Overall, the food and atmosphere is nice for being in the middle of a modern supermarket. The waitstaff are all very friendly. The food is pretty good. The bread came out a little cold but was tasty with the matcha butter. The LA Kaibi seemed a little tough and Butterfish a little dry, not what I would expect to have passed approval for a Michelin * chef advertised establishment. But what really stuck out was when my friend ordered a Lychee Martini, the bartender brought over a Peach Martini explaining that they ran out of Lychee. Waitress never allowed a chance to see if he wanted to choose an alternative drink. Without causing any scene, my friend just drank it but most likely would have chosen a different cocktail. read more

Flavor of everything we tried was good and pretty authentic. Definitely overpriced but you go in expecting that. A little bit of false advertising as one person in our party ordered the pork belly with abalone but there was no abalone when the food arrived. The waitress apologized and said that it used to come with abalone but it doesn't anymore. They would not have ordered the pork belly if they would have known it didn't come with abalone, especially for no change in the price with or without abalone. Overall, not a bad option if you're wanting something to eat and get your grocery shopping done at the same time. But wouldn't go back just to eat there. read more

POGU is located inside Jagalchi market at Serramonte Center. I was intrigued to come try this restaurant as it's run by a Michelin-starred chef, Tony Yoo. The restaurant is open concept with the kitchen being in the middle. We were seated right away, however after that service was so-so. It is interesting to note that the restaurant was not busy on a Thursday afternoon around 6pm. We ordered drinks. Unfortunately, the drinks were not bought out until halfway towards our meal. We ordered 3 dishes to share: the tofu kimchi, POGU kimchi noodles, beef bibimbap. Having been to many good Korean restaurants (mom & pop, mid & high end) and traveled to Korea, I would say the flavors at POGU is lacking. The presentation of the food is beautiful but it ends there. To really elevate the experience, the service needs to improve as well as most importantly, the food. On a higher note, Jagalchi Supermarket was awesome! After dinner, we walked around and stocked up teas, ginseng teas, matcha, korean coffee, mochis, etc. I love the different departments ranging from beauty, bakery, dried goods, teas, frozen goods, butcher shop, etc. I saw many brands we have consumed in Korea so I'm glad if I'm craving something Korean..I can stop in at Jagalchi! read more

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The food is the most important part of the experience at a restaurant and unfortunately at Pogu the food fell flat. My friend has food allergies ( which they did not ask about) and she told them twice not to add that food she was allergic to and they added it anyway, she had to pick it off her food. The plating was creative, stunningly sleek and pleasing to the eye. I loved how modern, large and bright the dishes looked and I thought the food would taste as good as it looked but it did not meet my expectations. I had better bibimbop on Korean airlines! What a shame because the open kitchen concept and wonderful service were unique and up to standard. The dining experience is classy with some fine dining elements but again the food was not great. I hope they can fix the execution of the dishes to match the look and feel of this modern, upscale restaurant. The price point does not match the food quality and flavors. Ps. Lose the cheap paper place mats. It lowers the feeling of elegance. read more

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We came in with low expectations. With the not-so-good grand opening reviews, we reset our minds as to what this might be. We were a party of 3, celebrating my friend's birthday and we figured that if it was terrible, it was an experience, and if it was great, it would be an experience, so, let's just live life and see what happens! We opted for the Chef's Choice and tried to keep our minds open. The first course came and it was the pumpkin soup with some foam on top. We weren't sure what it all entailed and we asked the waitress if there was a sheet that told us what the dishes were. She said there wasn't and tried to describe the dish but forgot what the foam was. The pumpkin soup was good enough, but not really that impressive. Next came a mixed sashimi plate. This was actually really good and my favorite dish of the night. It was beautiful and had all sorts of beautiful pieces of seafood wrapped in cucumber and sauces to try, and fish eggs. Fresh and lots of umami. We began to perk up. After that, was a soba salad dish that was quite delicious. There was chicken on the bottom, and you mix it all together. My hubs loved this dish and it was his favorite. Next came short ribs, which were delicious and perfectly cooked. melt in your mouth. And after that, dessert, which I couldn't remember what it all consisted of, but it was pretty good. The food was actually quite good, but one star off for the service. In the middle of our meal, we realized that other people got bread with their meals, and so we asked about it and they were like "Oh, you didn't get bread?" and then went to get bread and banchan. The rice bread with the butter they gave was amazing, but for what we were paying for the chef's choice, the service was subpar at best. They were not that well versed in the dishes and the way they put the plates down made it seem like some casual place. It seems like the staff really needs to be trained to provide a dining experience that exemplifies the fine food we were having. Anyhow, I give a star off for that, even though my dining mates would had given 3 stars... Hopefully the service will iron itself out soon. I know it can be hard with new restaurants... but hopefully they will listen to feedback and make improvements. read more

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First time here. Ordered the large Grilled LA Galbi, Bulgogi Rice Bowl and rice. Food came out pretty fast. Everything tasted really good. The rice just caught me off guard coz it had foxtail seasoning, just so you know. Love the ambiance, very spacious and elegant inside with all the golden utensils. Courteous and friendly service. They even gave us a free dessert. read more

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pogu was actually really good. I got the abalone rice dish with shredded ginger and fried garlic. The service was actually just as fast as ordering pho The ambience is this upscale feel with a simple menu inside the new Korean grocery store in Daly city read more

