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Namu - CLOSED
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants American (New) Restaurants Korean Japanese, American (New), Korean [Edit]
439 Balboa St(between 5th Ave & 6th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94118
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
(415) 386-8332
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- 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:
- Hipster, Trendy, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
740 reviews for Namu
Review Highlights
"Recommend the okra, spicy pork ribs, and."
(in 29 reviews)
"the kobe style skirt steak was cooked to perfection."
(in 14 reviews)
"Shiitake dumplings - Slippery & juicy mushrooms."
(in 40 reviews)
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740 reviews in English
-
Review from Adolfo L.
1/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
Balboa Street, where restaurants come to die...
It's usually pointless to write a review about a place that's closed, but it's different with Namu for two reasons. They're not really closing as they're moving on to the greener culinary pastures of the Mission, and they actually made it on Balboa Street. You see, restaurants don't make it here on this end of Balboa. Some scrape by. Most will close, I've seen many. And few will make it.
It wasn't always rosy with these guys. As a dude in the hood I saw them open, be over ambitious and overcharge, go through lean times, and then redirect their focus. After seeing them gain traction with their spot at the Ferry Building Farmer's Market and their chef getting some of the city's culinary spotlight, I would drive by and start to see them busy and bustling. To drive down that end of Balboa Street and see a restaurant with such energy was promising. Maybe Namu would be a place that turns the tides away from Balboa being a culinary cemetery? Alas, no mas. Here I go with the hyperbole again. Well actually I'm serious. We, the folks of the Inner Richmond, would love to see that end of Balboa bustle. Until then, I guess it's another (few thousand) drive(s) to the gourmet ghetto (the Mission).
In any event, I hope the best for these guys as through the years they've done it right. Not only is the food good and grubbin', the concept and direction seem to be a nice, neat cohesive package. Well done Namu. If you can make it on Balboa Street, you can make it anywhere. -
Review from so young y.
San Francisco, CA
1/17/2012
Saw great reviews on follow yelpers and visited on Saturday, seated promptely, but was hard to get waiter's attention to start my order.
We ordered oysters, taco and beef burgers, as complement Banchan plate arrived in ten minutes later of my orders before red wines, those banchan was below average sprouts were so salty, zucchini was a bit oily and kimchi was extrmely DRY - you never eat dry kimchi there was no sauce on it at all it seemed like it's been out in the kitchen or in the freezer for long time taste wasn't like they actually made it there goes my first dissapointment.
Then 15 minutes later deeply wondered about whereabouts on next dish oysters came to us in fancy dish, but I can't say that they were fresh oysters. Opened poorly every oysters I could find small particles of shell which was very unplesent and unprofessional.
And of course long waited time the next course taco arrived to us and surprised by seeweed wraped taco and thought very innovative and tried to give it a bite but failed hard to eat it and things came out of wrap and made messy think they should deep fry seeweed make it little more crunch different texture..... Whatever
The main course the hambergers also arrived late we were already more than half full with water n drinks while waiting times. Took a bite on French fries first, very moist not so crunch seemed like they already fried like ten minutes ago.....
That wasn't all they put mayo in the burgers, well it's my bad that we missed on the menu wrote mayo but American don't put mayo in the burgers!!!! Thought this restaurant is Korean Japanese fusion with American food... How bizarre......
Not bother to give them an another try.. Unless they really study n understand really good in Korean food. -
Review from Mirabella Y.
San Francisco, CA
1/2/2012
My husband and I *dream* about the short rib tacos - perfect combo of savory, sweet, and crisp. The burger is top 2 in SF, and their pickles are insane (don't just take my word for it - Michael Minna buys them for his restaurants!)
The staff is super accommodating and friendly, and the atmosphere is perfect for a date or night out with friends!
The location is a little hard to get to, coming from Russian Hill, but I hear that they are moving to SF's own little foodie heaven (The Mission)! -
Review from Brian V.
12/24/2011
While I do have some alliances with Namu, I have to be honest. My past experiences with Namu for brunch and the ferry building have been underwhelming. As a result, I often scratch my head when I drive by and see Namu so packed, even at really late hours, way past dinner. I often wondered about Sushi Bistro too. Their food wasn't even that great yet it i always a mad house. From the outside looking in, with the dim lights, it is most likely a posh setting which serves as a prelude to the buttseck. However, because kfuckender wanted to try it once for dinner before Namu closed and moved to another location and xmas was approaching, I could only oblige her as I know best.
