Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Simbongsa

    4.8 (48 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated 1 week ago

    Simbongsa Photos

    Business Info

    SIMBONGSA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Simbongsa

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos - Simbongsa

    Doesn't it look so pretty??
    Diana M.

    I've come here multiple times already, bringing friends, family, and anyone willing to try a Korean treat. This place never disappoints, and Jennifer, the owner, is incredibly kind. The croquettes are excellent. They are lightly crispy on the outside, airy yet chewy on the inside, with a rich seasoned meat filling. My favorites are the spicy pork and the beef curry. If you want something sweet, the red bean option is also very good. I'm also a fan of the black sesame donuts, and the hotteok is outstanding. Everything here is consistently delicious. Do not miss this spot.

    Korokke
    Jeff C.

    One day after a bike ride, I noticed Simbongsa's signage from the parking lot and I walked over to check it out. I was intrigued- who doesn't love some fried goodness. It definitely is a "hole in the wall" kind of place, it is literally just a kitchen where you walk up, order off the QR code/menu that is on a table outside, and when the order is ready, they open the door to receive payment and hand you your food. I got 3 of the korokke (croquette)- 2 potato corn and cheese and one pork and vegetable, and 3 of the quabegi (twist donut), one of each flavor- original, black sesame, and injolmi. Everything was made fresh to order so it was still warm and crunchy in the 15 minute drive home. The korokke were good sized and tasty but we liked the pork & vegetable more. The donuts were solid as well, a bit of a chewy texture and good flavors. Overall good, hope they do well and are able to expand in the future!

    Veerawan T.

    This is a small spot located next to Athens Restaurant. We didn't realize it had opened, but they offer Korean street food like twisted donuts and croquettes, with a variety of fillings. We tried pizza, spicy pork, pork, corn and cheese, beef curry, and crab. They were all nicely fried, very crunchy, and with a unique batter. Ordering is online only for pickup, and there is no seating, but it's a fun spot to grab something flavorful on the go.

    Be H.

    I had never tried Korokee before, but they're so good! We ordered the pork and vegetables, spicy pork and cheese, and the crab meat. I love how crispy and crunchy the outside is while the inside is gooey and packed with flavor. What really tops it off are the dipping sauces. I'm not sure what the orange-reddish sauce is, but it's delicious with a nice little kick. The tartar sauce that comes with it is also really good. The crab one was my least favorite, mostly because it leaned more sweet than savory. The pork and vegetables one was really good and perfect to share with my son. The spicy pork and cheddar was my favorite. Definitely not for the weak though--if you can't handle heat, I wouldn't recommend it because it's pretty spicy! We also ordered the bulgogi rice plate. I loved that it came with purple rice. The bulgogi itself wasn't super flavorful, but all the sides were great.

    Menu 3/2026
    Yiuing P.

    Great food, especially the beef curry korokke. my family really enjoyed the mochi donuts as well. However, I would not recommend it as a whole meal as all of the items are very oily. If you want a Korean karaoke, I really enjoyed the mozzarella one as well, you can see in my pictures that the cheese really elongates very nicely. The service was really good. The lady was very nice who received my order. Also, the food was not warm most of it, but it was already ready in 10 minutes.

    Crab meat korokke
    Alisha R.

    I was on the hunt for a quick lunch today and saw that Simbongsa was new. The shop is right next to Athens Burger. Outside is a table with a menu and a QR code to order online. As I was looking at the menu, a lady stepped out to hand a customer her order and she reassured me that she's going to come back out and take my order. She was so sweet! I'm assuming she's the owner. I asked her how long her place has been here and she said they opened up back in December. They were originally here in the Pleasanton/Dublin area, then made their way to Santa Clara, and then came back here. Thank goodness because I'm definitely coming back on my lunch breaks! I ordered a spicy pork, corn potato/cheese, red bean, crab meat, and a pepperoni pizza korokke, and a hotteok. (Yes, it was all for me. And yes, I got too excited and wanted to try everything. lol) Everything is made to order, so it was a little bit of a wait. I tried the crab meat first and OHEMGEE. It was crispy on the outside, soft and delicious on the inside. After every bite I was blown away. IT WAS SO GOOD. Because it was getting close to the end of my lunch hour, I needed something sweet. So, I followed it with the hotteok. It was still piping hot when I took it out of the bag. I should've bought more because it was AMAZING. Honestly, I may just go back after work to pick up more to take home. lol In all, I would most definitely come back! The owner was the sweetest, the korokkes were delicious, and the location had ample parking!

    Order via Clover for takeout only
    Cheryl M.

