went on a tuesday night with my bf because i was craving korean. the restaurant was pretty empty with only 2 other parties there when we arrived and no one else when we left, but the food was really good, so i'll chalk it up to the restaurant just not being busy because it's more of a late-night weekend grub type of place. the ambiance of the place is pretty casual with kpop music videos projected on the wall, but the restaurant was definitely clean and pleasant to dine in. additionally, our server was super friendly and since my bf and i were super indecisive and didn't have yelp telling us exactly what to order because there were only 12 reviews, i asked our server for some recommendations, and she suggested the spicy pork belly and the soft tofu soup. ok food review time: s-tier: spicy pork belly: our server really emphasized how much she loved this dish, citing it as her favorite, and wow did it live up to the hype. the pork belly was cut into bite sized pieces for easy eating, but were just big enough for it to still have some nice bite and retain its juiciness. the fattiness of the pork belly was contrasted perfectly with the sweet and spicy sauce, with the heat being just enough to pack a punch but keep you wanting more. beef soft tofu soup: mmm i absolutely love a hearty soft tofu soup, and this one was definitely comforting and hit the spot. the soup had the perfect mix of spiciness, sweetness, savoriness, and just the slightest touch of butteriness, making it feel very well-balanced and satisfying. a-tier: banchan (side dishes): i'm usually the biggest fan of korean side dishes, and these were definitely really good, with my favorite being the kimchi, which was fresh and crunchy. however, i would've liked a little more variety (maybe 6 side dishes instead of just 4?) considering the fact that the dishes are a little on the pricey side. overall, i really enjoyed my experience at ollei and would definitely want to come back to try some of their other dishes! (their creamy tteokbokki looked pretty interesting :O) read more

See all

Stopped into Ollei for Korean food. The service was very slow. We got the bibim bap and the japchae. Neither were bad but both were only okay. My friend said the kimchi pancake is very good so maybe we just ordered the wrong stuff. The ambiance was good, a lot of people getting dinner with friends. I need to try more things here but after one try I'm going to look for a different go to Korean restaurant. read more

Ollei - Bibim Bap - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

I really enjoyed the soft tofu soup at Ollei. The Soy Garlic Chicken Wings are good but 8 wings is a lot to share among two people. I wish they offer half portion for the wings. The Corn Cheese is very low effort dish. The cheese was fully melted onto the corn. I don't think I'll order that dish again. It's very clean and simple inside of the restaurant and the waitress was very friendly. read more

See all

Under seasoned Bi Bim Bop! Sides not that good. Now sure how this place is rated a 4.5. I was craving Korean badly. This was not it. Visually it gets a 5.0. Taste maybe a 2. Staff kind of had attitude. Not one person came to ask how meal was! Maybe they aren't use to people of different races coming here. I'm like a $30 meal served with attitude. Ambiance nice, great location. read more

Im visiting SF from SD. Shout out to Hazel who took care of us while we were dining Thank you!

This is our go-to Korean spot in the neighborhood! The food here is full of flavor and portions are so filling. Definitely recommend the tteok bok ki with ramen :) We also ordered the soft tofu soup with pork and it was great! Taylor was sooo nice to us! Even though the restaurant was packed on a Saturday night, service was extremely quick. It's also so clutch that they are open late nights on the weekends, too. Will definitely be back for more! read more

Hazel was so sweet! We came in as a group of 8 and everything we ordered was good. We tried the sugar free soju and it actually tasted good! read more

See all

The food and the service are so wonderful!! Especially the two gentlemen who served our table--they were outstanding!! I'm Korean, and I have tried many Korean restaurants. This is one of the top Korean restaurants. Especially the boneless chickens are so tasty with garlic+ spicy sauces. Highly recommended, Kudos to these staff members feel so welcomed We were there around 9pm on June 21,2024 read more

