Joo Mak
4828 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA, 94118
Joo Mak Menu
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Address :
4828 Geary Blvd
San Francisco, CA, 94118 - Phone (415) 379-6250
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :5:00 pm - 2:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Late Night
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Abby S.
I just got my rainbow roll. It's AMAZING! Can't wait for the rest of my food to come. They are so nice.
(5)Ron D.
I randomly stumbled in here and I am glad I did. Everything I've tried here so far were all very good. Potato Croquette, Dragon, Lion King, and Dynamite rolls = two thumbs up haha. The must haves are the Korean Fried Chicken (6 fairly large pieces, comes with spicy mayo and daikon) and the Kimchi fried rice with Spam. Really nice spot to take on a date, modern looking, they play music, staff are friendly and attentive. I gave it five stars, because they have Japanese and Korean beers (OB and Hite).
(5)Cindy A.
Fresh good fish. The sushi chef Sam cuts his fish very well, so the flavors of the good fish are not wasted. I recommend the Joo Mak Roll has hamachi, tuna, salmon, flavored tabiko, and a quail egg. It's my favorite and I get it every time. Ask what's fresh, this time around they had osysters very very fresh and delicious. Good menu with Korean favorites like Bimbimbap and Seafood Pancake, and tasty Japanese favorites of all kind of different sushi rolls. It's is pricey so get ready to spend money and eat like a Buddha!! It's a izakaya so I recommend you share all plates with friends and drink like a Korean!
(5)Linda L.
Great chill social restaurant for great fish. Toro was amazing, uni was outstanding! After my first taste with a friend I went 3 times within 7 days! Def worth a try and if you don't like sushi they have Korean food too. Plenty of dishes so it's so easy to come back often and eat something different. Sushi chef Sam always gives us something new. you can tell he enjoys the craft and loves to give you an experience or taste you haven't experienced before.
(5)Dr Love L.
The restaurant does not state all the toppings on each dish and we had a horrible experience with our dinner . We were ill after we ate there and are considering making a complaint for the with the San Francisco health department . Also my partner made a post on YELP and somehow it does not show so the restaurant must advertise with Yelp. Not to be trusted at all upper management of Yelp if this is the case
(1)danny h.
Now one of my new favorite late night joints. The food is good and the customer service is amazing .
(5)Sandy C.
Wow !! Another great dinner at joomak. We ordered garlic fried chicken and it was so good I also liked their stone pot rice. Yum~~~ sashimi was very fresh. Oysters and live uni along with cold sake was fun. I am so glad I found this place.
(5)john s.
I was there for the soft opening, and they are on the right track. We ordered a strong sampling of the menu and they really delivered. The hamachi carpaccio really impressed me, fresh wasabi and capers is now one of my favorite combinations. In my life, I had pretty much given up on yakatori after being scorned by the ashes of what I ordered on a stick, but here they do it right; moist, succulent meat on a stick. It is good to go somewhere on the advice of a friend and actually enjoy everything enough to write a review, rather than pretending to forget. I will be back.
(5)Xing D.
quite place with everything being nice. I ordered a lot of food following the recommendation, and the Salmon Poke is the favorite.
(5)Ariel S.
Family oriented, great quality in foods and presentations. I love the tastes and aroma of the food in this restaurant. A great hole in a joint find in the big city of SF. Can not get enough of this place! Did you know that Joo Mak in korean means "drinking house"???? No wonder so many people eat and drink here! :) plus 2 smart TV in here too!
(5)Alexa L.
3.5 stars. A nice assortment of Korean and Japanese items to choose from on the menu. We ended up getting: Chicken heart skewer - quite tasty Rice stick wrapped bacon skewer- yummy Wish that their skewers were just 1 skewer (rather than 2), and cheaper so I could get more variety. Kimchi seafood pancake- pretty standard. Good dipping sauce. Assorted fish poke- ended up being mostly ahi, very little salmon, hamachi. I don't know what I was expecting but left a little disappointed. The fish seemed of medium freshness, had cucumber and onion. A bit of a kick. Def not the poke I remember eating in Hawaii. Maybe this is their "take". Joo mak roll- good presentstion! had raw quail egg on top w tobiko but could have overpowered the rest of the fish. Not worth $15 for 4 pieces to me. Overall, a good dinner of assorted Japanese and Korean foods. Friendly service. What we ordered was not that unique to me. A bit on the $$ side. Probably would not go back.
(3)Stephanie L.
I came here for a birthday celebration/gathering with some friends. The service was really friendly and fast. The waiter came over to check on us a couple of times, which I really liked. The food was amazing! We ordered the salmon poke, sashimi, seafood pancake, & more. The food was really fresh. Keep up the good work! I will be coming back Joo Mak!
(5)K M.
It was just okay . Not the best but not the worst. Be advised that the prices can creep up . For 2 of us the bill was about $110
(3)Vicki T.
it was alright. expensive for what it was - got the bibimbap with the beef. wouldn't say it was amazing and it was about $14? my friend got the stone pot and really liked it and the gyoza looked alright, seaweed salad wasn't really anything to write home about. not certain i'll be going back as there wasn't anything special to go back for... esp not the price... the waiter was very nice, though, and the music was jamming... like a club... k-pop... style...
(3)Heather A.
Really yummy food. Fantastically awesome staff! A great place to try something you've never eaten before with good traditional dishes mixed with more common items for those less adventurous.
(5)Stephanie W.
Fresh food and great service! The sashimi platter has a good selection for a very reasonable price, but I was disappointed in the quality of the hamachi and white tuna. I was hoping for more flavor on their pork belly skewer, but other than that this place is pretty good and I would come back again.
(4)Rebecca L.
A quiet, clean place with great staff.
(4)Clare C.
Nice place , new , and clean ! Just opening , it's Korean and Japanese food . I like all the small dishes , keep my diet and I have my stomach to drink more ! Lol ! Cheers (^o^)/
(5)Jan J.
This place serves japanese and korean food. The kimchi fried rice was just spicy and I didnt taste the kimchi, the sashimi took forever to come but the pieces were big. the skewers were simple and cant go wrong unless they burn it.
(3)Melissa Y.
MY FAVORITE (non-AYCE) KOREAN RESTAURANT! Street parking is fairly easy to find at night if you circle the block. Walking in, you're immediately greeted with a warm welcome. It's usually not too busy when I go after 8PM. I've tried many dishes at this place and everything has been wonderful! Fresh, flavorful, and totally satisfying! The service is amazing. So friendly and warm, I feel very well taken care of! Great place for dinner, a date, or a group get together for soju! Open late, so very convenient when you get hungry later in the night! Definitely becoming a regular at this place!!
(5)NaiYou Z.
People, don't come. Food taste bad, period. We order four skewers, They are not grilled, they taste like microwaved. Also the kimchi fired rice taste not fresh. I think they use microwave to cook everything. The only normal part is the little salad come with the fired rice. Just stay away. Save ur Money.
(1)Carol C.
