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Corner Place Korean Restaurant / Gilmok - CLOSED
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
149 reviews for Corner Place Korean Restaurant / Gilmok
Review Highlights
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"The side dishes were pretty amazing too." In 34 reviews -
"Our favorites are "Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap" and "Bulgogi." In 6 reviews -
"I ordered the combination kim chee and beef soup." In 11 reviews
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149 reviews in English
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Review from Bertilla M.
Santa Clara, CA
1/27/2010
Since the closing of Gilmok, my husband has been boycotting Korean food.
My husband and I don't eat much spicy food, but the owner (Joseph) taught him that a little hot sauce would add a little flavor without being too spicy. Now my husband must have hot sauce with his dol sot bab.
Thank you, Joseph. -
Review from Wanugee N.
Pleasant Hill, CA
Updated - 7/13/2009
Hadn't been here in 18 months, but it is still as I remember it:
- Latin help, Korean owned
- Small, family owned place.
- Good Korean food
- Reasonable prices
- unassuming decor
We had Dolsot BiBimBop, substituting Chicken for beef ($9.95)
and Mushroom and seafood Soon Dubu ($8.95)
With a small bottle of OB Korean brand beer. ($3)
Total damage after tax: less than $25, and that incudes 8 banchan!
NIce Ma and Pa Korean place!Listed in: Wanugee! Silicon Valley, Wanugee! Korean
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/29/2007
With a name like Corner Place (it isn't on a corner) this is a great Ma and Pa restaurant with a… Read more »
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Review from Anna K.
Milpitas, CA
3/21/2009
I've been to Corner Place a couple of times before I signed up for Yelp. After visiting my father-in-law in the hospital my in-laws & I decided to grab a bite to eat at Corner Place.
We were served our menus, barley tea and water immediately after walking in. There were 4 other tables occupied besides our party of 9.
The owner is very friendly, pleasant and accommodating. He joked with us and the kids. I think at one point his wife got annoyed that he was being too friendly with us.
We ordered the seafood stew, fried dumplings, bibimbap, jajang myung and spicy chicken. The side dishes (panchan) were pretty good. I liked that the seafood stew was spicy. Gotta love spice in my life :)
Corner Place is a small place but has great service and good food. Can't complain with the combo. -
Review from Badri N.
8/11/2009
My second trip to Corner Place - time to write a review!
Came here the first time for dinner with fellow Yelpers Caroline S. and Cindi N. after another UYE at Roux in Santana Row. This time it was with Donna Y. for lunch so I can write a review that covers both experiences.
Corner Place is located in a small Strip Mall, right off El Camino Real and is easily accessible from both directions of El Camino Real. Parking is tight but there is ample parking available and I've never faced a challenge finding a spot.
~ 5 stars for location, accessibility and parking
Entering the restaurant, it's a very utilitarian establishment, clean, bright, airy and laid out with the singular intent of seating people for the purpose of eating. Don't come here expecting a cozy, semi-private area - it's all wide open but never felt crowded or overwhelming. Decor is obscure (I can't even remember what they had on the walls and I was just there!!!) - a single box TV (they still make those???) sits on the counter and it appears to be there more for the owner's use than for the patrons LOL
~ 3 stars for decor - should be 2 but hey, they never claimed to be a fancy or romantic restaurant so a star is added back for being unpretentious and true!
Service was great - Mr. Lee recognized Donna (I assume that was the owner) - always impressive when that happens :) Our water was always topped off, food came out promptly and several people stopped by to make sure we were doing alright. Have to admit I was a little surprised by this level of service in this type of restaurant!
~ 4 stars for service
Now, the food. The Kim Chee was great and all the appetizers alone were enough for a mini meal! but I was here for the food! I had the Darg Bool Go Gee (BBQ chicken) on steamed rice - comes with a side of a house salad and glass noodles (japchae) - it was delicious! Loved the chicken - of course I had to add the hot sauce *rolleyes* but the noodles were really good and had a great seasoning and flavor to them. Donna got the Bee Beem Bap (I'm pretty sure) with chicken instead of beef and appeared to enjoy her meal as well. It looked nice and is presented in a large stainless steel bowl - pretty cool! Very filling, I couldn't finish my food since I'd been nomming on the appetizers before the meal - for about $8 each, an awesome value for a nice, quiet lunch with good friends.
~ 4 stars for food.
~ 4 stars overall - clean, friendly atmosphere, super friendly staff (and owner), great, inexpensive food - what's not to like?
# 125 -
Review from Diana W.
4/22/2009
No offense but Korean food in the Bay area doesn't even compare to Korean food in Southern California. Call me a brat but whatever.
That being said, this place has been the best Korean restaurant I've been to so far (I havent' even been to that many because there just aren't that many choices). The service is really friendly, the food is good and the prices are great.
I particularly enjoy this place's small dishes because they give you a lot of different variety (and with ones I actually like!) so this is a bonus.
I'm hoping there are more Korean places up here that I have yet to discover but according my Korean friends who live around the area, there really isn't a lot of choices =\
Oh well, this place will have to do in the meantime. -
Review from Dave K.