POGU - finished that abalone plate - Korean Near Me - Daly City, California

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Made reservations for 4 on a Saturday at 8pm, arrived a few minutes before, team checked to see if a table was ready and seated us after a short wait. Drinks: Sang Makgeolli - sweet creamy fermented rice wine, paired pretty well with the food Food: Banchan - Kimchi was nice and spicy with a little fermented funk, potato salad was pretty bland, spicy and sweet burdock root was really good, a little chewy fibery texture but like the sweet spicy combo, kimchi salad was fine, nice to get some more greens in the meal, you can ask for refills Eel bibimbap - pretty good, nice amount of eel on top that was fatty rich and tender with the sweet soy sauce on top, wish the bottom rice was a bit crispier and not a ton of veggies typically found in bibimbap but overall tasty Gangwoon buckwheat noodles - serve chilled, well seasoned with lots of texture from chewy noodles to shredded chicken, arugula and shaved radiahes, the pogu sauce seems like a creamy sesame dressing pretty good Doenjang Fish Cake Jjigae - overly salty for our taste and kinda lack luster, soup had cabbage assorted fish cakes and was served with a side of rice, mostly for salty flavor so not a ton of depth, would skip this one Bulgogi rice bowl - pretty good, steamed rice topped with a generous portion of bulgogi served with a scallions oil, this was well seasoned and comforting familiar flavors Service was solid, staff checked in throughout our meal. Water was filled periodically. Felt a little rushed as we were seated at 8pm team informed us the kitchen closed at 8:30 so we ordered quickly. Several dishes and drinks we were hoping to order were sold out or unavailable. Food also came out maybe 2-3 minutes after we put in our order which was surprising but drinks took about 15 minutes to get to our table. Some inconsistentcey. Overall was fun trying the new Korean spot. Menu at pogu is pretty stream lined. Dishes were a bit high or miss but glad I tried it. Not the best Korean I've had in the bay but a solid option if you're in the area and wait time is short or reservations are easily scored. read more

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Wow, I was honestly surprised to see all the low reviews because our experience was the total opposite. We came by for Saturday lunch and were seated pretty quickly for a party of two. The service was friendly, fast, and the timing between dishes was just right--nothing felt rushed or too slow. Since the menu had a ton of options and the restaurant is run by a Michelin-starred chef, we went with the "Chef's Pick" 5-course meal to take the guesswork out of it--and it did not disappoint. Everything we tried was amazing, but the standout was a beef dish that wasn't even on the menu. It was incredibly tender and flavorful, and apparently, you can only get it through the chef's selection. All in all, we had a great time. Maybe things have settled since their opening, but our experience was smooth, delicious, and totally worth it. read more

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I first visited with a small group of friends and tried Set B, and I liked it so much that I came back again to try Set A. Everything was excellent both times--thoughtful, well-balanced, and consistently high quality. One detail that really stood out was the steamed rice. It sounds small, but great rice is a strong indicator of overall execution, and theirs was genuinely excellent. I also especially enjoyed the kimchi stew, the samgyeopsal, and the salad, which was a refreshing complement to the rest of the meal. If you're looking for a dependable Korean spot you'll want to return to, Pogu is absolutely worth it. read more

POGU - Set A - Korean Near Me - Daly City, California

Pogu is located in the brand-new giant Korean complex in Serramonte. The space is beautifully upscale, elegant, and cozy--a nice surprise in a shopping center setting. I heard there were huge lines on opening day, but when we arrived at 7 PM, the restaurant was more than half empty. Our server, a friendly guy with a Burmese accent, was fantastic. He was super friendly and patiently explained everything we wanted to know about the menu. We ordered three dishes, and shockingly, everything came out in just three minutes--faster than fast food. It left us wondering if everything was premade. I was expecting traditional, authentic Korean food, but everything had a twist--pesto sauce, American BBQ pork ribs, and aioli. Not bad, but definitely more fusion than I anticipated. The restaurant has a lot of potential. I hope they work out the kinks and find their footing because the space and service are there--it just needs a little more refinement to match its elegant atmosphere. read more

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Upscale interior, friendly staff, exceptionally clean establishment, and gorgeous plating. Absolutely love the visual aspects and aesthetics of this restaurant. I love how light the complimentary sulppang is and tastes great with the matcha spread. Whatever they put in the rice is good too, it tastes like great quality lol. Among the banchan's my favorites were the marinated perilla/shiso leaf w/ garlic, and spicy side salad. The potato salad is a bit too bland imo. The depth of flavor in the seafood tofu soup is great and I can tell they use good quality ingredients. Just wish it was executed in a traditional Korean manner: served while bubbling and boiling hot w/ an option of an egg on top. The bibimbap is standard and the green sauce mixed with the gochujang is definitely an interesting twist. I wish the special spicy pork wasn't served on the bone as it adds an additional step to debone before enjoying it as a wrap with the lettuce or shiso leaf. It's marinated in a sauce that would be perfect if it's a tad less salty as well. The white sauce that comes next to the ssamjang is unique though and was enjoyable to eat with the rest of that entree. The traditional Korean w/ a modern twist approach is to die for, but the overall flavors don't match the standards that are presented through the eyes. For an establishment to exude such prestige and elegance, I was hoping for my mind to be blown in terms of flavor. Definitely an interesting spot, but unfortunately, the overall flavors don't justify its price point for me. read more