Trendy little spot that just opened up a few weeks ago. I generally prefer little homey hole-in-the-walls for authentic and tasty foodstuffs, so I was a little wary of this place. I've been to too many sleek modern dim lounge-y Asian fusion places that largely cater to the pre/post-clubbing groups dressed all sparkly and downing soju and lychee martinis with wild abandon. These places generally serve mediocre faire and ridiculous prices. Gulp. But Yelp seemed to approve of Joo Mak so I bravely ventured in!!! Not many people here, the space is really nicely decorated - modern without being in-your-face. Our servers were extremely nice and helpful, giving us recommendations, and checking up on us regularly. This place has more tapas-style options, good for ordering a variety of small plates and sharing with a few other people. Spicy rice cakes (dokbokki) are one of my fave dishes and this place does it fantastically!!! Sooo good! The fish roe stone pot bibimbap was also standout, very unique - really wonderful medley of flavors and textures. Kalbi skewers were good too and presented very nicely. We also got the takoyaki, which didn't have quite enough octopus, but the sauce was great and they piled on the bonito flakes. Mmmmm! Price-wise, not too bad. Between the two of us, we ordered 4 plates and we were pleasantly full. Came down to about 16 bucks a person so pretty good for the high quality of the dishes. Would definitely be curious to try out their other food and drank sometime!
(4)Tao Tao W.
went here last night for dinner and wasn't all that impressed. They are a korean and sushi restaurant but more of the japanese tapas style. We went here because I wanted sushi and the bf wanted korean. The place is small and has a nice ambiance. They def remember customers and service was decent. They give you hot tea but our tea wasn't that hot until the second round. I got the Sashimi Veggie with Rice aka hwe dup bop but sans rice for $18. Quality was ok. it comes iwth salmon, tuna, and white tuna and some roe but that's about it. Quantity wasn't that much at all for $18. i have gone to other places that give you a lot more. The bf got the Bi Bim Bap which he confused with the Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap so he wasn't too happy with that. You would think though that a Korean place would have that but they didn't ahve the bowls. FOr $10, so not worth it. It didn't even come with meat and was small portion too. I've gone to plenty of other places where you get protein of some sort with it. We also got the combo poke for $15 which was pretty decent but a little strong on the soy sauce.
(2)Dean W.
I am writing this review as I am still sitting in the restaurant starving. First off, I'd like to say the food is really good, especially the oysters, and squid appetizer. However, the service is horrible. My group is the only party in here and it took the chef 20 minutes to prepare 3 rolls and that was after I called over the waiter and told him it was ridiculous and impossible that this is happening. I don't care how good the food is here, I will never come back again. We spent $130, and left hungry, and irritated. The Jack in the Box across the street is highly recommended after eating here.
(1)Jimmy D.
Alright check this out yo. I score a hot date with this artist from Princeton so now I'm on the hunt for a good restaurant. My good friend Al recommended this place to me. I figure hey, sushi, perfect. Steak is a terrible first date option cause you never wanna show the misses how big of a lard you are ordering that 32 oz Tomahawk rib-eye, at least not on date numero uno. Amiright? Then you have my other boy Rich who gets friendzoned after a first date at Gary Dankos. You're setting yourself up for failure there kiddo. How are you going to top that? That's too much pressure. Sushi has just the right amount of exquisiteness without going overboard. I told the lovely waitress so surprise us with something nice for starters. She came back with these pork belly skewers that was to die for. We washed it down with some rice wine in a kettle. It ain't no Old Fashioned, but it really complemented the meal rather nicely. Next was an assortment of raw fish. Holy cannoli these were good. If I had known raw fish could taste like this, the Battle of Saint-Mihiel would have been a lot more comfortable if you know what I mean. The waitress came back with a 'sake infused black cod' complements of the chef. He must've overheard my stay at Walter Reed as he gave me 'the nod' and a thumbs up. Right on, Bro Zedong, right on. As far as the ambiance was concerned, I was really impressed. It had a relaxed atmosphere, but not too quiet. There were a few guys enjoying that barbaric game they call 'football' at the bar. I don't understand it. 1st and goal with under a minute left? HEY, LET'S GIVE THE BALL TO EVERYBODY EXCEPT THIS BEHEMOTH OF A MAN WE PAID $19 MILLION DOLLARS TO LITERALLY RUN THROUGH PEOPLE WITH. Oh? That didn't work? LET'S GIVE OUR LAST PLAY TO THE SCRAWNIEST MAN ON THE FIELD AND SEND HIM THROUGH THAT BERLIN WALL THEY SET UP. But hey, to each their own right? After our meal, I asked the waitress if I could meet the chef and thank him for the lovely meal. I was soon trembling, shaking hands with this stud of a man. It was amazing how his skull crushing grip was just delicately making origami out of raw fish. Imagine the damage he could do with a baseball bat. I invited him over to have a few drinks with us. He stayed around for a bit but then had to go because he gathers up the left over food from the day and donates it to the local food bank right before 1 AM. He wanted to leave a little earlier tonight because he was apparently attacked by crack whores the night before who kept taking selfies in hopes that they could find an instagram filter that won't result in an overwhelming amount of reports of offensive material. Kudos man, Kudos. Whether you're here for a relaxed romantic time or to shout obscenities at a television screen with these buffoons you call your friends (And you guys wonder why you're single), you can certainly count on this place to not disappoint. P.S: There was this one Korean man that sat alone in the corner doing absolutely nothing the entire time I was there except occasionally walking out to smoke. I wasn't sure if he was just there to pack heat or if he was just a hobo, but other than that I have no complaints of this place.
(5)Erica L.
Joo Mak, I like that you guys have two of my favorite foods - Korean and Japanese! I wouldn't say the menu is overwhelming, but you definitely have a lot of options. I was happy that I could order sashimi/nigiri and also be able to order a spicy soft tofu soup at the same time! My friend and I pretty much ordered a bunch of nigiri (toro, hamachi, hotate, uni, and tai), yakitori (chicken liver and beef tongue), and spicy soft tofu soup. I thought that the fish was pretty good, not the best I've had, but decent. I wasn't really impressed with the chicken liver or the beef tongue (you can pass on those two for sure). The spicy soft tofu soup was pretty good though. Next time I'll probably ask them to make it a little spicier. We were interested in the raspberry wine and had a few questions about the taste (we didn't want something too sweet). The server convinced us to try it, so we did! We liked it so much that we ordered another bottle after we finished it! So I was initially going to give Joo Mak 3 stars overall, however, the service was so great, that I decided to bump their rating to 4 stars. The server was very friendly and we had very pleasant interactions with her. Joo Mak, I will see you guys soon!
(4)Karen L.
Hmmm.... My friends had made great comments online so I really wanted to try this place. Unfortunately, I didn't agree with what their review were. I didn't like anything I ordered. Maybe they ordered something really different... I don't know. I ordered the roll with all the eggs on top, the roll with double albacore, the special (giant clam $25), Liver skewer, agadashi tofu, and Japanese sausage. - liver skewer was waaaay over cooked. It was really dry. Not good at all. - joo mak roll was hard to eat. It's not a one bite sushi which makes it messy and hard to eat. I didn't care for the combination of fish in there either. - giant clam..... This was my first time ordering it. I wish I didn't. $25 for something that was OK. I think murugai or albalone is much tastier. My mistake of ordering something new. - agadashi tofu. They use a firm tofu which changes the smoothness of this dish. Soft tofu is more commonly used for this dish. - Japanese sausage skewer. You can't really mess this up. It was good but I wish they had hot mustard on the side. The ambiance is really cool. It's very laid back and a great place to get drinks and small bites. I really want to give this place a second chance with their Korean menu. Price: Pretty reasonable. Cheaper than most Japanese and Korean places. Looks like great place to drink and have snacks with friends. Waitress was very nice. She gave us complimentary miso soup. It doesn't have wakame :(.
