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Muguboka Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Korean Korean [Edit]
401 Balboa St(between 5th Ave & 6th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94118
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
(415) 668-6007
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11 am - 11 pm
Sun 5 pm - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
315 reviews for Muguboka Restaurant
Review Highlights
"The seafood pancake is addictive and delicious."
(in 113 reviews)
"Tofu Soup - taste even better on a cold night."
(in 106 reviews)
"The banchan was quite yummy and I loved the variety."
(in 79 reviews)
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315 reviews in English
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Review from Jeff L.
San Francisco, CA
1/25/2012
Both dining in and take out has been very good. When we dined in we got a spicy pork/kimchi/tofu dish and kalbi, and they threw in a tofu stew for free.
When I did take out I got the bulgogi and tofu stew lunch combination. They actually included some of the side dishes in the take out box, which was pretty awesome.
I've been more impressed by their non-beef dishes and their sides, but the kalbi and bulgogi were both decent.
I am pretty sure I'll be back for more take out, they are less than 10 minutes away from work... -
Review from Jessica H.
San Francisco, CA
1/14/2012
Short short review.
Honestly, the food was alright. I've definitely had better korean food and this plae doesnt even rank up there. However, they do give you a lot of sides. Like a lot. LIke ridiculous amount. Like expect your entire table to be filled with sides. No lie. -
Review from Michelle Q.
San Francisco, CA
12/30/2011
I am a Korean food addict. Seriously, I have a problem. I could eat Kalbi, Bulgogi, Tofu Stew, BiBimBap, that egg thing, Chap Jae, and the Ban Chan all day, everyday. I LOVE KOREAN FOOD.
When my friends suggested we eat here for lunch, I didn't expect much. This place is a little out of the way on Balboa and the combination of the white interior with the grayness of the Richmond didn't help. And it was lunchtime and there was only 1 other party in the restaurant.
The food, however, is great. I particularly like how they have lunch specials. I always want a little of everything when I go Korean, but usually opt for only 1 thing because it's so dang expensive. But here, you can get a barbeque meat dish (bulgogi or kalbi or spicy pork) and a tofu stew for like $11. Not to mention they have ALL of the banchan dishes, not just 3 or 4. I was supremely satisfied with my lunch plate, and then they brought out the FREE seafood pancake. I LOVE FREE. It was the best seafood pancake I've had--crispy and hot and gooey in the middle with fresh squids and shrimp and oysters. Did I mention it's free?
This place is a great lunch stop (I've never been for dinner) and I really wonder why they're not more crowded. Food is delicious and more than worth your money. Parking is a little rough but not too bad. All in all, a great changeup from your usual Korean BBQ joint. -
Review from Linda K.
San Francisco, CA
1/22/2012
We came on a really cold night and luckily found parking right across the street, whoohoo!
We walked in and got seated instantly. There was only one woman working so they took their time to get our appetizers, waters, or orders. I noticed there was only one person working in the kitchen too. But in the end, she came over with tea and a huge smile on her face. We ordered kimchi bimbimbap, dokboki, bulgogi, korean pancake and she gave us soup on the house! I don't know about you, but I explore a lot of korean restaurants mostly for their dokboki's, and this place definitely hit the spot. Although it was TOO spicy for me, I just drained it in my rice a little and continued beasting away. Everything was yummy and I was really full after! -
Review from Brady K.
San Francisco, CA
12/15/2011
Like many have mentioned if you get there early on a Wednesday night you may be the only folks there. Don't let that discourage you! We started off with the fabulous variety and flavorful banchan. The seafood pancake was addictive with its crispy crust and tasty shrimp. My fiancé enjoyed the tofu soup but preferred My Tofu House's version a bit more, saying it lacked as much flavor. I tried the vegetable soup, but without the chicken stock (pesky pescetarian) it was pretty bland - good noodles though!
In all we enjoyed our budget friendly, tasty dinner. The only negative was that it felt sooooo coooold inside. We never took off our jackets and stared longingly at the heat lamps across the room. Word to the wise, sit away from the drafty windows - which are half the walls!