After watching a show, was looking for a restaurant that was open late. This place is open until 11pm on a weekday. GREAT Korean food. Legit Korean BBQ. so yummy per my husband, me, and my daughter steamed egg: $10 delicious BBQ Short Ribs aka Galbi #36 yum! short rib soup, warm, filling, comforting Love the Kpop music videos projected on 1 wall if you need Korean food and need a place open late, come here. Only negative was it was cold and they left the door open. and that it took awhile to wave down the bill despite only 1 other table. read more

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well guess what I'd either need 40,000 pictures or 40 million words of praise to do this place justice. Also, get the "bul go ki" Brb walking into the back and telling the chef congratulations on nailing it read more

Ollei - Bul Go Ki (Rice Included) - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

Really tasty Korean food, great addition to Polk St. Social vibe, fun for a dinner/drinks atmosphere. Service was very friendly. Can't complain! read more

See all

Service was good and attentive, but food was not good or bad. Not something I would rave about or crave again.

Absolutely loved Ollei, from the ambiance to the food and service my family and I's experience here has us trying to figuring out when we can come back for more. Taylor and Hazel were wonderful and attentive. The portions were huge and a bargain for the price. With all the Korean spots popping up in the Bay Area it can be hard to gauge which places are worth the hype, but Ollei is a must try! read more

Ollei - Bo Ssam (Rice Included), BBQ Short Ribs (Rice Included), Ttok Bok Ki Plate, Kimchi Fried Rice, Banchan (Side Dish) - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

home of the best Korean food in Russian Hill whether I'm in the mood for a bite or soju, Ollei has been the staple my personal favorites are the budae jjigae and kalbi, definitely dishes to share with friends service is always attentive and amazing! read more

See all

If you like good Korean food and Korean music videos you will definitely like this place! The food and service were great! I think this was my favorite japchae ever because it had plenty of noodles and not a lot of "filler" stuff that I needed to pick out. It was really tasty too!! Loved the complimentary appetizers which they were very quick about providing replenishments of! Highly recommend checking this place out--it'll quickly become a favorite! read more

See all

SF needs more restaurants like Ollei! Great portion sizes, great flavor, and a fun place to drink. Looking forward to coming back, and very happy to support local businesses that bring culture to SF. read more

Greatttt food!! Go to place on Polk street. Service has always been impeccable!! They play good music, it's a great place to eat! Highly recommend spicy pork belly with saam!!! Best dish!! read more

See all

Visited Ollei for the first time and was blown away by the delicious flavors of Korea! Every dish was a delight, and Taylor's service was top-notch - attentive, friendly, and made excellent recommendations. Can't wait to return! read more

Ollei - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

I always go to Daeho for my beef broth soups so I was a little hesitant but we came here to try it out since it looked new. Ambiance is fine! Reminds me of an elevated anju place (where you drink and stuff). Service was great, the folks were very nice. Since I was actively comparing their food to daeho, I will list comparisons: I prefer the variety of banchan here than daeho (as they only give kimchi) but the kimchi is definitely better at daeho. The rice was a little bit subpar, a bit mushier than usual. The soondubu with beef was actually really good! I don't usually care for soon dubu too much but this one was very rich in flavor. Very impressed and I thought was the star of the restaurant. Yookgaejang was fine but I prefer the daeho one- the broth is a bit lacking and quantity/ quality of meat is less. Overall I would say if I'm in the area, want quick reliable food and want some soondubu I will come here again! read more

Ollei - Soft Tofu Soup Beef Brisket Soup - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

Best service friendly servers!. Food is very fresh and authentic :). The bimbap was super fresh and japchae was also amazing read more

Ollei - A really good meal - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