(2)Eddie H.
Joo mak..can you close this restaurant for fuk sakes. Girlfriend and I went there to try new restaurant and both end up having upset stomach. Would give negative 5stars if I can. Food there was not fresh at all, the skewers taste Iike is marinated and leave outside the fridge for a week. Kimchi fried rice, omg, don't even wanna talk about it. For the love of humankind, don't go to this restaurant if you want to live longer.
(1)Manda Bear B.
***************************** 1,049 ******************************* Joo Mak is another Izakaya Korean-Japanese spot. Spacious, but small little tiny bar that seats 6 people max. I find this plate lighting was more intimate, warmer and inviting. It's still a casual spot, but somehow I enjoy the vibe. Sushi chef Sam is really nice. He recommend us a few dishes and we went for it. - Spicy tofu seafood Korean soup, sizzling hot good. - Beef Tartare, Korean style with quail egg yolk, jicama, seaweed, cucumber, on the sweeter side dish. - Beef tongue, chicken liver, gizzards were all decent. - Santa Barbara uni was fresh scooped out of the shell, love it. - Otoro fatty tuna belly tataki was very good. - Raw oysters with chef Sam special dressing was nice too. I love their Sparkling Sake too, lower ACL, and really nice and pair well with our sushi. They have a decent Sake selection here. Service was friendly, efficient for this casual joint. I'll definitely come back to try some rolls that other Yelpers talk about soon.
(4)Juliana B.
Extremely fresh sushi. Unexpectedly so.there is only a handful of places that serve sushi this good. I was also glad they were open till late. We got cherry blossom, rainbow, lion king, and orange blossom. We were very happy with all of our rolls. The service was good. The music was a bit loud for my taste but the songs were ok.
(5)Kevin L.
With a Japanese seafood and chef background, I didn't find the toro, bluefin, hamachi, yellowfin tuna sashimi and sushi to be anything special. But it would impress the average sushi goer in SF. The neta was a bit too big for me but the shari was good flavor. Bulgogi fries - awesome thin fries with tons of meat and cheese. Korean style poutine without the gravy. Kimchee fried rice with spam could of used bigger pieces of fatty spam instead of small ones that were cooked to well to resemble any flavor of spam. KFC - hot and fresh, great crunch, lightly seasoned. common spicy mayo dip worked fine, although would of been great with just some lemon. live uni for $25 was a bit more expensive than I thought as it was MP. but very clean and fresh uni indeed, delicious. Kanikama in the rainbow isn't my favorite Osaki brand. Soon du bu - good Hite and OB, oh snap, Asahi and Sapporo too. Food not bad, nothing was bad, everything a good average, I would stick with the korean food instead of any Japanese. Great service from Vince!
(4)Harry T.
Here again. Fresh sashimi, amazing time last night. Started with a few bottles of tangerine and fresh water melon soju, followed by a nice cold bottle of sake with my man Tony. Salmon, yellow tail and uni sushi and sashimi followed by a bunch of rolls. 69 roll, cherry and orange blossom rolls, California hand roll no rice and a new hand roll called the Linda Roll which was amazing, Linda a regular at Joo Mak loves a good scallop and toro in one, not on menu but if you like em fatty scallops give the Linda Roll a try. Oh and we ended the evening with some yoghurt soju.
(5)Keith W.
I live down the street from Joo Mak and it is absolutely delicious. I've eaten here nearly every week since its openned and haven't been disappointed yet. I feel they warrant 5 stars for the following reasons: - The service is friendly - The price is very fair compared to the high quality food - Their Salmon (é® Sake) Sashimi is incredible. I highly recommend getting it or the Orange Blossom Roll, which further highlights the high quality fish they're getting. - The environment is fun, with trendy music playing and great prices on sake - I've eaten here over 20 times and keep coming back. I highly recommend trying Joo Mak. My go-tos are: - Kim Chi Fried Rice - The Vegetable Bibimbap w/ Beef Added - Any thing Sam or Steve recommend (the sushi chefs) Thanks, guys!
(5)Alvin D.
The service is super friendly, the food is top of the line top quality, and super fresh. I ordered uni, toro, ocean trout, and hamachi. It was absolutely delicious.
(5)D B.
Nothing you haven't seen at any of SF's izakaya or Koreapanese spots. What's more, compared to menu photos posted from just a month ago, the selection has waned. Yet there's still enough sick stuff to keep me occupied (gizzards, livers, tongues, etc.). They do also have just a few non-standard bevvies - not everywhere has maksa (makgeolli culkin x cider), bokbunja (blackberry molasses #nonotreally youtu.be/oClzwzOGlGM ), or canned sake #ghettofab #iliketheoldmikejonesbetter. What really sets this place apart for me is its... family values? Seriously, when I went for Christmas linner*, sriracha sweatshirt dad had brought his toddler. Then there was a squirming baby in a stroller. By the time I was leaving, some other dad was bringing two more hobbits in. So either be ready to keep your antics rated G, or be shameless enough to not feel guilty getting schwasted in front of OPP (Other People's Progeny). #youdownwithopp #yeahyouknowme The NBAAAAAAhoooooooooheeeyyyyyyyyhoooooooooo! youtu.be/LzDpFl8zEjg *Brunch is brunch, linner is linner.
(3)mary p.
One of the better Japanese restaurants in the Richmond. It's actually worth a trip out there. You can usually get Live Uni here and they usually have fresh oysters too. Fish is fresh and they offer the usual Japanese fare. Owners and workers are freindly too.
(4)Grizabella L.
I have been here twice. Definitely love the skewers here (especially pork belly)! I ordered the Korean rice cake and seafood pancake last night. The price is reasonable (around $15/ea). The rice cake tasted quite traditional, but honestly the seafood pancake was too oily, probably it's a cultural difference...Overall it's a great place for late night craving that I would highly recommend
(5)Linda L.
I've been wanting to try this restaurant for a while but I was overall disappointed. Combo skewers: mushroom, pork belly, bacon wrapped rice cake, beef tongue, kalbi, shrimp. My friend loves the bacon wrapped rice cake but I can't eat spicy unfortunately. Beef tongue was ok. Kalbi and pork belly were the best. Shrimp - I wish they peeled the shell off. Mushroom was nothing special. KFC! Korean Fried Chicken: love! Stone pot rice: really really small Orange blossom roll: I love salmon and sushi. probably my favorite out of all the dishes we ordered Joo Mak roll: good - I can't even taste the raw quail egg Strawberry soju: so good!! but smaller bottle compared to other soju spots
(3)A L.
I feel bad for giving 2 stars. I really wanted to like this place because I love korean food and I love Japanese food. Service was excellent! Waitress was super attentive. I am also giving another star because they open late. The reason they only get 2 stars is because the food was just not good at all. Here is what we ordered Skewers: beef tongue, chicken heart, bacon wrapped rice stick. Beef tongue was bland and tough, chicken heart was bland and dry, the bacon wrapped rice stick was good but the bacon speaks for itself because its bacon! Soft tofu soup: not good at all, very bland and it tasted like a chinese soup instead of a korean tofu soup Korean Seafood Pancake: It was under cooked, the middle of the pancake was doughy and soggy and there wasnt any seafood in the pancake besides little pieces of chopped octopus and scallions Sushi: the rice was not seasoned well and the salmon was not fresh. Total Bill for 2 people including tip: $96 Could've definitely gotten a better meal elsewhere because seriously nothing was good, the meal was very disappointing. Maybe this is good as a drinking spot w/ appetizers but if you want a satisfying dinner, this is not the place to go. Hopefully the quality of the food improves.