3.75 * stars -
Review from Timothy G.
San Francisco, CA
12/20/2011
This is my go-to Korean restaurant in the city. There is one that I think is better but is twice as expensive. Since the food isn't twice as good, I go here.
If you get the spicy Pork ______ you won't be disappointed. Unfortunately for those who don't like spicy the meat is marinated so spicy is the only option.
There is a lunch special which we got for the first time. The appetizers are always decent with the fishcake, broccoli, and cucumbers being my favorite.
When we order we usually order three items and it seems that consistently they give us something on-the-house. Usually it's the pancake or the tofu soup, both of which are yummy. Once at lunch time they gave us a tofu dish that was not but it was still a very nice gesture which I appreciated.
The only real negative is that it can get crowded and if you have to wait there is no where to do that (an issue at most places around here I know) and the slow service once your food arrives. Trying to get water refilled means you have to try to catch the servers eye. It's not that they aren't trying it is just a lot of tables for one person. To their credit they do give you a carafe of water to self refill.
Overall:
-Great great Korean food
-Good portion sizes
-Slower service for drink and appetizer refills -
Review from carolyn y.
San Francisco, CA
12/12/2011
KFC- korean fried chicken. hands down. thats the only order i ever get. of course with rice and side dishes too. & at the end of the meal PINE NUT SWEET SOUP. ^______^
Oh & once in a while when I go, theres free pancake on the house. But the bill racks up faaaaaaaaaaaast, so becareful! -
Review from Tatyana K.
San Francisco, CA
11/26/2011 2 Check-ins Here
First I've heard about Muguboka from Yelp trying to find my Koren fix after visiting Seoul. Then I started this new job and my co-worker's mother-in-law ran a Korean restaurant in the Richmond - Muguboka! When my mom was visiting, we finally went and were not disappointed (how awkward of a review could've this been?) We both ordered dolsot bibimbap, the seafood pancake and got a soft tofu stew on the house as well as tons and tons of banchan.
A word of warning: come hungry and with a group. With so many tasty things on the menu, it's easy to have a bite of this and that and fill up before you know it. -
Review from corie z.
San Francisco, CA
1/8/2012
I've been to a few Korean restaurants in the city and for some weird reason my heart and stomach always comes back to this place. Love the service, the side dishes, the kalbi, the sondobu and most of all the SEAFOOD PANCAKE! No other place cooks it just as crispy and soft as here.
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Review from Daniel B.
San Francisco, CA
11/18/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Seriously, our experience here felt like the first few seconds of the "The Simpsons" opening, where angelic voices provide vocal drapery as clouds give way to the clearest of skies.
A friend and I headed about 7 blocks over from the de Young Museum to eat here. Looking at old art got us hungry, and this place is closed by the time we're typically out prowling for dinner, so this was the perfect setup. We were also coming off of an ironic or just plain odd experience at a different Korean restaurant the night before in which we were served only 2 - yes, I said t-w-o - banchan.
The Muguboka treatment was exactly the opposite. So the other place gave us 2, NaN has their signature 3, and other places might serve 5 to 8. But here we were brought 14(!) banchan for just the two of us, accompanying just two dishes and an appetizer. Crazy. Surprising. Heaven. Too legit to quit. Whatever you call it.
Ultimately, the amount of banchan isn't as important as whether or not they're ones you want to eat. Yet each item in our array was crave-worthy if not also comparatively hard to find in SF restaurants. Highlights were the little fish, little beans, something similar to deodeok, and muk. Wait a sec. Rewind your eyes and read the last part of that list again. That's right - tally one up for the list of SF muk restaurants. Fried zucchini, shredded potatoes, and the rest were commendable too.
The headliner dishes didn't belie their opening acts. My friend got a plate of spicy, sizzling intestine. Repeat those three words to yourself a few times and you already know you want to eat here. As for me, I'm a sucker for al (roe), and this place has not 1 or 2 but 4 or 5 differentiable al dishes.