Sunnyvale, CA
4/12/2008 4 photos
I had been here so long ago I totally forgot about it. The Girl and I went after having to change dinner plans due to a late night at work. She wanted galbi tang and I just wanted some Korean food. We arrived there around 8:30pm so we knew it wouldn't be too crowded.
The place feels a little diner-ish, but it adds to the charm. It has a similar feel to many of the other Korean places like Sigoljip, Choi's Kitchen, and Korea House, only a tad more middle school cafeteria-ish.
The banchan here is superb. Seriously the best collection of banchan ever. The oi kimchee is perfect, the kimchee is nice and fermented and spicy. This doesn't feel like it's right out of the jar, it feels truly homemade and ripe.
The galbi tang (beef rib stew) was good. The Girl was famished and although usually a slow eater, she ate it up like there was no tomorrow. I ordered yuhgaejjang (spicy shredded beef stew) with ramen noodles. This is one of the better yuhgaejjang places. Choi's might do it better, but this is a very close second. And MAD BONUS points for even having yuhgaejjang, only about 1/4 of the Korean places have it on the menu, and only 1/2 of those do it well.
The mandoo (potstickers) were actually really good, stuffed with beef and mushrooms and veggies and appearing handmade in what resembled big tortellinis (I guess that's a tortelli?)
I am so tempted to give this place a 5, but I might have to go back one more time. The selection is a little less than Choi's, but I think I prefer this over most non-specialty Korean places. Specialty Korean places are SGD Tofu, #1, Gooyi, etc.
The clientele were varied, from an older Japanese couple (obviously regulars) to some non-Asians to some true Korean families. You don't get that mix anywhere else without sacrificing some authenticity, but Corner Place seems to do it very well.Listed in: Bay Area Korean Food
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Review from Mel K.
Santa Clara, CA
3/8/2007
I dunno, certain things about Gilmok strike me as straight-up random. There's a sign posted on the window offering a pithy piece of advice about friendship and unity (if I recall correctly). When we checked out the menu, we saw "NYC" written next to some of the entrees, so we asked the owner what it meant. He smiled and said, "Not Yet Completed!" Well, of course! And as if to complete the diner's state of mystification, hanging from the ceiling is... a large plastic bag full of water. Why? Why not?
Our entrees (bibimbap and kimchi bokeumbap) were pretty standard, but they serve chilled bori-cha (barley tea) instead of water, and the side soup here (usually a forgettable miso affair at most Korean restaurants) was really good. The banchan (assorted side dishes) is decent; I've tasted better kimchi elsewhere, but some of the other dishes were excellent. At the table behind me were a couple cute little boys, and the owner treated them to a Korean yogurt drink. The owner, by the way, is adorable. He's super nice and he just looks happy and sweet. If you were ever to frequent a restaurant based on the merits of its owner, this would be the place to go.
EDIT: We've since returned to Gilmok several times, and when we discovered a second bag filled with liquid tied with string and suspended from the ceiling, we asked the owner about them. He said, "To keep away the bugs." We said, "Oh, wow, what's in them?" He said, "Water." We are very confused. But we still really like the food. -
Review from Kathy D.
Updated - 6/21/2009
The owners' personalities of this restaurant made up for the slow service they had tonight...they actually try to remember faces and noticed my friend's face was a new one!!
. packed place... but not enough staff members.....
the waitress.. didn't know how to speak english... so we had to order or repeat ourselves twice all the time since the guy came out to ask for our order again... :/
seafood tofu soup and bul goo geee made up for it though in the end :DListed in: I pretend to be Korean when I…
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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2/2/2009
very filling.. and meat satisfying.. that's all i can say to this place.. so far it is my small… Read more »
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Review from Steven C.
2/22/2008
The old Korean man serving here, quite obviously also the owner, gives off that genuine warm hearted feeling when he serves you. Don't ask me why I felt that way but I'm guessing it was that cheerful attitude of his. I don't think my tea was ever half empty (or half full for optimists), he was always popping out of nowhere to fill it up. Quick, attentive service sums it up on a semi busy weeknight.
Customer base here was a bit puzzling for me since it was pretty mixed . It ranged from half of the cafe being old Koreans which mark the place as authentic and the usual Chinese people that frequent establishments like this, to the other half being comprised of caucasians. Everyone appeared like they felt at home, with no asians glaring at others when they walked in wondering, "What exactly are you doing here?" which happens all too often at other asian joints.
Small dishes/banchan were good and quite varied, enough to tide you over as you wait for your main course. I ordered the dolsot bibimbap (hot stone pot combo) which tasted pretty average- nothing special, guess I should of tried one of their other combinations.
If I come back again, I'll definitely have to try something else being the skeptic that I am... perhaps that one course didn't do the place justice since this IS a four star Korean restaurant on Yelp. Only problem is, its on El Camino and there's a billion other Korean restaurants to try.
Hours aren't listed on Yelp but this place has hours that might throw people off: So here it is:
Mon-Tues: 11am-3pm, 5pm-10pm
Wed-Sat: 7am-10pm
Sunday: 7am-9pm -
Review from Ron L.
6/14/2008
Ever since I visited Korea in 2006, I've been looking for that mom and pop type place that welcomes you and serves good, hearty food. The Corner Place Cafe fits that bill.
