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    Whisper

    4.3 (661 reviews)
    Open 9:30 am - 2:30 pm, 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM
    Updated 1 week ago

    Waitlist - Whisper

    Live Current wait: under 5 minutes

    Whisper Reservations

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    WHISPER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Whisper

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    Gojuchang Fried Chicken
    Diana T.

    We came here for a Saturday dinner. Luckily Yelp allows you to make reservations and we were seated right away. I recommend making reservations as it got busy as the evening went on. My husband and I ordered the Gojuchang Fried Chicken and Kimchi Carbonara, whereas my friend ordered the Nacho Bulgolgi. They were all delicious. I would recommend family style - for me, the Kimchi Carbonara was on the rich side but my husband said he could have eaten the whole dish himself. The Gojuchang Fried Chicken had a nice sweet sauce and it was perfectly fried and stayed crispy amidst the sauce - well executed. Service was friendly and fast. The restaurant was bright and airy. We really enjoyed our meal and will definitely be back to try their brunch items. Parking could be a little tricky. There is a parking structure nearby but it was 95% full when we arrived. The parking gods however were kind to us and we found a spot on the top level even though the sign at the entrance stated that it was "full". Parking can be hit or miss but there is always the option of street parking.

    Marrow Carpaccio
    Alyssa A.

    Beautiful restaurant, amazing staff. You can order plates for yourself or share plates amongst your party, that's what my family and I did. My favorite dishes were the Nori Pasta and Truffle Wagyu TarTar. Honorable mentions to the Bulgogi Nachos and Marrow Carpaccio. The carpaccio was a bit too salty for my taste, but the marrow was nicely done. Great place for big groups! Would come here again.

    All three dishes
    Manoh T.

    I have been wanting to try Whisper for a bit now and finally was able to make some time to go! This Korean fusion place is fun! I had previously been in the space when it was the German place before, but Korean inspired fare? Yes please! Understood that Whisper is popular for brunch, we went for a dinner on a Friday night; brunch items are not all day unfortunately. FYI, they are a spot where your "full party must be present to be seated". It was pretty full but the wait wasn't too long, as I had made a quasi reservation (waitlist) beforehand. I loved the decor and the table settings. More "English tea time" than anything Asian inspired. Even our drinks were cute. (Strawberry lemonade and iced chai latte) Entrees are a little on the pricier side (upper 20s) and we asked for recommendations based on what we liked, items we got: Gochujang Fried Chicken Cast Iron Stone Axe Mentaiko Cream Seafood Jjambbong Nothing was overly spicy- I believe we asked more medium/mild when we could. All the items on the menu were pretty substantial, on the heavier side. But all in all it was a good place to finally try! *Note: They have a neighboring speak-easy downstairs. Such fun if you can score a reservation!

    Sabrina V.

    Great ambiance and brunch place. Kimchi carbonara was the star of the table. Everything else was just okay. Would recommend to try, come early so you don't need to wait. The cast iron dish was a bit bland however and would skip.

    Bone marrow cioppino
    Cindy C.

    An interesting take on Korean fusion breakfast and brunch food. Glad they had the option to put yourself on the Yelp waitlist; we waited 30-40 minutes for a party of two on a Sunday. We started with the gogochung fried chicken appetizer; I thought the dish was a bit too sweet for my liking. I would pass on the bone marrow cioppino next time. I thought the tomato sauce was a little basic and wished it had a more Korean twist. The dish I would order again is the Mentaiko cream seafood jjambbong. The squid was cooked perfectly in the jjambbong, and I really enjoyed its flavors. Dishes are priced at $20-30 a dish, and you order through a QR code. I am interested in trying some of their other dishes, so I'll be back!

    Kimchi carbonara
    Winnie C.

    Came recently to try out this place. Menu is mostly for brunch but also has an interesting fusion Korean + New American Comfort elements. Corn ribs have been on my radar to try for a while. Whisper's version is satisfying and very tasty. I would order this again. I also had a kimchi carbonara. It's creamy and has a slight tang/bite. Instead of the traditional pork cheeks, Whisper's version came with a very tender and tasty braised short ribs. There is no funky fermented kimchi taste at all. I actually crave this a day later. Highly recommended.

    Negi pasta - colorful light pasta . refreshing 4/5
    Melissa L.

    Wonderful ambiance with high ceilings and comfortable seats . service and food were great. Parking can be a bit challenging but we got lucky finding a metered space 2 blocks away. Perfect restaurant to dine and enjoy with family and friends. Will definitely come back to try other items .