    Simbongsa Dublin is about a week old and still in soft opening. I came across this spot by accident as I was craving a burger next door at Athens Burgers. Saw the signage for Korean donut twists (quabegi) and croquettes (korokke). Okay...I'll be sure to stop by next time! :) Intrigued with no line, met with the owner, Jennifer who was super friendly and took my order. Since I couldn't decide she suggested ordering 3pcs of the savory croquettes ($12) from a variety of filling options and 3pcs of the donut :: Korokke Spicy Pork - ground pork with visible bits of carrots with a bit of sweetness. Exterior is a mixture of wheat/rice flour so a slight chew with a crispy, panko-like exterior. Accompanied with a spicy, sweet mayo-based sauce of Gochujang (Korean red chili paste), garlic and sugar :: Quabegi - twisted donuts - glazed, sesame and soybean powder - chewy, subtly sweet and best eaten right away. Good but prefer the savory items. Place is set up for take out only. Order via Clover to minimize the wait. Starting Saturday, 12/13/2025 Korean/Japanese-fusion rice boxes (grilled chicken, pork belly, spicy pork, karaage), japchae and bowls (beef curry and kimchi) will be available. Will definitely return to try the beef curry korokke and rice box. Note: Best eaten right away to get that crunchy exterior. Place your order via Clover: https://www.clover.com/online-ordering/simbongsa-sj-santa-clara

    I only have the bags left to show, oh well, you should know why LOL!

    The food is so good. Very traditional Korean food, way better than all the food court inside H-mart by 200%! Great price, very good value. A lot of parking space available. The lady owner is very nice. The order was ready within 10 minutes. The only down side is it's togo only, but they have tables and chairs available outside . Highly recommended if you're craving for Korean food!!

    Alicia A.

    My first time here and definitely will not be the last time! I had ordered donuts, croquettes, and bento boxes. The grilled chicken and the rib eye bento boxes were yummy. Small amount of banchan in the bento box makes it a very filling meal. The donuts are out of this world especially when it is fresh and hot. They were super light and airy. I am not a huge fan of donuts but I'm a fan now with these donuts. The croquettes were fluffy and full of fillings. I ended up getting the crab meat, the potato and cheese and the pork and vegetables. They were delicious. Fresh and made to order, I need to come back to try the other fillings for the croquettes and get my hands on the fresh twisted donuts. The 2 ladies that were working there super friendly and welcoming.

    Grilled Pork Belly & Kimchi
    Carson M.

    Returned to try their rice plates and get a different korokke. The beef bulgogi was good, and had the same crispy mochi outer shell. The rice plates were also fairly good for a takeout-only spot. I do like how it comes with a small side of veggies and the japchae and purple rice. There was also macaroni salad which was interesting/different. I do wish the spicy pork was a bit leaner - some of the pieces were slightly thin but fatty at the same time. Flavor was still good though. Grilled pork belly goes well with the sesame ssamjang dip.

    3 black sesame, 2 original & 1 injolmi
    Sandy Q.

    My daughter and I dropped by right after we visited Stoneridge Mall. We ordered 6 twisted donuts (3 black sesame, 2 original & 1 injolmi). The donuts were soft and chewy and my favorite was the original. It was slightly sweet with a hint of cinnamon. I'm a huge fan of black sesame in general. Unfortunately, the black sesame topping from here lacked sweetness so it was my least favorite flavor of them all.

    Girish B.

    Very unique and interesting experience with the ordering process (clover.com)...order was placed while standing outside this brand new Korean fast food eatery (donuts and korokke (aka croquettes))...door was locked and they bring the food out to you while you're waiting curbside. My order was ready in 15 minutes as promised and was still warm when I had it with my daily cup of homemade chai tea...1 red bean and 2 pork and vegetable croquettes which were delicious and 1 bonus twisted donut which was soft and chewy and hit the spot.

    Daniel H.

    Service was great Love the SIMBONGSA KOROKKE & Donut I got the potato corn & cheese, red bean & pork & vegetable I love the potato corn & cheese My parent love the Donut & the pork & vegetable Will definitely come back to grab the bento & rice

    See all

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Grace H.
    312
    14
    34

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Angie Y.
    23
    72
    43

    2 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jeff C.
    161
    1097
    654

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Be H.
    124
    526
    1399

    4 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 2
    Love this 2
    Oh no 3

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    7 months ago

    Helpful 24
    Thanks 10
    Love this 22
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Ben L.
    11
    24
    2

    14 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 3
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    4 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 4
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Daniel H.
    227
    29
    12

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Thinh L.
    0
    29
    152

    7 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 3
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Pak Y.
    0
    20
    33

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dan H.
    0
    28
    1

    28 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jessica C.
    239
    127
    55

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Fresh and delicious! I really like their sweet donuts! I wish they have somewhere to sit down and a restaurant to use while you wait!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sarah K.
    279
    18
    14

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Erin S.

