made a reservation for this spot - loved the ambiance its so cute and cozy. the perilla oil noodles, pork jowl & seoul crudo were our favorite dishes. would definitely come back! the staff were also super friendly and gave us recommendations for dishes. read more

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The Maekgolli flight was worth it. The chestnut flavor was our favorite. Nice owner, good service. Pork jowl was a little dry. Chicken was the best dish. Ambiance was chill, good music and they had some cartoon from Asia playing on a projector read more

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AMBIANCE: 8.75/10 -Dim lighting, very vibey -Clean space -A little smaller/more cramped than expected but not to the point where you're bumping elbows SERVICE: 9/10 -Nice servers who checked in just the right amount -Didn't have a menu for maybe 10 minutes bc server forgot to provide them FOOD + DRINK Pork Jowl: 8.75/10 -Soft and chewy, great texture -Came with ssamjang(?) sauce and a thicker chimichurri(?) sauce that worked well with the lettuce and perilla leaves they provided for wraps Doenjang Clam Chowder: 7.5/10 -Tasty but couldn't really taste the doenjang -Good balance of thick and runny soup consistency Shrimp Toast: 8.9/10 -Softer and chewier texture than the usual crispy outside soft inside texture of shrimp toast (not in a bad way) -Came with a slightly spicy sauce that was good; could've been better though Perilla Leaf Noodles: 9/10 -Sesame smell was immediately noticeable -Was slightly sweeter than other perilla leaf noodles I've had (I preferred this) Crudo: 10/10 -Soft and chewy texture to the fish was immaculate -Sauce was the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and sour. Super refreshing! Chestnut Makgeolli: 7/10 -We were warned that the makgeolli would taste more sour than the usual chestnut makgeolli we were used to from Kooksoondang. This was spot on. Would recommend this drink only if you prefer more dry/almost beer or wine like drinks! read more

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When a buddy suggested dinner every month or so, we all said yes. First one was last month at @jilli_sf. We started with the perilla oil noodles, cheered with makgeolli, wrapped up some pork jowl jeyuk, devoured the shrimp toast, savored the wagyu beef tartare and finished up with the chimmelier popcorn KFC. It's a fun environment that kept design elements including gorgeous tiles from the previous tenant, a Moroccan restaurant but also put in their own spin. read more

Jilli - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

Summary: Good fun and vibes, with above average bar fare Details: If you're expecting outstanding food, I would not say that Jilli is it. However, if you're looking for a fun time with friends, slightly elevated and solid bar bites, and a huge selection of makgeolli to try, then jilli's a great spot to swing by and try! A lot of the dishes we had were (perhaps not unexpectedly) on the too sweet or too salty side, though we found some pretty good eats among the crudo, tuna dip, and pork jowl dishes. On the drinks side, their makgeolli menu is EXTENSIVE, with plenty of options to wet your whistle with through the night, or a pre-built flight of options if you don't know where to start and want to leave things up to them. Accessibility: The business is usually popping, and accordingly, seating is pretty packed together. Maneuvering through the crowds might be a little difficult, and seating might be a little tight, but nothing is inherently inaccessible. read more

Phenomenal service! It rained on Valentine's Day and they made it up extremely quick. The food was delicious and I'll definitely be back. Love the makgeolli flight. read more

A fun Korean fusion bar & restaurant! Pork jowl & shrimp toast were my favorite. Service was amazing! read more

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Amazing service from start to finish. We were quickly greeted and seated. There's a long wrap around counter with sushi bar like seating. The counter seating is a great option for a date or solo dining. The menu is an eclectic option of Korean dishes that are executed so well and with such quality ingredients. We ordered cocktails, salmon kimbop, and galbi (short rib). Everything was excellent. Portions were super generous. read more

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Hip Korean tapas spot that specializes in makgeolli. Some favs include the shrimp toast, Seoul carpaccio, rigatoni, perilla noodles and pork jowl. Gave the makgeolli flight a try but be sure to check out the long list of other makgeolli selections. The Rice to Meet You was my winner (with some yakult vibes). read more

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must tries: perilla noodles and pork jowl, great flavor though both lean a bit sweet. would skip the hamachi crudo as the sauce just tasted like gochujang read more

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Stopped in on a weekend for some pre-dinner drinks but ended up ordering food since things looked so appetizing! Honey butter chips are great and the flight included some choice selections. Would certainly come back with an indoor reservation to better appreciate the ambiance. Happy they decided to open a sister restaurant up in Norcal, have been craving Jilli since I stopped by in LA! read more