    Matcha Pancakes
    Phil L.

    I went there for my birthday brunch and I noticed there was an open section and an upstairs section. The upstairs section felt more exclusive and it was easier to have a conversation. The food was definitely tasty but I had a few observations. Gogi Morning beef was tasty but the egg was a tad bit overcooked as the yolk started to harden. Yolk was still runny! The matcha pancake had a great cream top with a good subtle hint of matcha taste. It's a great alternative to the traditional pancake setup with syrup. The creme brulee French toast was definitely a star! Not too sweet and can actually be eaten on its own without the syrup. Iced Pandan latte was alright, I'd rather go to a Vietnamese coffee shop that specializes in that. But it was still a solid drink! Ambiance was very lively with many parties excited over the menu and seeing what they should try. Service was very prompt and friendly!

    Michelle N.

    We came here for a girls day brunch and I'm so glad our friend made a reservation ahead of time because it was so busy! - PARKING - We couldn't get a street spot so we parked in the nearby parking structure and walked over. - SERVICE/ENVIRONMENT - Beautiful tall ceilings with upper and lower level dining areas. The upper level is pretty small and tight, but they make it work. We checked in with the host and it took some time to get some parties seated but we eventually got taken to the upper level. It might've been harder for staff to make rounds since we were on the upper level in the corner, as it took some time for them to come get our order. We also asked for shared plates but had to flag staff twice before they almost doubled up on the request. - FOOD - We ordered the following to share amongst the 4 of us: - Corn Ribs - Creme Brulee French Toast - Kimchi Carbonara - Pork Belly Benedict We were all satisfied at the end as it was a good amount of food. My favorite was probably the Kimchi Carbonara. - OVERALL - A nice brunch spot with Asian flavors that make breakfast dishes more interesting!

    Jaylene L.

    This was our first time trying Whisper after seeing so many positive Yelp reviews. We joined the Yelp waitlist before arriving, checked in with the staff, and were pleasantly surprised to be called much sooner than the estimated wait time. The restaurant is fairly spacious with high ceilings, but that also makes it very loud once it's busy. Conversation can be a bit difficult because of the noise level. The food was just okay--not bad, but not memorable. The pasta I ordered was very creamy and quite heavy. We also tried the cast iron beef dish. I really enjoyed the crispy mixed potato tots, but the overall dish felt a little greasy, perhaps because of the cast iron skillet. The beef itself was tender, but it lacked seasoning and flavor. I think serving it with more kimchi to mix with the rice would really help balance the richness and add more flavor. The biggest disappointment was the service. The staff all seemed to be constantly running around and extremely busy, making it difficult to get anyone's attention. I only needed a refill of water and some extra napkins, but I had to flag down multiple servers before anyone responded. Even then, one server brought the water while another later brought the napkins. It wasn't a huge request, but it felt unnecessarily difficult to get basic service. Overall, Whisper has a nice atmosphere and a convenient Yelp waitlist system, but the food didn't quite live up to the hype, and the service needs to be more attentive. I'd consider giving it another try, but this first visit was just average.

    Truffle wagyu yukke
    Maggie W.

    Whisper has been on my to try list for the longest time- if you show up in person, they may be able to seat you quicker than if you just sign up on the Yelp waitlist! I came here with a party of 5 on a Sunday, and the hostess managed to get us in relatively quickly. Deciding what to get here was the hardest part. Everything looked and sounded amazing. I opted for two appetizers (the truffle wagyu yukke and lox and cream cheese), my friends ordered the gogi morning, the Latin Sunrise, the Morning Edition, and a side of apple chicken sausage. I enjoyed the truffle wagyu yukke- it was a bit sweet (likely due to the shingo pear) and I didn't get strong hints of truffle from the truffle oil (maybe truffle salt or flakes would've been stronger?), but I enjoyed it and found the dish refreshing. The lox and cream cheese was good, but I wouldn't get it again just because they have so many more specialty dishes that you wouldn't be able to find anywhere else! My favorite was the gogi morning (my friend subbed out the potato wedges for French fries- this was definitely the right choice!). The beef was so tender and sweet, and the caramelized onions and croissant added an amazing buttery and sweet taste to the dish that wasn't too overwhelming. The fries were seasoned so well and fried perfectly. I'm obsessed. Whisper is one of many Asian inspired brunch places that does what they do very well.

    Joanne J.