A group of yelpers took over after a UYE; there were so many of us one might have thought there was a UYE here. Many of us ordered the Bibimbap and spicy tofu, and it didn't disappoint.
The owner, Mr. Lee, taught us the correct way to eat Bibimbap. Don't disturb the bottom layer, but just stir the top layer and let the stone pot toast the bottom layer of rice (filipinos call this "tutong", and my grandmother always fights after it). When the crust forms, scrape it up and be prepared to discover another dimension of the goodness of rice!
Great assortment of banchan (side dishes). For you old school peeps, if you remember Edsel Ford Fong of Sam Wo fame, well...that's what Mr. Lee reminds me of. -
Review from Mila N.
Santa Clara, CA
6/11/2007
I love Mr. Lee and his restaurant. We have been going to Corner Place for about 4 years now and it's only gotten better with time. You can call me, my husband even my sister in law and her family regulars....we know all the employees by their fist names, we know all of each other's life stories and we even know some of the other regular patrons. Since we go in there so much I can just say...."yes, i will order my usual again." (kim Chee Dol Sot Beem Bap, no egg with Tofu, Please) I have tried several different dishes and I have say I am never disappointed. Their Fried whole chicken is to die for!!! Try their Boo Go Gee (sliced bbq beef) and wrap it in lettuce with Mr. Lee's home made Kim Chee!! YUMMY Or if you like spicy then order yourself up the Bee Bam Neang Myum, spicy buckwheat noodles with veggies. mmmmm......
This place is a great local mom and pop restaurant and we definitely need to support this great place. So eat up people, try this place out. -
Review from Naomi Y.
San Mateo, CA
7/14/2008
YUM!
the Owner is very nice.
the service was great and the food was great..got the beef tofu...which it not as spicy as I thought it would be I asked for medium spicy and so did my friend but we both thought it needed to be more spicy, other places medium spicy was a lot more flavor to it.
Sticks of gum after meal not the melon flavor but minty haha -
Review from Huy N.
Santa Clara, CA
6/24/2007
What people might not know about Mr. Lee is that he helped out the owners of 99 Chicken next door because they didn't speak English when they first came over. Now who the hell helps their direct competition out like that? For that alone he deserves 5 stars.
He also showed them how to use cottonseed oil in their frying, which is not only healthier, but it also gives the chicken a nice crunch and flavor. Don't believe me? Try the Tong Darg (whole fried chicken) at Corner Place.
Some of our other favorites:
Dol Sot Bab with kim chee and fried tofu (my wife likes to get this cuz vegetarian food is good for her low cholesterol diet, but then she eats half the meat off my dish - oh well, at least she's trying)
Dwen Jang Jee Gae - Spicy tofu soup with salty soy bean paste
Bul Go Gi (order this with lettuce - I think it's called san ju - and the salty soy bean paste, then roll some rice, bul go gi, kim chee and bean paste into a lettuce leaf -- oh yeah, baby, that's good eatin')
Soup #S12 with ramen noodles - yeah I know, I'm a sucka for not knowing the actual name of the dish but I'm Vietnamese, not Korean --- sorry!!! This is a spicy beef broth soup with shredded beef, green onions, egg and all other sorts of goodies. You can get it with or without ramen noodles, but why WOULDN'T you want some yummy noodles? -
Review from Vicky L.
12/10/2007
Food: It's like the type of food your Korean grandmother would be cooking for you... if you had a Korean grandmother.... The food here's pretty darned good and the portions are nice and big.
Service: HORRENDOUS. We used to go regularly, in fact the owner actually even recognizes us. Yet, I seriously think there is only one grandma back there cooking. We rarely get all the food at the same time and at times we've waited over half an hour after someone first gets their dish. By the time we all get our food, the first person's done eating already. Worst yet, we've come in starving wait forever and a day and they refuse to give us the panchan to help stave off my hunger while I waited for them to slaughter the cow in the back to cook my bulgogi. Seriously. Does it really hurt your profit margin to give me a plate of kimchi!? I don't get it. Even asking 4 times for panchan, the owner smiles nods and goes back to folding and wrapping chopsticks in his little paper napkins. HMPH!
It's definitely a toss up. They do serve a damn good bowl of jajangmyun and youkyejang! Food would make it 4-5 stars, but the service makes it drop down. -
Review from Ann L.
6/1/2008
Since we were in the area I decided to try this place out after reading some good reviews. It's Korean food and we saw a bunch of older Koreans eating there - that was a good sign.
They have a huge menu - like 4 pages of stuff.
Iced tea tasted like corn. I'm not sure if I like it. Small cups given, so had to ask for refills.
I got a seafood soft tofu pot which comes w/ 8 sides -panchans. They are:
1. bean sprouts (didn't try since I don't like sprouts)
2. potato salad - has egg, potato, & apples, & lots of mayo. Just ok.
3. mystery meat - could be beef w/ weird sweet sauce - brown mass. Didn't like
4. pickled cucumbers-fine
5. pickled zucchini -fine
6. kimchee - fine
7. potato in brown sweet sauce -didn't like. sauce was like Ketchup & bbq sauce together. gross.
8. glass noodles - jap chae. I liked it.
