Vip Oriental
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Late Night
- Best Nights: Fri, Sat, Thu
- Happy Hour: No
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: Outdoor Area/Patio Only
- Coat Check: No
58 reviews
San Jose, CA
"So many different restaurants to try so little time... we started off in Campbell to see if we would like to try any of the places we have…" read more »
52 Reviews for Vip Oriental
VIP is awesome. There's this one group of friends that I have, and whenever we go out, we always wind up at VIP for some reason. So this bar has a special place in my heart. What's so great about VIP? There's always parking, the waiters are soo nice, it's fairly clean, their partition off sections of the room to create a private feel, aaand... it's right across the street from Arirang, so you can go and sing your heart out afterwards.
I have to give them -1 star because their food really isn't that good. BUT that's ok because at VIP, you get lots of "service" (free snackies) to go with the large amounts of booze that you'll wind up ordering.
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This is my Cheers. Ive been going since it opened and still love it.
What you need to know...
Shots are a bit pricey and small so stick to the soju. If you cant stomach the stuff straight then get it flavored. The girls LOVE this crap. At 40 proof its definitely not a hard hard liquor but hoooweee it will get you to the happy place just the same. Korean beers suck but who really cares? You didnt come to VIP for the beer oh no you came for the party.
I usually go on weeknights when its pretty dead just to unwind from work. The staff is awesome. Genuinely friendly and very inviting. Weekends the place really packs up and its a somewhat younger crowd. There are occasional fights but nothing major. Cmon drunken Asian sausage fest its gonna happen.
Davids bottom line....I actually met a black girl here that was fun to hang out with. Ladies, Im usually at the end of the bar facing the TV. ;)
HAHA! No seriously this place is pretty cool to sip beer and talk to strangers at the bar. Foods seriously good too!
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We found VIP in the armpit of an Office Depot parking lot, and it looked like crap from the outside, but I knew that probably meant it was awesome. And I love K-bars. I can't think of anything better for a thirsty white girl than an affordable neighborhood bar where you can always expect some kind of free food with your drinks.
I normally automatically head to Hue across the street just because I know the Soju drinks are good and I enjoy the disco ball and big tables, but I was looking for a new place to throw a birthday party for my bf so I called up my Asian friends to check the place out.
We realized this place had a nice bar/lounge feeling with the tables and couches and little divided table areas and we liked the free popcorn, veggies, peaces on ice, and party mix.
I was worried the K-bar guy would be put off by a whitey trying to reserve tables for 25 people in a place that doesn't normally do reservations, but the guy happily told me no problem.
When the big birthday party group showed up on the Saturday night, he ran out to greet us as usual, and to my big surprise bypassed my handshake with a big hug. I could tell my friends were impressed. I ordered 6 flavors of Soju and 4+ rounds of beer and he happily brought everything out and kept the appetizers going strong all night.
We all had a great time and drank more than our fill and it only cost about $25/person at the end of the night, which was a miracle. I wonder if he threw us some free drinks in the hopes of us coming back?
My friends and I have a fascination with Korean bars for some strange reason... stranger that most of my friends aren't Korean and maybe even stranger, my white friend really loves K-bars ;)
I've been to this bar 3 times so far and each time it wasn't too bad. It's rather small, but it has a loungy feel to it compared to some other places. They got bunch of couches near the front right side of the bar and long tables on the left side and towards the back of the bar. And they primarily play american hip-hop through their speakers. The music isn't so loud there where you can't hear yourself talk, and I like that; I hate having to scream at people multiple times just to say "Hi."
Their flavored soju drinks aren't too bad. You don't really taste the soju much, so it'll definitely creep up on you after 10+ shots or so. When drinks are ordered, they give you a plate full of trail mix, a small plate of carrots and cucumbers, and a bowl of popcorn, and they're pretty good about refilling those. There's also a bar in the far back corner. They don't have a huge stock of liquor back there, but they got the basic ones like Jack, Johnnie, Patron, Absolut, Grey Goose, etc. The drinks weren't overly priced too. We had a party like 15-20 people and in the end, we split the bill with everyone and it turned out to be a little less than $20 a person. There was a lot of drinking to be had that night, and therefore, I had a good time there and the employees were really friendly, too.
This is probably one of the better Korean Bars in the area. It's in a plaza so there's plenty of parking (unlike Rumors). They have a full bar, but of course it's not the best looking bar compared to Hue. Though it's nice and cozy. Service is good, music is good, sometimes they have weird things playing on the TV. But over all it's a pretty good place. The items on the menu are fairly priced, but actually pretty good, especially the fried chicken wings.