Walking in, we were immediately greeted. The inside was toasty and we were immediately seated. I saw a friend who is part of the ownership and a series of daps ensued. I noticed that the ownership seem to know a majority of their clientele-regulars one might say. We were pretty hungry and we ordered:
korean tacos: 3/5 The korean tacos are the most popular items on the menu. These are readily served every thursday at the ferry building. While the concept was innovative, I have been disappointed in the past. Eating it last night, it was my least favorite dish. The beef is very dry and seems a little burnt. In addition, the sushi wraps they give you are so small that everything falls out once you bite into the taco.
french fries: 4/5 I love french fries as it is one of my favorite foods. As a result, I order it wherever I go, whenever it is available on the menu. The fries were were delicious, crispy and fresh. My only complaint would be that they were a tad salty.
tempura of market vegetables: 4/5 I usually don't order tempura, considering the simplicity of the dish. However, KDer was in a self proclaimed "vegetarian clense" and would only eat meat on special occasions, such as last night. As a result, I got some vegetables to appease her. You can't go wrong with tempura vegetables. The dipping sauce is always so wadDUUUP. They gave a generous amount.
okonomyaki: 4/5 This was Kristine's dish and we were not prepared for the sheer size of it. It was huge and easily a meal for two. It is a Japanese pancake with a myriad of toppings and was delicious.
stonepot with kobe steak: 4/5 This was basically a bimbimbap bowl and it was also huge, good for two people. It is a rice bowl with an assortment of vegetables, egg and kobe beef. The kobe beef was so tender, however, they only gave you like 2 or 3 pieces. The egg yolk, when mixed with the rice, was delicious. However, this was an immense portion and the kim chee was beginning to give me heartburn. They give you an array of vegetables which look very fresh.
I was surprised and impressed with Namu after our dining experience and can see why Namu has been so successful. The service was impeccable, from the waitstaff to the matriarch who took down our order. We were also given a complimentary brewski and discount, thanks to an alliance I made some time ago at the Buckshot. The food was vastly superior to the Thurs. ferry building stands and brunch. I have slowly started becoming fond of kimchi, however, eating to too much causes me to feel heavy of chest. Eat too much at your own peril. The portions are huge and we literally ordered enough for four people. If you go with a paramour, there will be no seck after...only immediate slumber. -
Review from E.N. C.
Stockton, CA
1/31/2012
Tasty. Pleasing to look at. Unique food. It was a nice spot to eat but it is no longer located here. It breaks my heart. I even asked one of the cute waitresses to mary me... I was turn down of course but we all had a good laugh. I am going to miss this place.
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Review from An P.
San Francisco, CA
12/13/2011
Yummy Korean food, but BAD business ethics! I came here last week and had terrible service. First they sat us near the door, which I felt was too cold. When I asked the waitress if we can sit away from the door, she told me that she can't give me a big table because it was prime dinner hours. I looked around and found that there were a lot of tables empty but said OK. After I gave her the annoyed look, she didn't look happy. After ordering we waited for our food. The funny part was we waited for a good 15 min after we order and we didn't even get served our water! really??? Are you kidding me? After talking to my friend about the service the water finally came.
The food I have to admit was good! We ordered the following:
-Miso Soup with mushroom
-Shiitake dumplings in a dashi mushroom broth
-Korean Fried chicken
-Ramen
-Desert forgot what it was called :(
When we received our dishes we found it strange that they only gave us one set of utensils...when we asked for a second they gave us a weird look. Well how else are we suppose to share the food?
After finishing our desert we found it rude that they gave us the bill right away even though the couple next to us was there longer and didn't even receive theirs yet.
I don't know if I would ever go back....although the food was good, the service was too much to tolerate! -
Review from Laura H.
12/23/2011
One of my favorite restaurants in SF. Unfortunately, they will be temporary closed after Christmas 2011 and opening up a new space in the late winter.
I've been here multiple times, and each time the dining experience exceeds my expectation. I think I would come here more often if it was centrally located, but if it was, I am sure the wait would be ridiculous. On my death bed, I would want those mushroom dumplings they have, http://BOMB.com. From there, I've had the burger, ramen, bim bim bop and fried chicken. They also have an extensive beer and sake list, including sake flights for those would can't decide what to order.
More importantly, they do these "free Monday" nights and it is really impressive. I went once, and well.. it's crazy! They have tons of food out (you can really eat a meal, it's not just light apps) and a DJ! The night I went he was playing 90s hip hop, which is my soft spot. The only thing is the Monday festivities don't kick off until 10ish so it's a bit late for my style.
All and all, highly recommend this place for everyone to try. Love the korean flavors, but modernized/fusion, taking in consideration modern day cuisine. Can't wait until they open up again! -
Review from Robert Y.