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The food and drinks were not memorable, and everything is extremely overpriced. I am surprised that this place has so much hype and is consistently booked out. We tried 5 dishes and each was decent but nothing special. The surrounding area is also not very pleasant at night. read more

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Spectacular BBQ there. The meat is tender but not chewy. Had no issue with the wait time or quality of the service. Ambiance of the place is on par on what a Korean food spot usually resembles definitely recommend if you are in the area read more

This place was super solid serving elevated bar food, portions may look small but the three of us were quite full at the end of our meal. The highlights were definitely the kimchi vodka rigatoni, u must get it with burrata or it's too much punchy flavor and nothing to balance it out, and the wagyu yukhoe. Just know that yukhoe and tartare have different flavor profiles so don't expect a tartare style dish because the yukhoe has a very umami blend. Also enjoyed the honey butter garlic chips as a anju, but a little disappointed they did not have draft beer or house made draft makgeolli. If they had those things this place would be a strong 5 stars, but a sooljib not having those things is kind of tough. Place is small so reservations are almost required, walk ins would be difficult. read more

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Fun new Korean tapas place! Definitely need a reservation because it is a small space. Food was phenomenal and the portions were a lot bigger than I was expecting for it being tapas. The tartare and the pork jowl are a must order! They have a cute heated outdoor patio, so if you can ask to sit out there. read more

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Jili was super cute for a girl's night! It's really popular right now, so make sure to make reservations. We got 2 bottles of makgeolli and maybe 4 apps to share. It can be pretty expensive if you don't come somewhat satiated. The bathroom is hella cute and decorated. The shrimp toast was kinda salty, but tasty. We thought the pasta was most unique out of the options we selected but we also had perilla oil soba noodles that were okay. It's a fun place to try drinks, but not for a long dinner atmosphere. read more

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Food was amazing! In a city that looks good Korean food (even fusion Korean) this place was great! The perilla oil noodles were my favorite and the kimchi Allla vodka pasta was too good!!! Don't skip out on the makgeolli and soju, only wish they had a dessert menu, that would've really sealed the deal for me! read more

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We're lucky to snag a last minute Friday reservation and were seated in their outdoor patio. While they accept walk-in's, we saw them turn away folks late for their reservation or trying to walk in. My favorites were the Pork Jowl, Kimchi Rigatoni, and fried chicken. Personally, I'd skip the trout roe dip. Very friendly servers and nice decor with a giant red lantern inside. read more

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Cute makgeolli bar in the Mission. You need a reservation to get in right now because it's quite popular! However, they make you wait outside and will come out to check your reservation. As a woman who went there slightly earlier, I definitely didn't feel as safe just waiting outside the restaurant. At the restaurant, we ordered the makgeolli flight. For food, it is shared plates so we got the rigatoni (3/5 - my least favorite thing because it wasn't super unique), perilla oil noodles (5/5 - tart and very good), beef tartar (4/5 - very good), pork jowl (5/5 - so good; would get again!) and burrata summer salad (5/5 - perfect comparison to the other dishes). read more

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Make reservations. If you arrive early, they'll seat you at your exact reservation time. Service was great, the waiters always came by to check on us and clear the table of empty dishes and glasses. Everything is meant to share. One dish is good for two - three people. We ordered the shrimp toast, rigatoni alla kimchi vodka, perilla oil noodle, cheese tteokbokki, pork jowl jeyuk, and chimmelier popcorn KFC. The food was delicious, the best dishes were the rigatoni, perilla oil noodle, and pork jowl. I personally did not like the shrimp toast but everyone else did. This place is a Makgeolli bar. There was a wide selection to choose from. Get the Makgeolli flight if you're unsure about what to get. To be honest, the Makgeolli was overrated and overpriced. The selection of the flight was good, but not for the price. read more

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Jilli was really good and had plenty to offer for a couple on date night. Unfortunately for me I was shoving a quick meal in before my flight for company travel so I didn't get to take in the ambiance as much. But I would recommend coming back for the pork jowl and the noodles were good too, though they were a little too strong towards the end for my own taste. Overall, a solid recommendation if you're in the area! read more