(2)David G.
So far super noisy - perhaps if I was one of the drunk people I wouldn't mind so much but right now I seriously want to get my food to go. Staff was super nice- like I dropped my chop sticks and they saw and just brought me another. Food was not spectacular- it was fine. However, I would not come back unless I was drunk.
(2)Renee L.
I had a really nice time here! My friend and I came in for dinner and ordered a variety of items. Bacon wrapped rice cake skewers $4.5 - we were told this is a popular item but I didn't find it especially good. I guess everybody loves bacon though? Beef tongue skewers $5 - tender! Uni nigiri $8.50 - so delicious! Firm and sweet. Buttery goodness. Salmon poke $15 - medium to high level of spicy, very large chunks of salmon; this was so good! If I had rice, I could have kept eating this the whole night. The Joo Mak roll $15 - I didn't enjoy this very much because I personally don't like large rolls. I find that if it's not possible to fit the entire piece into your mouth, you can't taste everything together and the experience is ruined. However, all the ingredients were fresh and the roll was nicely presented. Strawberry makgeolli $13 - My first time having makgeolli and I like it so much it might replace soju cocktails for me. It's not that strong so you probably won't get tipsy off it. Tuna nuggets $8 (on da house) - They were so sweet to give this to us. I had seen this on the menu and it had piqued my interest but I hadn't ordered it. Turns out to be large chunks of tuna, breading tonkatsu style, with bbq sauce on top. It was ok, but we were super full by the time we got to it. Overall, there is a large variety of Japanese and Korean dishes but I think the Korean flair has a slight upperhand. Come here to sample different things and you will find something you'll like. Very last and important note that brought this up to 5 stars: the chef personally came out from behind the bar to our table to talk with us and ask how we found the food and to let them know if we needed anything. We found this to be very thoughtful and reflects how much he respects the customer's opinion.
(5)Jaye C.
Here's an easy, comprehensive list of what I liked about this place: - Closes very late, while most establishments around Joo Mak closes at 10pm on a Thursday night. - Reasonably priced food items - Sushi rolls are generous without overpowering amount of rice - Soju was on point - varied menu of Japanese and Korean comfort food, and a great poke selection! I also want to bring to attention the amazing service, hospitality, and great attitude of the servers at Joo Mak. My friends and I came here on a whim and one of the ladies in our group was going through a tough week, she also did not mention to us that it was her birthday. After pouring a round of soju shots for everyone at the table, she had revealed to us that it was her birthday weekend, so we toasted to that and went on to eat our dinner. Towards the end of the night, our lovely server (I forgot her name, but she rocked an amazing shade of bright red lipstick) brought out a deep fried ice cream dessert for the birthday girl to enjoy, and I think this made her night. So with that in mind, I just want to say thank you for that random act of kindness, you (and everyone involved) definitely brought her to a positive mood!
(5)Cookie Lakisha J.
I rarely write reviews, but this place really deserves one. Seriously wonder what their health score is here, but the place is horrific. Table is sticky. Pot they used to serve the Makkoli is not cleaned properly - smells of rancid towel and stale water. Even the stuff they pour out smells. The salads they serve on the sides of the dishes also smells. We all are suffering from stomach upset now, and a friend is puking non-stop in the bathroom. This place really sucks. Dirty, food is really bland tasting, mussels were not cleaned properly. I wonder how safe the sushi would be. Super disappointed.
(1)Deanna C.
This place have great delicious Korean and Japanese food. I have to say I was absolutely impressed with how great tasting their food was. They have a very clean environment. Their sushi bar also has a huge variety and great selection of sake & I would totally recommend getting the Okra Salad simply my favorite appetizer there !
(5)Linda N.
Made reservations for a Monday at 7:30 pm but it wasn't necessary... Toro- Not the best or most fresh I've had so far. I like my sashimi cut into thick slabs but it looked like they cut the toros in half creating strips giving the illusion that there are more pieces on the plate. Skewers (beef tongue, kalbi, chicken heart, and pork belly)- kalbi was decent; nice texture, good flavor. Everything else was pretty dry. Joo Mak roll- love the quail egg- added texture to the roll. Dokkbokki plus ramen and squid- Probably the best dish of the meal. They don't skimp on the ramen. Not too spicy. Great service.
(3)Prashant C.
The spicy rice cakes were actually spicy and had a good consistency with some fish cakes mixed in. Really good stuff. Not fried rice cakes, but they were really good. The bulgogi was tough and not seasoned well. Wouldn't get it again. The kimchee fried rice was topped with a nicely cooked fried egg. The rice was decent, but lacked some depth of flavor. Lastly, the korean style wings (KFC?), were horrible. I'd rather eat at KFC. This is a decent place for some late night food. If it wasn't open late, I probably wouldn't go again.
(3)Sushi Criticz A.
Joo Mak caught my attention with some of the pictures that have been surfacing through my instagram feed....so here I am. The place is not too big but not small. Good amount of tables and a sushi bar with 8seats + a couple of flat screens. The head chef goes by the name of Sam. Here is what I thought... The good/ok: ocean trout, hamachi belly, marugai, uni, chicken heart skewers....okra salad (not a common item....i like okra when its cooked well and I did like this dish) The bad: fresh oysters wasnt so fresh tonight, tempura anything...definitely needs to work on the frying skills...everything fried came out with no crunch....a disappointment it was, and just overall...it didn't hit the spot for me. The prices were fair and not bad at all and visually...everything looked very good butttttt...as for the quality and taste...it was on the so-so side. I had great looking plates but my mouth and stomach was not as happy as my eyes were. The vibes were fun, slightly loud and seems like a good place to grab drinks. They have sake and flavor soju + they close at 2am. The chef is nice and engages with his customers which is a plus in my book but he really needs to taste and check on some of the dishes that are coming out of his kitchen. I wanted to like the place but overall it was meh. Some stars for location, fun atmosphere, menu selection, flexibility with special requests, and a chef that is engaging. Quality control needs improvement..the chef or someone needs to check on the dishes coming out, waitresses need to be more knowledgeable, the tempura batter needs to be changed, overall I was disappointed with the taste/quality....had a bad oyster, soft tempura'd shellfish, cold tempura shrimp (it was cold and soft....like it was fried and then sitting out for awhile before it was served) & tempura fish (this one was hot but again, it was not crunchy at all), all fried items...crunchless! After my meal and experience, I feel like the food looks above average but falls into the so-so zone when it comes to taste...i'd come back for drinks since it is open late night but overall its just alright. If you know me, I look for the standout reasons why I would come back to a restaurant or recommend one...service, layout, atmosphere, creativity, quality, really really good food are some aspects. For my sushi hunters looking for the next best place, I personally dont recommend but the people here are nice and the place can be fun so if your nearby and want to find a place to chill....come check them out. If you're far away...not really worth the trip.