We only had about a square foot and a half of empty table space once our entrees arrived. The clutter came on quickly too. It couldn't have even been 10 minutes from the time we ordered to the time all items were upon us. I think the restaurant was between a third and half full too, which makes the food prep + serving speed that much more remarkable.
The workers (and their friends who were just hanging out) were friendly from the time we entered to the time we left. Add to this the cleanly designed menu, row of house plants on the back ledge, and aforementioned food, and this place seals its position among my faves. -
Review from C A.
San Francisco, CA
11/23/2011
I came here with a large group on a saturday afternoon and they were able to accommodate us right away as they weren't that busy.
Had a taste of most people's dishes and the winner was the Al jigae (fish egg spicy soup). This was super yummy and totally hit the spot. My dish...the homemade kalguksu was just plain horrible. I could hardly eat it as it was just too salty. Tasted like salt water. The noodles were ok tho. Don't get the Gamjatang (Pork potato soup) either. They totally overcooked the potatoes so that the soup became almost like mashed potatoes.
The banchan was just aight. When we asked for a refill, they only refilled the kimchi. They did give us service in the form of haemool pajun (seafood pancake) which was good. Service was pretty slow though as there was only one waitress. We were waiting for our check for quite awhile.
Don't think I'll be back as the food was less than average...maybe only for the Al jigae. -
Review from Cin T.
It may not be the best out there, but our experience makes it worthy of a 5-star rating. Our server was friendly and attentive, the delicious food arrived quickly AND we got complimentary Soon Dubu and Seafood-Scallion Pancakes . They usually give one complimentary item, but we got blessed with both! The refreshing cinnamon tea at the end of our meal was a nice touch as well.
On top of all of that, they kept playing my favorite Korean song on repeat. This was after learning that I was a big Hyun Bin fan. The owner & server both cutely giggled in excitement when I called my Binnie a "sexy namja".....yes, he's one hot and talented guy.
*ahem*.....Um, sorry, back to the food.
Nice assortment of side dishes/banchans, that were happily replenished on request. There were a total of 14 delicious sides. Everyone was very happy with the varieties of sides, lots of compliments all around.
If a restaurant puts a lot of effort in their side dishes, you know the quality of the main dishes will be good.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
You betch yer ass I went straight for the Soju!!
I was downing those things, shot after shot. My friends took a little break, but i kept on going....savoring every glass. I think that's why the agassi serving us thought I was Korean, lol.
JINRO CHAMISUL-ORIGINAL SOJU ($10.95 for a 375ml/12 oz bottle): Yep, pricier than if you were to buy it yourself. That's how restaurants make their money.
Clean & pure tasting due to its korean bamboo charcoal-filtration method. A Korean friend once told me that it's filtered through that bamboo charcoal at least 4 times! I can see/taste why this particular company outsells all the others in Korea. Clean-tasting and 20% proof, oh yea!
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
SOON DUBU/Spicy soft tofu stew (free!!, usually $9.95):
Never been to any Korean restaurants that give out free soon dubu, so it was a nice surprise. Even though it was free, the effort was put into this dish to make it a delicious start to our meal.
The spicy broth was perfect for everyone (although I'd prefer spicier). The soft tofu melts in your mouth, the pieces of chopped beef & veggies were soft & tender. Adding a bowl of rice into this would make quite a satisfying meal.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
HAEMUL PAJEON/Seafood-Scallion Pancake (free!!, usually $12.95):
I never order this dish because most restaurants tend to serve their seafood scallion cakes w/ fake imitation crab or fish. Muguboka used REAL SEAFOOD in our complimentary haemul pajeon!!
That's right folks - you're getting real whole shrimps and octopus along with the usual scallions and chives. The shrimps weren't overcooked, the octopus was still tender.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
KIMCHEE JJIGAE/CHIGAE ($10.95):
Kim chee, firm tofu & lots of pork swimming in a bubbly pot of goodness. Had some for leftovers the next day, yum!