12/11/2011
3.75
Better than I expected. All foods here are green meaning they were acquired free range/grass fed etc so this place might appeal to more environmentally friendly guests.
soba noddle salad appetizer
looked like something I could make myself. Not worth $10. Avoid.
natural fries with the eggs benedict
The natural fries (cubed potatoes) were seasoned perfectly and are quite addicting. The eggs benedict was cooked properly and complimented the biscuits and bacon well. Recommended
kimchee fried rice
Just enough spicy kick to not warrant excessive water drinking. Had bits of pieces of sausage. Kinda plain but pretty good for fried rice standards.
loco moco
egg covered grass fed hamburger patty with gravy. Kinda plain but pretty good for loco moco.
Overall slightly more expensive ($12-16) for brunch but the food is a little bit higher quality. The decor is quite contemporary and clean. Parking in along balboa is a hassle so bring change for the meter. -
Review from Erika C.
Welps. This is moving to the Mission soon. I think it'll be better for business. I'm sure they think so too, that's why they're moving. The existing location doesn't have any foot traffic and parking sucks in this area. Double whammy.
Important brunch feature: they take reservations. When we went at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, there was no wait but everyone piled in around 1:30 p.m. and it got crazy in there with just one waitress. I came in with a $10 for $20 Gilt City deal for brunch, but they have a "lunch for breakfast" section.
I had been meaning to try their burger, the brunch offerings looked too good.
We shared:
- challah french toast $9
- poached eggs, hollandaise, house cured ham, mezzo secco, on housemade english muffin, shichimi home fries $12
- kimchee fried rice, w/ sunny up egg, housemade pancetta, 4505 hot dogs, bacon $10
Everything was really good. I would definitely go back for brunch and I need to get around to that burger!
Oh, and love your Korean tacos at the Ferry Building's Thursday Farmer's Market. -
Review from Julia P.
11/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Was told about this place by http://7x7.com and other such food blogs.
Went for brunch.
Relatively small area with good seating and wide windows towards the front. They serve many different types of food including Americanized Korean food which is pretty good.
We had the kobe steak strips bento box and steak burger which was surprisingly filling...ok extremely filling.
One waitress for the entire restaurant during noon on a weekend made for some slow service but the food was decent.
I'll come back for dinner sometime and see if the service is a little faster...if it is, it'd be perfect. -
Review from Andrea P.
12/2/2011
Date night. I love Korean food, but my date was a Korean food virgin. Took her to Namu, and both of us left happy!
We started with the miso soup with enoki mushrooms, pretty standard as far as miso soup goes but good nonetheless. Then onto the stone rice bowl which was absolutely delish. Finally onto the okonomiyaki which was MASSIVE. The bonito flakes were a bit overwhelming on this one (my date described it as "fish food"), but I realize it's an acquired taste. I think this dish would be better to split with a party of 4 because it's so rich. All this was paired with a carafe of the blood orange soju which was fantastic.
While I probably wouldn't go out of my way to get to this place again, if I was in the area I'd definitely go back to try their hot pot! -
Review from Diane M.
12/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
What horrific service. A friend and I ate here last Thursday evening. As soon as we arrived we were seated right by the door. Every single time the door was opened, a cold draft would hit us. Since we were literally freezing half to death, we asked one of the waitresses if we could sit in the corner instead and she said no. She stated that she could not give us a big table during prime dinner time. Now I would understand if the place was packed but being that there were 3 tables of 4 empty plus 4 consecutive stools at the counter free, I couldn't understand why we were told no. Also, there really are no big tables there. They are all tables of 2 shuffled around and put together so technically they could have sat us in the corner and separated the table to make it a table of 2 quite easily but they refused. This was just the beginning...
So after sitting there for about 20 minutes, my friend noticed that no one bothered giving us any water. I think one of the waitresses (the nicer one out of the 2) overheard her and brought us water. After a long wait, food finally started to arrive. The first dish to arrive was the dumplings. Even though it came in a broth, no one bothered offering us any spoons. We had to flag them down to bring us some. Then came the miso soup. After that came the blood orange soju we ordered at the beginning of the meal but arrived mid-meal. After that, came the fried chicken and the server only bothered to bring out ONE set of utensils. What did they expect us to do...feed each other!? So we then had to flag them down yet again and ask them for another set. The ramen arrived after that and the table was so darn tiny that we had no where to put it and instead of making any suggestions they just stood there staring at us holding the ramen. Well, what do you expect me to do? Put the fried chicken on my lap so you can set the ramen down? We just ended up asking them to wrap up the rest of the fried chicken to make room for the ramen. After that, we ordered the yuzu toast and not too long after it arrived we were given the check even though the girls sitting next to us had finished eating long before us (they were like half way through their meal when we arrived) and were just sitting there chatting holding up a table. I almost feel like they found us annoying even though we were just asking for standard things. If they would have done their job right the first time like sit us at a good spot, bring us spoons, water and more than one set of utensils and so on, I would not have had to ask for anything. Also, at the end, they didn't bother bringing out our leftovers so we left without them. Luckily, we remembered right after we left so we came back to get them. They should have brought them out from the back when they gave us our check.
