Good food, good service...! Sure will be back! Been coming here for over 30 years, always been good! read more

Shu's Korean Restaurant - The beat dan jang soup, Ssan bap for 2! - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Terrible Service, Overcharged Bill & Uncomfortable Tipping Experience Our family of 5 had a very disappointing experience here. From the moment we arrived, it was unpleasant. An older woman wearing an apron was smoking directly in front of the restaurant as we walked in, and the smell was awful. We ordered: * Bi Bim Bab (beef & vegetables, hot stone) -- $22.99 * Gal Bi Gui (short ribs) -- $24.99 × 2 = $49.98 * Mackerel fish -- $24.99 * Gal Bi Tang (beef short ribs soup) -- $27.99 Our expected subtotal was $125.95, plus 9.75% tax = approximately $138.23. Unfortunately, only the Bi Bim Bab came out correctly. We were given two bowls of Gal Bi Tang when we ordered only one, and instead of the Mackerel we ordered, we received Sole fish. Several prices on the final bill were also higher than what we originally ordered. Our final bill came to $182.95. There was essentially no table service--we had to refill our own water, get our own takeout containers, and walk to the cashier to pay. Meanwhile, other tables( Korean customer) appeared to receive much more attentive service. Despite the poor service, I still left a $10 tip. The audacity of the older woman was unbelievable--she walked directly up to me, pointed at the $10 tip on the receipt, and asked if that was correct. The way she approached me felt extremely uncomfortable and pressuring, especially considering the lack of service we received. I was also concerned to see food being handled without gloves in the kitchen. My advice: check your bill carefully, confirm prices when ordering, and don't feel pressured into tipping for service you didn't receive. Unfortunately, our family will not be returning. Please see photos of the restaurant menu we ordered and its prices. read more

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Homey mom-and-pop vibe restaurant. I've been here a few times and it hasn't been crowded during any of the occasions I've visited. Menu is quite extensive. This time around, we shared the kimchi scallion pancake, dry-fried sole fish, chicken wings, and ssam bab (grilled pork and grilled beef). The kimchi scallion pancake was great although it fell apart easily. Good flavor and light crisp texture. Dry-fried sole fish was pretty good too. Chicken wings were alright and a bit plain, the wings were very tiny with mostly batter and not much meat/flavor. Ssam bab is always a fun experience with meat, lettuce wraps, soybean paste, garlic, etc. and feels like a feast. The grilled pork and grilled beef in the ssam bab feast are just ok though - typically on the dry side. Overall I feel like this restaurant gets the job done for the Korean food craving, but all of the dishes I've tried have just been average. The employees aren't as attentive as I would hope, with banchan not being refilled and also a lack of acknowledgement when requesting some items. read more

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I haven't written a bad review in awhile but unfortunately this place was such a miss for me. I ordered the seafood soondubu $20 and galbi $43. Both were lacking flavor. Galbi was extremely over cooked and dry, barely any seasoning. The soondubu was just so mediocre. Not even the ban chan was yummy. I will not be coming back. Not worth the price. read more

Hecka food. Don't have a basis for good Korean food but I think the bar has been set pretty high after this meal. Only didn't tate this 5 stars because I ordered ramen and it wasn't the best but also my fault for ordering ramen at a Korean restaurant and expecting it to be the best. The tofu soup was fire. Beef and squid dishes were also very tasty! read more

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Stopped by Shu's Restaurant and had a nice, homey experience. I ordered a ramen combo that came with a stereotypical Shin cup ramen and some fried dumplings, and also got the kimchi jeon (kimchi pancake) and the gopchang sundubu (intestine tofu soup). The tofu soup was very flavorful, and I particularly liked that their intestine pieces were HUGE. The Korean fried dumplings was definitely the highlight for me. The crunchy texture was great and really satisfying. The ramen itself was exactly what you'd expect since it's just a Shin cup, so nothing particularly special there. The place is run by two very nice Korean ladies who were very friendly and even spoke Chinese with us. The restaurant has a very traditional feel to it, and the dishes they serve are classic Korean comfort foods. Overall, a cozy spot if you're looking for something simple and authentic. read more

I went here a few years ago to try their ssambap meal and it did not disappoint. The veggies were super fresh and it came with a good variety of banchans and dishes that made each bite a unique combination. I will definitely have to come back some time and try them again soon! read more