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Went here on Saturday. Experience was something else...ordered three dishes and got a complimentary bread. The bread was a rice flour gluten muffin like shape. The dough texture felt soft but a bit of a chew. It felt like it was a corn bread without the corn. It didn't really have a flavor. Just bland. Nothing really special. Server was nice enough to leave the whole water pitcher at our table. So we wouldn't have to wait for someone to pour more water in our cup. We ordered the bulgolgi beef rice bowl. They gave a big chunk of gristle. Small cuts of actual beef. The rice was warm. There's like a green sauce underneath. we got the wild vegetables dish. It's like a cold dish with three portions of spinach, thinly sliced noodle shaped mushrooms, I think the other was bamboo shoots or a turnip. I'm not sure but it had a nice crunch. The last dish was a buckwheat noodle chicken bowl. The dish on the menu had no spice labeled and my stomach is really sensitive to spicy food. So when before ordering we asked our server if it's spicy. They said no. So when the buckwheat came there had some type of spicy sauce. The server pointed out that we had to mix the flavors and that it's not spicy. We explained that it was spicy. The server then offered to void the dish from our bill which was nice. Then server mentioned that they didn't realize that the sauce would be too spicy for me. Ambiance? Tables are spread out. There's a little waiting room of couches where people can sit and then get brought to their tables from their iPads. There's a big bar in the center. This was just a one time trip for me. read more

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We tried Pogu recently and had a very enjoyable experience. There were 5 of us and we ordered a lot of dishes. The menu offers ala carte options but also offers "sets" of food for parties of 2, 3, or 4 people. We did a mix and match of both ala carte and sets of food and had food left over for us to take home. We started off with complimentary bread with matcha butter. It was a nice sweet dense type of bread. Then we had the free ban chan side dishes which also tasted very good. Shortly after our complimentary appetizers the main courses started coming to our table fast and furious. They do a great job delivering all the food quickly. Everything tasted really good. Our server Yan was awesome. The prices are higher than other Korean restaurants but I think it was worth it not to have to cook my own food (thats usually the case with Korean places). I hate parking in the San Francisco area so one of the reasons why I picked this restaurant for a family dinner was because of the parking lot which made it easier to find parking than street parking. Another bonus was that this restaurant was located within a supermarket so I could take care of dinner and grocery shopping. read more

Jalgalchi made a big splash, so we came to check out Pogu. We thought it was going to be pretty upscale because the reservation said $95 tasting menu. When we got there, we saw a huge restaurant with a big open kitchen in the middle. The decor seemed pretty casual so we were confused. Our server told us that there is the $95 tasting menu but also a la carte is okay. There was no menu detailing the $95 tasting menu but she told us it would be pumpkin porridge, the buckwheat noodles, kalbi (not on a la carte menu), and a dessert. We didn't think that was worth $95 so we thankfully took the option of ordering a la carte. The a la carte menu is not long by any means. There were 4 sections with 3-5 dishes in each category. It was difficult to tell portions so we ordered 6 dishes. It ended up being just enough food. I thought the highlights were the veggie bibimbap and the abalone janbap. I would pass on the bulgolgi rice bowl (the other two are just better) and the buckwheat noodle. The kimchi stew was pretty good but needs to be eaten hot. Would also pass on the namul (looks like they got it in bulk from the supermarket and put it on a plate). Service was very spotty and they were out of the yuzu makgeolli. But also the drinks are pretty expensive given you can buy a bottle of makgeolli for like 8 bucks from the market. I would give 2 stars for the spotty service and poor menu, but I added 1 star because the two rice dishes were very flavorful and I enjoyed them immensely. read more

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This was my first time visiting Jagaichi and Pogu. We went on a Monday afternoon, around 11:45am. Pogu's wait was initially quoted to be 35 minutes, but we were sat within 15 minutes! There was a very limited offering on the menu. 5 different Hot Pots, 6 Rice & Noodle entrees, and 4 appetizers. We ordered the Seafood & Tofu Hotpot and the Bugolgi rice dish. It came with a side of kimchi, seaweed, potato salad, bread, and I believe raw squid with cucumber. My bugolgi rice was moist and had lots of flavor. The presentation was great as well and was plenty of food for me. We also really enjoyed the seafood and tofu hotpot, which came with two large shrimp and a small half crab, which mainly looked like it was for decoration. The Banchan was limited but yummy. The bread was a little on the tougher side, but I personally enjoyed it. The kimchi was extremely fresh. Prices were somewhat reasonable for the dishes we ordered. Service was also good as well. I believe because the crowd has quieted a bit. They offer a chefs pick for $95pp which appears to be off menu items so we may need to come back to try! read more

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I'm Korean, and I know good Korean food, and unfortunately, POGU missed the mark in a big way. The ambiance was excellent, the service was excellent, and the presentation of the dishes was absolutely beautiful. But none of that makes up for food that was cold and honestly just mid. On top of that, it's very pricey, so you're definitely not getting what you pay for. I really wanted to like this place, but when the main point of a restaurant, the food -- falls flat, it's impossible to overlook. Disappointed and won't be returning. read more

POGU - Preset menu, photo of the short rib pictured. - Korean Near Me - Daly City, California

Service: Took a long time to get seated even though we had reservations. After we were finally seated, we waited a loooong time for the server. I was soooo hungry I had to snack on the kimbap I bought at Jagalchi. But once we ordered, the food came quickly. Food: We had the Pogu kimchi noodles and the eel bibimbap. Both were amazing! Very flavorful and hit the spot... but maybe because I was so famished by then. Ambiance: It was ok, but kinda weird that it was in the middle of a grocery store and you could see people shopping. Overall: If you go, definitely get a reservation on OpenTable (even if it's not crowded). Be prepared to pay Michelin star prices to dine in the middle of a grocery store. read more

POGU - Pogu kimchi noodles $23 - Korean Near Me - Daly City, California

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Pogu was delicious - highly recommend their seasonal lobster tteokbokki. The staffs are extremely well-trained (michelin-level hospitality). Can't wait to come back to enjoy the chef tasting menu. The Jagalchi shopping experience was great as well. With its bar and bakery, one could easily spend a whole day here - it's both a great venue for socializing and for grocery shopping (lots of fresh seafood!). They also have beauty products and a great collection of premium alcohol options. read more