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
DOLSOT BIBIMBAMP ($12.95):
Beef, veggies, rice & a raw egg cooked in a hot stone pot.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
NAKJI BOKUM/BOKKEUM (spicy stir-fried octopus, $14.95):
This one is right up there next to my favorite nakji bokum at Jang Su (everywhere else had been a too-sweet, too bland of a disappointment.) http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Although, I'd prefer it spicier, my mouth was happy when I bit into Muguboka's version:
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
The subtle sweetness was there, but not overpowering to the overall salty-spicy gochujang sauce. Every bite of octopus & vegetables were flavorful & perfectly cooked.
GALBI/KALBI (marinated short ribs, $18.95):
The portions were enough for the 4 of us. My friends like the meaty parts, I loved the gristle & tendon parts, everyone was happy. The tender meat was cooked to the right doneness.
It was a little sweet for me, but everyone else loved it.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
DAEGI BULGOGI (marinated spicy pork, $16.95):
They gave A LOT of meat. I wanted some pork fat and gristle, but all we got was a mound of soft, tender meaty deliciousness. Not that I'm complaining! But I wish I had ordered it "extra spicy".
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Overall, a great find for my friends & I (said they'll definitely be back for more, a couple of them live in the Richmond area).
We almost passed on this place, just because it didn't look busy enough when we drove by. I'm glad we turned around & gave it a shot, just comes to show that you should never judge a book by its cover!Listed in: I Left My Heart in San…
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Review from Maggie U.
San Francisco, CA
1/15/2012
I love Korean food and I love this place. They have friendly staff & they serve great food, with good portion sizes. My bf and I love their Kalbi, Bulgogi, KImchi Jigae, Seafood Pancake and Chap Jae. I deducted 1 star because it can get crowded, and when it does, it is hard to get a hold of the waitress (whenever we go there, there is always one server for the entire restaurant) so getting your water refilled or getting the check can be extremely slow.) Overall, this is a great place to grab Korean food. Give it a try!
-
Review from Cliff T.
San Francisco, CA
11/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
They have awesome banchan. The jap chae (korean noodle) and tofu soup were pretty good.
Got a complimentary seafood pancake :) -
Review from Angeline L.
Burlingame, CA
11/12/2011
Good size portions and great lunch prices!
+combination bbq chicken & soft tofu: large portions, moist chicken, soft tofu w/ soup... few tiny chunks of meat
++ homemade noodles seafood, veg: SO good, we could not get over the homemade noodles, simple dish, and makes you think of home cookin'
+free tofu side dish- nice to get free stuff ;)
Banchan- nothing too spectacular, but a good variety
Nice little place, but parking stinks.
(FYI: They were open even though the "OPEN" sign wasn't turned on.) -
Review from Ann S.
9/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
I enjoyed coming here very much. Wonderful customer service and delicious Korean food; win win situation!
The seafood pancake was extremely good. The portions are incredibly generous and just perfect for sharing. It had plenty of actual seafood in it, which garners two thumbs up from me. The banchan came out in all its glory and I am just amazed how delicious and fulfilling these little side dishes make my dinner. I love adding the different accompaniments and achieving brand new taste experiences, all in one meal. Very tasty! To top it all off, my table received savory jap chae, on the house! This restaurant goes over and beyond to let you know how appreciated your business is and it definitely shows in the warmth in service and atmosphere. This place has a family-run, small, cozy type of feel.
I was recommended by the server to try out Hite as a beverage, their Korean beer, and it was awesome with our meal.
They gladly do take-out orders as well.
I think this place will definitely become one of my 'go to' places for great Korean food. -
Review from Erika C.
10/19/2011
I used to love this place. It's still good but I don't live as close and parking is a biatchhh up in this area.
I like the kalbi, bulgogi and hae mul pa jeon. They also usually give you a free dish too (tofu or glass noodles). Friendly service! -
Review from Robert Y.