(3)Mike P.
Empty-ish place that served surprisingly good food... provided that you know what to get. Got the pork belly skewer and the joo mak roll. The pork belly skewer was good, and served with a sort of spicy-ish sauce. Unlike most pork belly, however, it wasn't as fatty, which my date liked. The joo mak roll was fish roe, a choice of fish (we got hamachi), some other stuff, and a quail egg (!) I've never had quail egg before, but it didn't really matter since it was raw and brought all the flavors together. Amazing. We also got the "Kalbi Skewers" which were both a.) actually bulgogi and b.) not seasoned at all. Unfortunate. So what's with the 5 stars? The service! Our waitress was extremely friendly, and even gave us a sake recommendation (well, it was the house recommended sake, but she did a good job convincing us to get it). Definitely worth a swing by if you're in the area and craving sushi.
(5)Karen L.
I've come here a couple times already, but I'm not sure whether I really like this place or not. The first time I came here, I ordered a Sashimi Vegetable salad. It's a very big portion. It comes in a very big bowl with lots of vegetables (mostly lettuce), a decent amount of sashimi (not the best quality I've had), and some rice layered on the bottom. A very satisfying meal that I couldn't quite finish. On the other hand, my friend ordered the Joo Mak roll which consisted of 4 small pieces for $15, he was still very hungry afterwards. We also received some Tuna nuggets which were very good tasting with lots of meat but very oily from the fried breading. I decided to try this place again and tried the Chicken Heart skewers, which were very salty and with a strong pepper flavor. I also had the Sashimi combo, but like the Sashimi Vegetable salad I had the first time, the fish wasn't the greatest. Friendly and attentive service. But I'm really on the fence on how I feel about this place.
(3)becca w.
I am soooo happy this place opened. Now I not only have a new awesome sushi option in my neighborhood, but I can satisfy midnight sushi cravings too!!! The Uni, Hamachi and Ikura are sooo fresh. I highly recommend. And again Sushi till 2am is just the best idea ever!!!
(5)Arda S.
I came here on a friday with my parents around 5 pm and the place was empty. The food here ranges from sushi to barbecue skewers and everything is very tasty! The sushi here taste very fresh and they are not greedy on the cuts. The price is very reasonable. The service was good and the place is nice and clean. It gets pretty hard to hear in the restaurant since they like to blast korean music on the speakers. Overall, its a good place to go to if you're on a budget or if you're craving both japanese and korean food at the same time.
(4)Charlie Y.
I come here at least once or twice a week just because it is so good I can't stay away. Both the food and service is awesome! I bring all of my friends here when they come visit and everyone has loved it so far. Come by! Maybe I'll see you there.
(5)Raquel T.
my friend suggested we try this place out since we haven't eaten all day due to errands and we could feast.. ordered: -uni: love! and great presentation too -skewers: bacon wrapped mochi-great spicy sauce on top pork belly-yummy fattiness beef tongue-thickest tongue i've had! good though kalbi-too salty -grilled hamachi kama: love! -ageshi tofu: good -garlic chili chicken wings: salty for me and could be crispier, my friend liked it though -potstickers: good -fried seaweed wraps things: i forgot what this is actually called.. sticky rice inside the seaweed.. could've done wo this but then again this was the last dish to arrive we were about to order 2-3 other dishes but the waitress said this would prob be enough for us.. good thing we didn't.. i was major food coma after and slightly uncomfortably full.. this place is great, clean, and would come back again
(4)Cassondra G.
I LOVE JOO MAK because 1) they are opened until 2 am 2) have BOTH KOREAN AND JAPANESE FOOD (which are both my favorite types of food) and 3) are owned by amazing friendly people :) . If you are craving Korean food I recommend the kimchi fried rice . I'm not going to lie it's honestly the best I've had in the whole city! The spicy garlic wings and Korean fried wings are also absolutely delicious .. Must try it !!! And if you're not that hungry & just looking for a snack, I recommend getting the pork belly skewers or Kalbi... SOSOSSOSOSOSOO GOOD! For Japanese I recommend getting the spicy tuna roll, lion king roll, dragon roll and last but not least the joo mak roll! If you're looking for a drink, the strawberry and yogurt soju are absolutely delicious too! So try everything out , you won't be disappointed!
(5)Athena W.
Amazing sashimi. They have the fresh wasabi straight from the root if you request it. Saw the chef filet a whole tuna by himself it was amazing. Great service and great food five stars from me.
(5)George T.
Excellent service, food is meh. Staff was super friendly when I came in. Place wasn't too packed, good atmosphere. I was seated at the sushi bar. It was my first time here so I asked for recommendations. The waitress told us about a couple different skewers and the fried chicken. So I got a couple of skewers and the chicken. The skewers came out first. They were cooked on a dirty grill, had a black slime on all the skewers instead of char marks. Fried chicken was tender, the spices in it seemed a bit unbalanced. You definitely are able to get a good amount of food for your money, but it was just average in my opinion.
(3)Stephanie W.
My mom was visiting SF and wanted to eat either Korean or Japanese. I was yelping and found this place. It was a combination of both the things she wanted. We got to the restaurant a little after 630pm and got seated right away. Our eyes were definitely bigger than our stomachs because we ordered seafood pancake, tofu soup, orange blossom roll, ahi poki, short rib skewers, marinated beef and grilled squid. This was all for 3 people! everything was really good. the salmon on the orange blossom roll was very fresh. The service was great. Always came back to pour more tea in our cups. The price was decent. a little over $80 for everything. Will come back again.
(4)Lyn D.
I've been here a few times and most recently returned last Saturday because it was open late and I wanted my boyfriend to try out the place. My first visit here made a great impression--I joined a large group of friends and the service was great at accommodating us. Not only did they give great recommendations, but the food arrived quickly and the server was great at describing each dish. I met the owners/chefs Tony and Sam, and they are by far some of the most awesome business owners. They really care about your satisfaction. My most recent visit was just as amazing. Tony stopped by our table and explained how our food was prepared, and which dishes and drinks are popular or traditionally eaten in Korea. My boyfriend who's normally hard to please was really impressed. Food was great (and they're willing to customize orders if you have specific preferences/requests), drinks were delicious. Best of all, the customer service makes you want to return because they make you feel like you're old friends. I'd highly recommend trying this place. Thanks again to Tony and his staff for making us feel so welcome!
(5)Michael L.
Today has been an exciting day for me! I lyfted a few people around town and then joined my friends for some dinner at Joo Mak. Joo Mak was having a soft opening so we got invited to take a look and check out the menu! We ended up eating... A plate of Sashimi (SUPER GOOD) for $40. Kalbi Skewers (Great) Sang Gap Sar (Korean bacon) Skewers (Awesome) Chicken Skewers Bulgogi (Awesome) Kalbi Pattie (This was ok) Korean Fried Chicken (Awesome) Some Rice And of course some Soju! PRETTY BOMB! definitely a place to check out if your craving some Korean-Asian style tapas and drinks! I definitely enjoyed the atmosphere and decor. They were pretty busy for their soft opening and still trying to adjust, but other wise than that I can't wait to come back again! That Sashimi though... fosho.\ Peace out, Mike Le All Day. I have a video made on youtube of me eating there if you want to check it out! youtu.be/K8VqtV6lty4
(5)EunJoo C.
