min. to grill on table top. But My friend and I didn't want to get 2 BBQ, so we we just order the steak and have them cook it in the back. The BBQ steak came out to be sooo chewy, my teeth almost fall off... It came with 2 dipping sauces Soybean soup with blue crab - It has crab in the title, I thought at least I will see 1 blue crab... there is half of a very very small skinny crab in the soup... The tofu was tough, and soup was quite salty... One thing that made this a 2 star Korean restaurant was the limited ban chan... There is only 5, while most Korean restaurant would have 6-9 dishes.... I always enjoy the banchans, as they can make up for so-so main dishes... Both dishes were on the small side. No service to speak off, they didn't came refill the tea once or refill any of the banchan.... I will stick to my Secret Garden for Korean BBQ! read more

Ilbunjee - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

I have yet to find something here that I don't like. Especially the cold kimchi noodles, I could eat them everyday (I love noodles). Their meat plates and quality are amazing! Their food is so well packaged. I am definitely a frequent visitor during these times because they're food is so good and feels so safe read more

Great restaurant! Great service! Pricey! Came here to celebrate my mom's birthday so we ordered #1 Beef combination and #5 Pork and Seafood combination. They ran out of pork jowl, but allowed us to substitute it with another item so we chose beef tongue. All the combinations come with a good amount of meat and seafood. They also provide great unlimited sides. Not sure if I will return because they are a bit pricey compared to other Korean BBQ places around El Camino. read more

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Ever since we have tried this place 3 months ago, we have been back at least 6 times. I brought our cousins, our Aunt and our parents and they agreed that this was one of the best Korean places they have eaten. They were very satisfied when we left. My husband and I have never been disappointed with the food especially the meat quality. The Owner, Grace, is the sweetest and her son, Chris, is very kind as well. I definitely feel like it's a home style Korean restaurant. We rarely eat out but when we do, we treat ourselves to Ibunjee. We love it! Thanks Grace & Chris for always being so sweet when we spoil ourselves and enjoy our delicious dinner! read more

Good quality meat, and the best condiments we've had in a Korean restaurant in the area thus far. The service was also friendly, and comparatively fast.. as usually we have to wait 10 minutes to even get our order taken/drinks. We got seated quickly, the order was taken as soon as the waitress saw we were ready to, and she served the condiments right away, and was very friendly towards our 5 year old. So again, this place is perfectly fine for children who are not picky eaters - our daughter was ecstatic to see that we had ordered pork belly (we had the pork and beef special), and happily ate a few lettuce wraps with the steak and belly, and really enjoyed the pickles and steamed rice. Condiments include tiny shrimp, friend in a sweet something and garnished with nuts, pickled cucumbers, pickled cabbage and carrot, a mashed potato mixed with egg and some pickles, kimchi and sauces, as well as a broth with strips of seaweed and egg, very tasty. They didn't have Cass, which is a bummer. The only reason why I'm knocking off a star, was because we ran out of lettuce pretty quickly, and would have loved a second helping of the pickles, and I'm sure we'd have got some if we asked, but we decided to finish our meat and head home because we had a long day ahead the next day. We'll be coming back, for sure. read more

They wouldn't serve me. They said that they wouldn't turn on the table's grill for one person. Which is understandable I suppose, but when I asked what else I could get, they said there was nothing. Everything they serve other than a side of broth requires the grill. So I said "alright I'll leave". :( kind of a shame, the other reviews say the food is good. Would have liked to try it. read more

If you're looking for this place, and you're not Korean, check the photos out. The name isn't shown in English. Just look for the #1! Somebody who comes here often suggested the place to us. I felt like it was pretty popular amongst the local Korean population, but other's don't try it because they can't find it or don't notice it. We were served a fishcake soup. I've never had it before, but it was good. I'm not a big fish-eater, but the broth was great. The banchans were really good. The kimchi was okay, but the potato salad was really good. It was fairly sweet, in a good way, and pureed rather than just chopped potatoes. The tables at the restaurant are really small, but luckily the bbq is exactly what I expected. This is the first time I've ever seen naturally raised pork belly. It didn't taste that much different that I normally know, but the waitress gladly explained it to us. We had that and the meat platter for 3, which had brisket, new york strip, filet mignon, and short rib, too. The meats were really fresh and all of them were surprisingly tender. They used great quality red meats. We also got the stone-plate beef kimchi fried rice. This was the best fried rice I've ever had. The small hints of kimchi were perfect and the stone kept it hot. The waitress was super friendly and gave us great suggestions for combinations to eat the meat with. I'd definitely come here again, and probably will within the next two weeks of being in the area. read more

Ilbunjee - You got beef, bro?! - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

I need to eat at Ilbunjee every now and then to fulfill my craving for meat goodness. Service is good and usually it's less crowded then Tobang, where the waiters cooked the meat hastily and customers were pressured to finish eating and leave. Particularly the brisket slices and wagyu short ribs are the best in town. read more