    Erin S.

    Thank you so much Shirley!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Carmen M.
    62
    671
    24

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Car C.
    1
    87
    16

    6 months ago

    Nice lady brings your order to you at your car. great Donuts and beef curry croquettes!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Great food to grab on the go! The lady that runs the place is also very nice and informative about the food they sell. Highly recommended

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Fai C.
    2
    102
    73

    7 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 4
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 3
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Simbongsa

    You might also consider

    Amakara

    Amakara

    3.9
    (3.7k reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$$

    Always a good spot for sushi in Dublin! It's a great place for date night or grabbing a bite with…read morefriends. Lots of seating but does get pretty packed on the weekends or on holidays! We use the waitlist option on Yelp since they don't do reservations. They have a full bar and often change up their seasonal drinks which is always delish! Pretty big menu for a sushi spot which is great for people who have restrictions ! They are also very accommodating, you just have to ask!

    We decided to visit Amakara for our late Father's Day since we didn't have time to go anywhere…read moreyesterday. I am quite surprised that the place isn't that big for a modern environment. I went around and thought that there's going to be more room but it's not what I expected. Also am surprised that it's that many people on Monday but I guess they're celebrating late Father's Day too? Anyways, the food is really delicious and quality is tremendous. Very upscale honestly especially with how big the portion sizes are. I individually got Chicken Katsudon and it's not really hard. Very chewy and I couldn't finish it since I ate a lot of sushi before it arrived. My sister didn't even finish her individual plate too and so we ended up taking them to go. What shocked me is that they serve us a huge portion of desserts especially the green tea ice cream. I thought that it's only going to be one scoop but they gave us 3! I think the one scoop is for someone's birthday? I don't know. And the vanilla ice cream with grilled pineapple is so yummy and it had a lot of cinnamon flavor I believe. It's one of the best vanilla ice creams I'd ever had. I probably never tasted vanilla ice cream that good before! I also appreciate the staff for helping with us with our orders! They were so helpful and kind to us. If I ever bring my friends over, it'd be this place. I highly recommend for others to try this place because the food here is really amazing!

    Photos
    Sesame chicken
    Sesame chicken
    Hotaru ika nigiri- aka firefly or baby squid
    Hotaru ika nigiri- aka firefly or baby squid
    Amakara

    See all

    The Sister House

    The Sister House

    4.0
    (868 reviews)
    9.6 mi
    $$

    On our way home from Oakland to San Jose, we detoured to Hayward to dodge traffic and look for a…read moresimple meal to kill some time. We stumbled upon this small shop in a seemingly sketchy, empty parking lot and honestly wondered if we made a mistake at first. But once we walked in, the place was almost full at 5 PM--mostly with Korean-speaking customers, which is always the ultimate green flag. We were so blown away! This was easily one of the best Korean meals we've had in the Bay Area. It's authentic, salt-of-the-earth home cooking. The Soups: The Seolleongtang and Galbi Gomtang were totally legit. The broths had amazing depth and were incredibly flavorful. Seafood Pancake: One of the absolute best I've ever eaten. Super crispy and crunchy on the outside, and soft and tender with tons of flavorful seafood on the inside. The Banchan: They serve 10 different tasty dishes for banchan! Total score. Portions are large and the pricing is very decent. It's a bit out of the way if you're coming straight from SJ, but we are absolutely keeping this place in mind whenever we're heading up north toward the East Bay! Highly recommend.

    Used to love eating here. Been a little while and what it is now is unrecognizable to me. Menu and…read morefood seem off. Incredibly rude treatment upon arrival this time, and she kept insisting we order immediately. I had never experienced this here in the past, when it was a nice experience. We ended up leaving before even getting to our ordering our meals. Just unfortunate now. Servings are smaller and prices just absurd. Disappointing.

    Photos
    The Sister House
    8. Bulgogi
    8. Bulgogi
    The Sister House

    See all

    Happy Lamb Hot Pot

    Happy Lamb Hot Pot

    3.9
    (794 reviews)
    2.9 mi
    $$
    Large group friendly
    Casual dining

    I love Happy Lamb Hot Pot. This was my first time trying Happy Lamb and it was delicious…read more They offer a hot buffet of chow mein, fried rice, spring rolls, fried chicken wings and other items. They also have a cold buffet where raw veggies, noodles, seafood and eggs are available. The sauce station, soft drinks and ice cream are also self-serve. We ordered the premium option and a lamb shank. I personally enjoyed the Angus Beef, Australian Wagu, fried rice, chow mein and spring rolls, it was all amazing. Sunday afternoons are busy but the service was perfect.