Loved this place! Really friendly staff and extremely fast service for a Saturday night at 7:30. The space is cozy with nice crowd going through the evening but not too loud. We ordered the following: * Corn Cheese - amazing, no complaints :) nice and hot with excellent cheese pulls. But honestly this is hard to mess up * Kimchi pancake - really good, moist and flavorful. Not a fan of the soy sauce but it tasted great without it * Tteok Bok Ki - takes the cake for us. The sauce was just phenomenal. We put it on the pancake, corn cheese, and pretty much everything else we ordered as it was so perfectly balanced between sweet and spicy. * DakGangJeong - we loved the garlic sour, not the biggest fans of the sweet and spicy for this one (the sauce from the tteok bok ki was a lot better. Chicken was not overcooked and really juicy inside * Spicy Japchae - definitely the least favorite of all the things we got. It was not very spicy and lacked some classic japchae flavors (like sesame oil). It didn't have much redeeming factors except the spicy pork was good. It did taste good with the tteok bok ki sauce :) * Spicy Pork Belly - had a great bite with perfect chewiness. It came with rice which added a good balance to the spicy flavor * Soft Tofu Soup (seafood) - extremely warm and comforting. Had a good amount of mussels, shrimp, and squid pieces. Overall the quantities were good for the price especially in SF, with each dish easily being good enough for a group of 4 (except the soup) Would 10/10 come back here. Especially to try their stew, Bibim bap, and spicy squid read more

Ollei - Soft Tofu Soup (Rice Included) - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

This place has amazing quality food in an unpretentious space. I'm used to the "drunk food" Korean places, which are pretty good, but this place is a big step up as far as quality and variety. Seafood pancake is the best thing on the menu, closely followed by spicy beef ramen IMO. We live in the neighborhood and go every 2 weeks or so, never a bad meal. We feel lucky it's so close! read more

See all

This is my Korean food spot whenever I'm in town! The food is so savory and delicious! The servers are always kind and attentive, the place is a little small but it's still pretty cozy! read more

Solid menu at a good price. Service was friendly and accommodating. Medium sized space and wasn't too busy. Moved out of Russian hill, but this would be a usual spot if we still lived there. read more

Ollei is a good new spot on Polk. The food is flavorful and is good to share with a lot of people so you can try different things. Their corn cheese is one of the best I've had. It is a bit on the pricier side. read more

I like this pleasant, low frills place. One of the most flavorful Korean vegetarian tofu soup options in the city and relatively inexpensive. Maybe recommend adding one more banchan dish like a sweet potato. Friendly service. Often busy. Relatively small number of tables. Not great place for a large party. Like the neighborhood-bookstore across the street to explore if you are on the waitlist at this restaurant. Shows non stop k-pop videos projected on one of the walls. Not for everybody but I think it's charming. read more

Small space, large menu, good food, fair prices. I didn't see that they take reservations, but there is a waitlist, so get on that before you head over so you can get right in. I thought the food was good overall. Potstickers are crunchy on the outside and full of umami flavor on the inside. The vinegar, sesame oil and soy sauce side adds a bit of extra savory tang. The short rib soup is a large serving and packs some heat! It's good but if you have an aversion to spice... maybe think twice. I'd pass on the bulgogi. It's $26 and came out overcooked. It's a very thin cut, so probably cooks too fast on their grill. Alcohol is limited to beer and wine. There are only 9 tables and none of them seat more than 4, so this wouldn't be a good choice for large groups. read more

Very fast service and friendly staff. The corn cheese was absolutely fire. Reasonable prices!

My party got the Ttok Bok Ki Plate and the Short Rib Soup. These two dishes can feed a party of three and be satisfied and not overly full. Upon entering around 7:30pm on a Thursday night it was surprisingly empty. We stayed until around 10pm and there was always a table available. Which is great, because honestly this place is underrated. The environment was nicely decorated and it was never too loud. The sauce for the Ttok Bok Ki Plate was spicy (a good level I would say I have a high spice tolerance too) and slightly sweet and the Short Rib Soup was very flavorful and the meat was tender! Hack ask them to melt some cheese for you for the Ttok Bok Ki to dip! Service here is prompt, and they seem to know their menus and popular items well. I would definitely come back here, my only regret is I wish I took pictures of the meals! read more

A great addition to Polk Street! The entire staff was very nice and food was SOLID. Their beef brisket soup was made in a definitely authentic way yet tasted different than others' since the taste of yukgaejang in SF is normally on the much heavier side. I could tell my spicy pork belly was cooked to order(sadly not every restaurant does it) - super fresh and juicy - and I thoroughly enjoyed it with a perfect complement to their rice balls. The experience made this place stand out from others. Like ILCHA in Marina does, I hope they continue to seek an escape from the humdrum of K-cuisine in the city :) read more