Overall, the food is good but not that good to have to endure such poor customer service. You won't be seeing me back there any time soon. On another note, I heard that they are moving to the mission soon for more foot traffic. Good luck with that. If Namu can't handle and provide good/faster service for a half empty restaurant, how are they going to handle a full one? -
Review from Seton B.
Union Square, San Francisco, CA
11/2/2011
GET THE RAMEN.
I live right around the corner to this place, and it is definitely the go to place for a great dinner. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable and the food is ROCK YOUR SOCKS OFF GREAT -- especially the ramen.
Did I mention get the ramen? They only make enough for six servings the entire night, so count yourself lucky when you arrive and it's still available. -
Review from Sung C.
San Francisco, CA
11/19/2011
just went to this place for the second time last night as my buddy and I were craving their Korean fried chicken (i'm Korean myself) which is just insanely good.. I would recommend this dish to anyone.
Also got a vegetable dish with green beans (instead of gai lan) and their signature ramen noodle (which they only serve 6 orders daily???) they were all great.
The service was great, vibe was spot-on, for the most, the food was fantastic! -
Review from Sandy L.
We went to Namu and used the BBE secret menu + ordered a bunch of stuff on the regular menu.
Ramyun - 2 stars. I thought it was too salty...maybe because they had sausage in the broth so it brought out more of the saltiness? I thought it was strange that the regular Ramen on the menu was so subtle and then you try the Ramyun and it's like WHOA.
Portobello mushroom - 5 stars. SO DELICIOUS. would definitely go back to have again. They were cooked perfectly and lots of flavor.
Korean Tacos - 5 stars. LOVE the concept and they're actually more fun to eat than regular tacos. Rice, veggies and meat all wrapped in a seawood.
Lamb tofu soup - 3 stars. Not a huge fan... It was a little too salty for my taste but the meat was very tender and in general if you don't mind salty, the broth was a mouthful of overnight tastiness. -
Review from Irene K.
Boston, MA
12/10/2011
Disclaimer: This review is for ramen only. There is really no rationale or justification that only six ramen bowls are produced each day - it is evident that the limit is to produce buzz on how exclusive it is, thus setting expectations much higher to how it should taste. You set the bar pretty high by limiting the quantities and upping the price.
We each order one portion of ramen and the waitress gives me this incredulous look, as if I'm somehow robbing the other patrons of trying this delicious dish by hogging two portions. Listen, I'm willing to shell out $20 per serving. That is exorbitantly high for what it's worth/valued at.
The ramen looks and tastes as if someone had thrown together all the asian vegetables there are in San Francisco, took a giant bowl of kimchi and it's sauces, added hot water, threw in some noodles, and put an egg on top.
My husband and I spent the next twenty minutes seething, wondering HOW it's possible that only six are made a day, considering that the effort that it took really is not much - it is completely blatant that no time or effort is put into it. Maybe to wash and gather all the vegetables, perhaps? We finally concluded that Namu ramen is crap - you restrict your supply to artificially create demand for a terrible product that doesn't justify its' restrictions. Guess what, we've caught on.
Next time, go to Izakaya Sozai, where the broth there is so thick and obviously has been simmered and brewed for hours on end, and oh that's right, there's no limit to the number of bowls they produce each night.
I'm really gifting the second star to the waitress and the service there, which is good. That's it. -
Review from David S.
12/24/2011 5 Check-ins Here
This is one of my favorite spots in SF that seems to be closing. Before they do, they get this little Yelp review. You know, the dinner service here is great and korean/asian inspired. But what really shines here in the brunch menu. Gone are the standard you might have come to comfort - instead you find stone pot rice, cold soba noodles, or an open face egg sandwich with kimchi & daikon sprouts. Honestly, it is (was?) the most creative brunch in San Francisco...and was never crowded due to its sleepy location. So, Namu, I hope you don't actually close, or that whatever you all do next is equally as awesome...but if you do move to the mission, I expect my no-wait line brunch will be a thing of the past unless the too cool for strange brunch items crowd doesn't dig a creative Sunday morning. Here's to hoping!
-
Review from Anthony S.
San Francisco, CA
Its good ... kinda like a hipster take on Korean food .. traditional ideas with a hip lil flip ...
Had Oysters, Bibimbap, rose tea, korean tacos, and french toast for dessert ... everything was flavorful and good but in my opinion alil pricey ... but service was good and over all I had a good time ... -
Review from Eugene M.