Solid food with a homey feel and kind service. I came here in a small group for an early dinner, around 5pm. There was an extensive menu, but my friends helped facilitate the order for our table. We ordered the bulgogi, water eel, scallion pancake, and japchae. Of course, we also enjoyed the banchan. The people in my group needed modifications made to their meal, and the staff obliged. I thought the food was pretty good and reasonably priced. The service at this establishment really stood out to me. They were attentive and warm. Although there aren't many parking spots behind the restaurant, parking on the street was pretty easy during the early dinner period. read more

There's lots of menu items, many of which are authentic. Parking may be a challenge. And just be aware of your surroundings at night time. 1. Bi Bim Bap 15. Omelet and Fried Rice A big egg omelet filled with goodness. 23. Bulgogi (Grilled Beef) Nice and smoky - pretty regular portions, as I recall. 33. Dong Tae Jji Gae (Stewed Pollack soup) Rich, red seafood broth is filled with pollack chunks, tofu, zucchini, potato, radish, mushrooms, onions, pea sheets, and fish eggs. My particular serving had lots of bones in the fish pieces, so a little difficult to eat, and the meat was a little overdone. The flavoring is top-notch, and hearty, so you'll be busy for awhile. That's all. read more

If you're craving authentic Korean flavors, Shu's is a gem worth checking out! The menu has a lot of solid options, but the octopus hotpot is hands down a must try. The broth comes out bubbling hot, packed with rich, savory flavor that perfectly balances spice and depth. The octopus itself is tender and not chewy at all, and the mix of veggies and noodles soaks up all that amazing broth. read more

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I left the restaurant before even reading their menu, because the servers were so rude and creepy. Perhaps they are on something? I just wanted to order a Korean meal and dine solo, after a productive morning. The female servers sounded like geishas or bar workers, not family-friendly restaurant servers. I did not decide to dine in for lunch today, to get re-traumatized. What a disappointment. Such behaviors remind me that: just because people "look more like me" on the outside, doesn't mean that they are trustworthy in any way. Good thing that there are many other Korean restaurants in the area, that are more mindful of what the customer is absolutely not looking for. The exterior of everything can really be deceiving and/or misleading... read more

After a few visits I have to downgrade this place. The seafood pancake is soggy and not crispy, too greasy, and has just tiny traces of octopus. For $22, not worth it. Bulgogi was good but rather dry. The rice was soggy. The only really good item was their tea. read more

Delicious authentic Korean food! Came here on a weekend for dinner and there was plenty of seating. The vibe is small ma and pa store and the food tasted really authentic! We got the dumplings and the japchae and both were really good. The price was decent and the portion size was very generous. In terms of service, they were very attentive and the food came out super fast! There's also a generous amount of side dishes that were very good. Would definitely come back again!! read more

Salty fish but the seafood pancake was good. The waiter did not refill our water so I had to ask. Limited parking in the back.

The 5 star rating is almost there, but there were a couple things keeping me from giving them the extra star: The banchan was excellent. Unfortunately it came after some of our main dishes. I wish the seafood pancake would have been crispier. However, I'm not sure it was possible because they were so generous with the seafood. This isn't a huge complaint. My biggest issue is with the $45 galbi. It was overpriced and not great. It wasn't hot or flavorful. I would definitely not recommend ordering this. Overall, however, this is an excellent Korean restaurant and perhaps my favorite. I absolutely loved their cold buckwheat noodle soup. I'm mostly bummed out that the galbi was over half our bill and by far my least favorite dish. read more

Shu's a a very family oriented Korean Restaurant when you can go in and feel like a regular. The staff are very friendly and the food is delicious. Bibimbap served in a hot stone pot, Kalbi Ribs or the Tofu soup with beef intestines all my favorites and regular goto orders. Don't forget the unlimited side dishes. If you run out of your favorite Just ask for more. Been going here for ages and food has always been consistent. They do have a banquet room you can book for a more private gathering also. read more

Came here on a friday night with a group of 8. We ordered grilled pork and chicken, octopus soup. None of them are impressive, I especially not a fan of the octopus soup, not very tasty and nothing special. Probably won't come back. read more