    A beautiful brunch spot with lovely ambiance, luxurious decor, attentive servers, and great food! MUST ORDER: Kimchi Carbonara Pasta My friend and I went on a weekday so there was no wait, but I hear it can get pretty crazy on the weekends. We ordered the Red Dawn Benedict which is a Korean fried chicken Benedict with the potato medley as well as the Kimchi Carbonara. The Benedict was good but nothing to write home about, but the kimchi carbonara was absolutely amazing. The creaminess was cut by the tangy kimchi and I also liked that it had some meat in it for protein. I thoroughly enjoyed this fusion pasta and will definitely be back for this dish in particular.

    Christine D.

    FLAVOR (4/5): It's always so interesting to see fusion brunch spots! Loved the truffle cream mushroom appetizer and kimchi carbonara. The sweet and salty was a good croffle but the chicken batter could have been better and crispier. INSTAGRAM WORTHY (5/5): Interior is beautiful, two stories! The plating of the food is so appetizing you just have to take a picture of it type of food. SERVICE (5/5): Friendly staff, food came out quickly! They take reservations here as well. TAKEAWAYS: I enjoyed the variety they have on the menu and the aesthetics of this place. Parking is street parking but the surrounding streets have quite a bit of street parking. Dog friendly!

    Gogi Morning Benedict

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    Whisper Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Whisper

    Are you pet friendly?

    It's indoor, I don't think so

    Do you take reservations?

    Yes, they have reservations on their website. Super easy to make

    Where should I park?

    There is metered street parking everywhere but there are also a bunch of parking structures around. The one on second is the closest.

    View All 5 Questions

    Daeho Kalbijjim & Beef Soup

    Daeho Kalbijjim & Beef Soup

    4.4
    (979 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$$

    This Daeho location definitely feels busier than the others -- the wait can run 1-2 hours! We put…read moreourselves on the waitlist and hung out in the car. Pro tip: when you get in, you order first before being seated, especially the kalbijjim since it takes a long time to make. The kalbijjim, of course, is the star of the show and never ceases to amaze me. The veggies inside are flavorful and tender from marinating in the sauce for hours, and the beef is fall-off-the-bone tender and plentiful. It's expensive, but worth every penny -- and with the cheese torched on top, it's just perfect. We also got the bibimbap and steamed mandu, japchae, and they were amazing too. Service was great -- attentive even with the crowds. There's street parking, but 3rd Ave is busy, so your best bet is the parking lot nearby. Come hungry and be patient -- it's worth it!

    This is easily one of our absolute favorite places to go when we don't feel like cooking dinner…read more While we've noticed that their galbi jjim has declined over the years--becoming noticeably sweeter--their soups have kept us coming back. These days, we go for the seolleongtang. Our top picks are the combination seolleongtang and the yukgaejang (spicy brisket soup). The combination soup is rich, hearty, and feels like drinking pure liquid collagen. If you're craving something with a kick, the spicy brisket soup offers a much deeper, more savory, and flavorful spice profile.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    B3. Doh Gal Jjim (Tendon) (EX) -@tinah
    B3. Doh Gal Jjim (Tendon) (EX) -@tinah
    Oxtail kalbijijim

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    Oxtail kalbijijim
    Olhso House

    Olhso House

    4.2
    (408 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$$$
    Locally owned & operated
    Minority-owned & operated

    AMAZING! Jaw dropping, drooling over culinary taste!…read more We ordered all their specialties from their live fire menu. It's grilled in the back over Binchotan Emberhaus. Then they bring it to your table with a hot coal platter to warm up the meat! Amazing!!! The meat selections were out this world! Their short rib meat and the pork belly melted in your mouth! I cannot wait to go back!

