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Shin Toe Bul Yi
Category: Restaurants Korean Korean [Edit]
2001 Taraval St(between 30th Ave & 31st Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94116
Neighborhood: Parkside
(415) 566-9221
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 12 pm - 2:30 pm
Mon-Sat 5 pm - 9:30 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
410 reviews for Shin Toe Bul Yi
Review Highlights
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"This place has EXCELLENT KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN." In 211 reviews -
"omG i love their sea bass tofu soup." In 128 reviews -
"The seafood pancake was BOMB dot com though." In 37 reviews
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410 reviews in English
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Review from Amiee H.
5/14/2012
Talk about a tough restaurant name to remember!!
Food:
1) BiBimBap with kim chee and beef: Very good! Kim chee was a little more acidic/sour than I'm normally used to, but the beef and the rice was PERFECT. Very tasty and when mixed together with the red spicy sauce it was OH SO YUMMY! They lined the stone bowl with a little bit too much oil, which mostly got soaked into the rice, but that's probably why it made the dish so tasty..haha.
2) Seafood casserole: DELICIOUS! Great blend of all the seafood ingredients! They really packed in tons of seafood and didn't skimp on the works! The broth was calibrated very well!
3) Beef and Calamari sauteed: A little on the oily side, but very tasty. The beef was very tender and the calamari was very rubbery (like it's suppose to be). Just wish portions of this dish were a little bigger.
4) Side dishes: nothing too notable. The kim chee was pretty good but everything else was ok.
Service:
Aside from taking our orders and bringing us our food, I really can't say she came around much to check on us to see if we needed any more tea or side dishes...so I'd say the service is a little below standards.
Ambiance:
Doesn't seat many, it's a very cozy and humble semi-hole in the wall. I think it had nice decor and good use of space. I think they did the best with what little space they had to work with and it came together pretty nicely.
Price:
I think it was a little more expensive than a typical korean place, the bill came out to be a little more than $50. Since my friend and I was able to finish all the dishes, I'd say it was a little smaller on portion size. But given how good the food was, I think this price is pretty reasonable.
Overall:
I'd love to come back to try a korean pancake! I love those things, I honestly don't know why I didn't order one today, but since I was pretty happy with the meal, I would be willing to come back and dine here again! -
Review from Jude N.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 4/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
Okay so I want to update my review because my first review was not based on a whole lot. I came here for the first time and for two people though the food was decent the tab was too high.
Now after coming here two more times I can gladly say this is now my favorite Korean restaurant in SF. Every time I come here I'm greeted with a pleasantly beautiful and sweet waitress(s). Each time I came back here I ordered the Haemul Pajeon (seafood pancake) and Spicy calamari with spicy rice cakes. The taste has been superb where the portions feel plentiful. If the size of the entrees were not enough they spoil you with a variety of banchan side dishes, free rice, and the best part......free Soon du bu jjigae!! On the house!
So the first time I came here I realize the bill was so high because we ordered two soju bottles. lols. Yes Soju at korean restaurants in the US are way out of scale compare to Korea where its like $1 for a bottle instead of $10.
The 2nd time I came here was with just one other friend. We ordered Haemul Pajeon and Bibimbap and beer. Total came to $33+tax and we couldn't finish all the food and banchan so we had to take leftovers to go.
The third time just this past friday I took two other friends who are native koreans and they also agree the kimichi rocks and the portions is plentiful. Despite our large appetites we still could not finish all the food and had to unfortunately leave some of the korean goodness to waste.
In retrospect this is favorite Korean restaurant in SF. I don't know if the service and quality has always been this great but I'm luvin it. Esp since this place is located so conveniently in the sunset.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/29/2011
So after living in the sunset most of my life I have failed to ever try this place out. STBY has… Read more »
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Review from Michael T.
Pacifica, CA
4/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
The pancakes and fried chicken are off the hook! Food is on the pricier side but is consistent with most Korean spots.
Service is OK and street parking is usually available around the block. -
Review from Daniel B.
San Francisco, CA
4/16/2012 11 photos
Do SFSU volleyball players still have that t-shirt saying "We'll run a train on that _____ !"? Ask them when you go here. Turns out I'd visited before with a crew of Gators, after some dance practice or BBQ sale or karaoke or something. Today's quest for lunch led me back.