No refills of panchan given - evil, I asked.
My seafood soft tofu stunk, I gave my seafood & enoki mushrooms to husband, but still I tried some oysters. Just ok. Also got a steamed bowl of rice w/ the meal.
Husband got: beef bimbimbop - he really liked it. He liked the crispy burnt rice and he said next time he'd stir it instead of letting it get so burnt. I tried a tiny slice of beef & thought it was ok. Comes w/ a small bowl of soup.
One unisex bathroom in the back. Credit cards taken. We each got a tiny piece of Charming gum - Korean brand I guess. Sweet and thin, just ok.
Cheap though, our total w/ tip & tax: $23!
On the Petco shopping center, on the Left side of Petco, next to 99 Chicken.
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since I didn't do enough research until later, found out I ordered wrong. I should have gotten:
naeug myeon - iced buckwheat noodles -I did see someone order it, but didn't know it was their specialty, darn it!
& in the winter call ahead to get the chicken ginseng & herb soup (sam gye tang) that takes 3 hrs to make & made to order.
Article here:
http://www.metroactive...Listed in: Korean food
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Review from Jon Y.
Sunnyvale, CA
8/20/2008
I've been coming to this place for years now and just realized I never posted a review for it.
Over the years the place has remained consistently solid.
The food is good, plenty of great sides, good BBQ, good tofu soups, good noodle dishes. Since I can never decide which meat choice to go with, I like the combination (which includes all 3 - chicken, beef and short ribs). It's a few more dollars and a LOT of food, but whatever...I'm a guy. I'll store it all somewhere and worry about it later.
The owner is a nice guy and is almost always there when I drop by. The prices are good and the seating is adequate.
I'll always wonder two things though:
1) what is this strange murky water that tastes like rice?
2) why does the melon flavored gum always lose all its flavor before I even make it out the door to leave?? -
Review from Irene B.
4/12/2008
I'm a bit torn right now. I've been to this place a handful of times and the food seems to be slightly different each time. Obviously I keep going back, and it's mostly for the service (which bumped my 3-star rating to a 4). Anyway, I'll just be reviewing based on my latest visit.
YAYS
- Service (the owner is very attentive to each customer...I brought a group of non-Koreans here and he made the effort to converse with them and make them feel at home..I was very impressed)
- Ban chan (the side dishes are amazing! Where else do they give you jap chae as a side dish? The potato salad is Mmm Mmm good!)
- Hae-mul Pajun (seafood pancake..crispy and hearty)
- Tong Dak (juicy...though at times can be on overcooked and dry)
- Dol Sot Bi-Bim Bop (solid...this is an easy dish to prepare so if it was bad it'd be a huge red flag)
- Gom Tang (beef soup w/ vermicelli noodles...always hits the spot...my friend's uncle devoured it!)
NAYS
- Service (doesn't matter if the restaurant is busy or empty, your food will take awhile)
- Bulgogi (not very flavorful, if anything a bit on the bland side)
- Kim Chee Soon-Do-Boo ( the kimchee tofu soup isn't anything to get excited about)
- Spicy Pork (a smoke explosion in your mouth)
- Dduk boki (rice cakes w/ spicy sauce...little sauce, and was on the dry side)
- Daikon (this is a must with the Tong-Dak so I was super sad that it tasted off...they must have just made it and not added enough sugar this time around...boo)
Well, there yah have it. The food prepared here is sworn to be sans MSG so I do feel good about that. Everything is home-made and I have to admit I'm kinda sad that those bags filled with H20 are no longer hanging from the ceiling to ward off flies...that was classic. -
Review from kim n.
9/1/2009
Normally if I were in this strip mall I'd be at 99 Chicken but we thought we'd try a new place instead so we go into Corner place. Pretty good Pan Chan to start with and we order the following:
-Dol Sot Bi Bim Bop
-Bulgogi
-Spicy bbq pork
- Seafood Pancakes
-Tripe stew
The tripe stew was ok and the pancakes were pretty good. I didn't try the other items but the co-workers that they were decent. The owner went through a great length on touting his food and actually gave his personal attention on how to mix bi bim bap for one of my co-workers. Hell I thought he was going to feed him for a minute there. It's nice to see pride in ones work but maybe this guy was taking a bit too far? 3.5 stars -
Review from Kimberly B.
San Jose, CA
2/20/2008
I'm gonna have to give these homies 5 stars for a few reasons:
- I called this place at 4:45pm and told them that we were going to have a party of 22. They said "No problem". The fiance and I got there at 5:00pm and they had already set up the table for us.
- The rest of our party didn't end up coming until 5:30pm, but they didn't make a big deal about it at all or asked us over and over again, "When are the rest of the people coming?" like how some other restaurants like to harass.
- The server was patient with us, especially when half our table decided to do family style while the other half didn't. Things got super confusing but he didn't roll his eyes or give us attitude.
- They gave us big water bottles so that we didn't have to constantly ask them for refills. That's the way things should be done sometimes.
- The food was superb. Everyone especially loved their dol sot bi bim bap, which was only $9.95 compared to other restaurants that charge $11.99 or higher.
- The restaurant was clean.