POGU - Korean Near Me - Daly City, California

I went in without seeing all of the Yelp reviews. For my friends and I, we had a lovely time and dinner at Pogu. Our main server Junho was a delight, and he gave us a lot of information so we could make our decisions. It also helped to set up the expectations and mood too, so perhaps that helped. Initial look at the menu, and it seemed rather short, like it was missing something. I hadn't known that it was already modified from when it first opened. We all decided to do the Chef's set, and a few friends really wanted to try the Seafood and Soft Tofu Jjigae. It was probably a good thing that we were there on Easter Sunday, which made it quieter as far as crowds walking by. We had the semi-private space that was open to the mall, but the mall was already closed. Everything was beautifully presented. With our 5 set menu, my favorite dish was the Gangwon Buckwheat noodles, I could eat that every day! The pumpkin soup as a starter was decent size, as was expected for a tasting menu. Then the rest of the courses were bigger than anticipated, which Junho did mention was a possibility to be a lot of food for some. He did mention that not everyone at the table had to participate in Chef's set, but we were all looking forward to the short rib dish. The Seafood and Soft Tofu stew was ok for me, only because we had opted mild and it was really mild! The short rib dish was also ok for me, we were warned that the meat may be tough, and while parts may be tender, there was a lot of cartilage to work through. The restaurant is really trying, and the staff was very receptive to feedback. One other thing, it would've been nice to have proper napkins, but maybe the square cocktail napkins are the norm, it just felt lacking. Overall, I would go again to get that buckwheat noodle dish! read more

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Missed the grand opening and sad to see all the negative reviews for POGU. It's only been 4 days since its opening so we had to try for ourselves. (Day visited April 1) It was a rainy day and we entered from the parking entrance vs the mall entrance. It wasn't surprising that there was a line into Jagalchi. Line was quick and got through the doors in less than 10 minutes with security guard controlling and counting the guests as they entered. Mall entrance line was a bit longer possibly due to the rain. Definitely main reason for the visit was to try Korea's first Michelin-starred Executive Chef Tony Yoo. There was a line but short. Turns out that you will need reservations via Open Table. Earliest time slot available for 2 people was 2pm. It was about 12:55 by the time we got to the front of the line after 10 minutes in line. After checking in we were told we were too early for our reservation. Turns out they had walk-ins so they said as long they can fill earlier reservations currently in line they can possibly sit us down early. So waiting another 15 minutes we were seated 50 minutes earlier than our assigned reservation for 2pm via OpenTable. (I still got my 100 points credit for our OpenTable reservation despite being seated early) Good selection of menu items under Rice & Noodles, Hot Pot, Appetizers and Desserts. Unfortunately the Pogu Bansang Gui & Ssam CHARCOAL BBQ was not currently available at this time. (Pogu Bansang & Ssam - SEAFOOD & FISH or MEAT $15/person). We decided to try the CHEF's Pick special ($95/person min 2 ppl) - this is always the best way to get a sampling of the menu and chefs specialty dishes; also gives you an idea why he became Korea's first Michelin star chef. It's a five course meal including warm bread as a side. Side note unless you ask, you will not be served the "banchan"; the small side condiment dishes and plate of kimchi. Everyone beside us was getting them except us (maybe not served with the Chef Pick Special). It was available but we had to ask?! The first course was a bowl of Pumpkin soup. Warm and delicious although I did find a pumpkin seed unshelled. Not sure if it belonged in there cuz my wife did not find one in her bowl. Non the less, the soup was good. Second course was a sashimi (3 types) plate salad with thinly sliced cucumbers topped with 2 types of roe. I really liked this. Tasted fresh and plentiful. Third dish was Gangwon Buckwheat Noodles that included chicken, buckwheat noodles with POGU's special sauce. I don't normally like buckwheat noodles but this was excellent! Well presented but make sure you mix everything all together before taking the first bite. Everything blends well and tastes delicious. Fourth dish was the main course of 2 pieces of perfectly grilled beef ribs. A bit charred but juicy. It included grilled mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli and 2 rice rolls wrapped in leafy greens. Fifth course was dessert. I think it was what is offered on the menu? Omegi & Ice cream; jeju redbean rice cake with vanilla ice cream. Of course it was delicious; it included ice cream! Overall the Chef's pick menu was filling, tasty delicious and a great sampling of what is offered on the menu. Looking forward to coming back to taste the other items in the menu and experience the Pogu Bansang Gui & Ssam CHARCOAL BBQ. On the downside, the service could have been better especially being ore attentive to cue the customers. I constantly had to flag someone down for drink refills. Cups were small and solid so waiters did not know if cups had to be filed. Maybe water pitchers left on the table would be an option. Till next time .... read more

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Not worth it. Went here with the fam on a Saturday afternoon. Wasn't too crowded but I could understand why. Limited selection for food. Sure it's ran by a Michelin star chef, but I don't know if I liked the food and the price. The only thing that sounded appetizing was the bulgogi rice bowl, but man, it was loaded with green onions, and barely any rice. They pretty much used the green onions to cover up the amount of rice they were serving. My family and I didn't really enjoy it. Maybe less green onions because it felt like the dish should've been called green onion bowl. They also ran out of sodas.. like how do you run out? You're located in the middle of a grocery store. There was also a mix up of serving food. Hubby got the kimchi tofu jiggae and was accidentally served to my uncle who ordered the seafood one. Someone told him it's seafood soup. So they had to expedite a new tofu jiggae for my husband. The ambience was cool. It's very aesthetic and located smack dab in the middle of Jagalchi. Our server was super nice and she definitely made sure we were taken care of and was super patient with our party. This is the only reason why I'm giving it a 2, but to be brutally honest I wouldn't come back here. Pricey and the food did not taste like it was ran by a Michelin star chef. Lay off the green onions! Where was the pogu bansang gui + Ssam option that so many posted a week ago? I'm so frustrated and disappointed. Will never eat here again. Do better. Just buy the food at the grocery store food hall, it looks even better and more appetizing. read more