The lunch menu (from 12-2:30 pm) is by to-go box only and is a reduced selection of 17 items. That might sound small, but there were at least three things on it that I need to try. I got minmuljangeo deopbap ("Janguh Dupbap: broiled fresh water eel and vegetables over rice"). Maybe I'll wind up here again for the other boxes sometime.Listed in: People Watching, Asia is Huge, C is for Corea, Small Shops, Invisible Bonus Star(s)
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Review from Rosalind S.
San Francisco, CA
4/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've lived in the Sunset pretty much my whole life and for some reason I can't explain I had never been here until earlier tonight. We walked in almost exactly at 6pm thinking they opened at 6pm but we were mistaken, it's 5pm! More than half the restaurant was already full! We watched the line form as we ate our dinner.
We were immediately welcomed by smiling servers and a cloud of delicious smoke that lingered in our hair and clothes for the rest of the evening.
Korean fried chicken: huge plate of various chicken wings and legs(?) coated in batter and fried to perfection. I do prefer the ones with sauce better though but don't get me wrong, these were delicious!
Beef Bulgolgi: My bf insists that they make the best ones here but I'm pretty sure I've had better. The pieces were cut too big for not having a knife on hand. Pulling pieces apart with my teeth and chopstick looked somewhat comical but also frustrating on my part.
Chap chae noodles: I've had this a few times, mostly purchased at a Korean market. But the most memorable one was when my Korean friend's mom made me some. This dish didn't compare at all the either examples.
Complimentary dishes: I love their little apps, whatever you call them, LOVE THEM! And the tofu soup was also very good. Good enough that I packed it to go with the fried chicken when we left. -
Review from David H.
4/16/2012
The smells coming from this place are totally amazing everytime I walk by. Decided to give it a shot, and came out slightly disappointed.
First off, let me say this, every single table in the place ordered the fried chicken. So of course we followed suit. The best thing about the chicken is the dipping sauce; otherwise it's just mediocre. It's nicely fried and not greasy, but nor is it super moist or flavorful without the sauce.
The bimbimbap was just ok...nothing memorable about it. The kimchi soup and the seafood pancake were the best things we had while there. Don't get the clear noodles!!! The beef on it was horrible, it didn't have a ton of flavors and god forbid you take it home to eat the next day cause it will turn into a greasy soggy mushy mess. Also, there was only one server when I went and she looked like she was about to pass out from serving an almost full restaurant by her lonesome self.
Verdict: This place is just ok, if you're craving Korean this place will satisfy you, but there are better places. -
Review from Andrew M.
4/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
A bustling, family-like atmosphere, enjoyable fare, and fair prices firmly plant Shin Toe Bul Yi high on the list of Korean options this side of San Francisco.
The Korean Fried Chicken Wings with maximally crispy batter guarding its juicy, piping-hot innards and accompanying flavorful hot sauce is a must-order every visit; the Seafood Pancake is basically a bountiful Korean quesadilla with no shortage of fillings; and the Noodle Soup featured in a huge tin bowl is packed full of delicious, mysterious goodies.
However, the standalone bulgogi and pork dishes were overcooked, leading to episodes of bubble gum chewiness, and the kimchi had subpar flavor.
The restaurant is not huge, so a group of 8 hits maximum, but the service is friendly and food arrives quickly. Would definitely come back, now knowing what to order! -
Review from Twist' D.
San Francisco, CA
4/1/2012
A very nondescript hole in the wall joint. We've passed by this place without ever going in. My friend recommended this place to me. We walked in just before the dinner crowd and that was a good thing. Within 15 mins there were tons of people waiting for a table.
We all got different soups for the chilly night. I got the hot tofu soup with beef (it was ok, had better at other places), my youngest got the beef dumpling soup (dumpling tasty), and my oldest got the noodle soup with egg (broth was tasty). They gave us fried fish filet on the house with our ban chan (side dishes). The one dish almost everyone had was the whole fried chicken. It was a whole chicken cut up in a tempura batter. I just wished it had some spice to it, but still really good.
I'm glad we found a good Korean restaurant not too far from the house. I'l always craving spicy foods -
Review from Donut C.
San Francisco, CA
5/15/2012
Korean food, ahhh a very interesting not your usual Chinese food as a Chinese. Food is good and really appealing. The taste is good, and kimchi is a interesting food to me hahaha. Everyone gets the fried chicken but it's alright, I don't like fried chicken. Price is a little on the expensive side, and the seating is pretty tight. It is usually packed in here so sign you name and wait!
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Review from Wan Y.
San Francisco, CA
5/7/2012
BEWARE CHINESE PEOPLE!! THESE KOREAN LADIES DISLIKE US!!!