    AYCE lunch is a crazy deal! $25.99 per adult before 3:00pm on weekdays, unless you opt out of the…read moresauce bar which saves you $6...so you only pay $19.99. Nuts! You have 5 meats to choose from and a variety of broths. The only split pot option is for the original broth and spicy (glad we got less spicy). I personally favor the tomato broth and tom yum broth. Standards are lower since it's $19.99 AYCE, so nothing to complain about for quality of meat. The spicy beef was a popular reorder. They have a huge selection in the raw ingredient bar, and we loved the quail egg, ramen, and spongey tofu. All the veggies were fresh. Top off with soft serve (chocolate, vanilla, mixed) either in a cone or to-go cup and you basically don't even need to eat dinner. Service was speedy, and our server graciously moved us from a booth to a communal table since our party of 5 was a tight squeeze in a booth. We all shared one split pot LOL I've come here for dinner before and still thought the selections were worth their price points (classic is $33.99 and deluxe is $41.99). Your meal is free on your birthday!

    Photos
    Happy Lamb Hot Pot
    Happy Lamb Hot Pot
    Happy Lamb Hot Pot

    See all

    Go Goong

    Go Goong

    3.5
    (555 reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$

    This is still one of my favorite Korean lunch spots. They are located in a plaza on Dublin Blvd…read more Their menu hasn't changed too much. There's still some appetizers, bibimbap, grilled items, ramens, and soft tofu stews. The service is pretty quick, and they serve you green tea as soon as you sit down. What we got: + Spicy bbq pork - these are tender slices of pork over a sizzling cast iron plate. The pork was delicious and wasn't very spicy. + Kimchi ramen - this is a big bowl of noodle soup in a spicy kimchi broth + Soft tofu stew - this came in a boiling cast iron bowl. The tofu is soft and silky and the stew was delicious. You also get all the usual banchan, which were good. This is the perfect lunch spot for a quick and delicious meal.

    I've eaten here once or twice in the past when they first opened, and honestly, there are much…read morebetter Korean food options in the Tri-Valley area. I hadn't been back in years until yesterday, when my usual spot was closed and my mother and I stopped by out of convenience. Unfortunately, the experience reminded me why I hadn't returned. The customer service was lacking -- we were never checked on during our meal and I had to repeatedly look for an employee to request a refill of a banchan and later, flag someone down when I was ready to pay. To make matters worse, I was surprised to find that the kimchi fried rice did not include any protein. Charging $20 for kimchi fried rice without any meat or protein is cruel and poor value for the price... I cannot stomach paying high prices for mediocre food and inattentive service. I will not make the same mistake of coming back again.

    Photos
    Go Goong
    Go Goong
    Spicy pork belly - pork was tender with wonderful flavor, a bit like "twice cooked pork" (02/2024)

    See all

    Spicy pork belly - pork was tender with wonderful flavor, a bit like "twice cooked pork" (02/2024)
    Young Dong Tofu House

    Young Dong Tofu House

    3.6
    (537 reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $$

    Finally made it back here and it did not disappoint. We ordered the seafood pancake, and assorted…read moretofu soup, and everything was delicious. I love the variety of banchan they serve, and the pancake was the perfect dish to share. The soondubu was packed with flavor, and I had to pair it with a Terra beer--great combo. It can get really busy during peak hours, but we came for an early lunch and only had a short wait. That just shows how popular this place is. There were plenty of regulars dining in, including my friend who brought me. If you live in the Tri-Valley, you don't have to drive far for great soondubu. There are definitely more Korean restaurants popping up around here these days, but this spot has been an OG since I was a kid, and it's still one of my favorites.

    I used to be a long time customer here and have introduced many friends to this place. However my…read morelast trip here will be my last. the main woman argued with me over the number of banchan refills we got. they have a policy of two refills only. But actually another server took our banchan plates and forgot to come back with refills so the woman misinterpreted it as we got our 2nd refill. The fact that she's counting refills and came to our table to tell us no refills because we've already maxed out without giving us benefit of the doubt is just bad customer service. If you're cheap to your customers that's fine we just won't be returning

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Seafood pancake
    Seafood pancake
    Seafood tofu soup

    See all

    Seafood tofu soup

    Simbongsa - donuts - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...