hidden gem in chula vista. it's great service and really good korean food! would definitely get the lunch bibimbap deal!

My family and I couldn't decide where to eat on 4th of July, so we happened to come across this place. We arrived around 1:30 pm, and it was nice and quiet with plenty of seating. The restaurant has a pool table, two TVs, clean restrooms, and even a bell you can ring if you need service. The décor was fun, with soccer jerseys and a Mexican flag. A sweet lady greeted us as soon as we walked in and was very kind and helpful. You order at the counter when you're ready, which made the process simple. We ordered the Beef Bibimbap, Spicy Pork Plate, Beef Bulgogi Plate, and a couple of Thai teas. Our drinks came out almost immediately, and our food arrived about 20 minutes later. A young server brought our meals to the table and was friendly and attentive. The wait was absolutely worth it because the food was freshly made, packed with flavor, and surprisingly delicious. Every dish was cooked perfectly, and we really enjoyed our food. We'll definitely be coming back! I was hoping to play a game of pool before we left, but we were short on time. Next time for sure! read more

See all

Soup was very good. Customer service was excellent. I will be going back! The owner and her Son were handling their business. Very clean and they take pride in what they give you.... Great Service!!!! read more

Tasty Korean appetizer cucumbers as always. Nice umami on the beef bulgogi. The rice is perfect. I would've taken more kimchi lol. I'm not sure if I've ever had rabokki specifically, but it's just ramyeon and tteokbokki together. This also has some fried tofu I like. I don't think there's meat in this, but the flavor still feels very full. Delicious. There's some Korean tasting hot sauce on the table, but it seems really watery. *sigh* Another place that diluted its sauce to protect sensitive American palates. Overall, pretty good. Why is it called.....Spoon House? Does this place really get traffic as a bar? I wonder if they should lean more into being a Korean restaurant. Idk, I'm just speculating. read more

See all

This is a great authentic Korean restaurant. We ordered Spicy pork plate, Galbi plate, and Spicy Ramen. All 3 dishes were delicious. The serving was big - but because it was good, we all enjoyed and finished it. The short rib was tender and tasty. The side dishes were also very tasty. The spicy pork has a perfect amount of spice in it. The Spicy ramen was the same , it wasn't too spicy as well. Service was awesome. The restaurant is a casual place where you can hang out and play billiards. Overall, the experience was delightful! read more

See all

One of my go to spots for korean comfort food. If you just want to relax and eat comforting food. The service is great! They were friendly and helpful. The place is nice and relaxing to be at. Definitely recommend going here if you are looking for korean comfort food read more

Spoon House Korean Cuisine and Cocktails - Bulgogi Ramen w/ Egg - Korean Near Me - Chula Vista, California

See all

The Spicy Ramen and the Spicy Korean Chicken Wings are my go-to order at this restuarant. They are always consistently good. I love the vibe of this restaurant and the friendliness of the staff. Plus it was really close to my apartment. This is a great place to have a quick meal. Parking is metered or you can park for free on the street around the corner. Across the street is an amazing dessert place too. read more

Spoon House Korean Cuisine and Cocktails - Spicy Korean Chicken Wings - Korean Near Me - Chula Vista, California

See all

I frequently walk through downtown Chula Vista and decided to give Spoon House Korean Kitchen a try. From the street, their A-frame sign advertising an enticing happy hour--$8 margaritas--caught my eye. In the mood for some comforting Korean dishes, I went in with hopeful expectations. I ordered a margarita and the Korean fried wings. Unfortunately, my experience was disappointing. The margarita arrived glowing bright green, clearly made with a cheap pre-made mix rather than fresh ingredients. The server informed me the wings would take a bit longer since they're twice-fried, which I appreciated--I'm always happy to wait for extra crispy wings glazed in a proper sweet and spicy Korean sauce. However, what I received fell far short. While the wings had a crispy texture, the sauce was lackluster and lazily poured over the top instead of being properly tossed and coated. This business has potential due to its prime location in the heart of downtown Chula Vista, especially since there are no other comparable Asian cuisine spots nearby. However, there were too many red flags to overlook. The restaurant was noticeably empty, and after my experience, I understood why. They advertise free billiards--an odd attraction for a Korean restaurant--and have a side party room available to rent for $100. The food and drink program both need serious improvement, and even the name, "Spoon House," feels more fitting for a soup spot or an American diner than a Korean establishment. Ultimately, I have no plans to return and would recommend exploring other dining options instead. read more

Spoon House Korean Cuisine and Cocktails - Spoon House entrance - Korean Near Me - Chula Vista, California