POGU - Where was this menu?! - Korean Near Me - Daly City, California

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Vibe: 3/5 Service:3/5 Drinks: no tea was offered to us Food: 2/5 Value:1/5 After reading all the bad reviews, I was concerned about going. Unfortunately, I couldn't cancel the reservations without penalty, so my only hope was that they figured things out by day 3. The restaurant was dead when we arrived for our Sunday 3 p.m. reservations. There was only one other party. The waiter explained that they had an overbooking snafu and wanted to take it slow to figure things out. That makes sense. We still had to wait about 5 minutes to check in because the host was helping to book a table for another party. That said, the chef's tasting menu was a major letdown. The food and quality should have been priced at $49, not $95. There were no unique, high-quality ingredients and many dishes lacked flavor--not something you usually associate with Korean food. None of the dishes were memorable, and the super-tough beef rib had barely any edible meat on it, so I didn't even finish it. I'd say the dessert part was probably the best. We were done with our meal in less than 40 minutes. I didn't mind because it was simply not good. I doubt I'd be back because if this tasting menu is a reflection of the chef's greatest hits, I'm good. Ps: just learned we should have gotten banchan with our meal, but that didn't happen either. read more

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2.5 STARS Never in my wildest dreams would I imagine a bougie resto with a $95 Chef's Tasting Menu from a Michelin-starred chef would open in....SerraManila! The mall I sometimes spent 8 hours in during summer break...and I didn't even work there. Even for Stanford Shopping Center, The Row, and Valley Fair, this price point is ambitious. All I gotta say, someone must have balls SO big they drag the floor! POGU opened inside the highly anticipated and much hyped Jagalchi, the Korean "Eataly" last Friday. It's led by Chef Tony Yoo, Korea's first Michelin star chef (POGU doesn't have a Michelin star) who owns several restos in Korea. M E N U Modern Korean Cuisine: A La Carte Menu and a Chef's Tasting Menu (5 courses - $95 pp). Banchan and ssam (lettuce wraps) is $15 PER person. Full bar. Heard/read about the disastrous dining experiences during opening weekend: running out of food, most of the menu not available, no meat courses unless you order the tasting menu, and cancelling guests' rezzies. Five days later, I was optimistic that they'd replenished their food supply since they supposedly source their ingredients from INSIDE the market. Plus, I didn't want to pay the $30 cancellation fee per person. Welp, more than 60% the menu is STILL unavailable. No seafood or meat. All they had were jjigae (stews) and bibimbaps. They should have been transparent/communicative on their website, socials, and/or OpenTable, letting people know they have a VERY limited menu. F O O D * Complimentary Sulppang from onsite Basquia Bakery: https://tinyurl.com/3mk3v7wr - One for two people Spongy texture but lacking a sweet tang from the makgeolli, a Korean rice liquor. Dozens were sitting under the heatlamp but oddly served cold. * Banchan (included w/ chef's tasting menu, otherwise $15 pp) Four banchans: three sad portions of root veggies and bland white kimchi. // CHEF'S TASTING MENU - $95 PP // We didn't plan on this because $95 is a lot for a weekday meal but this was the only way to have seafood and meat. * Course #1 - Hobakjuk: Korean Pumpkin Soup - https://tinyurl.com/3thehsht Comforting savory sweet soup garnished with rice cracker (?) for crunch. While good, it's such a tiny amuse bouche portion and was served barely lukewarm. * Course #2 - HweMuChim: Raw Fish Salad w/ POGU's special sauce - https://tinyurl.com/2s6c836t A ball of raw red snapper, tuna, and salmon served over strips of perilla leaves + cucumbers with a side of pesto-like sauce and grounded nuts. There was also ikura (salmon roe). Fresh, good textures and flavors but really salty. * Course #3 - Gangwon Buckwheat Noodles: Chicken, buckwheat noodles w/ POGU's special sauce: https://tinyurl.com/b9nnuck7 Great presentation but the bundle of noodles were difficult to unravel and overcooked as it was missing a chew. I liked the nutty sesame dressing + ginseng hot mustard tho. * Course # 4 - "Korean Sea Salt GalbiGui": https://tinyurl.com/5n89p5ue When inquiring about the chef's menu, we were told that the Galbi is the meat course and this was presented as "Galbi". I'm 100% certain this was "Charcoal BBQ Pork Ribs" (on the menu), not Galbi. It was pre-cooked/pre-plated, sitting under a heatlamp. It was served room temp and absent of smoky charred flavor. Served with ssambap, Korean leaf wraps with rice. * Course #5 - Injeolmi Cake: Rice Cake w/ bean flour- https://tinyurl.com/43f4mkx5 My fav course, the cake was like a hybrid of a chilled mousse and ice cream, light and refreshing but could use more roasted soybean powder flavor. AZN sweet. Crumbling the crispy puffed rice cracker would have made it easier to eat. S E R V I C E Friendly and earnest staff. Our main server, Junho was very kind and attentive. Since nearly everything was prepped ahead and it wasn't busy at the time (less than 20% capacity), we were done in less than an hour. A M B I A N C E I wasn't feelin' the vibes or layout. It's located right smack in the middle of the market with wood slats. The lack of privacy and having to see/hear the chaotic shopping scene takes away from the upscale dining experience and not conducive to a pleasant meal. There's no restrooms inside POGU. You have to walk through the crowd of shoppers and dodge carts to get to the restroom (near the bakery). P A R K I N G I'm surprised property management didn't build a new parking structure to accommodate the influx of cars. Parking was rough before but now it's a hot mess. Overall, POGU (and Jagalchi) is a win for Daly City, boosting the economy and offering job opportunities but it's obvs they both rushed to open and didn't plan accordingly (the market had SO many empty shelves on Tuesday at 3 pm). I thought the food has potential but prepped too far ahead, sacrificing the taste and quality. And, the price point is too high; $70 pp is more appropriate for what we received. It will be interesting to see how things evolve once the hype dies down. read more