Great experience, especially when it came to organizing a last-minute dinner party with a bunch of people. Service was good and the organization was great.
UPDATE:
The owner walked over to our table the other day and taught the fiance how to stir his dol sot bi bim bab the correct way. I guess the fiance was doing it all wrong. Anyway, it was humorous, hahaha. -
Review from Nancy L.
Berkeley, CA
11/5/2008
Warning: If you are a young Asian American, and particularly if you are a young, angry Asian American female, you may want steer clear of this restaurant. Otherwise, enjoy!
I WOULD have given Corner Place 4 stars because, well, to be honest and fair, the food is pretty dang good and the prices are reasonable. The owners obviously don't spend their hard-earned money on the decor and atmosphere but, hey - that's why it's an authentic Asian restaurant. :)
INSTEAD,....I am going to MINUS 1 star (if I was still really angry, I would minus 2 stars) because the waiter / owner thinks he's being cute and funny when, really, he's a walking time bomb, set to trigger the Asian parent issues lying dormant in many an innocent female Asian American customer.
Jerk.
Okay, so I'm not exactly Kate Moss waif thin. Arguably, I am not even thin. I'm not an anorexic hottie model. I like my food and my food likes me. So, I'm at Corner Place with one of my friends, this teeny-tiny, adorable Asian American girl who is about the size of one of my thighs. She stopped by to visit my friends and me while we were ordering our food and wasn't planning on ordering anything to eat. Just as I am about to place my order, the owner / waiter asks why she is not eating, Below is a transcript of the conversation:
Owner: You not order?
Cute, skinny friend: Oh, no. I just had dinner - thank you!
Owner: Oh, you should eat. You too skinny. [He looks at me, and POINTS.] Like her - be healthy. She healthy. Very healthy. Very healthy.
Me: [trying really hard to refrain from throwing a sharp object at him] Ummm,...okaaaaay,....
Now, if you're not Asian American, this probably means nothing to you. But, if you're an Asian American chick, you KNOW what I mean. You KNOW. You KNOW that, basically, the owner was telling me, in that infamous passive-aggressive-insult-cleverly-shrouded-as-a-c ompliment, that I was FAT. And the best part about these type of comments, the BEST part - they almost always come from some mofo who is actually about 500 pounds and 4' feet tall and thinks he is your favorite uncle and, therefore, it is his civil and familial duty (even though you two aren't related at all) to inform you, in the first five seconds of meeting, that you are "very" or "too" healthy (worse yet - he'll make some direct comment about your aesthetic value). OR, these comments come from some ugly-@$$ woman who is the walking definition of cold, bitter death on a stick.
Gotta love those old Asian folks. The only way to love is through tough, brutally critical love.
Oh well. I still thoroughly enjoyed my meal and the excellent company of my friends, who gently reminded me from whom the comment came. :) -
Review from Lily R.
4/18/2008
I'm hooked on Korean food. I've had it twice this week.
Lily L and I came in for lunch and both had #32 Dol sat bi bam bap (stone pot rice w/mixed veggies and beef topped with fried egg)
Very good. It hit the spot. I don't know if its just me but I think that this dish needs a little more flavor. Guess I should add a dash of salt and bring in my own bottle of tapatio! hehe! Don't get me wrong..it was really yummy. I just noticed that after eating it 2x in a week at different places.
Service was OK. The owner is a nice man. Lily warned me about him telling her not to use a spoon when she ate, so if you know me..ms. rebel. I ate with a spoon. haha I'm wondering if he only scolds Asians. -
Review from Annie W.
8/10/2008
Solid place for any of your usual Korean food cravings. As previously mentioned, menu is vast and banchan is plentiful (as are its refills). Hot or cold tea is tasty barley-flavored. Service, although notably mostly Hispanics (I don't think I saw a Korean working there), was friendly and charming. And in case you aren't full after your bibimbaps and jiggaes, there's always 99 Chicken right next door for some protein fillers.
Sure bets are the bibimbaps (they even allow you to sub chicken for beef!), ja jang mien, seafood pancake, and bbq'd meat dishes. They give a lot of veggies in their bibimbaps :) The ja jang mien is loaded with onions for extra flavor. They didn't over-oil the seafood pancake. And the bulgogi was placed upon a fresh mound of (again) sliced onions. They definitely don't skip out on what's important!
I'd skip out on the kong gook soo (cold soybean soup with chewy noodle) and one of the soybean jiggaes. The kong gook soo lacked serious flavor by itself and I felt that they could've added more garnishes (like cucumber slices. eggs, etc) besides a big bowl of whiteness staring at me. The soybean jiggae on the other hand was a tad salty. -
Review from David K.
2/12/2007 2 photos
"Gil-mok" is the Korean name for Corner Place restaurant. I would have reviewed it earlier, but I didn't know the English name so I couldn't find it.
Corner Place is my favorite Korean restaurant in the area. No it doesn't have the best food, best environment, best staff. What is does have is a good combination of each of these elements that makes for a pleasant dining experience.