This place has charm! The fish roe stone rice was very tasty. The bacon wrapped rice cake was delicious too! I will come back soon and try other dishes!
(5)Tina C.
Decided to come here with my best friend last Saturday night to check out their soft opening. Boy, there was a lot of people for the very first day! It was past 8PM and it was still packed with no empty tables. I was lucky and it didn't take long for a table to open up. We ordered the kimchi fried rice, kalbi pattie, tuna poke, and fried chicken with a bottle of soju. I especially enjoyed the fried chicken and tuna poke, mmm! All of the servers were really nice. Service is still a little spotty, but understandable, since it was a soft opening. Soju kept us company while we waited. The atmosphere was lively and I can't wait to go back to try the other dishes. It definitely seems like a great place to have small bites while enjoying soju with a friend or two or ten. So far, so good, Joo Mak!
(5)Stephanie T.
Decided to check this place out because a) had a craving for Korean and/or Japanese food and b) my friend lived upstairs and said it's always packed! For being new, they already have a pretty good book of business. The waiter/waitress were sweet. We ordered the squid & veggies, bimbimbap, and grilled spicy pork belly dishes to share. For a bill that totaled $30 for 2, definitely worth it. We were stuffed and could have had leftovers, but decided it was too good and kept stuffing ourselves (I know, not that smart, but the food was so good!) I surprised myself for how much I liked the food and ambiance since I'm hesitant at times to try newer places, but will definitely be a regular here. Prices are definitely reasonable, and you can order soju cocktails (which I probably will in the future when I'm in a better mood to drink). GREAT job, Joo Mak, on your new restaurant so far! Keep up the good work.
(5)Cuong C.
Unfortunately when I went they ran out of a lot of food when I went. Understandable since it's a soft opening. So all they had left were some sashimi and sushi. I tried the tuna hand roll. My god it was literally one of the best hand roll I have ever eaten . The tuna just melts in your mouth. It's like crack rolled up in rice and seaweed. Also had the salmon poke which was delicious. Will definitely come back and try their other dishes.
(5)Sara S.
I came here with my friends one night after work. My cousin recommended the place after she had come to eat with her friends a week before. I really love korean and japanese food and this place has both so I was really excited. I saw great reviews on their fried chicken so that was the first thing i ordered. Then I ordered the seafood pancakes and kimchi fried rice. For the japanese food i ordered two rolls, the dragon and the joo mak roll and some hamachi sashimi. The dragon roll was good not amazing though. The joo mak roll was good too also not amazing though. The hamachi sashimi was nice but i've definitely had better. I really enjoyed the kimchi fried rice and the seafood pancakes. Then finally came the fried chicken and i was so disappointment. It had absolutely no flavor and it tasted like i was biting it an oily, crush, dry, I dont even know what to call it. It was the last thing served and it just left a bad taste in my mouth. My friends looked at me like I was crazy for ordering it. Oh and the service was great. The waitress was a little middle aged women (im assuming the owner) she was so sweet she served everything with a smile and constantly checked back on us to see how we were doing. If i could write a review just on her I would give her 5 stars. All in all I might come back here again but it wouldn't be my first choice.
(3)Savannah E.
I had the Black Mussel Soup and it was SO good. Everyone in my group remarked that the food tasted fresh, and everyone left completely satisfied. Plenty of variety options, from Korean food to grilled Japanese/Korean food to sushi. The price is pretty good, too.
(5)Carlo W.
Food was great! Had a party of 7 and everyone enjoyed their meal. Salmon was moist and tender, Bulgogi was delicious. You have to try the Garlic Chili Chicken wings. Will certainly come back again.
(5)Kim Y.
this is a quintessential dependable homey high quality neighborhood sushi place w/ some special korean dishes, eg kim chi fried rice, jigae. they're very friendly & the service was perfect. i would definitely go back.
(4)Elena N.
Wanting to try a new place for delivery, the roommate and I decided to order from Joo Mak on Sunday, May 24th around 6:45pm through Eat24 ( eat24.com ). We had a $2 off coupon code. Delivery took a little longer than normal. Around 1.5 hours instead of the usual 1 hour. A2. Pot stickers ($7) The roommate ordered this. I had a couple and they were good. B13. Assorted skewers (choice of 6 skewers): Pork belly, Kalbi - beef short rib, Chicken liver, Beef tongue, Chicken heart, Fish cake ($16) I liked the beef tongue the best. It was nice and soft with great flavor. The pork belly, kalbi and chicken hearts were also good. I didn't care for the fish cake as it was completely dry. And and sauce wasn't very good either. The liver was a little too much. It wasn't very seasoned and just had an overwhelming irony liver taste to it. This was the only skewer I didn't finish. C7. Deokbokki: spicy rice cake ($12) The roommate loves rice cakes. I don't, but I enjoyed the fish cakes that were in this dish. E1. Garlic chili chicken wings ($14) These were good. Some bites had a huge amount of garlic, but in general, they satisfied my wing craving. E2. Korean-style fried chicken ($14) This kind of reminded me of karaage. Very crispy and arrived steaming hot and fresh. Comes with a sriracha aioli I believe. F2. Kimchi fried rice: with spam ($10) Portion was larger than I thought. I liked the fried rice. I just wish there was more spam as there wasn't much meat or kimchi in the fried rice. Joo Mak satisfied my fried chicken craving, but nothing here really stands out as being amazing. More or less, everything was just okay. Maybe they are more of a sushi joint, but their Korean food was very average.
(3)Andrey P.
Wow, where did you guys come from!!! They take the best of Korean, Izakaya and Sushi and are serving anything your heart might desire untill 2AM. Does it get better yes!!! They have super special stuff, like live Uni and Lobster. Live octopus that I have yet had an opportunity to try, but cant wait to be back!!!!
(5)Isabella E.
Saw that this place is open pretty late and had great reviews so we went in for a try . We ordered a couple of rolls, the wings, and the beef dish . The only thing good out of all that was the wings, they are pretty amazing . But one item doesn't make up for the 4 other things we ordered tasting so bad, on top of that the price is pretty high .
(3)Sam W.