10/16/2011
4.5
Our party of four waited about ~15 minutes to be seated on a sunday night around 8pm. The waitress was a little slow in getting out the dishes but she was the only one taking orders, checks, and delivering food so Ill give her a break. One bowl of rice was given per dish ordered. There are about 40 seats for customers. We got a complimentary order of seafood pancake to our surprise though. The bill came out to be around ~$17 per person after tax and tip
banchan
~12 dishes that were very tasty and flavorful. Probably the best banchan Ive had at a korean restaurant hands down. The best one IMO was the fish cake
Combination spicy bbq pork with soft tofu soup
The tofu soap was mediocre as there was little meat, mildly spicy and lots of tofu. the spicy bbq pork was one of the best Ive eaten as it was perfectly spicy for me and the pork was not over cooked. Definitely recommend getting the pork.
Beef stew
tough Ox tail stew with potatoes and carrots. It was flavored similarly to the beef short ribs so it tasted much better than the traditional chinese type. The meat was pretty tough and chewy though. If the quality of the meat was better I would recommend this dish.
Calamari with vegetables
Somewhat generous amounts of calamari with onions, celery, zucchini, and carrots. The flavor was mildly spicy but the dish wasnt too amazing.
Complimentary seafood pancake
decently crispy with shrimp and squid. Food always tastes better when its free
Overall: best korean place in san francisco so far. Parking is a pain though. Recommend this place to others craving korean. -
Review from Leslie P.
My family came in at 12pm on a Saturday and we were seated at one of the eight tables. We were given 12 banchans (http://www.yelp.com/us...) and a plate of Korean pancake (http://www.yelp.com/us...). The pancake was filled with squid and shrimp, all compliments of the house! AMAZING! All the banchans were amazing as well!
We ordered galbee (http://www.yelp.com/us...), japchae (http://www.yelp.com/us...), and the monk fish tofu bowl (http://www.yelp.com/us...). The tofu bowl was alright, but the galbee and japchae were delicious! The noodles were filled with carrots, green onions and beef. I wasn't expecting the jap chae to come with beef because every other time I've had it elsewhere, it was vegetarian. The galbee was cooked perfectly and was tender.
My favourites of the day were the jap chae and the complimentary Korean pancake. This meal was DELICIOUS and really filled my Korean food void. I will definitely be back when I'm in the area!! -
Review from H K.
San Francisco, CA
10/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was thinking about having sushi last Friday night but one thing brougt me into this restaurant instead while walking on Balboa Street. Looking through the window, I saw the tables getting a large number of small plates (banchan), a greater number than are usually served at Korean Restaurants I've been to. I went in, ordered, and got fifteen banchan plates. Also served complimentary was a green onion pancake with bits of seafood inside (namely squid). Theirs were indeed quite yummy compared to green onion pancakes elsewhere.
Their menu had a pretty good variety of items. If you're looking to do Korean barbecue, this does not appear to be the place for that though. Service was friendly from the two young ladies working there during my visit. -
Review from Alysha M.
My new fav korean restaurant in the city!
Even though prices are steep, it is still reasonable compared to other korean restaurants. Kalbi is $18, chop jae is $10. The portions are HUGE! The best part is you get free tofu stew with your meal, along with 12 small side dishes.
It is a small restaurant, but it wasn't crowded when I went for an early dinner (5pm). You know it's gotta be good since everyone else that was dining was FOB koreans!! -
Review from Angela H.
San Francisco, CA
12/13/2011
I came here with a group of friends on a Saturday around 2. There were only 2 other tables dining, so it was really quiet and peaceful. It's a pretty small place, maybe 10 tables or so.
Their menu is the same as any other Korean restaurant. They have a lunch special Monday-Friday. But their regular lunch menu is pretty worth the money as well. Usually, the only things you would get at a Korean restaurant is either soup or meat, but they have a combo of meat and soft tofu soup for $13 dollars at the most. After we ordered, the waitress brought out 14 banchans. 14!! Plus seafood pancake on the house. That definitely made me want to come back again. They will refill the banchan if you as them to, since the portions are quite small. I'm no expert at Korean food, because I think all Korean restaurant food tastes the same. But I would definitely come back because of their pricing and generosity. -
Review from Christine A.
San Francisco, CA
9/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
In all fairness, Muguboka deserves a 2.5 rather than 3 (Damnit Yelp, when are you going to allow us to give 1/2 stars?!).