We had a friend visiting from Asia and she wanted some Korean food, we came here based on ratings. I would expect a 4 star to have good food and good service. I cannot comment on the food since we did not even get to sit down, but their staff were TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE!!!
We went in there and wrote down our name for party of 4, there was a party of 2 in front of us. There was no greeting, zero communication. We waited for about 10 minute, two tables freed up, a large table fits 6 people and a small table fits 2. The tables remained empty for another 15min, then for god knows what reason, they sitted the party of 2 at the big table. We stood there like stupid for another 15-20min, the small table is still empty and the large table is sitted with only 2 people, still zero communication, I decided to stop one of the lady and asked her when are we going to be sitted, SHE LOOKED AT ME, WITHOUT SAYING A WORD AND WALKED AWAY!!! HOW RUDE!!! I felt absolutely INSULTED!! I have no evident to say they are racist, but I felt it from the way they stared! I thought maybe we did something that makes them angry, but all we did were standing there in front of the cold freezing entrance chatting with our foreign guest in Chinese. Maybe it was the chinese part, who knows!
We wasted 45minute waiting and all we ended up was disgusting greasy smell all over our clothes. Not to mention they have poor ventilation and tables are packed! We went to JANG SOO BBQ instead, and we only wished we were here sooner! it is like heaven and hell, from service to food to environment, Jang Soo is 100% better then this place. AVIOD SHIN TOE BUL YI!!!!!!!! -
Review from Rachel S.
2/25/2012
If I could, I would eat Korean food for every meal, every day for the rest of my life. And, if I could, I would probably eat it at Shin Toe Bul Yi. STBY is Korean food heaven on Earth. I was a little miffed that they didn't serve their full menu for lunch, but I'm really glad I gave them a try for dinner.
This place is no-frills, down to earth, baller Korean food. Every dish is significantly less expensive than other places, but twice the size. They bring you the most ban chan I've seen thus far in my SF and Los Angeles Korean food adventures: 7 different sides, not including a huge thing of fresh, boiling hot tofu soup with cucumber and mushrooms. My boyfriend ordered the fried chicken and I got the dolsot bibimbap. It was enough food to easily feed 4 people (we ate through the pain, like champs), made for excellent midnight snacks and lunch the next day, and came to $30 including tax and a hearty tip for our lovely waitress.
Let me say, the hype about the fried chicken is totally deserved. I don't know what they're doing to the chicken to make it so moist and frankly, I really don't care. I thought the fried layer was unlike anything I've ever had. It was thin and crisp, but not greasy. We took down a ton of that chicken without feeling weighed down, and it was even good cold when we ate our leftovers at home (probably because it's not overly greasy and doesn't get soggy). Way better than the extremely dry chicken they served us at Toyose.
So much love for Shin Toe Bul Yi, I will definitely be back soon! -
Review from Jessica H.
San Francisco, CA
1/14/2012
So we were actually going to get Japanese food, but we had an epic fail. Drove by 4 japanese restaurants,
Omgggggggg. Yessss. So goood.
I've been here once before with D's family, but we went again just recently with a friend. Sadly, I didn't order the chicken since we werent really in the mood for chicken, but we did get other stuff that was good!
We ordered the seafood tofu soup, grilled mackerel, and also the chicken on the hot plate. As usual it came with sides, but it also came with a cold tofu dish, on the house. The tofu wasn't that special (it was the firmer tofu, not the soft kind that immediately breaks), but it was not bad.
Everything was pretty damn good, and I was pretty pleased. The mackerel was perfectly grilled, and the chicken was a nice and simple dish. Good if you go with someone who hasn't really tried korean. The tofu soup was pretty good, not too spicy if I remember correctly, though thinking back, I wish it had a little more flavor.
Overall, not bad. It's not that cheap, but not too pricey either. But you know, I'll put it up there on my list. -
Review from Bonnie C.
San Francisco, CA
12/8/2011 2 photos
This place is open for take-out only during lunch. Their lunch specials come with A LOT of food for a pretty good price- about $8-9 for a generous amount of rice, meat and 5 different sides.
I had the bulgogi lunch special- like I said before, it came with a GENEROUS amount of food--lots of meat!! Meat was flavorful and tender; came with sides of kimchi, cucumbers, beansprouts and 2 other things (I didn't know what they were, but still tasted good!) The sourness of the sides complimented the salty and savory meat and provided me with a very satisfied lunch! =] -
Review from Kristina N.