    TL;DR: 1. Mediocre…read moreby Korean standards, above average for the Bay Area. But normalize for price and Daeho and plenty of other options are clearly better. 2. Atrocious management that puts this new place on a path to fail quickly. 3. Staff initially tried hard to help, but four dishes we ordered never arrived; instead, we were simply brought the check. Details: The one star is for management. The food itself is mediocre by Korean standards, though above average for the Bay Area. I booked through Resy with no indication that there were menu limitations. And outside of different tiers of KBBQ AYCE, what exactly is a "menu limitation" anyway? After we sat down, we were told that the prix fixe menu is only available at tables with a grill. The irony is that, regardless of which table you sit at, all of the food is actually cooked in the kitchen. Our table had a warming tray plus a candle-lit skillet--the candle went out about two minutes after the waiter lit it. There are also two layers of air between the food and the heat source, with so much space in between that you could fit a SpaceX rocket there. The service staff initially tried hard to help with the discrepancy between what was bookable and what was actually available, and I was ready to give them five stars for trying. After all, the policy isn't their fault. We then ordered the remaining meats on the menu so I could actually assess the full offering. Instead of receiving them, we were simply brought the check. That makes any substantive review of the food inherently incomplete, but here goes: * The non-prix-fixe menu has a total of eight meat options: two pork (jowl and belly), one chicken, and five beef (two kalbi preparations, skirt steak, bulgogi, and tongue). * We had the pork jowl and belly. Both are hard to mess up given the fat content, and they were fine. The bigger problem is the setup: the heat source is simply too weak to keep the protein warm. * We also had the salted kalbi and beef tongue. The kalbi was forgettable--thankfully not oversauced, but neither exceptionally marbled nor fall-off-the-bone tender. The beef tongue was chewy; despite the flower-cut preparation, it could certainly have used more tenderization. * We ordered the chicken, skirt steak, OLHSO kalbi, and bulgogi. They miraculously never came. Instead, we got the check. So I honestly cannot comment on the rest of the available menu, because I was never given the chance to taste it despite having ordered it.

    Photos
    Olhso House
    Olhso House
    Olhso House

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    Han Sang

    Han Sang

    4.2
    (497 reviews)
    4.4 mi
    $$

    I've been here twice now, once for the Galbitang and once for the Galbi Jjim. The Galbitang was SO…read moregood! The soup was really refreshing, comforting, and flavorful. I would definitely come back just for the Galbitang. The Galbi Jjim was also delicious, although it wasn't my personal favorite compared to other restaurants. We ordered Level 2 Spicy, but it wasn't quite as spicy as we expected. The beef was very tender, and the sauce worked really well with everything. There were potatoes, radish, glass noodles, and kabocha mixed in, and all the flavors and textures came together nicely. Service was also really good and efficient. Everyone was super friendly and attentive. Overall, definitely a place I'd come back to, especially for the Galbitang!

    Good soup and spacious interior…read more I like their soft tofu soup bc you get to choose two additional ingredients to add. The ramen always hits the spot, and the meats are not dried out (both the beef rib and the pork belly have been good imo when I ordered it). The tofu is delicate and soft and the soup is savory and delicious. It comes with rice (I love their purple rice, it's so chewy and cooked well) which makes it a filling meal. The sul long tang was good to try, I had the chadol yangji sul long tang. The beef was okay, and it came with white noodles. There is salt and pepper on the table to season the soup with. It's perfect for when it is cold outside. I did enjoy trying the purple rice with a bite of kimchi and dipping it into the soup, the contrast of creamy savory vs sour spicy blended well in a bite. It was exciting to try something new that I hadn't had before. The jjin mandu was good. The pork filling is tender inside and the dipping sauce paired well overall. The gal bi jjim was massive and tender. Bones coming off just like that. The sweet soy sauce was very delicious and deep into the beef short ribs. Must have been cooking for a long time. Every bite was so good lol. So tender!! The rice cakes were a bit too chewy imo, but overall it was a good dish as there were also glass noodles, radish, and kabocha in there as well to feast on. Their banchan is hella good lol, it's only kimchi, radish kimchi, and fishcake but all three are executed well imo. I looove it. So good. Their tea is good as well, I like that it's in a container you can keep pouring yourself. Same goes for the water.

    Photos
    Receipt/tab holder
    Receipt/tab holder
    OX/RIB Jjim
    OX/RIB Jjim
    Gal Bi Jjim (@joeynht)

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    Gal Bi Jjim (@joeynht)
    Rin-Tei

    Rin-Tei

    4.7
    (1.2k reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Takes reservations