See all

Monica was so nice, she had us laughing, I asked her name and told she's the owner So we said you do it all here, yes! I'm the Cook, Clean, Bouncer, Bartender, Security!! It was our first visit here, We both had beef bibimbap x2 I don't do eggs so I gave my to my lady.. The food was fresh and tasty I was happy we meet Monica We'll be by again to try the wings and other Foods for sure read more

See all

Jesse was our server and he gave my party of three the utmost elite service. Extremely attentive and served us our drinks in a timely manner. Was a pleasure to be served by such a great conversationist and gave honest recommendations reflecting our cravings. Will definitely be returning to such an elite service! read more

Delicious Korean food spot with full bar. Went on a Sunday night in November, place was mostly empty. They stay open until midnight. I had ramen and Tera beer. My wife had wings and a Moscow Mule. Ramen was divine!!! Absolutely perfect. There was a healthy amount of meat, the egg was still jammy on the inside. And the broth was succulent. Wings were crispy in a spicy sauce. Definitely will return. read more

Spoon House Korean Cuisine and Cocktails - Wings. - Korean Near Me - Chula Vista, California

See all

What's the point of a twice fried wing if you're just going to get it all soggy with tomato paste? If that was supposed to be gochujang, you had me fooled. Bulgogi was too sweet for me, but maybe you'd like that. Service was good, friendly family. Place seems cool, we were the only people there though. read more

Wow. Never would have I thought I'd find great Korean food in Chula Vista. We were warmly greeted and welcomed by Nick, who was so friendly. He told us we could sit wherever we wanted. The inside of the restaurant is spacious and clean. There's a pool table and tv playing music. My dad would've appreciated the 80's hits being played. There's also a full bar. We ordered our food through a QR code. Our selections were; bulgogi fries (my favorite), Ramen with bulgogi and an egg, and chicken bibimbap bowl for my husband. The bulgogi on the French fries were marinated soooo good. I loved the flavor. The sauce topped on it was fire too. The fries were cooked to crisp perfection. At first, I thought the ramen was ok. It came out piping how and was steaming until the end of our dinner. But I took it home for leftovers and it was a great decision. The bulgogi was tender and the flavors aren't too salty. The bibimbap bowl was a great choice for my husband. He cleaned that bowl up. Whenever we're craving Korean food again, we'll come to Spoon House :) read more

See all

I ordered takeout from this location. Plenty of street parking out front but it is paid. We tried the bulgogi fries and Sundubu with beef. I really enjoyed my soup, I thought the flavor was good and there is a good amount of beef and tofu in it. It came with a side a rice. I thought the bulgogi on the fries was good. We added cheese to our order and in the future I would probably order without because I wasn't a huge fan of the cheese they used. The portion was good though! They asked if I wanted the kimchi with the fries which I did so I'm not sure if it comes with it as a baseline but it really added to the fries. read more

Loved the food and the place is nice, definitely going back and can't wait to try the other plates. I had the beef bugogi rice plate, it was so good! read more

Spoon House Korean Cuisine and Cocktails - Bulgogi Bibimpap- Rice Bowl - Korean Near Me - Chula Vista, California

Really great spot off third avenue and definitely easy to miss if you're not looking for it. I pretty much walked in on a whim cause ya girl was HONGRY. The space itself is very open and has plenty of natural lighting which I loved. I went in the middle of the day and it wasn't busy at all. I ordered the beef bibimbap to go and it was surprisingly A LOT of food and had a lot of flavor; I was pleasantly surprised. Oop! And although I didn't get a drink this time, keep in mind, they have a full bar ;) read more

See all

We love nearby and hadn't tried this place yet so we were super excited. It was very clean inside and had nice decorations, not too cluttered. They have a jukebox so if you're near one of the speakers it will be pretty loud. The chairs are surprisingly comfortable. That's not usually something I pay attention to, but these chairs were nice. We order the fried mandu for the table. I forgot to take a picture before they were almost all gone! They were nice and light. My spouse got the beef bulgogi plate and was very happy. She said the meat was slightly sweeter than she expected, but their homemade hot sauce is AMAZING! That was the true highlight. She needs to bottle and sell it because I'd put it on almost everything I eat. I ordered the bulgogi fries. The white sauce on it was slightly sweet, a little spicy, and completely delicious. The fries were fried and salted well. Our waiter was kind and courteous. He explained the condiments he brought out and let us know all our food might not all come out at the same time as the owner is the only cook in the back. Our point of frustration is that they couldn't split our bill by what each of our smaller parties ordered. They could only split it evenly 4 ways even though that meant everyone would be paying either way more or less than their fair share. I haven't had that happen since the early 00s, so just be aware if you want to bring a group. read more

Spoon House Korean Cuisine and Cocktails - Korean Near Me - Chula Vista, California

Food is great, the employees are amazing and the atmosphere us calm and welcoming. Highly suggest their ramon.