San Jose, CA
1/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
This is a small, cozy Korean place, almost hole-in-the-wall ish. I came here with a group of 5 people around 6 and we were able to get seated with no wait. The décor is casual, there's a bunch of mirrors everywhere.
We had the bulgolgi and galbi meats. I was not impressed with these, I've had better in San Jose. It wasn't horrible, but it was dry or something. I guess I expected better. The seafood tofu soup, however, was delicious!! I'd come here just for the tofu soup, yum!
When we left around 7:30, the restaurant was crowded and there were people waiting outside.
We also ordered a "pitcher" of beer and it came in a big plastic bottle. Kinda funny. -
Review from Sandra L.
San Francisco, CA
12/21/2011
I was going to give it 3 stars for the actual food we ordered but we got a complimentary mackerel and also the side dishes were pretty delicious so I gave this place an extra star.
It wasn't that this place wasn't GOOD--it was good Korean food, there were just some aspects that were eh.
I came here with two of my friends, we ordered the infamous fried chicken, jap chae and this other noodle dish that was listed under jap chae in the menu. I forget what its called but it's kinda udon-y and it was swimming in soup with slices of potatoes and cucumber? Potatoes for sure but I don't know what the green stuff was, not chives or anything.
anyway, the udon-y noodle (wait, this is not to be mistaken that we ordered UDON, it just seemed like udon) came in a very big bowl and they were really generous with the portions. the jap chae was a bit on the oily side but it was still good.
now the fried chicken, everyone .. nearly EVERYONE on yelp said it's amazing but I didn't think it was worth all the hype. Sure it's juicy and it's definitely tender and really yummy but it just tasted like fried chicken. no "korean-y" aspects to it at all and I definitely would recommend getting the seafood pancake instead of this chicken. don't get me wrong, the chicken was good, but I would recommend trying something else from this restaurant in replace of this chicken dish.
the sides were good, the mackerel was delicious and they serve yummy rice tea!
bill came out to be about $40, tipp'd and everything.
good place. will try their meat selection next time! it was really crowded, and around 6pm, there was a line forming! -
Review from Eric G.
Vallejo, CA
3/28/2012
KFC (Korean Fried Chicken) is very tasty!
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Review from Fannie S.
12/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
Food = okay. Everything is good in flavor but it's nothing spectacular to write home about.
Short ribs = on the dry side.
Daeji bulgolgi = okay.
Seafood pajeon = good but it's missing the crispiness.
Korean Fried Chicken = lots of chicken. Careful, lots of meat with fragments of bone!
Service = super friendly and helpful.
Prices = moderate.
The portions are very generous! I just wished that they did better in the flavor department. -
Review from Will C.
San Francisco, CA
3/25/2012
My wife is a huge Korean food fan. Since she moved here from LA she has always been on the look out for really good Korean food. A salesperson at Cowgirl Creamery in the Ferry Building of all places recommended this place and its been great. The tofu kimchee is really good. The owners are also quite friendly.
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Review from Carolyn P.
Laguna Woods, CA
11/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
So we went there on Friday night, I think we waited for 45 mins for a table for 5... It was a torture to see the guests inside eating fried chicken and bbq when you were standing outside staving... lol...
Anyway, once we sat down, we ordered fried chicken, soju and beer, add ordere some more noodles later.
What impressed me is the fried chicken, it is really good, freshly fried and the skin is really crispy!! No wonder almost every table has this! And the spicy octopus noodle is good too (even though the noodle is a bit like udon)~~~ -
Review from Bianca W.
San Francisco, CA
Noms! Second favorite Korean place in sf.
I love this place. Its soooo good. Get the fried chick, of course. Galbi is yummy, much better than the bulgogi here. I normally like bulgogi but meh. The pancake is good, but it's a little too thick in my opinion, I still like it though!
Place gets packed since it's small so prepare for that! -
Review from Michele M.
San Diego, CA
10/13/2011
When I first moved here I thought that only your Mexican food sucked, now I know it's Mexican AND Korean. If this place was in LA I'd give it 1 star, but a little is forgiven since the bar is not that high in SF for Korean food.
Everything was bland - even the kim chi.
The seafood pancake was the only thing that saved the day but it was greasier than I like.
I also tried the fried chicken that everyone talks about - nothing special - it's just battered, fried and served with a dipping sauce. No seasoning in the batter or anything.
Yukejang was just average and the Kimchi Bimbimbap was missing something .... oh yeah, flavor!
I don't know what the deal is with this place being so crowded on a Wednesday night - there was only one server for the whole restaurant! Poor lady. -
Review from Vincent K.