I think that my experience at VIP Oriental can be best summed up in one word: blackout. Not the blackout that is a result of consuming too much alcohol. No, it was the blackout that happened when the entire block's power went out, leaving a restaurant that was full with people with only emergency lighting, (and later votive candles--in our case, Nuestra Senora de los Angeles) and the inability of a kitchen to prepare food.
The host/hostesses made due with what happened, provided some remaining french fries to the customers in hopes that the power would go on; but, it didn't.
The one dish that we did receive (a seafood pancake) was really good and hit the spot. The carafe of soju-fruit drink that we got really hit the spot, and made a lightweight like me feel tipsy quickly.
I'll add more stars on when I return to the VIP (and I will!), but for the time being, three stars will have to do.
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Alright boys and girls, you ready to party??
So I'll admit i haven't been to other korean bars around the area (hue, rumors) but i have to say, i love this place. Ever since i've come back from korea, i've been craving that same bar experience. While its not necessarily the same, this place delivers well. I've been here on several occations. The food is good, the drinks are flowing, and the music is bumpin.
The place itself is fairly small, it has couch seating on the right and larger tables on the left and in the front. Aside from the tables at the front, most of the areas are kind of split and isolated from each other, good or bad, you decide. There are a few TVs playing random korean stuff, but the music is straight up american.
They give you complementary snacks, cucumbers and carrots with gochujjang(the korean chili paste) and some snack mix. If you go enough, they are usually good at recognizing you, espeically the dude with the glasses. They might hook you up with "service" stuff like maybe a few sodas or fruit. Simple, but thoughtful.
Drinks are reasonable $10 for soju, $18 for yogurt soju, $20 for baek-seju, etc.....oh how i miss $1 soju in korea *tear. The thing i really like about this place though is the FOOD.
FRIED CHICKEN WINGS- crispy, but not too greasy, some of the best i've had in america.
KIMCHEEBUCHINGE (korean pancake) fried perfectly, sauce is awesome
BUDAEJJIGAE (Mixed spicy soup w/ramen, kimchee, hot dog, ricecake) - This is simple, but really good with drinking, comes with its own stove
TTEOKBOKKI - (rice cakes with spicy sauce) - good, but the taste gets old fast, share with a big group
There's a big variety on the menu, but i recommend the top 3, especially the chicken. If anything were to bring this place down, it would be the bathrooms (sometimes dirty), and the price (its a little expensive), otherwise, go nuts here.
Bottome Line: Great korean bar food, good drinking environment, accomodating staff. Highly recommended.
I just came from this place a little while ago. It was pretty dead today when me and my friend got there but I guess you can say they had good service. I cant really give a full review yet because I need to come to a place atleast 2 or 3 times until I give my final review but ill just give it 3 stars for now only because there wasnt many people when i got there. Cant really say much about the food yet since we only ordered calamari and beer.
Wonderful service - fast, friendly, and efficient. Their flavored soju is stronger than jujubee, which is my preference. The atmosphere is a little ghetto (and young, seems like people in their early 20s?), but fun. The loud rap music that they blast can turn off some people. Very nice place if you don't mind the music.
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The mackerel here was kinda raw, and I can't say I care for the heaping jars of candy everywhere. After about 20 I thought I was gonna be sick. Plus they spray this sweet candy foam into the drinks, which kind ruined my Manhattan. Bathroom smells of lychee.
Even though I'm Asian, I was a bit uneasy when my friends asked if I wanted to go to a Korean bar.
Having grown up in Mountain View and Los Altos, I guess I've become accustomed to being in a diverse environment, and not one that is dominated by a single population. When there's too many Asians in one place, I itch.
Thus, the thought of being in a bar surrounded with Asians left and right wasn't quite what I wanted to do on a Friday night. But I relented, with a few of my friends' reassurances that it'd be pretty chill.
Upon entering, I was bombarded with old school rap music - Tupac was playing. It brought back some of my not so fond but quite amusing memories of my wankster high school days. Nevertheless, it was definitely some popping music. And sure enough, it was all Asians. But it wasn't as bad as I had expected.
The place has a nice set-up. It is broken up into small sections/booths separated with drapes and bamboo walls. All the sections were filled, so we had to sit at the bar for half an hour for a table to free up.
This is definitely a chill place. It's popping with the old school rap music and the Korean music videos playing on the TV (interesting mix, but whatever), but it's not "have to push your way to the front of the bar" crowded.
Add cheap quality soju and OB beer, and this is the place to be.
If you're looking for a place to chillax with a couple of friends and actually be able to hear and talk with each other, this is the place to check out. Excellent service, food, and soju! 5 stars!