**Disclosure: I'm a fan of Joo Mak and have been coming here for over a year.** Basics: Joo Mak is a drinking house that serves both Japanese and Korean cuisine. This includes sushi, nigiri, izakaya, anju, sake, soju, and more. Like the bottles of Asahi (Japanese beer) and Hite (Korean beer) lining their cooler, the Japanese and Korean dishes rightfully stand on their own. At Joo Mak, the Japanese and Korean elements are less about fusion and more about cohabitation. Food: On the Japanese side, chef Sam leads the sushi bar, with his energetic apprentice Steve taking the helm from time to time. While the sushi is pretty good, the nigiri and sashimi are the stars. Why? Sam is trained as an Edo-style chef, which emphasizes is a zen-like balance between freshness of the ingredients, and proper knife-cutting technique. Simple and pure, you won't find inferior ingredients hiding behind a layer of neon-mango-Sriracha-aioli. If this isn't legit enough for you, Sam won't cut an eel by its belly, because of taboo dating back to samurai tradition. Make sure to check their dry-erase board on the right side of the sushi bar for their daily specials: JM focuses on availability, so one day they might have live deep sea harvested uni, and another day they might have uni from Mendocino. If you get lucky, there'll be stuff flown in from Japan. On the Korean side, which mostly focuses on dishes from the kitchen, they have modern favorites such as Korean Fried Chicken and kimchi fried rice. They're decent, but the star of this menu is their wet dry fried wings. These sweet, crunchy savory pieces of perfection laced with a bit of spice are as addictive as crack! If you're feeling like something less contemporary to accompany your soju, see if their dobu kimchi (stir fried pork, kimchi, and tofu) is available. Speaking of soju... Drinks: Joo Mak has the standard Korean options (soju, flavored soju, Korean beer), with the addition of makgeoli. Makgeoli is "farmer's wine;" a slightly sweet, milky alcoholic drink made from rice. It's real good in their maksa (makgeoli and cider) to wash down fried dishes with. Joo Mak has their bases covered here, but it's nothing you can't get elsewhere locally. Where Joo Mak really shines is their rotating sake selection. They have frequently changing bottles of mid-range junmais, honjozos, and quirky bottlings. (Ever have sake out of a can, or a glass jar? How about a bottle with demon slayer artwork?) It's definitely worth checking out what they have available. Atmosphere: Joo Mak has a modern interior, with two wide screen TVs usually set to sports. Kpop comes through the speakers, and the mixed crowd is casual. Group size varies from single patrons gracing the sushi bar, to large groups combining tables to pre-party before going downtown to hit the clubs. As this is a drinking house, budget about an hour for your stay. While extremely friendly and accomodating, service can be slow when they're slammed on weekends, and you'll have to remind them of drink orders sometimes. I've also come in later at night (~1:00am) to find their sushi bar closed. Nowdays I call to check. From the take out orders I see them prepping, I believe they also do delivery via app (Eat24/Grubhub?). Pricing: The fish is a steal, given their quality (the large sashimi boat is about $55 and will feed ~4). With the seafood specials like live uni, clams, etc.; I personally think they're spendy at $20-25+, but once in a while it's nice to splurge and try something new. My tip would be to ask Sam about the specials first. He'll try to get an idea of what you like, and if the special will be worth it based on your tastes. Some dishes are a few bucks more than local competitors. I figure the mark up on some items is to offset the leisurely atmosphere (i.e. they're not slamming plates on your table trying to rush you out). The soju and beer are about the same price as local competitors, but the sake is a good deal for restaurant service (sometimes I see them at Asian marts being sold for about the same price point, and even more online). Expect premium small cans of sake (~4 shots) to be about $10, mid-sized bottles to start around $35-40, and the really large sizes to start at about $90-100. The brands and labels are usually in Japanese, so it can be hard to differentiate between that $38 bottle and a more expensive bottle. I've made the painful mistake before, so it's a good idea to confirm pricing first. I usually spend from about $40-70 per visit on for food, drinks, and tip. While Joo Mak is definitely not cheap, it offers an excellent blend of quality and value. Overall: +Good fish selection +Knowledgeable, skilled sushi chef +Rotating live specials +Korean and Japanese options +Those chicken wings! +Interesting sake variety +Open late +Relaxed, leisurely environment -Slow service at times
(5)Amy H.
Came on a Monday night with the hubs. We were craving for good sushi and this was the only place we know of that opens late til 2am. So glad it opens late. Tables were empty except for one other. We ordered toro fatty tuna, Sam Francisco Roll, Joo Mak Roll and Sweet Shrimp Nigiri. Wow, the fatty tuna was delicious. It's soft and melts in your mouth. Very fresh. The Sam Francisco roll & Joo Mak Roll were bombz.. Everything on it were perfect. The sweet shrimp nigiri was very good. They deep fried the head and set it as another plate. Now that you can tell, it was freshly cooked. Yum. Food was authentic. Yes, high quality. The staff were nice...but one thing that did set off our mood was that our cup of water never got refilled and we had to ask for our check, trying to get her attention. While she gave us the bill and collecting the plates, she asked if we want more water...we said, "we did." Other than that, we were satisfied with the food. Altogether, total bill was $71 plus extra for tip. Would definitely come back again for late night cravings.
(4)Grace J.
Friend was in town visiting last night and we made the ambitious and spontaneous plan of dropping by Lands End. Of course we mutually agreed that eating dinner first was obviously the way to go. We Yelped for a Korean place along Geary and ended up at Joo Mak! SETTING -Dark inside but has spotlights for each table. -We went in around 7pm and it wasn't crowded - no wait time, my favorite thing ever! -Friendly staff - it was one of the waitress' first day and she was in training while taking our orders. The person training her let us know and they were both very nice about it. MENU -For appetizers you should definitely get the Assorted Skewers, choice of 6!! We ordered the chicken, chicken heart, bacon wrapped rice cake (dukbokki), mushroom, kalbi, and pork belly. Everything for $14 which is probably more than I would normally spend on an appetizer but you will not be disappointed. I wouldn't have chosen the chicken heart skewers on my own but they were pretty tasty! Mushroom skewer was juicy and complimented all of the other meaty choices. -Bulgolgi- thin sliced marinated beef plate, comes with rice if you want. I was so hungry and thoroughly enjoyed my meal. Came with a tiny side of salad and spicy mayo. Yummmmm. -Sashimi Salad. My friend ordered this one. Kinda pricy for $18 but hey, it's sashimi! A nicely sized bowl of fish, lettuce, seaweed. Comes with a side of red sauce. PROS -Not crowded on a Friday night -Serves hot green tea -Open late! Til 2pm -Take your time! We probably sat for 25 mins after we paid the bill and weren't rushed out. I had a great dinner last night! :) Would recommend this place to a friend!
(4)Stacey L.
Got here at 1:15 and they said "sorry we're closed at 2:00"...we informed them it wasn't even 1:30 yet and the guy working there said the cooks went home. Not acceptable, change your close time to 1:00 then if you're gonna stop working at 1:00. *they also tried to blame this on daylight savings, but that's not til more than 24 hours later!!*
(1)Rew C.
I Love Sushi - and while I rarely find anything wrong with it, this experience was above and beyond most others. My friend likes rolls so we ordered the Rock and Roll, Dragon Roll, and the Spicy Tuna Roll. - All Delicious. I had some Nigiri: Sabe, Unagi, Uni, and Ameabi - with the shrimp heads. It was so much better than most sushi I've ever had. Truly as fresh as I've tasted. Just SUPER DELICIOUS. We brought in a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc that went nicely and wasn't an issue for the staff. Great service - and also really enjoyed STEVE and SAM. Great guys making Great Food with Great Recommendations. ;). GREAT
(5)Robert S.
Love their Korean dishes but their Japanese dishes serving size is too small.
(4)Stephanie G.
We walked in here at around 1:15am with a bad case of drunchies. The guy who was working said they closed at 2am and that their cooks already went home. Um, it was 45 minutes before 2am. Then they tried to use daylight savings as an excuse, which was a huge fail because 1) it didn't even start until the next day and 2) even if it was daylight savings, it would have been 12:15am and not 2:15am because it's Fall, not Spring. ... So dumb. We ended up going to All Star Donuts which is open 24hrs and surprisingly hit the spot.
(1)Mariel A.