San Francisco, CA
10/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
Usually I would assume that most places which I've never heard of would be kind of dead on a Monday night past 7pm. But not STBY (Oh yes I did and abbreviated it).
They were cracking it off on a cold Monday night at 8pm. Therefore, I'm sold, it must be solid.
And to our expectations, it was. The food smelled amazing even when the place was filled with a fine scented aroma of deliciousness.
Between the 3 of us, our eyes ordered for our tiny stomachs, and so we gorged.....and gorged.....until we had to call it quits and send those leftovers home. We had the following:
-Steamed Skate Wings with vegetables - great flavor with texture and consistency
-Fried Chicken - really tasty but could use a sauce to coat it as it was sort of bland
-Rice Rolls with Seafood - it's something you normally can order at any korean spot, but at the time it was very tasty with enough flavor in the sauce
-FREE tofu soup - so apparently your meal comes with one of these which is just pure awesome!
Not a lot of places serve skate and I like their menu as its somewhat different with a little bit of extra variety compared to those offered in the Richmond. I'll be back, STBY! -
Review from Shirley L.
San Francisco, CA
9/13/2011 5 Check-ins Here
My very first review!! Anyways, I come here a lot with my brother and I'm always overly stuffed by the end of our meal which basically means I love the food and we ordered too much for just two people.
Usually we come on a Friday or Saturday around 6PM, and by the time we get there, it's full of people already considering it's not a big place and it's the end of the week. If you get there and it's full, you can place your name down right by the door, which has happened to me once or twice when I go there later than 6:30.
The banchan is standard and average, not the best I've had, but it's not disgusting or anything. The complimentary fish is alright, but since it's free, I've always saved it for last to eat, but I'm never able to eat it unless I bring it home since I'm too full.
My brother and I always order the same thing, seafood soft tofu soup, kimchi bibimbap, and the dakgui which is a broiled chicken dish marinated with sauce. They give you one bowl of white rice, but we always ask for another because my brother is a gluttonous pig. The tofu soup is pretty good, but the seafood wasn't THE BEST, but they give you a fair amount. The kimchi bibimbap is my favorite because it's a pretty large amount of food and the kimchi is very good. I like my food spicy so I usually put a generous amount of hot pepper paste into it. The chicken is good too, not overly cooked, and it has just the right amount of flavor. These three dishes are plenty enough for two people. We usually never finish it all and always bring home the left over chicken. Can't waste it, that's crazy talk!
The service is pretty fast when it's not crazy busy. There's actually only one or two waitresses working. They're pretty quick with coming around to see if everything's going fine and if we needed anything else.
I never learn from my mistakes of ordering too much and continue to do so because I can't help but be greedy and order my usual faves at this place :) -
Review from Stella j.
San Francisco, CA
10/15/2011
came here a while ago with my sister. Everyone here literally orders the fried chicken. so we decided to give it a try. There is nothing special about it at all. its battered, fried and crispy. the chicken is not marinated or seasoned or drenched in an kind of sauce like other korean fried chicken i have seen or tried. the seafood bibimbap is pretty good, its very spicy with tons of seafood in it. the soft tofu soup comes for free when you hae dinner. the tofu as always is silky and delicious, absorbs the soup and tastes so good.
If you give me the choice to come back here willingly, i probably wouldn't because of the fried chicken and the incredibly long wait. -
Review from Eliza D.
11/2/2011
came here with nomming teammates last weekend; Missy A. decided to treat us all to dinner (we are pretty sure she did something she shouldn't have done at the halloween party the night prior...hmmm) and Shin Toe it was, for nommy Korean fare!
Rolled in at around 8.30pm on a Saturday night, waited for about 15 minutes outside. Ordered the fail-safe fried chicken and seafood pancake, also ordered the kimchi bimbimbap and spicy bulgogi, all to be shared among the four of us.
Fried chicken satisfied our cravings for sure - fingers were licked and crispy, juicy battered chicken pieces reduced to bones in double time.
seafood pancake was addictive - crispy around the edges and the batter was not cloyingly thick. not too generous in terms of seafoodiness though, but it wasn't complaint-level skimping.
kimchi bimbimbap was just meh - it could have been spicier, kimchier, better, it was really quite bland. however! we were starving - at least i was - and so, found this to be quite enjoyable. the crispy bits of rice at the bottom, i scraped. shamelessly.
spicy bulgogi was okay - i'm not the biggest fan of bulgogi to begin with, but the homies seem to enjoy this with rice.
got the free bowl of tofu soup; flat tasting, but we dumped in the fiery-looking (not so fiery-tasting) dipping sauce that came with the banchan, and it made the soup taste better.