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They didn't have a lot of items on the menu, maybe they change it frequently? Honestly, that's a good thing to me. We ordered the pork belly and the seafood tofu jjigae, and I really enjoyed both. The pork belly came with a small selection of banchan, and the jjigae was so tasty with crab legs and big shrimp. My husband thought it was just like any other Korean restaurant, but I found it pretty delicious! I also liked that the space wasn't crowded. Service was good -- nothing special, but nothing to complain about either. read more

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We dropped by Pogu when visiting Seremonte Mall in Daley City. This is the former site of JC Penny. Love what they have done to turn it into an Asian Market with this restaurant as it's heart and Soul. Service was excellent. Waiter took the time to answer all of our questions, and the food was five stars. Had the BBQ Korean Beef over rice. The Sizzling Makeral , and mini salad. They even gave us extra side dishes to try out. All was fresh and very tasty. Highly recommend Pogu for when you have an itch for Korean food. read more

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We had a reservation Saturday night that was cancelled. The restaurant said Open Table overbooked. They didn't look that busy. We made another reservation tonight, which was honored. They're definitely going through some growing pains. Their water cups are too small...especially if the staff isn't going to pay close attention. We had to ask for refills 3 times. We had the $95 per person Chef's Choice. Presentation was very nice and the food was tasty. $95 per person is a bit pricey though. I guess you're paying for the Michelin Star. Oh, and there's no restroom in the restaurant. If you want to wash your hands, you need to use one of the ones in Jagalchi. read more

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Too many issues. To anyone NOT planning on doing the Chef's Menu, you might wanna think again. The menu is VERY LIMITED. The whole Ssam menu is not available, as do the Dolsot Bibimbap, Seafood Pajeon and Injeolmi Cake. No walk-ins at the moment, reservation only via OpenTable. Cancellation fee is $30 per person if made 48hrs or less prior to reservation time. Check in was a hassle. We went on day 3 during the first hour and the sign out front says to go to the back side to enter. Around 15 diners have joined the line patiently waiting for the resto to open at 11am when a server noticed us. She then told us they are not letting people in through the back side so we told her about the sign. Another 5 mins or so, a different server was surprised to see us and asked why we were there and that we need to go the front side. Told her about the sign and gladly let everybody cut through inside the resto to get in line on the front side. Service needs improvement. I asked about the Eel Bibimbap if it came with veggies. It seemed like our server did not know their menu, he just said there's egg and "some stuff". As I was paying he asked how the food was but went away halfway through my first sentence. Food is average. There is a certain expectation when you market the resto's menu as "curated by Korea's first Michelin starred chef". But as far as our order goes- Seafood Soft Tofu Jjigae - it came with 1 shrimp, a few tiny mixed seafood which was very similar to one of those frozen mixed seafood you could buy at groceries, and 2 full tubes of soft tofu floating. Soup was spicy and not enough depth in terms of flavors. Eel Bibimbap - The good part was the unagi, the portion was more than enough and flavor was on point. It was good but not very different from the ones you'd get at a proper Japanese resto. The slices of scrambled egg on top were cold. It came with some julienned carrots, red peppers and onions. I felt like they could've added more rice to match the generous serving of unagi. The Chef's Menu by the way is a five course meal, with 3 of the items coming from the very limited menu I mentioned and the other 2 being a pumpkin soup and a seafood salad. It did not sound like a $95pp meal so it was an easy decision for us not to do it. For now, it may be too early to tell but I do not see myself going back again anytime soon. read more

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What an amazing dining experience inside a giant supermarket at Serramonte. Chef Tony did amazingly. Quick friendly host to sit us down. Soft lighting that makes food look more appealing. Great service and good convo, it was easy fun time. Love the smaller more specific menu choices so you are not overwhelmed. We ordered abalone baby chicken hot stone soup and galbi set. Big portion so you don't leave hungry. Bonchan was very tasty too (kimchi and squid, more please =) Next time we will pair dinner with soju, I'm sure it works even better. Must come and try for yourself. read more

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The restaurant already runs a tight ship and has a very organized and orderly entry process which I love for day one. Each table already had a table setting prepared and included three menus. We ordered the ssam with chicken, hamachi, and also potato as well as a bi bim bap. The crab appetizer and bi bim bap arrived first. The crab appetizer had two nice sized cabbage rolls stuffed to the brim with crab. They are plated with few nice sauces too. The bi bim bap was used as a shared plate and had was so well balanced in flavor. Each vegetable was fresh tasting the mushrooms were not overly chewy which I loved. The side sauce for the bi bim bap had a wonderful flavor and plating and when poured was emblematic of a perilla leaf. For drinks, I ordered mulberry tea. The mulberry tea has such a pleasant flavor. read more