San Francisco, CA
11/18/2011
We were both hungry and quite excited to come try this place out. Our initial trepidation about a "new" take on Korean food was somewhat offset by the free bonchon. Granted, you don't get heaps and heaps of the stuff like you would at your average KBBQ joint, but the stuff they did serve--kimchee, sprouts, and cabbage--was well made and fresh. It started the meal out in the right direction, seemingly promising a refined and elevated Korean/Asian meal at appropriately elevated prices. Only one of those things ended up fully panning out.
The first sign that something was amiss was the carafe of black tea soju mix. It was pretty much exactly that. The flavors didn't quite go together and it seemed not very well thought out. I happen to like the barley flavor of the tea, but I guess I would have just rather gotten the soju on the side.
We got two smaller plates, the shiitake dumplings and the tempura. The tempura was fresh but a few pieces were undercooked, and nothing took it beyond pedestrian izakaya fare, though kudos to them for not being heavy on the batter. The dumplings were really sublime. This seems to be the consensus on Yelp. Fantastic broth, rich earthy taste, and great texture and bite to the dough. A great dish that had us on tenterhooks going into the entree courses.
I got a burger. I'd had a kalbi burger before, but this one was great even on the scale of burgers in general. The kimchee relish (a slight supplement) really sang, the pickled daikon added great crunch, and the meat itself was a good medium rare. Though the portion was generous, the bun wasn't laden with grease and I didn't feel like I ate a football afterwards. The fries were clearly an afterthought, and could've used some refinement themselves...where are the Asian spices, the Korean ketchup?
Unfortunately, the "stone pot" (their take on bibimbap) highlighted a lot of problems with Namu and with this concept as a whole. The dish fell completely flat. The rice was cooked poorly and the dish lacked the flavor that it's counterparts at traditional Korean places have (bear in mind that we ordered this without the optional Kobe beef). More importantly, it didn't even TRY to bring anything new to the table. It was just bibimbap qua bibimbap, but worse. Sure, the ingredients may have been locally sourced, but that's not a huge draw for me if you're going to cook them down in a vat of mushy rice. Asking for nearly $20 (with beef pieces) for a subpar bibimbap is pretty inexcusable when you are situated literally two doors down from a Korean BBQ joint serving $9 kalbi.
Maybe the world IS ready for upscale or hip Korean food, but this isn't it. -
Review from Misha T.
10/22/2011
Namu seems to make everything fairly well to really excellent. My favorite is their shiitake mushroom dumplings. They're mad flavorful and make a great starter. Besides that the burger is pretty good and their was a seasonal brussel sprout thing that was pretty good as well.
on a side note, i think it's great brussel sprouts are a thing now. long maligned by so many people, they're really one of my favorite foods when done well -
Review from ML N.
San Francisco, CA
9/7/2011
Ended up going here with some friends tonight because we'd failed to make reservations at Puzzle Sushi. Turns out, we were glad we didn't make those reservations because Namu ended up being pretty good.
I ordered the assorted pickled things to start and I really liked the pickled onions and the pickled carrot. I could have eaten those for snacks all day/night long.
A friend and I each ordered the ramen because it was still available (only 6 bowls made). I was expecting to be wowed, but honestly, the kimchee broth wasn't really my thing. I love kimchee, but I wanted to taste something else besides the kimchee. There were kimchee, bean sprouts, green veggies (which were cool in temp at first bite so I pushed them into the broth), pork katsu, and, the one thing that was a real standout for me, their fried panko-coated egg with a soft yolk (don't know what it's called). It lay on top of everything so most of the panko was still nice and crunchy. It was damn good. It crossed my mind to order another bowl of ramen ($16) just so I could eat the egg off of it.
Had some of my friend's bi bim bap which was yummy, and the korean tacos and the clams were good as well.
I was curious about the okinamiyaki, but didn't order that. However, a table next to us did, and it was humongoid. I definitely want to go back there so I can get that next time to split with someone.
Also, the french toast brioche dessert was really good as well. My friend ordered it as an appetizer before her ramen. And then, she ordered it as a dessert after her ramen.
All in all, I'd go back again. (Wish it was a tad bit cheaper though...) -
Review from Andrew K.
San Francisco, CA
12/13/2011
I prefer the truck - the vibe, the selection, everything. Glad they are opening a new concept in the mission. saddest issue was the existence of the $32 fried chicken for 2. Too expensive and would necessarily preclude the ordering of other items.
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Review from ken b.
San Francisco, CA
10/28/2011
Get the Okonomiyaki and you will understand why Namu is my favorite restaurant.
I think about this place when I'm not here...thats how good it is. The fusion quality of the food and heart that goes into the food is completely worth a trip here. The portobella burger is amazing as well.