Shin Toe was literally, my first ever food experience in San Francisco when I got my fobby self here so and so many years ago. Got off the plane at SFO just as the sun was setting, took a cab to my homie's place on Taraval, slipped into a 40-minute nap, fought blustery winds as we trekked five blocks to the restaurant.........where my tummeh was filled with love. i believe i will always have a soft spot for this place. -
Review from Patrick C.
San Francisco, CA
8/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
I remembered this place as Chicken Deli when they served bomb ass bulgogi sandwiches...that was over a decade ago...or was it two decades??
Anyways, came here to try them out as I needed a quick Korean fix that was on Taraval. There was no line like everyone on Yelp says there is maybe because we came at 6pm on a weekday.
Seafood tofu soup - Pretty good...but I had better
Kalbi - a bit overcooked, very dry and meat quality was bad (chewy beef).. How can you have bad kalbi at a Korean restaurant...??
Spicy Octopus - Marinated very good...the sauce they used was phenomenal, however, the squid quality was bad...again...very chewy.
I won't be returning back to this place any time soon. Though I think I will come back to get a to-go order of their fried chicken wings that everyone raves about on Yelp. I saw a few tables ordering this and it looks like a "better-than-KFC" kind of wings. -
Review from Ali and Nick G.
San Francisco, CA
8/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
I have a hard time trying new Korean restos, but the boyfriend seemed really excited about this place, so we went and ordered three items: 1. fried chicken, 2. soon tofu chege, and 3. the seafood pancake.
Their side dishes were minimal compared to other korean joints, but all were delicious. Plus, they gave us so much food, there really was no need for all the other sides that I'm used to.
The fried chicken had a light and crunchy batter, served with their house sauce. Their soup broth was light and tasty with tons of soft tofu, meat, veggies, and seafood. Last, their seafood pancake is HUGE and has a pleasant taste with a variety of mixed seafood pieces.
We were also very pleased with their "on the house" saba and lemon that was fried to perfection!
Great food and large portions for a reasonable price. We have plenty to eat for tomorrow's lunch, too! Hopefully we can go back for a lunch special on a Saturday! This is definitely our new Korean place in SF. -
Review from Lovetoeat A.
Outer Sunset, San Francisco, CA
2/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
Hubby loves the fried chicken but not so much for me. I always order the same thing, Beef bulgogi, Silver noodle, and I tried the pancake once, it was pretty good. Overall, it was okay. We come here coz it's closest to our house.
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Review from Annie S.
San Francisco, CA
10/14/2011 2 photos
I still remember the night I ate here almost a year ago.
It was a cold, December night. Two of my friends and I went on a mini exploration/sight-seeing in San Francisco. A few hours later, all three of us were craving for glutinous rice cakes also known as dukbokki. I have never eaten at Shin Toe Bul Yi but both of my friends raved about their food. I'm always down to try new food so I agreed to call in and place an order of dubokki to-go. When we drove there to pick up the food, we thought better. Why are we ordering only one thing to-go when none of us had dinner? We changed our mind and decided to dine-in.
We ordered a hot tofu soup and a stone-pot bimbimbap with kimchi and beef. Everything was delicious! The banchan was good too. I don't know if there's refills on the banchan but my favorite was the fish cakes. Soft, sweet, and chewy. Yum. On a side note, because we initially ordered the dukbokki to-go, they served us the dukbokki in the to-go plastic box. I was kind of turned off by that. I thought the taste would make up for it but it didn't. It was slightly under-cooked and it wasn't as spicy as I would've liked it. Overall, this place is above average and I would come again. Maybe the second time will be better! -
Review from Chris N.
Hmmm...
We ordered quite a lot of food, and only about half of it was good.
Even the banchan was okay.
The daeji bulgogi (spicy marinated pork) was simmered in sauce and then steamed as opposed to being grilled...no grill marks, no grilled taste, and very strange steamed-meat texture.