Amazing food and vibe. Monica makes this place feel like home. I recommend the bulgogi fries and spicy Ramen. read more

I got the beef bibimbap to go for $20. I did come in the early afternoon, so there weren't many people eating there and it was pretty empty with not many tables or seats around. There is a pool table off to the side too. It's hard to imagine this being a place for cocktails, but I'm here in the daytime for the food so I don't really care. The food only took about 10 minutes to come out ready to go in a to-go box, and the lady serving up front was nice. The flavors aren't bad, loved the mix of gochujang and sesame oil, but I only took off a star because it was not that filling, wish there was more beef, rice, and veggies. Comes with one sunny side up egg as well. read more

Spoon House Korean Cuisine and Cocktails - Beef Bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Chula Vista, California

LOVE LOVE LOVE IT HERE super clean, supper quick and food is amazing Recommend the bulgogi fries !! Extra sauce !! Service was amazing read more

My friend and I went at the beginning at the moment. We were told that the place has only been opened for four weeks. Decor - Very Sparse Full Bar - Big Plus QR Code for menu- Took a minute for the menu to come up and you have to click on "skip advertisement". Better to look on the board in the front for the updates. Spicy chicken wings- Bold and flavorful but needed to be more crispy and spicier (level 3). Scallion pancake- Good but needed to be more crispier and undercook in the middle. Hot stone soup- It was misleading on the menu as it only stated the soup contained tofu, zucchini and onion. Since there was no protein, we asked for shrimp. After getting it and noticing there was meat, we were told that it is actually cooked in pork broth and some pork may be in it. We also didn't get shrimp as requested. The soup itself was lacking flavor. Bulgogi fries (on the board): Overall, this was our favorite. Meat was flavor well. Fries weren't too big and crispy. The sauce had some spicy. House red sauce was really good. We had mango margarita. We were told that it would be $8. When we got the bill, it was additional $2. When we asked another the charge, we were told it was $2 extra for the agave and mango purée because they are expensive. Also, the price of a bottle of soju should've been listed. Other beers were going for $5-7. $10.95 for a bottle and with no other flavor selection seems pretty pricey. Our server, Esteban, was great Overall, I see potential in this place and hope it continues to improve. read more

See all

Best bulgogi fries I've had in a while. They also have a pool table. Really recommend this place.

It seems like this place can't find it's identity. They're trying things out and trying to keep up with 3rd avenues booming bar scene. HOWEVER. They no longer serve Soju cocktails. Something I thought set this place apart. Now they only offer bottled flavor soju which is too much for me sometimes and I prefer just ordering a cocktail so I don't get drunk too fast. The yokult soju cocktail was something that was really unique for 3rd ave that I would come here specifically for. I mentioned in my last review that the bulgogi fries were over priced. Theres no changing that from a business prospective I get it, but will probably make me come here less.! And they have not really added anything to the menu either so it feels like when I come here I have limited options. I would love for this place to be more authentically Korean and stay in business! But I can see the struggle in real time... read more

Came here on a Friday for lunch. Parking was super easy - it was paid meter parking right in front. I got the Bulgogi Ramen with Egg! Service was great! read more

Spoon House Korean Cuisine and Cocktails - Bulgogi Ramen with Egg - Korean Near Me - Chula Vista, California

We were excited to try this restaurant, after moving away from a favorite called Spoon in Berkeley. When we arrived, we were the first customers for lunch at about noon. We ordered hot green tea, water, two bibimbap dishes, a scallion pancake for the toddler, and a bowl of ramen. Then we waited. And waited. The tortilla arrived alone after 20 minutes or so, with a few napkins and one fork. No plates, tea or water at this point. We had to ask for plates and utensils. Eventually we asked for the tea and water. Food took more than 45 minutes! For simple fare like bibimbap and egg ramen, that's absurd. The food was just ok, nothing special. I can't recommend based on this experience. Other diners who ordered not long after us were still waiting when we left. But to be fair, we wolfed down our food because the wait consumed most of our allotted time. Boo. read more

Quick service. Simple easy menu to follow and great atmosphere especially at night!! Food is authentic. I got the chicken raman with cheese read more

Spoon House Korean Cuisine and Cocktails - Chicken raman with cheese - Korean Near Me - Chula Vista, California

See all

Great to have a korean place in Chula Vista. I like that they have a full bar, not many places in downtown Chula Vista have a full bar.