OK so about the food already! They have all your typical favorite Korean dishes (bulgogi, gakbi). My favorites here: "omurice" (omlette over rice), "galbi jjim" (beef stew in sweet soysauce sauce), and "dduk bok gee" (korean rice cakes with noodles in sweet and hot pepper paste sauce, see Brian M.'s uploaded image). On a hot summer night, try the "nang myun" (cold buckwheat noodles served in a cold beef broth" and add some hot mustard and vinegar to taste. On a cold rainy day try the "suhk kkuh soon dooboo" (combination tofu stew). There you have it, some Korean food names 101.
The prices are fair, and remember that the meal comes with an assortment of delicious "ban-chan" (side dishes).
Just some interesting info about the owner: Joseph Lee (see the pic I uploaded) is the owner of the restaurant whom you can often catch at the restaurant, and he is very friendly. He is even featured on the current cover (at the time of this review, February) of the weekly newspaper "Metro" that talks about Santa Clara's failed proposal to officially name the area Koreatown and the Korean shops around the area where Corner Place is.
Expect a wait if you have a larger group on Sundays. Many church goers flock to this restaurant. -
Review from Lily L.
4/10/2008
OMG, I love the owners here! I normally come here to have their excellent dol sat bi bam bap (stone pot rice w/mixed veggies and beef topped with fried egg). I personally think they make the best in town. But that's not what today's review is about.
It's was like 3pm I haven't ate lunch yet and I'm trying to rush back to SJ to run more errands and avoid traffic. I called Corner Place to see if they can start my bi bam bap so it'll be ready when I get there (work smart right?). I walked in and he points to a table with my ban chan AND soup all set up for me. I was truly touched! A sec later, my sizzling bi bam bap comes out. PERFECT!
There's nothing I love more than mom and pop restaurants and its even better when you get excellent service from them. -
Review from Christina C.
Berkeley, CA
7/8/2008
Victory tastes better when you don't even know you're in a battle.
I roll up to this place one day last week. It was hot, sweaty, the air is dry and dusty from the 1300+ forest fires razing the mountains and countryside of California, the sunshine was coming down an eerie golden red because of the smoke. There was a surreal quality similar to comics, like when the sky is brilliantly orange to emphasize the magnitude of what is about to happen. And what was going to happen was some rootin' tootin' finger-lickin' good Korean food!
My dining companion and I had been making a habit of eating Thai during lunch at work because it was the most invigorating thing we could find. I introduced him to the goodness of Korean and he never looked at Thai food with the same amount of respect. He likes spice. And this kind of spice delivered the tingle, the flavor and the heat without the copious amounts of salt that is a signature of Thai hot sauce.
We ordered the Hae Mul DolSot BiBimBap (seafood bi bim bap in a scorching hot stone bowl), Combination seafood and assorted mushroom soon dubu (soft tofu soup), and the Hae Mul Pa Jun (seafood green onion pancake). With the exception of the Pa Jun, we specifically asked for the dishes to be prepared extra spicy.
The owner or whoever that little Asian man is, raised an eyebrow when I commented that like spicy, and then requested extra spicy. He leaned in a little and said, "Are you sure, 'extra' spicy?" I leaned in towards him and cocked my perfectly arched eyebrow at him, looked him in the eye and nodded, "I like to feel the heat." This apparently pleased him and we had an understanding that I wanted it Korean-style spicy. It did not disappoint.
The banchan was plentiful and more creative than other places. Spinach, bean sprouts, fish cakes, marinated cucumbers, kimchi, sweet potatoe, japchae, apple and mayo salad (?). We immediately had to get refills of the japchae, kimchi, fish cakes and cucumbers.
Since it was such a hot day, there were jugs of iced barley tea brought to each table. My dining mate and I drank it like it was the elixir of life. It was so good. Especially when the food came and it was a hot, bubbling, sizzling, mess!
The strange thing was that the appetizer (pa jun) came at the same time as the entrees. Huh.
My soon dubu was fantastic. The flavor was deep and rich and full-bodied. They brought me an egg to crack in to the impossibly hot broth. When it was finally tolerable in my mouth, I started slurping away like it was my last meal on earth.
The hae mul dol sot bi bim bap was served in a real stone bowl. Not a ceramic thing that never gets hot enough. This one perfectly crisped the rice on the bottom and forced my dining companion to frantically stir the rice for an extended and hilarious amount of time. It was the best dol sot bi bim bap I've ever had. Normally, I'm a soon dubu girl b/c that hot bowl is the only thing that does it for me. But here, I can see myself one day getting BOTH, just for myself.
This is where I'm going when I'm in Santa Clara next. If you don't find me at the chicken house next door, I'll be here. It has given me a reason to come to this part of the south bay. Suddenly, working at Valley Fair Mall doesn't such so much any more! -
Review from Mercy B.
Milpitas, CA
4/13/2008
After reading Dave K.'s and Wanugee's reviews, I knew I had to drag S down here to give it a try.
It took us a little bit of driving around to find this place as it's not located on a corner and the signage isn't very prominent. Parking lot is a bit cramped and can be a challenge during peak hours.
It seemed like a bustling place. After we were seated, it took a while for our orders to be taken. We were looking forward to munching on the banchan, but that also took a while to make its way to our table. After a little bit of a wait, the food finally started to arrive...