The kimchee was lacking a lot of flavor, as if it was made then and there and given to us right away without waiting at least a few hours of fermentation. My family makes 10 pounds of kimchi'd cabbage a week, believe me I know what delicious kimchi tastes like and the day we ate here, there was some bland ass kimchi. It also lacked spice
The jok bal (simmered pork shanks) was very good. The bean dip they gave, the funky sauce, the garlic cloves, the lettuce, everything was just delicious for this dish and was the saving grace for our dinner besides the friendly service and generous portions they gave (our leftovers last several more meals)
I will try this place again just to make sure it wasn't a fluke.... if it doesn't beat Toyose, My Tofu House or the Spot in terms of taste, can't say I'd come back -
Review from Christine K.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 8/5/2011 1 photo
So I finally tried the infamous fried chicken...
Dear god, I seriously think this is the best fried chicken I've had in SF. And yes, it's from the random Korean restaurant in the Outer Sunset. They give you a lot of chicken! It's extremely juicy and hot, when it's delivered to your table. AND it's battered perfectly. My goodness, I have found the ultimate fried chicken.
Again, the hamul pajeon is DELICIOUS. And being greeted by the massive ban chan of little plates of delectible goodies along with the free tofu soup just makes me so happy!
Sorry Wayfare Tavern and KFC, you gotta run for your money with the fried chicken that's here at Shin Toe Bul Yi!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/18/2011
Favorite Korean joint in SF so far!
Granted this place is not about the ambience or has the most… Read more »
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Review from Quynh-An P.
San Francisco, CA
7/30/2011
I really like hot tofu soup. The boyfriend really likes bimbimbop (or however you spell it). This place is only 3 blocks away from us. It's a happy happy resolution for all of us!
I like how every time I come in here there are old Korean men who eat and drink a bottle of beer together and then in the middle of their meal get up and go outside to have a cigarette break and then come back order a new bottle of beer and then as soon as that bottle is done they get back up for another cigarette. I usually witness 2-3 bottles of beers/cigarettes. I have no idea how many they consume overall since they're there before I get there and there still when I leave. It gives me a feeling that this is as legit as it gets...so you know the food has to be legit too.
I'm getting hungry just thinking about the tofu soup...damn, I may need to return soon. -
Review from Joe M.
I must have passed by here a million times on the train but never thought to stop by even when I had a Korean craving. Well, I did have a craving and it was time to pay them a visit.
We started off with the traditional side dishes, of which there were many. It was hard to pick a favorite because they were all good, but I would have to go with the tofu and the pickled radishes. There are a few items that you simply have to get when you come here, such as the fried chicken and seafood pancake. Just about every table had those two items and naturally we ordered them as well. Both were so good! The spiced chicken was piping hot and not oily at all and the giant pancake was crispy on the edges, just as I like. This restaurant is known for giving you a free dish depending on what you ordered, and we got the free spicy tofu soup. This was the only dish we could finish and was absolutely delicious. The tofu was so soft and fresh!
The portions here are extremely generous and this meal could easily have fed 4 people. The service is really spotty since there's only one person running the front of the house so expect a pretty long dinner. I loved this place and will definitely be back, but with more friends this time.
Food: 9/10
Service: 6/10
Price: $$
Atmosphere: 7/10 -
Review from Mike L.
6/28/2011
It's kind of strange...in a few different ways, Shin Toe Bul Yi probably isn't the most amazing Korean restaurant in the city. The outside sign is a bit tattered, the ambiance is just okay, and a few of the dishes won't appear to be mind blowing. And yet, despite whatever shortcomings they may seem to have, the place is still so good!
I'm not sure what exactly it is that makes them so lovable, but their fried chicken dish might have something to do with it. Whenever I'm there, I see it show up on people's tables more often than not. It's not something unique to their menu, but they do theirs a little differently. Instead of just the usual wings and drumsticks, they also include chopped up pieces from the breast and thigh. Though it makes for some awkward looking pieces, the taste is spot on! The batter can be a little thick, but it's got some flavor, the portion is generous, and the meat is moist (for the most part).
Beyond the fried chicken, the rest of their food is not too shabby, though nothing stands out as a star. If anything, the haemul pajun (seafood pancake) would be the closest - loaded with a good amount of seafood, it wasn't too doughy and had a nice bit of crispiness. Their broiled fish dishes are good, and the bulgogi is my favorite of their meats, but it's served as slices rather than chunks (it still tastes good though). Sadly, I was disappointed with their kimchi jiggae (kimchi and pork stew) as it was too thin for my liking.
In addition to the usual array of banchan, I love that they hook you up with a free dish as well. Depending on what you've already ordered, they'll usually give you a small pot of basic soon doobu, or a few pieces of mackarel(?). Free food definitely goes a long way! The fact that their food is consistent, the service is friendly, and the prices are pretty fair certainly don't hurt either. -
Review from Stephen Y.