Didn't think I'd find a Korean spot in Chula Vista! Clean, great service, food came out quickly! I got their chicken bowl it was delicious. read more

Spoon House Korean Cuisine and Cocktails - Chicken Bibimpap- Rice Bowl - Korean Near Me - Chula Vista, California

I am baffled by the almost 5 stars this business receives on yelp. We dined at lunch and we were the 1st ones in the restaurant. It's quite a simple interior but I'm more about the food so that didn't bother me. I have been to Korea and eaten Korean food many times. I know what bibimbap tastes like. Unfortunately, the pork bibimbap arrived very tepid. The egg in fact was cold. This dish is normally served on hot plate to get the rice nice and crusted and the egg will continue to cook in the hot plate. This was served in a bowl and since it arrived almost cold the egg did not continue to cook. Plus the taste was way off from authentic bibimbap. Husband's beef bibimbap was slightly better and warmer. Still the flavors were not right. The bulgogi fries were much better but not nearly worth $16. At half the price it would have been ok. Two dishes and the fries with one soda came to $65. read more

Love this place. The Bulgogi Fries are awesome, along with everything else I've ordered here. Friendly mom and pop. Brand new pool table too! read more

When I went I was a bit skeptical on weather the food would be good. The place was completely empty but there was a lot of pick up traffic. The rice cake was incredibly good and I'm looking forward to stopping by again soon. read more

Cozy with pool table. Food is fast and delicious. Very home made style. Meter parking. read more

Spoon House Korean Cuisine and Cocktails - Korean Near Me - Chula Vista, California

See all

The menu and Yelp reviews looked great but when we arrived during lunch hour the place was empty. Very clean and orderly but quiet and empty, we ordered the big tofu soup and the bulgogi plate. The soup was bland but once we put some provided sesame oil and soy sauce it started to taste like something but I would not order it again. Maybe we are spoiled by the bulgogi back in Orange County but this dish lacked flavor too. No char on the meat and no variation in texture. I was surprised by the lack of sides so the owner brought out a tray of three sides for us to try. They were very good as was the steamed cooked spinach side that came with the bulgogi. For the prices here, I would expect larger portions or higher quality food. The service and cleanliness was 5/5. read more

Spoon House Korean Cuisine and Cocktails - Bulgolgi plate - Korean Near Me - Chula Vista, California

My review is for service, venue and Thai tea. I haven't tried the food (yet). The restaurant itself is very clean and decorated nicely. I think they need more advertisement though. I walk by and it always seems empty. I fear for their survival in the south bay, as Mexican food is always the surviving food type. I hope they make it, because we need variety. The woman who helped us was very kind and welcoming. She was the only one there in the middle of the day. She took time to answer questions about some of the dishes. We were in the middle of a walk, so we didn't stay to eat, but we did grab a Thai tea for the road. I've tried many Thai teas and I think this the best I've had in the Chula Vista area. read more

We came back tonight to try the ramen. GinaBee had the Ramen with boiled egg and Bulgogi and I had the Ramen with boiled egg and Chicken. We chose mild flavor but it still had a little kick. We liked it! The gentleman remembered us from our last visit. Very hospitable. Comfortable and quiet place. read more

See all

My wife and I who is Korean had dinner there last night. Place was empty except for 1 customer which was a shame because the food was excellent. My wife who is very picky really enjoyed her bibimpap and I had tha spicy chicken wings which were very meaty and delicious. Highly recommended this place really don't want to see it fail. Beef Bibimbap Korea Spicy Chicken read more

My friend and I went late afternoon, I'd say around 2:30pm this is located in a Chula Vista downtown area. There are a lot of side parking, both paid and free parking. The restaurant looks really simple and clean when you walk in. There are plants by the big glass windows and some tables by them as well. Since it wasn't as busy, they let you ring the bell by the register so that they can help you out. The wait wasn't that long to be honest, we rang it and they came right away. We ordered soft tofu soup with rice. My friend enjoyed it a lot, she said it was hot and still tastes fresh hehehe. I ordered the scallion pancake and Bulgogi fries, the pancake is good and a nice shareable snack. I didn't expect the fries to be spicy but that's just my low tolerance in spiciness but with the spiciness is a flavorful seasoned fries and beef! I just needed to suck it up and eat it beside it was sooo good! We also love it's location as other stores are nearby and walkable. read more

See all

Humble looking restaurant from the outside and inside but delicious food and excellent service last night. Very generous portions and lots of strictly vegetarian options as well as meat dishes with vegetables sides. Staff was very helpful when we were ordering and navigating through the choices as one of us did not want anything too spicy. Will definitely be back. read more

came here tonight almost till closing, and was greeted by two very nice ladies. we got some drinks and played a round of pool with their brand new pool table. It was so fun and Monica, who I assume is the owner was so funny and sweet. The decor is modern and the restaurant is very clean. We'll definitely be back to try their food! read more