There was nothing wrong with my bibimbap, but it just didn't really tasted like anything. The waitress wasn't very attentive -- we had to FLAG her down so she could give us some water. The place did give us a lot of banchan, but the quality of the banchan wasn't great either.
*sigh* If this weren't so close to my apartment, I'd probably never go here again... -
Review from Sarah C.
7/27/2011 1 photo
My last great Korean meal for a while. A good number of my yelp friends reviewed this place.
The place is pretty clean. Each table is already set up with napkins and tea cups. There is a box full of metal chopsticks and spoons. I like it. Feels more authentic! I also love the hip waitress that works there. Her English is very good and she likes to sing along to the top 40 music they play.
We ordered the bibim bap and a squid plate. Both was very good. The squid I would think is better. The bibim bap stayed hot for a long time. A lot of side dishes and it was just for two people. They also offered us complementary tofu soup. =D
I wouldn't mind coming back! -
Review from Diana B.
7/9/2011 2 photos
I had this really good spicy kalbi stew when I was in Seoul, and have been looking for it since with no luck: http://farm5.static.fl.... Muguboka's kalbi stew with carrots was a good alternative: http://www.yelp.com/bi.... The beef was very tender, and the carrots made the dish sweet. The hand-pulled noodle soup was also a simple but good dish for a cold night. Food came with lots of banchan dishes, and we also got green onion pancake with lots of squid on the house. I also love the cinnamon tea served at the end of the meal.
I'd like to return to try their $10 korean bbq and tofu soup lunch combos! While dinner is pricey, it's a good choice in the city for Korean that tastes like homecooking if you don't want to trek to Oakland or San Jose. -
Review from Bonene G.
Daly City, CA
11/21/2011 4 Check-ins Here
A few days ago, I had their spicy sizzling beef intestines for lunch. It was beyond dreamy. As gross as it sounds, I'd seriously come back just for that. They even had muk which is so hard to find at Korean restaurants, and the only other place that I know of is Bowl'd in Albany. They spoil you with 14 banchan, complimentary soft tofu, and sweet ginger tea after your meal. Since I've only been here once, I'm pretty excited about challenging my stomach for the next visit. I can only imagine my eyes closing again, and moving my chopsticks around in sheer delight.
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Review from Benson T.
San Francisco, CA
5/6/2011
It's just funny hearing non-Korean people try to say the name of this place.
Maybe it's just me, but finding parking in Richmond district is not my thing. It's one of the two things in this world that I cannot get. First is parking in Richmond and the second is girls. I don't know, man!
Anyways, I personally like the small family owned restaurants because they tend to want to care about their customers; kind of like you are going to their house as a guest for dinner. On both occasions that I've gone to this restaurant, they've always given us something extra. When I went with my best friend, they gave us a hot pot of tofu soup and another time with a party of about 20 they gave us two huge plates of seafood pancakes. Very very good. The things I've ordered so far from here have been my usual at Korean restaurants, Bi Bim Bap in a hot stone pot and also Dokbokki (bite sized rice cakes in a spicy sauce; I get mine with noodles for double the fun).
The food is good, the service is great, owners treat you like welcome guests, and good atmosphere with K-pop playing in the background. What more can I ask for in a Korean restaurant? Woot woot -
Review from Jenny M.
San Francisco, CA
8/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
One of the perks of coming here: ban chan!
I came here last weekend with a friend and parking took us about 15 minutes to find. Luckily we found a spot a block away, but finding parking in this location is definitely a bitch.
Service was good. Our server was very nice and smiley. She was so sweet that I am tempted to give +1 star just for her!!
I believe this place has about 12 ban chan dishes, of which I enjoyed a lot because fishcake is a must-have. However, the actually dishes were mediocre. We ordered a dolsot bibimbap and soondobu. The bibimbap was slightly on the dry side, despite the monstrous amount of sauce I put in the rice. As for the sauce, there still wasn't enough flavor. I like being able to taste the spice, instead of just having my mouth burn as an aftertaste. Soondobu was okay, it was enough to satisfy my craving for something soupy.