San Francisco, CA
7/14/2011
The elusive 5th star... Not sure why I can't give Shin Toe Bul Yi 5 stars... I love the place. But something is lacking... can't figure it out though...
Love their fried chicken. Bib Bim Bop is great! All the meats are good too... nothing to exciting I guess... maybe that's the 5th star... no wow factor.
Quick tip: go early or late... expect a wait during peak dinner times. -
Review from Jason C.
San Francisco, CA
8/19/2011
Solid Korean food.
Being a 2nd generation Korean and having awesome cooks in the family.. myself being one.. (shameless plug) ^_^.. I'm very keen about my Korean cuisine.. I am not snobbish.. but can distinguish average to above the bar kind of cooking..
Also, my parents living down in SJ where they got a whole lucky array of spots on El Camino Real, I only have a hand full of selections here in SF.
That being said, I finally ventured into Shin Toe Bul Yi after passing this place a million times going and coming home from work in the fidi.
Always intrigued by the well patron'ed restaurant as I pass by... I finally decided to try it out..
I ordered Yuk Hae Jang.. which Korean people know for as hangover stew/soup. I just had came from drinking down town and needed a quick fix.
Overall, decent portion and taste. Wasn't too salty which I think a lot of Korean cuisine can be.. and the ingredients were pretty fresh to my knowledge.
The banchan selection was pretty standard.. And I judge a Korean restaurant first by their Kimchi..
They fuck that up... you know shits going down hill from there....That being said, the Kim-chi wasn't bad.. wasn't spectacular.. If you want spectacular Kim-Chi... Kun Jip in Santa Clara has really damn good Kim-chi.
I will return and try the Gop-Chang Jigae.. (Intestine Stew)...which goes really good with Soju. =)
Everyone talks about the fried chicken.. and coincidentally when I was there.. almost every table ordered it... Must be doing something right.. right? -
Review from Nolan K.
San Francisco, CA
10/24/2011
Homey , warm restaurant with bright white lights. The place feels very asian to me. It's incredibly loud as the guests all try to speak over each other.
Expect a wait , maybe 20 minutes long. Go in and look for the little notepad-- that's the wait list. The pen they provided wasnt even working so I tried real hard to desperately scratch my name onto the list. The waitress ended up crossing off my name for some reason, probably assuming it was too messy. Maybe bring your own pen if you plan to go.
I feel terrible for the 2 ladies [the wait staff]. Too much to do , too many tables for the 2 of 'em!
Bulgogi was about $18. Pretty pricey.
The famous fried chicken that every table gets, is ok. Crunchy but taste wise not extremely special. They give you maybe even 12 pieces. it's a lot!
Complimentary tofu soup. It's red but it's not spicy. Good.
For two people, our bill amounted to almost $50. O that's too much for me.. -
Review from Priya B.
Fresno, CA
9/25/2011
I went here with a group of friends for my early birthday dinner! This place is really small. We went on a Friday night but didn't have to wait that long for a table for 9. We ordered family style and got about 7 dishes (fried chicken, tofu soups, jap chae, pork bbq dish, spicy rice cakes and other dishes). We got a complimentary fish dish also =]
The food was pretty good. I've definitely had better so I was a little disappointed; however, I will try it again when I'm in SF! -
Review from Jennifer C.
Newark, CA
5/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
While this place does not serve the best or most authentic Korean food I've had, I must say I really did enjoy the food here.
-SOON DU BU (i like it!)
-FRIED CHICKEN and MOO (chicken is very MOIST, unlike Toyose's fried mess)
-DOK BOK KEE (not cooked long enough for my taste, i like the rice sticks softer)
-DUK MANDU GOOK (great flavor in the broth and the dumplings)
-BULGOGI (meh, i would pass)
-PA JUN (korean pancake - very good!!! to the surprise of my vegetarian friend, it has oysters in it)
The service here is definitely lacking, but you can't expect much from 2 waitresses running the show. I had to ask numerous times for more tea and forget about asking them for ice water! They also forgot my MOO with the fried chicken The MOO (pickled cubed daikon) is my absolute favorite part of eating Korean fried chicken. I feel like the servers respond better to Korean-speakers. Time to brush up on my Korean.
We ordered a crapload of food and the bill turned out to be about $16 per person after tax and tip. -
Review from Emily C.
Daly City, CA
2/7/2012
Love the fact that they give u free dish whenever u order something. The service can b a hit or miss but will definitely b back for the food!