My only suggestion is trying to find parking in this neighborhood on a weekend night is tough. If you have a car it might be best to park on Geary or take a cab. But worth it! -
Review from Michael D.
Santa Rosa, CA
11/12/2011
I love Namu because the food is created and delivered by a community of young people who love the best ingredients, farms and ranches and seek to execute with high quality. Owned by three Korean-American brothers from Boston: Dennis, Daniel and David Lee. They are the soul of the place and have attracted a wonderful team. Misa Arnberger must also be mentioned because she is greatly responsible for the community building Namu has done through its CSA and food carts (Ferry Plaza Farmers Market).
Namu is not a fancy place; it is a human, friendly and thoroughly alive and fun place. The food is fresh. Much of the produce is organic, the animals served are pasture raised and unadulterated. The Asian sauces and Korean pickled veggies are made in house. The dishes feel home cooked and taste fabulous, authentic to the chef, Dennis, and his kitchen team. My favorites items include the starter pickled veggie dish; Miso soup; Shitake dumplings in a broth; the grilled meats and fish dishes are always excellent; the burger; the Ramen, and the Korean Fried Chicken (my kind of KFC). They also have an excellent Sake list and the wait crew there knows how to speak about them. Their wine list is very small, but perfectly matched to the food.
The crowd is mixed: young hipsters, older SF establishment types, Asian, white and everyone between. All the people who come to Namu do it because they know food and know this food is the real thing. There are many regulars. The staff is young and hip and they are into good food and can talk about that: sources of ingredients, style of cooking, what will fit your mood, etc. They are very friendly too.
Namu is unique, not a knock off; it is its own thing: a synthesis of Aisan and American cuisine; the millenial generation and its multicultural, eco-focused desire for a better world with community; and it is highly influenced by Alice Waters' search for real food from the highest quality ingredients. I know that Alice loves Namu too! I am a serious foodie and this is where I go to eat most often in San Francisco. -
Review from Sasha R.
9/11/2011
I love the idea and really wanted to love the food... but found it to be yet another incarnation of glorified-comfort-food-with-ethnic-twist-of-the-mo ment.
it's loud. and kinda pricey. the burger and fried chicken are tasty, but if you're looking for korean soul, stay home and add yer own kimchi to your spaghetti. -
Review from Carlos K.
San Francisco, CA
10/14/2011
I just met the owner, David, while dining tonight. It turns out that the giant cypress bar is actually made from reclaimed wood from Golden Gate Park! Very cool.
The owners are great, the food is good, the price is right. Not a question, five stars from a local. -
Review from eric s.
San Francisco, CA
12/18/2011
food's great, if a bit pricey. i would say four stars except for the following...
namu's closing their richmond location dec 24, tho. bummer. more here:
http://sf.eater.com/ar...
NB: if you have a gilt city coupon that says 'good til feb 1', it's not actually good til feb 1st. since the gilt coupon has the balboa location, namu says they're not honoring those coupons at their mission location.
in the meantime, you have til dec 24 to use your brunch coupons. which means til 3pm today and next saturday (day before xmas).
fair? you be the judge. -
Review from Janelle C.
San Francisco, CA
8/27/2011
The shiitake dumplings are to die for! There are only four, which is sad, they are delicious and so is the broth! The oysters were really nice and fresh, the gai lan was fun, had never heard of it before but the server explained it to us and we gave it a try - cold dish. We also tried the korean tacos - really good!
Definitely want to come back and try their burger. The ambiance was nice, it's not exactly casual, there was softer, almost Moby style or Daft Punk background music on when we arrived. We took our time and by the end, they were playing more dancy, hip hop or louder music.
Tried the okonomiyaki at the SF Street Food Festival. It was really interesting and I loved it. Saw it in the restaurant, the presentation is beautiful and it looks like a hearty dish. -
Review from H g.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 12/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
I really wanted to enjoy our dinner here but I was severely disappointed.
I'll start by saying there food is good. Some things are even delicious. Some things are really salty, but all in all, the food is good, and interesting.
Let me also preface this by saying that I work as a server and eat out alot. I don't expect 5 star service at restaurants, but I expect some respect.
They severely need to work on their front of house service and basic etiquette. They have been open for several years and should be able to handle a busy Friday night service. First, I was called 20 minutes before the reservation, to remind me that 15 minutes after our reservation time our table is given away. really?! I understand calling earlier in the day, or the day before, but 20 minutes before?! Ok, I let that slide, but thought it was presumptuous and weird.
Our server was nice, but definitely not experience. She was totally rushed and it showed. She completely forgot about us after telling us the specials and we had to be helped by another server.