I've been to Shu's a couple of times since it's a nice mom and pop restaurant that serves solid Korean food at affordable prices, especially their galbi. However, don't expect good service. I took a friend who came for the first time and within the first 5-10 minutes of us sitting down, the server came to take our order 3 times. When I politely asked them to give us a couple more minutes as we were deciding what to order on the third time, the server scoffed at us and gave us a glare that made us extremely uncomfortable. At this time, there were only 3 other tables of customers so it wasn't like they were running out of tables. So if you want solid Korean food and don't care about service, this is the place, but note there's tons of other Korean restaurants with great food and service nearby on El Camino. read more

Shu's Korean Restaurant - Bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

*Full disclosure: This review is from a meal eaten in 2023, but wanted to still share the very positive experience, given that with the large number of Korean restaurants in the area it can be overwhelming to choose where to go. This is a casual, homey, and what appears to be a family-run Korean restaurant. We ordered a wide range of dishes to share and all of them were excellent: seafood pancake, soup, jap chae, bbq (either kalbi or bulgogi--cannot remember). The portions were extremely plentiful and on top of all this, they brought out a relatively large assortment of banchan (tiny appetizer dishes with a smattering of foods, mainly vegetable-based or fish cake). Prices were quite reasonable. While I believe that food is more important than atmosphere when trying to pick a restaurant, one of the main things that stood out to me with this place was the spacious surroundings and relaxed decor. Combined with the smiling friendly folks who work there and fact that it wasn't packed with people, these factors made for a much more chill and relaxing experience compared to some other places I have been where it's packed to the gills with people and the servers are rushing around trying to meet all parties' needs. All of this contributes to lower noise levels. You will leave feeling happy and peaceful with a full stomach and huge bags of leftovers...what else can you ask for? read more

Shu's Korean Restaurant - Assortment of dishes--jap chae, seafood pancake, soup, bbq, lots and lots of ban chan (tiny dishes presented pre-main course). - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

One-stop shop for Korean food. We got the meat combo with lettuce wraps. Everything was fresh, well-marinated, and full of classic Korean flavors. The banchan were all on point and rounded out the meal perfectly. The vibe and service are exactly what you'd expect from a solid Korean spot. Efficient, warm, and straightforward, which adds to the overall experience. read more

Some friends took us to this place. It was a nice clean place. Simple decorations adorning the walls. The server was sweet. She showed us how to eat Ssam Bab: Rice, grilled pork and grilled beef & soy bean paste rolled in lettuce. Grab the perilla leaf and tear off the steam. Grab a red leaf lettuce leaf and tear off the harder bottom part and discard. Then, stack on top of one another, add a little steamed rice, fermented soybean paste, add your grilled beef, grilled pork, Jalapeño, and raw garlic piece. Aftwards, wrap it up and place in your mouth! She was sweet. Even scolded us in Korean! Of the grilled meats, I preferred the pork as it had some fat in it, so it was more moist. The grilled beef was dry. Hae Mul Pa Jeon: Seafood scallion pancake. This had a nice crispy edge to it. Filled with green onions and Octopus and shrimp pieces. Go Gi Dol Sot Bi Bim Bab: Rice mixed with beef, fried egg, & vegetables in a hot stone bowl. Personally, I am not a big fan of this but my wife likes it. Japchae Noodles were decent. The banchan that came with the meal was ok. The pickled cucumbers were crunchy and refreshing. The Korean mung bean jelly came in thick cuts! We ordered a lot of food and had plenty of leftovers. Good place without the long line of people, like Seorai. read more

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Real, authentic Korean grandma-style comfort food! The dishes are healthy, delicious, and come in very generous portions. The staff may not seem warm in a Western style, but they're actually very kind -- it's the real Korean vibe, like moms who truly take care of you. It's definitely one of the best Korean restaurants in the Bay Area!! read more

Shu's Korean Restaurant - 4. Ssam Bab - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

My husband and I came here to dine in for the first time after liking their takeout, but the service completely ruined the experience. When I asked for ssamjang, the cashier gave me a rude, judgmental look like I was bothering her. That already set a bad tone. After we finished eating, we paid with Apple Cash. We didn't have enough balance left for a tip and we don't carry cash. It wasn't intentional -- we simply didn't have extra funds at that moment. Before we could even walk out, the cashier ran after us and said "tip please." I was shocked. A restaurant chasing customers for a tip is completely unprofessional. A tip is optional, not something you demand or run after people for. The food is good, but the attitude and the way the staff treated us was unacceptable. This kind of behavior makes customers not want to return. read more