    Visited on a Friday night with a friend, restaurant was about half full when we arrived so we were…read moreable to quickly grab a table. Space is minimalist with a clean aesthetic. As we finished dinner most tables were taken but a few bar seats were open so a solid spot for walk in dinner. Beverages: Sake Flight - we got the daily japanese flight which had a fun mix of sakes from japan two filtered sakes and one unfiltered giving us a range of tastes and textures Food: Vegetable Spring Roll - good, very light and refreshing, classic rice paper wrapper filled with crisp fresh lettuce, bell pepper, radishes, and carrots, served with a thick creamy peanut sauce with nice savory nutty notes a great starter Japanese Style Chili Garlic Poached Chicken - excellent, served chilled, tender poached chicken in a delicious spicy garlicy soy sesame dressing, served with cucumber which provided a nice cool refreshing bite, really well balanced with great depth of flavor Soy milk pho with chicken & vegetables- good, a very unique and interesting take on pho, broth has a subtle soy milk flavor with a nice depth from the chicken broth, served with flat rice noodles which made this a lighter dish, chicken in this was also very tender and juicy, the yuzu kosho added a nice subtle citrusy spice to the broth, noodles had a slight bite wish it was cooked just a touch longer, flavors were really balanced as well with lots of complexity Service was good, really quick and efficient, staff was warm and friendly and were knowledgeable about the menu with solid recommendations. Staff refilled our water throughout the meal and checked in periodically. Pacing of dishes also felt just right not much of a wait between courses. Overall really enjoyed our meal at Rin-Tei, a great spot for a nice dinner that's still fairly affordable for the bay area. Really loved the fusion and unique twist this spot offers. Definitely worth a try if you are in San Mateo

    I wanted to like this so bad. This was highly recommended by many folks, but now I'm questioning…read moretheir taste buds haha. Very clean and cute eatery with an adorable entrance. You enter and check in at the front where you will be seated and given menus. Once you decide on your order, you head back to the front to place your order and they'll bring it to your table later. Our order... Creamy Soy Milk Pho $25: It's straight forward, taste like pho with soy milk in it. The dish doesn't open some new flavor combo in your taste buds, just expect it as is. Keema Curry $23: I liked this a lot, fan of curry. However, this wasn't spectacular curry. Tasted as good as I can make it at home, but I'm not a great cook, just follow the instructions on the box. I liked the flavor but bummed that I paid that much for it, haha. I was very confused it tasted as such. Vietnamese Papaya Salad $12: Another of my favorites dishes, but boyyyy, this missed the mark. It was so strangely bitter. Again, the ingredients seemed quite fresh, but the sauce (which makes the whole dish) did not taste good. I would avoid. One note I will say is that the ingredients do seem fresh. I guess it could be considered clean eating? But over all, the visit was disappointing unfortunately.

    Photos
    Cold Sesame TanTan Pho
    Cold Sesame TanTan Pho
    Creamy Soy Milk Pho with Poached Yuzu Chicken and Greens
    Creamy Soy Milk Pho with Poached Yuzu Chicken and Greens
    Azuki Mochi Ice

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    Azuki Mochi Ice
    OLHSO Truck

    OLHSO Truck

    4.5
    (40 reviews)
    2.5 mi
    Large group friendly
    Catering service

    Was thinking of having Korean for dinner and decided to give the food truck a try. We ordered the…read moreSeoul set which was kimchi,belly pork,prawns and vegetables stir fry served with rice and 2 sides of kimchi and corn salad. Order was delivered to the house in 20 minutes and the presentation and taste was beyond our expectations . The ingredients in the dish tasted fresh and delicious. Would definitely try again.

    I've been wanting to try OLHSO Truck since it opened and finally had my chance during a catered…read moreevent. The concept of having Korean food cooked in a robotic food truck is interesting to me. Since the food was catered, unfortunately I was unable to see the robots cooking in action, but fortunately was able to taste the final products. I was able to try the Wagyu galbi (short ribs), dak galbi (marinated chicken), Seoul food bowl (stir-fried pork belly and shrimp), and japchae, served with their corn salad, kimchi, and white rice. The Wagyu galbi was very flavorful with a good amount of vegetables; though I enjoyed the inclusion of lotus root, the veggies seemed like borderline filler to skimp out on meat. The dak galbi was also flavorful though spicy, and again the inclusion of rice cakes seemed like filler. The pork belly and shrimp were delicious, and I liked that the pieces of pork belly I had didn't have an overpowering amount of fat. The japchae was pretty standard and was nice to balance out the meat. I enjoyed the corn salad because it added a creamy component to my meal. The kimchi got lost in the mixture of food in my bowl and the rice was cooked perfectly by the robot. Overall, I enjoyed the food prepared by OLHSO Truck. Unfortunately, since the food was catered and already prepared when I arrived, I cannot comment on the service or wait times provided by the staff. I would consider ordering food from the truck if I am craving Korean fusion type of food and am too lazy to dine in at a local Korean restaurant. If the food from the truck is a good representation of the restaurant in downtown San Mateo, I am more inclined to try the restaurant for a nice sit down dining experience.