Long story short: We had to send back a burger because it was undercooked, no big deal, it happens, i totally understand. We told our server we would just cancel the order, we had plenty of food and didn't want the kitchen to have to fire another burger. problem solved. 20 minutes later, another burger appears. We tell them we had cancelled the order. They take the burger back away, no big deal, we thought that was the end of it
One of the owners come back to tell me that I shouldn't send back things I ordered because its rude to the kitchen staff that works so hard to make the food for me. I believe he used the phrase "common courtesy". Obviously there was miscommunication with our server (i.e., our server was so rushed, she assumed we wanted another burger, but didn't hear us say we cancelled the order) but he had absolutely no right to come and tell me what is and what is not "common courtesy". That pissed me off, and I will never be back here or to their new restaurant. Don't be condescending to your customers, i know f**king common courtesy, don't assume your customers are wrong. Ok, that is all.2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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4/27/2011
I really wanted to enjoy it again, but had a bad experience.
Their front of house service is… Read more »
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Review from Nick S.
San Francisco, CA
9/26/2011
This is a modern take on Japanese and Korean food with some other Asian styles mixed in. While the food is not that bad, it really isn't that special. There are definitely better places out there that are way more authentic and just taste better. It's pretty obvious Namu isn't striving for authenticity, but it's not really the same comfort food without it. Namu displays this difficult balance by falling too far on the modern, fusion end.
We ordered the ramen in the shoyu broth. Our waitress warned that we shouldn't let it sit too long in the broth, otherwise the noodles would get soggy. Makes sense. We let it sit for about two minutes while we finished our servings of other dishes. Then, we divvied up our noodles, took a bite and realized the ramen was still so undercooked. Not al dente, under-cooked. As in the center was still pretty doughy and stuck in your teeth.
The best dish we ordered were the mushroom dumplings. The dumpling wrap was very light and delicate, the stuffing was tasty, and the broth was delicious.
I really wanted to like this place, but it just didn't do it for me. -
Review from Patrick K.
Pacifica, CA
12/15/2011
Korean fusion food done well! The service was great, as was the atmosphere.
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Review from Sahara G.
San Francisco, CA
6/30/2011
Ultra arrogant chef/owner and staff. Any question about food/bev is dealt with like its a huge imposition for them to do anything more than scribble down your order. Diet restrictions are accommodated, sort of, but with a major "you are a bother, go away, don't come back" attitude. Ok, I want you to be happy, so go away I will, and never come back - ditto.
CSA boxes were a disaster. Skimpy for the money. One week the selection might be very good/interesting, then the next week boring. They also run out of the house made stuff and not refund you or do anything nice/special. Not ok. -
Review from Savier M.
11/1/2011
The food was fine. It wasn't the best but it sufficed for our taste buds. Unfortunately our tummies were wrongfully robbed of all the little joys in the world. The serving portions are evil. The prices are out of whack. I'll stick to my overpriced (100%) Japanese food that's godlike.
Listed in: Yelping my night.... Nightlife…
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Review from Rodney H.
I don't really really need to say anything more about why Namu's Burger is currently my No. 1 favorite burger. Last February, my friend treated me during Brunch for my birthday (Dec. 31) and I had to have it again since it's been a year since I last had it. And yes, I loved every bite of it once again!
How can you not like this burger? Kaiware, pickled daikon, soy glazed onions, dijon mustard, aioli, on a pain de mie bun and, of course, with Kimchee relish added on (http://www.yelp.com/us...). It's beautiful! Definitely try this burger medium rare for juicy awesomeness!! And the Kimchee relish just takes elevates the flavor to a whole other level. Sadly, I can't say much about the fries. They were a little overcooked but still edible. The Burger pretty much overpowered them fortunately, so they weren't too much of a bother.
5 stars definitely for their burger. I'll eventually come back here to try their other menu items for both dinner and brunch. Hopefully soon!Listed in: The Best Things I Ever Ate, Bay Area Burger Fix, Favorite Bay Area Dining, I Love Brunch!!!, Top 10 Best Burgers Ever!!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/25/2009
Why I never knew about Namu before is really a shame. Thanks yelp for helping me discover it!
My… Read more »
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Review from Mabel B.
San Francisco, CA
8/5/2011
Namu or as listed on their dinner menu, "wood".
Came here last Friday night for dinner. This place is definitely beautiful and trendy. Teammate ordered the korean beef tacos for starters. I ordered the ramen (which they only have 6 orders of and they make their own noodles) and teammate ordered the steak.
You have got to try the beef tacos! Crumbles of beef atop rice and a sauce and perfectly laid on top of 2 nori seaweed. The steak was sooo delicious! Additionally, it was the first time I ate steak with chopsticks, lol. I liked my ramen but there was so much garnish that I couldn't get to my noodles quick enough, I was already full of garnish before I got to enjoy my noodles.