This place is completely hidden, I never knew it existed and i pass by it all the time! The service is absolutely amazing and super friendly. I liked that alot. Food wasn't too bad, we ordered the fried rice. Music that night was not too bad either; a couple of times my friends and I just wanted to just get up and start dancing. Soju wasn't all that bad either =)
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I think this is one of the better Korean bars around the Lawrence/El Camino area. The atmosphere is chill and surprisingly they aren't blasting K-Pop from their speakers, just some good 'ol hip hop. Other than the questionable couches with mysterious stains, the in inside looks better than what'd you expect from surveying the outside. It is in a random location, and quite hidden from view if you're on El Camino, but thanks to my San Jo homies I've been enlightened. Haha...
Anyway, the food is not bad for a sool jip. They serve you some complimentary cucumber and carrot slices with spicy dip along with a small plate of snack mix upon arrival. As for food off of their menu, I've tried their Oh-Deng Gook (fish cake soup...it comes out with a portable gas stove..awesome!), Kim-Chee Bookum Bap (kimchee fried rice...total Paula Dean style and just a mess of buttery goodness), Chicken Katsu (medium-sized portion ), La-Boki (rice cake w/ ramen noodles in spicy sauce...large portion), and of course the Cheese Corn. We always get the same server (Sung-Dae) who's super jolly, and likes to give the DD plenty of H20. Cheers to VIP!
Edit: Haha...I was just talking to a friend and he thought that I should add that VIP is set-up so that your tables are a bit closed off. It's a bit hard if you want to holla at the ladies/fellas. That doesn't really change my rating, but if that's important to you then keep that in mind! :P
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My friends love this bar and are always talking about it. I finally went and had a great time. Excellent service, great snacks, great soju selection (korean vodka/wine), really cool atmosphere. It is korean owned and operated, but the staff and korean customers are friend and cool to non-koreans too.
Definitely a bar to check out.
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The service here is fantastic. There's no doubt about that. The people there cater to your needs without question or hesitation. I hate giving low ratings to places with friendly people, but I just can't give this place anything more than 2 stars. I just can't!
The one impression that continues to stay in my head is how extremely odd it was to have them blasting old school rap music (Bone Thugs N Harmony, Tupac, etc.) in a Korean bar. It's a Korean bar...play some Korean music! In addition, they played Korean music videos on their TVs (no sound though). Huh? Having hardcore rap blasting through the speakers and playing sappy romantic Korean music videos is a bad combination. I had an audio visual panic attack. Half of me wanted to bust some heads, while the other half felt like crying tears of endearment because the guy gave his eyes to his blind girlfriend (...y'all know what music video I'm talking about!). To say the least, it felt weird and uncomfortable.
The fruity soju was decent, but it could've used more kick. I didn't get to try any of their food, but I didn't feel adventurous at the same time. Yes, the place is small. Yet, the place suits its name. You're given VIP treatment. However, I'd rather chill some place else with half the quality of service.
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While stumbling upon this place on a Wednesday night, I figured after a few good Yelp Reviews, it wouldn't hurt to take a look at this spot.
Entering the premises, we were greeted by our waiter Jin, he asked us promptly what we would like to drink. I figured after a long night, I came to the conclusion to "Surprise us," as myself and Hawk sat in the somewhat empty bar. After a few minutes, he gave us a few good near 30 oz Korean Beers, aptly named OB.
After downing the first bottle within minutes, I told him to bring another round. While waiting for the next round Jin also suggested to order some of the buffalo wings, which is quite a favorite to some attendees. All within a time span of 40 minutes, and half and half order of fried and spicy buffalo wings Hawk and I were definitely stuffed to the max.
One of the best services, I've received in a Korean establishment. The people are friendly and occasionally might walk into the bathroom while you take a number one. I suggest all my Yelper friends (Korean and Non-Korean) to check this out, it's definitely low key seeing as it's hidden around the corner next to the Office Max.
Gam Sap Haneda! (or, however you say and spell Thank You in Korean) =p!
P.S. According to Jin, expect more of a sausage fest if anything and also Friday and Saturday are the best nights to see V.I.P. really light up with all its hustle.
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Never been to a Korean bar before, so I decided to check this out one random Wednesday night. It turned out to be a good idea.
We walked inside and were promptly greeted by the staff and took two empty seats at the bar, in which we were greeted by a polite foreign bartender named Jin. This being my first time in a Korean bar, I asked him to suggest a drink. He slammed down two 30 oz OBs. If this was the standard to Korean beer than I was impressed. It went down smoother than any beer I've ever had.
My only complaint? They played aggressive rap (2-pac, Eminem, Notorious BIG, Lil Jon, etc.) while people around us were playing Korean drinking games. I guess it's passable on a Wednesday night because there is no worry for bumping into people, but let's say this happened on a Friday night. Aggressive music + drunk egotistic males = chaos. I have yet to go on a Friday night so I'll just stand by what I say, and this place is great overall.