Overall a comfort korean restaurant. It gives of home cooked korean meals vibe with homey side dishes as well Our table got the Ssam Bab which is a platter of veggies to wrap with meat. Lots of veggies and meat isn't as much so you can order an extra meat dish to wrap with it. It also comes with a tofu soup Lots of good side dishes so definitely good to eat. Parking might be a lil hard and very cramped but the neighborhood down the street has plenty of parking. The servers are your typical Korean ladies who like to mom you so be aware of that. Note: if you're not used to it, it might come off as rude in some cultures. Lots of seating overall, meant for big parties. read more

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It was pretty empty when we came on Friday at around 1:30 pm. Plentiful side dishes - we received clear jelly made from mung bean starch (nokdu-muk I think), cucumbers, julienned spicy radish, fish cakes, bean sprouts, kimchi, and stewed potato pieces. Also purple rice! Lunch specials are about $4 cheaper than its equivalent dinner item and come with a decent pile of meat. I was super full by the end of it even though I can usually eat a lot. We ordered the grilled pork which was very flavorful - like sweeter Korean BBQ sauce and spicy. It came on a bed of half-caramelized onions. The bulgogi (beef) was more like stewed rather than "fire meat." But also had some sweetness (taste of mirin, soy sauce, and maybe brown sugar). Came on a bed of regular sliced onions. read more

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eating here was like visiting grandmas house. food was decent and left me satisfied. service was okay, they didn't refill waters though. we ordered the bulgogi and i would rate it a 5/10. it was just lacking flavor, if the onions were caramelized it would've been much better. we also ordered the fried dumplings and i loved them, you can tell they were handmade. i would rate it an 9/10. the third dish we ordered was the kimchi bibimbab. all honestly, i didn't really like it. my friend said the kimchi was a bad type of sour. 5/10 the last dish we ordered was the kimchi fried rice. i am going to give it a 8/10 because the flavor was there and i liked it. the reason why it's not getting a 10/10 is because the rice was soggy. the restaurant looks family owned so im glad i got a chance to try them. when it was time to pay, that was where things got a little weird. my friend tipped $5 but the owner said that $5 is too little .. oh?? rubbed us both the wrong way. they didn't check up on us while we were eating and didn't refill our waters so i would say a $5 tip is reasonable. personally i wouldn't come back but they are really nice people and if you are looking for a home cooked meal, this is the place to go. read more

Shu's Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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There's a super friendly lady who served me and my fiancé here!!! It was so so lovely!!! I really need to emphasize that their side dishes were DELICIOUS!! wonderfully crafted kimchi with beautifully made fish cakes! Yummmmmmmmy Seafood pancake was AMAZING! Beautifully crisped and look at how massive that cake is!!! The pancake be bussin like the new kids on the block would say. Got some spicy bulgolgi. The lady recommended this WAY MORE than the regular! There is literally little to no kick to the spicy bulgolgi but it's SOO flavorful!!! Friendly lady was so nice. Gave us more side dishes when we asked and was just so friendly. Would go back and relax and enjoy this restaurant in a heartbeat. read more

Shu's Korean Restaurant - Seafood pancake!!! - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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awesome cute little korean restaurant. the lady with the short hair is super nice. The service as long as you get it from her haha is nice. The food would be the traditional non sugar korean meal where you would get if you had a sleepover at someone's house. Skip going early when it is busy. read more

Shu's Korean Restaurant - croaker fish gul bee - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Do not go there for service. Go there for the ssam bab deal. Go there for ban chan that is not too sweet or too salty. About 8-10oz of meat per sizzling plate. Not deceiving with a large amount of onion beneath the meat. The soy bean paste soup is delicious. Easily could feed 3! read more