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Honestly, take this review with a grain of salt. This review is for their grand opening, and I'm sure there's a lot of kinks they need to work through. I didn't want to give them 1 star for this reason, but in terms of the food, I don't think it was anything special for $95 pp (no tax and tip). Food: Food was very inconsistent in terms of both quality and presentation, some of our toppings/plating were forgotten. For one of my dishes, they forgot the vegetable (cucumbers, radishes, etc. I love radishes, so my friends shared theirs with me haha). It was very common for all of our meals, so it was so bad that we started making a game out of it and playing "spot the difference". Some of the ribs were cooked to perfection, while one of our ribs was raw and undercooked. Taste wise, we've had better at cheaper spots. And I'm a very small eater, and the $95 course meal didn't fill me up. While reading the reviews, it seems like they forgot one of our courses or supplementary dishes? Service: Speaking of plating, they brought us water, but one of us didn't have a cup. I saw someone come out to set other tables, so I asked him if I could have a cup, and he looked confused, so maybe language barrier? I thought he went to go get a server, but we still didn't get a server until 30 minutes later. They were also out of a lot of drinks so there were discrepancies in our receipts as well. On the first receipt we received, it looked like we were getting a service charge for a large party of 6, but we only had a party of 4. Then on the virtual receipt, we noticed that they took off the large party service charge, but they charged us for one of the drinks they didn't have in stock. Service was pretty slow, with no one really checking in on us even though the restaurant was half empty. But they are pretty new, but I don't think we would personally come back read more

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I struggled to figure out what happened during that dinner. Food: very average, served cold. It didn't even match the standard of any random Korean restaurants in SF. The ala carte menu was quite limited with options since they just opened a week or 2 ago. Bulgogi: underseasoned. Rice was cold. Abalone jangbap: the abalone was way overcooked and too chewy. Again, rice was cold. Blue crab wrapped in cabbage leave: tasteless. I don't think it's real crab meat. The saving grace was 2 out of 4 banchans. Service: staff was really nice and friendly. But something weird happened. They mixed up our drink order and pushed a 2nd cocktail to our table. The waitress mumbled to us "just take it". They might get into trouble if she brought it back to the bar counter. I didn't want to complain except that I'm visibly pregnant. I was stunned and just accepted it :))) One minor thing: the chopsticks' colors were all mixed up. It was hilarious. At first I thought they were trying to be cute but no... They served water but noone stopped by to top it up. I'm used to dining at Korean restaurants where they give you a bottle of water to self serve. Overall the dining experience was very odd, subpar and somewhat laughable. I hoped that they would figure it out after operations settled down more. At this rate, I don't see why customers would come back. read more

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The Jalgachi food complex is located in the Serramonte mall. Pogu is the primary restaurant within Jalgachi. Upon arrival, we observed a long line outside Jalgachi (near the main mall entrance). We walked inside the mall and the line for Jalgachi near Old Navy was tolerable as it was indoors. One thing to note is if you have a reservation for Pogu, walk up to security and show them your reservation confirmation so you don't have to wait in line. Do note that they will only let you in close to your reservation time. However, after you dine with Pogu, you'll have your ticket in to check out the busy Korean mart. We went to Pogu to celebrate a birthday and were seated promptly. However, even before getting seated, the front desk staff seemed lost as to which table to seat us at even though there were many many open tables. Once we were seated, the waitress didn't ask us if we wanted any drinks or any additional a la carte menus. They just went straight to serving us the first item from the five course chef's tasting menu. As I had dietary restrictions, which was also laid out in the reservation, I asked the waitress if they had a menu of the five course meal so we could review the ingredients. She said they didn't. We asked if she could go over each meal she was serving so we would know what we were eating. She had no clue and said she would have to ask the chef and come back. It was quite disorganized and considering I already notified them of dietary restrictions prior to the reservation, I felt I was eating at risk. The food was sub par. All the dishes came out barely luke warm. Vegetables on the main short rib entree were cold. The short rib itself was chewy and not cooked well. Overall with the quality of food and service, we didn't feel it was worth $95/person. On top of that, we were celebrating a birthday and the waitress said there was nothing complimentary or any additional things they did for celebrations. It seemed very disappointing. We will not be coming back unfortunately. At least we now know what Jalgachi is like and what the restaurant which was overhyped prior to grand opening is like. P.S. We didn't receive any complimentary bread or ban chan. read more

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Leading up to the grand opening, we were excited to try the new fine dining Korean restaurant close to home. While early reviews left us a bit wary, we were still eager to form our own opinion. By day three of opening, we hoped for smoother service, but there were still noticeable challenges. Thankfully, having a reservation let us skip the massive line (just show it to the security guard at the door). We were seated quickly, but it took a while to place our order and receive our food. Our server mentioned how chaotic training had been (or lack thereof) due to the rushed opening. But despite that, they were all very kind and clearly doing their best. We ordered à la carte to try a variety of dishes. The eel bibimbap was solid, but everything else wasn't very memorable and fell short on flavor. I sincerely hope things improve as they settle in. I'd consider giving them another try in the future, but for now, they're not quite meeting the standard they've advertised. read more