As I've mentioned in a previous review, I'm not good with the Korean food name, but I do have to say that what I had was very delicious. I remember the number on the menu was S-7 - it was like a bul go gi soup with veggies and cellophane noodles. S ordered the regular bul go gi - but he wasn't very happy with his dish and was drooling over mine...I was nice, I shared like my mom taught me.
We'll probably be back sometime soon, I'll be trying something different, but I know that S will be ordering S-7. -
Review from Lorrie N.
Fort Irwin, CA
9/18/2007
My friend and I would eat here every week, until she moved to Sacramento. I crave, crave, crave this place.
Our favorites are "Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap" and "Bulgogi". I love the crispy rice in the clay pots. I wish I could eat there once a week again. I just can't get out there that often.
The owner is wonderful and even when he's busy and we don't get refills, we still appreciate this place because they always make our food delicious.
Best Korean food in Santa Clara County. -
Review from Ziru C.
Albany, CA
5/21/2007
My friends and I ordered a ton of food when we came here. Between three small Asian girls, we had mul naeng myun, seafood soondubu, kimchi dot sol bibimbap, and combo BBQ stuff. We're fat asses, we know.
The naeng myun was good, but my friends squirted a ton of mustard sauce in, which kind of killed it for me. But it was still refreshing.
The soondubu was really seafood-y, but it wasn't bad. It was my first taste of soondubu at the time, and I was rather happy with it.
I loved the dol sot bibimbap. It was delicious. One of my favorites.
I wasn't too fond of the barbeque stuff. After one piece of meat, I didn't touch any more. I think I was spoiled by the Korean restaurants where you get to cook your own meat. I like my stuff medium rare, so anything that already comes cooked is too cooked for me.
I wish this place had better lighting though, or something. I remember it being rather dim (we went at night), and I just had this feeling of uncleanliness. Other than that, the service brightened up the place. The service here was really friendly. The owner, I'm assuming, was all smiles.Listed in: Shik!
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Review from Sandy D.
1/5/2008
Love this place!! Love the kimchee bibimbop thing; stoneware pot with rice, kimchee, beef and and egg. Yum Yum Yummm. This place isn't fancy but I come here for the gooood comforting food that instantly warms my tummy. The side dishes are awesome here; They're all edible at least.
The owner is charming. The two Latino ladies working the front is not what you would expect, but HEY, they're nicer than any servers I've dealt with at other Korean places! Get the rice stoneware pot!! -
Review from Derrick V.
San Francisco, CA
10/19/2008
I tried the Hae Mul Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap and thought it was very good. It came topped with squid, small shrimp, and clams already doused in a sauce. I don't think the sauce was straight gochujang, but probably gochujang based. It was really nice, like a more balanced refined version, well suited for the seafood in this dish. The veggies included daikon, carrots, and yellow zucchini. The rice was pretty browned after only a minute or so, so don't be afraid to mix it up quickly. I didn't get a fried egg with my dish, not sure if it only comes with the beef or kimchi versions.
I liked the panchan a lot here, especially the cabbage kimchi. Kimchi at its best is light, with a bright flavor, and here they do it right. Japchae was nicely seasoned too. The side of seaweed soup was a nice palate cleanser. I'll come back to try more things but for now, 4 stars for good cooking.
Update: Tried the Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap with beef and the egg yolk was cooked hard. They serve this dish really really hot, so hot that it's practically hot the whole way through. Pretty decent version.Listed in: South Bay Eats, Korean Food
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Review from Sera P.
Updated - 11/8/2008 7 photos
(check out the pictures!)
She remembered us!
The lady is nice :)
The pop is still a bit narcissistic. Eh.
Ddukbokgi, AGAIN.
We were herra craving it!!
You really can't beat the price, $6.95 (The cheapest I've had in Santa Clara was $8.95)!
Yukgaejang, WOW!!! +_+
Delicious. A little skimpy on the meat, and no gosari :(
Yet, delicious.
The soup was very spicy, the way it's supposed to be!
The portion was huge! My bf and I shared this with the ddukbokgi, but I still took half of the yukgaejang home.
Note: the 5 stars are for 1) the FOOD 2) the BARLEY TEA (makes you appreciate it so much, compared to other places w/ tap water) 3) GREAET PRICES,
not the ambiance (it's really not as bad as it looks at first glance!) or the service, because it gets pretty slow. (pop = server/cashier, lady = server/cashier/chef helper, 1 chef, 1 busboy)
** The potato side dish, is SOOOOOOOOOO orgasmic. They didn't have this last time, sooo glad I came again!Listed in: El Camino? El Cami-Yes!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/1/2008
+2 variety of dishes on the menu
+2 many great banchans (my favorite, ggak doo gee! [radish kimchi]… Read more »
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Review from Winifred X.
Santa Clara, CA
4/3/2007
I'd really give it a 4.5 star if I could've, so that on my list is pretty cool. the extra 1/2 star also goes towards the very friendly owner Mr. Lee.. he's just awesome and makes you feel very welcomed every time.
I really like the hot tofu pot here, and the stone pot Bim Bim Bap is the best I've had in the area. Although stay away from the more americanized items on the menu. My friend had ordered an omelet looking rice dish and it's definitely below average taste.