Shu's Korean Restaurant - The lettuce platter that comes w the ssam bab. Hand for scale. - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Came here on a Thursday night. Plenty of seating but very slow service. You can see the owner (probably) is burned out and whoever is helping her as well. But money is probably decent. You won't get as much attention if you're not actually speaking korean. Kinda normal since this place is super korean and korean owned. Hugeee menu. Bit pricey but portions are worth it for sure. Lots of variety, so go with someone who knows the food. I brought a friend who never had bimbimbap so ordered that. Would order again though when she brought it, the lady mixed it right away, whereas I like to let the rice get more burnt.. Ordered the kimchi fried rice too, yum. Great flavor. Huge portions. Had deep fried mang du too, okay. My friend really liked it. The small dishes were pretty good except the fish cake.. that was soggy. Seafood pancake... wasn't exceptional. Tasted like any other. Overall, food pretty decent, service sucked. read more

the food was ok but the service is not good. Feel like if you are not Korean, u should not come. They treat you differently than Korean. If your tips did not met their expectations they will you terribly looking. read more

Local restaurant/ small business. I feel this is an authentic Korean restaurant. Many of their patrons only speak Korean. I love their side dishes! I usually go here for tofu soup, but they have a big menu. Come when your hungry! read more

Shu's Korean Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

This is one of the restaurants along what I call K-Town strip in Santa Clara. It was one of the few places my hubby and I used to frequent for its plethora of Korean dishes and late hours when we used to live in the area. We always ordered something different when we came here. It is a hole in the wall restaurant and there is a small party room. There is a small parking lot behind the restaurant. Otherwise you will need to park on the street. Right next door is a Korean-Chinese restaurant as well. read more

Again, always the BEST Korean food, and the service was excellent! The Pork Bulgoki and the Beef Bulgoki were so tender and flavorful! Without a doubt, the best in the south bay. All the banchan was fresh and tasty too. And the atmosphere reminds me of a cozy little restaurant I used to frequent in Daegu Korea. I highly recommend Shu's. You will not be disappointed. read more

the place is quite spacious. service is quite fast but will say staff is a bit careless. for foods: 1. ban chan ~ 2/5 the kim chi is very very sour. the fishcake is too soft and sweet. the cucumber is a bit sour as well. i expect to have variety tastes for ban chan but these are either sour or sweet... 2. deep fried yellow croakers ~ 3/5 almost no taste at all and for me: too dry... 3. sun du bu seafood ~ 3/5 just mediocre... read more

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My friend (who asked me to emphasize that she's very Korean) brought us here and we were blown away. I don't know how to pronounce what we got but it came with a big plate of leaves (lettuce, kelp, leaves etc) with bulgogi beef snd chicken. We also got the seafood scallion pancake and I tried all the sides and literally everything was delicious! Strongly recommend this place read more

My friend got the seollongtang and I got a combo soondubu. Both were really solid. Not amazing, but does the job well if I'm craving. The menu is pretty extensive too. The banchan is very no-frills, tasted decent. I wish I experienced the banchan bar they had before covid. We came around 45 minutes before closing, and though we were understandably rushed to pay the bill early into the meal, they let us stay to finish our food. We came around 9:15pm and there were a couple other tables occupied. The restaurant is rather big and could definitely fit a crowd. read more

Paid with card. Shu's is located on the street and offers street and plaza parking. They are Covid ready and the employees wear masks. I easily ordered the seafood pancake and spicy sea bass stew online and had no issues picking up. I was really surprised and happy at how much free sides I got with this order. The seafood pancake and spicy sea bass stew were amazing!! There was a good balance of ingredients for the seafood pancake and the stew had a very clean and homemade taste. I would definitely recommend this place and will be going back soon to order the same things or try new things. read more

Shu's Korean Restaurant - Seafood pancake, free sides, and spicy sea bass stew - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Love this place! Very authentic Korean food. If you're craving authentic Korean cuisine, this place is a must-visit. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and the staff are incredibly friendly and attentive. But what truly sets this restaurant apart is their ssambap menu -- it's absolutely incredible. The ssambap (wrap-your-own rice and meat) set comes with a beautiful spread of fresh greens, seasoned vegetables, and perfectly grilled meat (I had the pork belly, which was melt-in-your-mouth delicious). The sauces and side dishes (banchan) are generous and varied -- each one adding a different dimension of flavor to the wraps. read more

Came here when there was a travel group. Waited over 30 minutes for the food. The staff was nice but the owner was tough and pushy. Food is pretty good, but the LA Galbi is a little overpriced. read more