I'm not sure if they always give out complimentary dishes, but the night we went they gave seafood pancakes. My friend and I really liked it because we almost ordered it ourselves if our stomachs had space for it.
Overall, this will not be my first choice when I crave Korean food, but I'd probably come back here to try their other dishes if the mood strikes. -
Review from Connie C.
7/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've recently finally converted my bf to love korean food and I've been itching to want to come here after all the rave reviews I've read. We came here just after 9:30pm and I was expecting to receive the stinkeye from the owner for coming here so close to closing time. However, he greeted me happily and seated me.
We ordered the Dol Sott Bibimbap ($12.95) and wanted something else too thinking it wasn't enough. We ordered the Steam Tofu with pepper paste ($10.95) which was good but wish we did without after realizing it was too much food:(
They served us with 12 ban chan dishes and I was just happy to see the anchovies and fish cake! They also offered us complimentary tofu soup! It was yummy and filled with tons of soft tofu.
The bibimbap was delicious with bulgogi meat, egg, and the veggies. I usually like my egg over easy, that way the yolk breaks into the rice. The egg was fully cooked in the bibimbap:(
I will definitely come back soon and try more! -
Review from Michael M.
San Francisco, CA
9/1/2011
Great Food! Friendly service in a family-run atmosphere.
Lunch Specials are unbeatable, with all the side dishes you get a little taste of everything.
I live in the neighborhood and go at least 2x a week! -
Review from Judy Z.
San Francisco, CA
7/6/2011
I often get excited about Korean restaurants and can not sleep the night before. Im sure glad I lost my sleep to this place.
Friend's friend from korea came and so we all went to this place to eat. The mister chose the spicy myun that is a very chewy noodle with red spicy sweet sauce, the friend of friend chose the cold version, and friend chose the dolsot bibimbap that is bubbly hot with assorted veggies and an egg on top that you smash together with a spoon before eating, right before you spray with gochujang sauce on the side. I had me a plate of seafood pancake with rice and the 13 side dishes that come with every meal. Let me just say, I am ashamed of myself for not being able to finish all the food and the food on my friends' plates. Lady was super nice when she came to us.
Side note: Mister had ordered the raspberry alcohol and I didn't want him to drink it all so I bagged it. Lady nicely made a comment about how we e cant bring alcohol outside so mister began chugging. She said "wow"
tee he ^_^ -
Review from Doyle K.
Sacramento, CA
5/30/2011
There's not much more I can add to the tons of good reviews from Muguboka Restaurant. I randomly went here after finding it on
Yelp and I was super pleasantly surprised. I really think it's one of the best Korean restaurants in the Bay Area. All the food we had was really good. And what really makes them stick out is their great service. The people were very kind and courteous. Muguboka may very well be my new go-to place for Korean food from now on. The only bad part is that parking is tough in the area, especially at night. Be prepared to circle around for 10 or 20 minutes on a Friday night and have your walking shoes on, because you might end up hiking for several blocks. -
Review from Procter F.
Santa Monica, CA
10/14/2011
I'm only writing this from a lunch perspective. My initial impression is that Muguboka falls into those great value categories. The total cost for two kalbis with tofu pots, 14 different banchan (complimentary) and a seafood pancake (also complimentary) was only $25. We came with huge appetites and we absolutely could not defeat this generous amount of food. Although the kalbi was not as good as those that I have tried elsewhere the seafood pancake was exceptional. In terms of lunch, Mugoboka would definitely be considered for a return visit.
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Review from Daniel R.
Ewa Beach, HI
5/14/2011
I've been giving so many places 5 stars, but I can't help that I've just been going to places that have been hits with me!
Living in Southern California for the past two years, I've had my fair share of the Korean restaurant experience.
I'm always used to bad service and service buzzers, but that was not the case at mugu boka.
Mugu boka is a cute mom & pop Korean restaurant on the corner of 5th & 6th. The service here was exceptional. We got a free seafood pancake, and my friend said they always do that when they bring in new customers, haha.
They have the loads of banchan, and usually there's always the issue of needing constantly needing refill on banchan, but there's just so much of it you get full so easily.