Ollei - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Great food and atmosphere. Service was attentive Nice to have Korean food in a neighborhood that didn't have many Asian choices. Really enjoyed the tofu soup and kalbi read more

Loved this place! We ordered the bulgolgi, army stew, and kimchi pancake for two people and this was more than enough. The portions are decently big and the taste was amazing. I was a bit hesitant about this place because I have never heard of it in the 5 years living in the area, but I'm glad I found it! The service was quick and super helpful. And the decor was more modern inside. 5/5 would recommend. read more

Came here when I was craving Korean food and it did not disappoint! I got the stone pot bibimbap and my friend got the bulgogi stew. For the bibimbap, the rice was perfectly crispy and the toppings were seasoned well. I tried the bulgogi stew and thought it was good as well; I feel like it's rare for me to see the dish at Korean restaurants nowadays. The service was really great; the worker kept our banchan filled at all times. Really excited to come back and try other dishes! read more

Ollei - Bulgoki Soup (Rice Included), Bibim Bap - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

So great to have a Korean restaurant in the neighborhood that seems to have some of the tastiest options in town. Was afraid this was going to only have greasy bar food, but they have some delicious wholesome items. The mackerel and bulgogi soup are what we had and they were so delicious (rare)! Great and fulfilling portions as well, which in SF is hard to come by. Very nice service. Thankful and excited to come back and try more. read more

Ollei - Bulgogi soup - Korean Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Needed to try and see our neighborhood's new restaurant. Definitely hit to the spot with it's simple yet perfect variety to satisfy Korean food cravings. Restroom is so clean, service is friendly, thoughtful and polite. When cravings hit, definitely a place to go. read more

See all

We were looking for a Korean spot around Russian Hill and stumbled upon this place. Nicely decorated and no wait for 2 on a Sunday afternoon. We ordered the creamy ttok, the beef brisket soup, and the rice cake, which came with side dishes. The kimchi fried rice was nicely presented - they poured a beaten egg around the rice, but the rice itself was a little bland in my opinion. Everything else was tasty. The meal was a bit pricy but the portions were large. I'd come back here if I were in the area read more

See all

I've been using Yelp for many years, and very rarely am I motivated to write a review. But I finally got to try Ollei out today, and was surprisingly pleased. [ 1. Service ] The staff was super friendly and accommodating. We had some food leftover (including kimchi pancake), and when they gave us the boxes, they packed a small container with extra dipping sauce idk why that almost made me tear up, but it just shows how thoughtful they are. [ 2. Location ] Russian Hill/ Polk St has relatively limited Asian options, let alone Korean spots. Also it's right next to Teaspoon & a bunch of bars, so it could be a great addition to your night-out routine. [ 3. Ambience] Very pocha vibes, similar to Itaewon Class - iykyk. Also something about the atmosphere just feels very homey. Also, this place doesn't make your clothes smell bad like some other places might. [ 4. Food ] Given the attention to detail and variety, I'd say ollei's food is a solid 4/5. The kimchi pancake was so crunchy and fluffy. They also had a huge spread of small dishes, something that some other sf korean spots don't have. Excited to try out other dishes on their menu next time we come. [ 5. Other ] It seems like they're working on their liquor license as well -- once they do, i'll be coming here every two weeks for sure. LOVE. read more

See all

The food was great and we really liked the vibe of the restaurant! Service from Taylor was excellent as well! Will be back!

Authentic Korean food! Japchea was amazing so was the watermelon soju. Very kind and attentive staff. read more

Was in SF for only one night and walked around the neighborhood by my hotel looking for a restaurant. Stubled upon Ollei and said: let's try it! It was the best decision ever! The service was quick and friendly. The food was amazing, delicious. This place is so kite, they have a big TV screen and they had KPop videos playing, it was such a chill and perfect experience here. Highly recommended them! While we were sitting there having our meal, I noticed a lot of people picking up their food to go. This place is legit! read more

See all