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My friend and I came a little before 5pm to put our names on the list and were seated around 5:30pm -- perfect timing for walk-ins since it definitely gets busier later in the evening. We ended up sitting outside, which was still really nice, but it did get pretty chilly as the evening went on. They have heat lamps, but definitely bring a jacket if you're dining outdoors! From the start, the vibe was spot on -- warm lighting, great music, and that cozy-yet-trendy feel that makes you want to stay for hours. We ordered the makgeolli flight (such a fun way to try different flavors), perilla oil noodles (delicate and nutty), shrimp toast (crispy and flavorful), rigatoni alla kimchi vodka (comforting and creative), and the pork jowl jeyuk (rich and perfectly seasoned). Everything we tried was delicious. Even as walk-ins, the service was so kind and attentive -- our server checked in often and made sure everything came out just right. Overall, Jilli is one of those rare gems that gets everything right: amazing food, thoughtful service, and an effortlessly cool atmosphere. Perfect for a girls' night, date night, or catching up with friends over great food and drinks. Can't wait to go back (and next time, maybe sit inside )! read more

This place was definitely hyped up about a bit too much but it was a cool spot. Hard to find parking in the area but doable. They have both indoor and outdoor seating which is really nice. They also have heaters for outdoors when it gets cold at night. The food items are all tapas style, so expect to order a few dishes. My friend and I only ordered 3 dishes: the rigatoni, pork jowl and the perilla oil noodles since it was the most popular dishes there. We were advised to order 2 to 3 dishes per person, but we wanted to just try a few. Definitely understand why they suggested 2 to 3 a person, but it was more than enough if you just eat and drink at the same time. Overall, I would choose the pork jowl but wish that there was more to that serving. The perilla oil noodles were refreshing, but didn't have a lot of flavor. Their dishes were nothing too crazy, but definitely would give them a 4/5 for their quick and friendly service. read more

This was my second visit after making a reservation. I tried several of their bestseller dishes with wine, and everything was well balanced and tasted amazing. The sauces were unique and flavorful, and even the desserts were delicious, which made the meal feel complete. The owner and staff were very kind, and the service was excellent. If you are looking for a Korean restaurant with a cozy yet elegant atmosphere, I highly recommend this place. I would definitely love to visit again. read more

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The food was very good, shared a 3/4 plates between two people, quality and tasty food

Was looking for a modern Korean spot and this popped on my radar. Food was okay, a couple of dishes were memorable, but some were too salty or oily for my liking. Would recommend the steak tartare which was unique in flavor and the shrimp toast which was cooked perfectly. Will say that the portions are larger than expected which is a plus. read more

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Love love love Jilli! A new Korean tapas restaurant with great ambiance and even better food. Ordered the kimchi rigatoni vodka (must order), the kfc chicken (so juicy and crispy), the pork jowl (tender and flavorful), and the shrimp toast. Also got the makgeolli flight which was super nice to taste multiple types of makgeolli without having to commit to a whole bottle. Service was also quick with food coming out hot right after it was ready. Reservations are difficult to snag but try to look for a weekday slot to check them out! read more

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The food was fabulous, I was by myself so I sat up at the bar. The young lady who waited on me was helpful and attentive. She even let me try a couple of the Korean wines. I ordered the shrimp toast, the noodles and the wagyu steak tartare. All items were delicious. I found the shrimp toast to be my favorite as it was just so unique and a dish I will crave. It came with a sauce, which complimented it. The chef even presented me with my own homemade spicy sauce as I wanted a bit more heat. I thought that was a nice touch to my meal and I appreciated that. My only negative is the place was very loud and the bar chairs were uncomfortable. Other than that, it was a very positive experience. Tapas Korean style, wow!! read more

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Jilli called at 4:45pm to cancel my 5:00pm reservation, 15 minutes before the appointment with no reasonable notice. Completely unacceptable and highly unprofessional. The host then tried to claim she had called and left a voicemail--which never happened. Being misled on top of a last-minute cancellation is disappointing. read more

Jilli - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

Loved almost every dish we ordered here! We have been trying to make it to Jilli for some time now but it seems like they're often pretty booked! At least if you book online that is. I recommend giving them a call to check for availability! We ordered the shrimp toast, Popcorn Korean Fried Chicken, Perilla Oil Noodles and Wagyu Yukhoe. Honestly, everything was delicious but I was expecting a bit more from their Popcorn KFC. I guess I was just expecting the flavors of the fried chicken to have more of a "Korean" flavor but it didn't stand out to me. Such a cool dinner spot for a group hangout or a girls night out :) Will stop by again to try their flights. read more

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I came here with the boys on a Wednesday at 7 pm and fortunately they were able to seat us at the bar area since they had some openings. The vibes were great, definitely a soju bar with some good bar bites. The food is definitely think bar food not actual food that can fill you up. It can definitely add up and be pricey but worth for the vibes. The makeoli brewed in LA, was really good and refreshing. Definitely better than the store bought up. Definitely a must visit if looking for someplace new! read more