They have really good deals for lunch, such as their combo meals, which each come with soondubu. I got the kalbi with the soondubu, it was soooo good! The kalbi was juicy, flavorful, and tender, and the soondubu complemented it well.
Then they give you ginger tea after the meal which is really refreshing and sweet, the perfect ending to a flavorful lunch.
Next time I'm in town, I'll definitely go back, I'm just hoping they give another free seafood pancake! Haha. -
Review from Clarissa P.
San Francisco, CA
4/19/2011
The lunch special here is worth coming for- its a very reasonable price (for korean BBQ) , and they are generous with the ban chan!
Service is great- usually they will give something on the house (who doesn't love free stuff.) Food arrives fast and the ladies are very friendly. It -
Review from Karen Y.
San Francisco, CA
5/23/2011
I've been here many times and I love that the food and service is consistently good. I always come here for Saturday lunch and end up ordering their lunch sets of one choice of soup and BBQ meat for about $15 pere person (trust me, it's a really good deal for the quantity and quality of food you get). The set also comes with rice and of course every visit is rewarded with a ton of delicious mini dishes of appetizers that I absolutely love about Korean restaurants. An added bonus is that every time the bf and I each order a set, the restaurant gives us a complimentary dish (usually a seafood pancake.. it's seriously drool status).
The tofu soup is always so so delicious and the BBQ beef or short rips or chicken are always on point- cooked just right with that smokey flavor. I know the boy is going to be sad if he can't eat it with me anymore (I am hoping to gradually stave off eating meat.. won't go into detail here). -
Review from Sappho C.
Gilroy, CA
Rainy day= perfect for hot tofu soup! This place is located on the corner of 5th and Balboa. It is a small place that have super friendly service. We came around 11:30 and there were about 2 tables there. The waitress was super friendly and brought us our water and menu right away. Very good prices for lunch specials(look at the picture I attached)! I got the beef combo that came with marinated beef, rice, and tofu soup. After you order, they bring over your side dishes-- 13 of them! Then free seafood pancake on the house! It was so good! I know these pancake would run about 10 a pop at other korean restaurants! So for lunch, you pay $15 tax+ tips for all these delicious food!!! What a great find!
Make sure you look around your table because the silver chopsticks and spoons are located in this cool box! They won't bring you your stuff! I love it here! Will definitely recommend to anyone who wants korean food! YUM! -
Review from Stephanie M.
San Francisco, CA
6/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
13 banchan (side dishes) and a complimentary haemul pajun (seafood pancake that actually tasted good)?!?!? What universe is this? This place kicks ass! The service is sweet and attentive (family run I think), portions are big and prices are very decent. A small cup of sujeonggwa (cinnamon digestive drink) was served after the meal.
Dishes ordered:
-Sullungtang (I was craving it but didn't actually expect it to taste good... it did and the beef was very tender)
-Haemul ddolsottbab (Tasty and with big pieces of seafood)
I wasn't anticipating parking, but it was surprisingly a breeze and combined with the food and service, my first visit to Muguboka was a complete success. Will return! -
Review from Mimi L.
San Francisco, CA
4/25/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I love that its open later than some other Korean places!
Came here on a Sunday night after looking at the clock (9:00pm) and noticed most restaurants are closing at this time! Parking is a little rough since its in Richmond, but don't dispair! Drive around in a few more circles and you will find something! The place is clean and not too loud, there were a couple other tables seated.
The bf and I both ordered soup, Kimchee chige and monkfish stew/soup. Portions were good, we even had some to pack home. Definately a lot of ban chan dishes, 15 total. Got a yummy seafood pancake on the house.
**Heads up** Its posted that they close at 11:00pm but after we left (10:15-ish) they turned off the "open" sign in the window. We were the last ones there.. but were never rushed to hurry up and leave.
Will definately be back =) -
Review from Joan L.
San Francisco, CA
11/5/2011
So glad I discovered this place! They have generous portions and a good array of side dishes. Service is very friendly and attentive too. Will definitely come back.