Joo Mak, I've passed by many times intrigued by what I could potentially experience while dining there. Korean AND Japanese food? UH YES. I finally was able to go a couple weeks ago. Went during the week, sort of lateish? 9pm. Not too busy, but there were like 2 servers. Got seated, took a while to get menus, took LONGER to get something to drink. Service was just awkward--one server acted as if he'd never been a server before. But even basic stuff like clearing a table if you see that our plates are empty--you can learn that just from dining at a restaurant! lol. Maybe we came on an off night, but even the food didn't impress me. I thought that we didn't really get a great value for what we got. I was just OK. Thanks anyways Joo Mak, I can now rest peacefully that I've tried the place and would be fine if I didn't go back. :P Sorry.
(2)Jeannie L.
I had come here when they had first opened and that was an ok experience. It used to be a japanese restaurant so they held onto part of the old menu and then incorporated some of their new items, which seemed pretty peculiar. However, I came back recently and they actually redid their entire menu, leaving some japanese rolls behind. I like their new menu much better. The food is good though. KFC wings: really good, extra crispy but not oily yet the meat was still moist inside. Pancakes: major bummer, it was super greasy and not great at all. Gizzards: sauced with a sweet sauce, which was ok but not great. Chicken hearts: cooked really well, and extra yummy. Assorted poki: typical, good but nothing special Army soup: it was missing cheese!!! haha i'm not sure if this normally comes with cheese, but it didnt have it. Kimchi fried rice: this was pretty good, but who can really fail at making this dish? It's a little dark in here but I guess that makes it a good place to eat and drink.
(4)Bella C.
I got really excited to try that place near my house, but I was hugely disappointed. We got the large size of sashimi, but the portions were very small and all were mid to low quality. Service was way too slow, we had a dish every 20min. Bad customer service. Does not give out any plates even after the main dishes comes out. I had raised my hand ask for service several times, but the waitress does not care about customers at all. There's something wrong with the management. We were still hungry afterwards, finally we went to another place instead. Never come back again.
(1)Nobu K.
The place used be called "Sushi Tani", that I liked. It was Korean owned Sushi bar, was pretty good. But, could not make it. Closed for good. So now, it became Izakaya style Korean, Wtf? I did NOT like this place because: The Korean Style Fried Chicken was so badly batter, bland, not crispy at all, Popeye's is a lot better, and the chicken was cheap kind that you can tell and the spicy sauce was just mixed with mayo and hot-chili-sauce. I don't know but the worst KFC ever had. Spicy Tofu Soup was spicy but so bland, no flavor at all, how could you go so wrong? I mean seriously, My Tofu House is a lot better. Kimchee Fried Rice, I had better. + 1 large OB Lager Beer + Tax =46 bucks! What a Rip-off ! I did NOT like paying that much for crappy food like this! I bet you that the Jiveass-rolls are totally BS too. I would rather go to 7/11 right next door at the Gas station getting a beer and chicken dippers in stead, period. Joo joo was a man who thought he was a winner But he knew it wouldn't last. Joo joo left his home in San Francisco, California For some Korean Style Fried Chicken. Get back, get back. Get back to where you once belonged Get back, get back. Get back to where you once belonged. Get back Joo joo. Go home Get back, get back. Back to where you once belonged Get back, get back. Back to where you once belonged. Get back Joo.
(1)Krystal T.
Nice little spot open late night on Geary. Everything we ordered was delicious. It's a combination of Japanese and Korean foods. We ordered the sushi roll with the quail egg on top. I have to admit I was a little surprised to see it raw but it was so delicious and the fish inside was so fresh ... I forget which fishes they were but whatever the combination. .. it was delicious! We also have the beef skewers which was really really flavorful and we ordered the kimchi fried rice which was pretty good but a bit spicy and we also ordered the garlic chicken. They had to other types of fried chicken but this was there top pick so since it was our first time we gave it a shot Overall the food was just really good and our server was really nice and gave us a lot of information about the food and the choices that they had. The decor inside is slightly dim but nice. They have a couple TVs and the play music. The music is a bit loud but tolerable :-) I love living in the city knowing that we have all these wonderful places that are open so late I believe this place is open until 2 a.m. Definitely another late night spot for the books!
(5)Victoria E.
Earlier that day, I showed up at N8's house for a change over. I had a dress on, so I had to put on hiking clothes, tied my hair in a pony tail and off we went to Miwok for a nice long hike that started off at Tennessee Valley and down to Rodeo Beach and then back. Starving, literately. Pulling off 19th Ave right off GGB and N8 had yelped us here. "What? This is not Japanese!" I whined. He said, "I typed Izakaya and this came up." I give him that disgusted look, which he had advised me about, on several occasions , to get rid of. "You are not attractive when you do that." He'd say and I'd roll my eyes. As it turned out, izakaya is not just limited to Japanese food, it's also great at Korean restaurants. We ordered EVERYTHING. Chicken gizzard, pork belly, mochi with bacon, assortment of skewer oriented items. Until we couldn't stuff ourselves any longer. We had to hit a jazz club later and did not want to eat so much that we'd end up going for a nap instead. But here is what I learned that day. Just because it sounded Japanese, it did not need to be Japanese to mean something like bar food. It's completely delightful. It's super convenient given that it's right off Park Presidio after you turn off from the GGB. It's not so overcrowded. And who knew N8, a bona fide New Englander, could direct me, the self proclaimed isakaya queen, to a non Japanese isakaya joint, and I would end up feeling so impressed, so much so that I think a return is in order, after this upcoming weekend's trail run at Tennessee Valley Trail head.
(4)Vinkin Ken T.
New restaurant. Just opened a week ago. Korean+Japanese Izayaka. Nicely decorated. Staff was very friendly and knew their menu and can give good recommendations. They do have specials so be sure to check those out. Your waiter will tell you. We came on a Friday night. There was no wait at 6:30pm with several open tables but after we left an hour later, only 1 table was open. They do take reservations for party of 2 and they take credit cards. They have alcohol. We got the strawberry makgeolli which came in a tea pot! $13 for 5 shots for 2 persons was a great deal! However a bit weak. The spicy grilled squid was tender and you can request to have it milder. The takoyaki though was disappointing. It was missing the kewpie mayo and tasted a bit burnt. The hoki fish was the special and it was flaky and good. The quail was tasty.
(5)Kelly C.
Another awesome korean spot in my hood! Overall, I am pleased and excited to have a great place to watch sports and drink flavored soju. Before Joo Mak, it was Tani. They still use Tani's menu for the Japanese rolls. Below are the items I tried so far.. Favorites Makgeolli - As good as it gets which is why I got 2 bottles. It's not an authentic Korean place without Makgeolli! Flavored Yogurt Soju - Perfect combo of soju and yogurt. Hits the spot. You need at least 2 because it's good, why not? Skewers- Fried Prawns, Pork Belly, and Beef Tongue. I prefer the Mexican version of beef tongue but it's not bad here. Must order pork belly again! Monk bean Pancake - small in size. okay in taste. Double Hama roll - this is delicious! if you like hamachi, get it. Spicy Chicken - it's basically teriyaki chicken with spicy sauce. The chicken was cooked just right. Least Favorites Fried Chicken Wings- My least favorite dish.Too much batter was used and not enough taste. Also, it not really wing shaped. More like lollipop chicken. Ahi Poke - I felt it had too much soy sauce and compare to other ahi poke dishes I've tried, this was not to par Hamachi Carpaccio - Too heavy on the soy sauce. Kinda hid the flavor of the fish.
(4)