Plenty of "banchan" including some great tofu items. I also really like the free chilled sweet rice soup at the end they serve you as dessert, if go there with a large group that is. Give it a try next time you are nearby! ^_^Listed in: My Comfort, NEW SC comfort places
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Review from Marv G.
San Francisco, CA
5/24/2007
Edit: I came back here maybe half a year ago but the experience wasn't as pleasant as I remembered. The service took really long, with the appetizers come in after our meal had been served. The gum at the end was also stale! I used to like their gum a lot, even when it holds its flavor for only 5 minutes. Very disappointed. Their oyster pan-cakes are still ok.
Initial review: My friends introduced me to Korean food at this homely restaurant. It's a small joint, rather cozy, and the food is very good and at moderate prices. I love their oyster pan-cakes and will be quick to take more than my fair share's worth if you happen to look away! Their sizzling beef is also a good choice. They have about 8 side appetizers that come compimentary with anything you order, and they're all good and they'll give you seconds and even thirds. I can get full eating just their appetizers alone! Oh and the tea they serve is awesome! Good for a fun dinner! -
Review from Ryan C.
San Jose, CA
8/12/2008
Kimchee jjigye is the best on their menu, I could say one of the best around the town; give it a try.
All other items? Standard Korean food. -
Review from Dave L.
San Jose, CA
2/24/2008
I've been to this place twice now and both times have been wonderful. The best part of the place is their service and their side dishes. They give a wide variety of side dishes from the traditional kim chee to potato and vegetable salad.
Their clay pot mixed rice is really good as well. I ordered the one wtih Kim Chee and it was very delicious. The clay pot was hot enough to make the rice crispy on the bottom and they also included a generous portion of meat and eggs to make the kim chee bohk eum bahp that much better.
Their menu is very diverse as well. From soups to meat to soft tofu, everyone will find something to their liking. This is one the of the better Korean restaurants in the area so go check it out!! =) -
Review from Cynthia C.
San Francisco, CA
7/1/2006
I think this must be my favorite korean restuarant around here! It has the best rice cakes with korean noodles and the service is excellent! We've been coming here for a long time so the owner knows us and always comes to say hi! It's pretty authentic and everything's freshly cooked! The bbq here is yummy and also the seafood stone pot rice! Love this place!
P.S. We've never ever gotten sick from this place and we used to eat here weekly and on friend's bdays. It's never been an issue that we got sick! So don't judge this place based of one person's bad experience. :) -
Review from Junshien L.
Emeryville, CA
11/26/2006
Gooood food. I was already happy after they brought out all the side dishes, which were definitely yum. And then they had some tea drink (slightly flavored), and free soup! I was a happy man, and the main dish had not even come out.
The prices are really reasonable, esp for a Korean restaurant. My $9.50 bulgogi dish was heaping, though a little dry and mediocre on the flavor side (hence the 4 stars). Most of the entrees were around $8-10, and are pretty good sized.
I'm definitely going to be back here again! -
Review from Adrienne K.
Oakland, CA
3/2/2007
The owner is a super nice guy. The environment is clean and bright so that was cool =) When I first ate there I found their food to be a bit on the light side to my taste, hehe... but the spicy soup are superspicy that I can only handle medium on their scale =)
My boyfriend loves their 'Omelet Rice' and he's a regular customer there. He would order that if he doesn't have other cravings when we're there. I tried it and it was pretty good.
Here are some dishes I like and recommend you to give them a try and decide if you like them too.
SOE HAN MA RE GOOK BAP - beef and tendon soup, not spicy.
TA RO GOOK BAP - I usually ask for only veggies with mine, medium spicy is plenty.
GAL BEE - beef, some fat, sometimes more than other.
GOON MAN DOO - fried dumplings.
OMELET RICE -
Review from Tim L.
Sunnyvale, CA
1/23/2008
This place would get 5 stars if they could consistently replicate their mood-altering food =).
First, the soup and ban-chan is fantastic. Spicy cucumbers, bean sprouts, that gelatin thing, Fish cake(my favorite), sweet fried potatoes. Man these are good.
Now onto the Kim CHi dol sot. Be prepared to burn your mouth! Man this bowl is hot. Throw that spicy sauce in there and a couple of those ban chan vegetables, get your spoon to pop the yoke and make some fried rice.
Rice is good, bowl stays extremely hot for a long time and once you begin to indulge you begin your adventure. Half way through, make sure to start scraping the bottom of the bowl to get some of the crunchy goodness. Enjoy that. Now you are almost near the end of your bowl and starting to feel full..... Wipe that sweat off your forehead, take a step back and chill on some barley tea. Now let's finish your journey. Suprise! You got your second batch of crunchy rice. Damn I love dol sot.
The only other thng i really enjoyed was their pancake type thing with the seafood and the vegetables stuffed on the side. Pan fried, soft, chewy, mmm that is tasty.
Everything else i have had is pretty subpar and nothing special.
Bottom Line - This is our official Dol Sot spot. Sometimes when i wake up this is the first thing i think of. -
Review from Lana G.
Cupertino, CA
9/5/2007 1 photo
a place i will always return!
Spicy Pork is my favor, and soups are great, too.
the most important reason cause me return here again and again is the friendly environment :)