    Photos
    Wagyu Galbi
    Wagyu Galbi
    Seoul Food
    Seoul Food
    Dak Galbi

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    Dak Galbi
    Kajiken

    Kajiken

    4.4
    (1.5k reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    Kajiken was the perfect Michelin-recommended lunch stop before my flight out of SFO! There was a…read moreshort line when I arrived, but the staff turned tables quickly and kept everything moving efficiently, so the wait wasn't long at all. I ordered their #1 recommendation, the Homura Aburasoba, and immediately scarfed it down. Popping the perfectly runny egg yolk into the noodles was incredibly satisfying, and every bite was packed with rich, savory umami. The noodles themselves were thick, chewy, and had a great bite that held up well to the sauce. I also tried the Wagyu dish, but it arrived more cooked than it appeared in the photos, which made the texture and overall experience a bit underwhelming. The sauce also leaned on the creamier side, which isn't my favorite pairing with Wagyu, so I'd probably skip that one next time. That said, the Homura Aburasoba alone is worth coming back for and easily earns Kajiken a well-deserved 5/5.

    Kajiken is an Aburasoba Japanese restaurant serving brothless noodles in downtown San Mateo. There…read moreis often a long line of people waiting. Their noodles are homemade and their secret sauce gives the noodles balance and umami. Nearby Taishoken has a similar offering. 4.5 on Yelp and Google. We waited about 30 minutes after lining up at 5pm on a weekend. Got Ubereats in summer 2026. Note: No public phone number Safety Pluses - Online menu, Delivery services available, online ordering. Food Review: Takoyaki ($9.50) had 6 good sized balls with octopus, takoyaki sauce, mayo and bonito flakes. Decent. 7.5/10 Pan fried Gyoza ($8.50) are pork & vegetable pan eggless fried dumplings. Not overly crisp. Solid. 7.5/10 Homura Aburasoba ($19) They suggest you mix the eggless noodles for 20 seconds to ensure full coating. Noodles are very al dente and better than expected. You can choose the type of egg you want. It takes getting used to no broth. 8.5/10 Nikumori Aburasoba ($20) has spicy minced pork, pork slices and more. 8.5/10 Original Aburasoba ($16.45) does away with the egg and is still a solid simpler version. 9/10 Overall - Very Good Food - Very Good Decor - Very Good Service - Good Value - Very Good Would we come back - Yes

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Oroshi Ponzu Karaage($10)
    Oroshi Ponzu Karaage($10)
    Complimentary Accoutrements ($0) Vinegar, Chili Oil, Dried Garlic, Sesame seeds, & Chili Powder

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    Complimentary Accoutrements ($0) Vinegar, Chili Oil, Dried Garlic, Sesame seeds, & Chili Powder
    K. Grill & Tofu House

    K. Grill & Tofu House

    4.1
    (901 reviews)
    6.3 mi
    $$

    The soft tofu stew and Korean food were so delicious! And the staff was incredibly kind. I really…read moreenjoyed my Korean meal

    Am I in San Bruno or Seoul? The minute I walk in, I see majority asians and hear a good amount of…read morethe Korean language. Our server was a ajumma with a Korean accent, and I instantly felt like this place is authentically Korean, even to Koreans. Service is very quick even when busy, and the banchan comes out after you place your order. I came at 6PM on a Sunday and the restaurant had a few tables open. They can fill up quick, and appears to accommodate large parties by moving tables together. This is one of the few places I've been where they serve a fried mackerel with banchan iykyk. I ordered a Kimchi Jjim and seafood pancake. First off, their portions are large and their tables are small, so i found myself organizing our small table for two considering the banchan, water, bowls, rice, and main courses. The Kimchi Jjim was amazing - a good kick of flavorful and is not too spicy. They cut the kimchi after bringing the soup, just like how they do it in Korea. There was a lot of pork and substance in the soup, and it felt of really good value given how much you need to prepare to make a bowl of it. The seafood pancake was also a hit, but I recommend ordering and sharing amongst 4 people. It's a little oily, but the seafood taste and substance are not skimped on. It tasted freshly fried given how crispy it was, and was overall an enjoyable dish. With prices and portions in balance, it's no wonder this is one of the few places with a line out the door around 6:30PM on a Sunday. Given how many Koreans came here, I wouldn't doubt that this place falls any short of authentic Korean food. If you're a fan of Korean food and some lesser known Korean dishes, then you're in for a treat. Make sure to come early to avoid the wait, since the restaurant is a little small and spots can fill up quick.

    Photos
    Indoor ambiance
    Indoor ambiance
    Banchan
    Banchan
    Galbi $38

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    Galbi $38

    Whisper - breakfast_brunch - Updated August 2026

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