The restroom is so beautiful but especially the sink! -
Review from Tiffany G.
Santa Barbara, CA
8/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place was adorable, and the food was good.
Thumbs down for not having ramen for me :(
Thumbs up for having really good Korean bbq tacos (although they don't compare to LA's Kogi tacos) and good bi bim bap.
This is not the traditional Korean food I was searching for, and I think that partially has to do with the "okay" review. I wasn't getting what I was wanting and my AroundMe app failed me again! But the fusion food was innovative, and I would come back. -
Review from Lang T.
San Francisco, CA
6/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Craving ramen again and still on our hunt for a good ramen place, we stumble upon Namu. Intrigued, we decide to give them a try since their menu says they only serve 6 bowls a day so it's gotta be good right? Plus they are charging $16 a bowl - so it's gotta be. What gets us even more excited about the ramen when we are there is that we tell the waitress that we want 3 bowls and she warned us that the bowls are quite large and has lots of noodles so maybe we want to get 2 to share and order something else as a third dish. We decided against it and ordered 3 anyways.
While we waited we got a small thing of banchan (kimchi - pretty decent, bean sprouts - ok, and kale - never had this before as a banchan so I was pleasantly surprised).
Out comes our ramen noodles and they weren't as large as the waitress made them out to be. The ramen consisted of katsu, kale, kimchi (that was interesting), and an egg. For one thing, they should not advertise that this is ramen. The noodles are nothing close to ramen like. They remind me more of a chinese/shanghai kind of egg noodle and sure did not taste like ramen. The broth was not ramen like either - more like a tofu soon broth. The only thing I remotely enjoyed was their egg. It was also uniquely presented. Perfectly boiled and then crusted, I looked forward to the first bite I would take. Finally, a place that could boil an egg to perfection! I was disappointed that there was no flavor on the crust of the egg. Since they took the time to crust the egg, I just assume and had hopes that it was going to have this amazing flavor. Sadly, it was bland.
So I'm only giving this place 2 stars because the egg was perfectly boiled (because so many other places I've been seem incapable of doing so) and service was decent (they kept a good eye on our water cups). Maybe I'll go back and try the other dishes, but seeing the prices of everything else on the menu, I doubt we will be back soon. -
Review from Vivian L.
San Francisco, CA
6/11/2011
This place has an Asian Fusion setting. I just got back here with my bestfriend.
She ordered the "Shiitake dumpling soup." The dumplings and the soup were really really good! 4 dumplings total though and the price was $9.
I ordered the beef hamburger and you get to choose the cheese. I had mine with Swiss. It comes with a side of salad or fries also. Nothing really that special about the burger, but the meat they put in it is a lot! That's what she said. Kidding. I gave half my burger to my bestfriend since she wasn't full from her order (lol). The burger was $14.
I have to admit things are expensive here, but it was a nice experience and I would come here with a date instead. Btw, the bathroom seems like someone's holding a seance. Only one candle lit, so beware, Halloween came early! Service was the +1 because the staff was friendly and it comes off (no fake shizz). -
Review from Lauren D.
Chicago, IL
6/2/2011
During my San Francisco trip, my friend's sales team at work bribed him to do stuff by giving him a gift certificate here, which we used on a Wednesday night. The restaurant is very unassuming - small and casual, but it was packed by the time we left.
I was very much in need of some alcohol, so we ordered the blood orange soju infusion, which they make in-house. Fruity, light drink with a kick that went well with what we ate.
The four of us shared the tempura veggies and korean beef short rib tacos to start. Both were incedibly tasty and I could have eaten my way through 4-5 orders of the tacos.
For dinner, I had the kobe style skirt steak which I devoured in a matter of minutes: the sauce was perfection, the meat was prepared excellently. I also tried the stonepot, which is served at about 1400 degrees, but once it cools to a manageable temperature, is phenomenal.
Overall, it was a mouth-watering meal and I'd definitely come back here on a second visit. -
Review from Vincent K.
San Francisco, CA
8/8/2011
Writing reviews are not very good if they are based on drunken experiences. But if its a good one, why not.
Came here finally for the first time (I only venture out here when I'm trying to go to Sushi Bistro, yah sorry Namu) after this past year's Bay to Breakers event. And stumbling drunkenly on a Sunday afternoon looking for something good to tend to our disoriented tastebuds became a challenge until we arrived at Namu.
And to make things even better, the restaurant hooked it up with extra shots of sake after ordering some dish that came with it. That was a pleasant surprise.
As for me, I went with my instincts and called up a loco moco with the shot of sake. Loco moco seemed easy enough, tasty enough, a meat and rice full drenched in sauce, hella yah! It was one of the best drunken meals I've had in a while.
Thanks Namu!