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Amazing Korean inspired food which recently opened up in San Francisco. They are an LA based franchise and I'm glad they now have a San Francisco branch. We ordered the honey potato chips which was delicious. We ended up ordering two plates - very crispy, crunchy and the honey drizzle tasted great. I also ordered the vegetarian rigatoni kimchi vodka sauce pasta. The flavor was on spot, I couldn't taste any kimchi, but the pasta was overall very delicious and creamy. My friends also ordered the shrimp toast and Korean friend chicken and they absolutely loved it. I would recommend trying this cozy and yummy Korean spot in the mission before it gets too popular and hard to find a reservation. The service was excellent and their limoncello soju drink was yummy. read more

I was expecting to love this, but ended up being underwhelmed by the food. But the makgeolli we got was great. So come here for the drinks, but not necessarily the food. We got: Cucumber salad - Not a fan of the gochujang style sauce it came with. Shrimp toast - Fine but shrimp toast for some reason I never love, somehow I feel like the shrimp lacks enough flavor and you miss the benefit of the shrimp texture and the fried aspect makes it too heavy. Wagyu beef tartare - I don't know why but I didn't love it. Something about the flavor and texture just didn't work for me. Chimmelier popcorn kfc - This was okay, as noted in the name it's more of a popcorn chicken (smaller chunks) than traditional kfc. Pork jowl jeyuk - This was good, my favorite dish. Tender flavorful pork. Rigatoni alla kimchi vodka - Not my pick and not my fave, I don't like the creamy sauce. read more

Got famous from reels so they mostly can inly accommodate reservations and no walk ins. We got lucky on a Saturday night where they canceled many reservations thinking it was going to rain, so we were able to get a patio table as a walk in. we got the yukhoe (beef tartare), pork jowl, kimchi rigatoni, and the shrimp toast. all were amazing, but the yukhoe and xxwas the star of the show, the shrimp toast tasted too oily and over deep fried read more

overhyped. their flight included makku ?????? literally grocery store canned makgeolli. we ended up liking the white lotus makgeolli best of the flight. food was kind of interesting. doenjang clam chowder had potato foam on top instead of potatoes in the chowder. pork jowl was well-cooked. fried chicken was kind of dry and the worst dish of the night. they also need to hire more staff, our waiter was spread way too thin. we were seated outdoors with plenty of heat lamps. read more

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Cute Korean tapas spot in the Mission at the corner of 15th and South Van Ness. They recently opened and are already killing it! They're literally always booked and it's no surprise. They've got amazing tapas, great drinks and the vibes are subtle and calming, like you walked into an R&B time warp....we got the Pork Jowl, kimchi ala vodka, shrimp toast (hellla bomb), KFC and poutine fries. Everything was superb. Def recommend for date night or out with a group of friends. Come check them out and they recently just opened the patio so way more space! Service is excellent, they check on you consistently. The owners are amazing too. Good job Jilli. read more

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Nice vibes inside but really overpriced and small portions. Ordered almost one of everything on the menu plus their malkgeolli. Service is great but I think it's overhyped read more

4.5/5, but I will round up to 5 because the flavors were solid - the only thing keeping me from giving 5/5 are the small portion sizes =( Very solid spot for Korean tapas. The vibe is pretty energetic and intimate. While they area makgeolli + tapas bar, we did not order any makgeolli and came just for the food. We ordered a bunch of dishes and pretty much everything was a hit: - perilla oil pasta - this was a really good cold noodle dish, sad that this is just a seasonal item - beef tartar - probably the weakest of all the things we ordered, but still pretty good - poutine fries - pretty solid, but could use more sauce - pork jowl jeyuk - IGNORE WHAT THE INFATUATION SAID, THIS WAS FIRE. BEST DISH OF THE NIGHT (just wish they gave you more than just 2 pieces of lettuce to wrap...) - Rigatoni alla kimchi vodka - another fire dish. highly recommend - cheese tteboki - pretty solid with a good amount of spice. just wish they gave you more rice cakes... Overall, a very very solid spot and I would come back, but would emphasize that the portions are small so don't come too hungry or just be prepared to order a lot to get full. Service was very good as well. In a slightly sus neighborhood so I would not recommend walking there. read more

Cute new spot with Korean shareables. Really liked the crispy Korean chicken and the pork jowl. Lots of rice wines to try as well. They will have an expanded menu shortly. Can definitely be busy so snag a reservation if you can! read more

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Everything about this place is awesome. We had the pork jowel, roe dip, among a bunch of other small plates and they were all excellent. The vibes are great with a secluded outdoor seating area and a cozy interior with high ceiling and great atmosphere. Great, fun place for drinks or a proper meal. read more