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Pogu is a new modern Korean restaurant located inside Jalgachi, a Korean supermarket. While the concept is interesting and the space is visually appealing, our experience wasn't great. We had a reservation, but there was no signage to separate walk-ins from those with bookings, leading to confusion and long waits. Even though they had designated areas, many people stood in the wrong line due to the lack of direction. Seating was slow, which is somewhat understandable during their opening week, but things felt disorganized overall. Several menu items were already unavailable when we visited--seafood pancake, bibimbap, and red bean ice cream were all out, which was disappointing and ironic, especially given their location inside a Korean grocery store. We ordered the Chef's Pick--a five-dish set that includes items like beef short rib that you can't order a la carte, which is confusing given their already limited menu. Service was friendly, and the open kitchen in the center of the restaurant adds a nice visual element. The bread and banchan were limited and underwhelming, with the bread served cold and lacking flavor. The pumpkin soup was sweet and just okay. The raw fish salad was one of the better dishes--fresh and flavorful--as were the buckwheat noodles. However, the lack of detail from the staff was concerning. The waitress didn't ask about allergies and offered almost no explanation of the dishes. Plates were introduced with generic labels like "fish salad" or "buckwheat noodle," and the fourth course (beef short rib) was simply called "fourth course." When it arrived, the beef short rib was a nice cut but served cold, and the accompanying vegetables were overly salty. Dessert was unremarkable. It's clear a lot of thought went into the aesthetic and concept, but right now, it feels more style than substance. read more

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I honestly can't get on board with Pogu. I think a lot of the initial reviews were more spot on. It obviously has a high pedigree started by a chef that deserves the accolades. However, I think that there's a lot left to be desired. The flavor on average were just OK except for the Galbi, which was great. But the thing is Galbi is great everywhere. And you can get it for much cheaper and better quality lots of other places. The service was good and the dishes are beautiful, but honestly the food is pretty lackluster for the Michelin backed chef prices. We were brought here by a rich Filipina tita who wanted to show off. Good presentation and ambiance but not worth the hype or the prices read more

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What we ordered: Fish Cake Jjigae - 5/10 salty POGU Salad - 8/10 refreshing Bibimbap - 6/10 nice sauce, way too little rice Buckwheat Noodles - 3/10 tiny & bland Drinks - 6/10 lacking quality for the price [Taste: ] Nothing really met expectations, especially for the price and the chef's name. With a restaurant that's emphasizes a certain standard, the soup was too salty and the portions were insanely small even for a "fine dining" experience. Though, I do have high hopes that they evolve with time since the service and food wasn't bad for their second day. [Service: ] We had a good experience with the service. Food came pretty fast, but we finished it all before the drinks even came out. [Comments: ] Water cups were all dirty... which is weird because they just opened when I went :( [Bathroom: ] Great, but no soap? read more

POGU - What we ordered: - Buckwheat noodles - Fish Cake Jjigae - POGU (fish) salad - Yuzu Mojito - Maekju - Korean Near Me - Daly City, California

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My dining partners and I had heard of Jagalchi weeks prior to their opening from the swathes of social media coverage. We had booked our reservation more than 2 weeks in advance and were enthused to try the food from South Korea's first Michelin-starred chef. So we arrived with hope in our hearts and hunger in our bellies. Immediately at our arrival, our experience began with concerning service issues. Despite numerous empty tables, we were seated in the furthest corner of the restaurant. After a 20-minute wait, we had to flag down staff for menus and to order, only to learn that the entire Bansang section (half the menu!!) was unavailable. Additionally, the staff was terribly disorganized and couldn't even direct us to the washroom. Bread: Offensively mediocre. The texture was chewy and beyond the cloying sweetness it lacked any distinctive flavor. I had one bite and discarded the rest. Banchan: The banchan was insultingly bad. We were served possibly the worst kimchi I have ever tasted. No trace of fermentation, as it seemes we were served fresh cabbage hastily dressed in marinade with no depth or complexity one expects. Blue Crab Cabbage Jjim: A waste of ingredients. This dish shows a complete lack of technical proficiency from the kitchen. The flavors were dull and disharmonious. Doenjang Fish Cake Jjigae: The lone bright spot of the meal. While the broth lacked complexity, its foundation was solid, enhanced by welcome chili heat and umami-rich fish cake. "100 Years" Abalone Jangbap: The abalone itself was properly prepared with its characteristic texture intact. Unfortunately, the rice, ostensibly the showcase for the "100 years" soy sauce, was bland and underseasoned. This fundamental flaw undermined what should have been an easy win. read more

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I would rate this more a 3.5 star than 3. The 1.5 loss is because Pogu needs a little more tweaking in everything (it's their second day as of this review). I'll return a few months later and try again. We had a reservation through OpenTable but OpenTable messed up and overbooked. When we arrived at Pogu, this is what they told us but said they will try to fit us in (we had an 8pm reservation). 10 minutes after, we were seated! So thank you to the hostess for making it happen. The waiter for our table was friendly and consistently checked in on us, refilling our water. The water cups are fairly small, so they may want to rethink on the sizes because they were more teacups than water cups. A lot of the items in the menu were also sold out / unavailable because the restaurant didn't anticipate the volume coming to Pogu. We ended up getting the $95/pp tasting menu. They do have an option for substitutions for those wondering. - pumpkin soup (okay) - seafood salad (my fave from this menu) - buckwheat noodle with chicken ( good) - bbq pork rib (not a fan - too hard) - ice cream with redbean (good way to end) We also had the Pina Colada for a mixed drink and white lotus tea (the only tea left, surprisingly). Both were good. Just make sure to steep the tea for a few more minutes after they hand it to you. Overall not bad. Service is great. Food can use some more adjustments. Booking definitely needs more work. Whoever handles the tasting menu - please rethink the bbq pork because that definitely doesn't work with the tasting menu. read more

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Brand new! Customer Service is excellent and quick! The food was delish tho you may wanna add a Beef dish on the main menu! Other than that, we'll be back! read more

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