P.S. Be careful with the bathroom door lock. Sometimes it locks even when you have the lock turned most of the way into the "unlock" position. I found out the hard way. =X
This place is great. I didn't know what to expect when my friend said we were going to VIP one night. I thought it was going to be some bar in downtown San Jose, but no it was next to Office Max. We get there, and the place is so nice. It's a modern Asian styled bar with each booth surrounded by thin bamboo wall and tents. The servers are super friendly. My roommate got this beer called OB, which was pretty good. I bought chicken wings, and they were overpriced. The good thing was that they did have free snacks (kettle corn and party mix). I was enjoying the party mix and the pickled raddish more than the chicken, which was good, but nothing different. Everyone says the music was great, but I couldn't really tell, because all I heard was a DMX song right after the other. I was hoping they would mix it up a little bit. Other than that, I enjoyed it. I wish they had something like this in my area.
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I decided to try this place because it's near my place, and it has so many good reviews. A friend and I went last night, and it's really nice, although if we're going to meet on a Friday or Saturday night, we'd have to get there early, it apparently gets packed later in the evening. But, they have these great curtained off alcoves with couches. As for last night, it was almost dead, which was fun in it's own way. My friend and I struck up a conversation with a cute guy sitting at the bar, and chatted quite a bit with Sung, the waiter and/or manager, who is very sweet and fun.
Just note that it is a bit pricey, and is more of a bar with food, although good food. Most of the reviews mention the free extra food brought to the table, but don't fool yourself, it's not free, just already added into the price of the other food.
As an example, we had Fried Chicken Wings and Fried Chicken Wings with Spicy Sauce (soooo yummy) for $14.95, Shrimp Fried Rice (one of the best I've had) for $9.95, Peach Soju for $20. It came out to be a pricey meal, but there were tons of extras, pickled radish, carrot & cucumber sticks, a bar mix, freshly popped buttery popcorn and peaches served over ice. Oh, and the soju was in a carafe, so not a small serving. Our new friend said his Coors light was about $3.
I definitely will be back. As a note, it got 4 stars instead of 5 because of the high cost of the food and drink.
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Great, friendly staff. Should only go if you are looking to drink beer and soju 'cause that's about all they serve as far as alcohol goes.
Place is a tad too small for my taste but definitely a good place to just hang out and grab some food/drinks.
I don't think half their customers are old enough to drink. *shrugs* haha.
Again, place is a tad small (Kinda hard to spot in the plaza it is in), and the music was a little "ghetto"...I need my dance music and dance space.
Friendly attentive staff here beats other korean bars on El camino by far, however Hue has been getting slightly better. The bar itself is decently stocked but who comes to korean bars for regular drinks? Get soju and get drunk. Flavored soju is for pansies :)
Come with a group early if you even want a chance to get any seating, the place fills up real fast. Location is hard to spot since its in the far right corner of the plaza, tucked away.
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Ok I'm not really into the whole Asian drinking scene, but this place has GOOD FOOD. I've tried almost everything on the menu and wow, delicious. This place would be a 5 stars if the sofas didnt have stains and the music wasn't so vicious all the time.
Nicest people - ever.
Hole in the wall bar. Cannot find, especially if you've never been here. With the helpful assistance of the friendly staff at 99 chicken, we found this place.
A shady looking sign stating V I P covers the door, but that's where the shadiness ends. The interior's a nice chill lounge, with all sections nicely separated and a bar in the back.
For a group of 5, we had some yogurt soju, peach soju. Good stuff, a bit too weak for my tastes, but combine that with the teapot of lemon soju I had at 99 chicken before hand, and I'm good.
But! The kicker - fresh popcorn. I was craving popcorn badly. I wanted popcorn. Buttered, fresh. They gave us one bowl to start. Devoured in no time, along with the yogurt soju. But before we wanted to order the peach soju, out comes a huge bowl, heaping, full of fresh popcorn. That's service! With the house pretty packed and people waiting for a spot, they gave us more reason to stay!
The rare 5 stars, just for that little attention to detail. Definitely will be back.
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5 STARS!!!!
Free Fries, Free Veggies, Free Popcorn, Free Chex-mix, Great Omelet Rice, Great Cocktail Soju, Excellent Hospitality, and always providing our group with a booth or table! This place is truly a diamond in the rough.
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Still trips me out that VIP has been yelped.
SOJU IS THE DEVIL.
Service: Waiter was really nice but started to neglect us when it got busy.
Venue: It was stinky when we first got in, and then, after about an hour it was thick with the smell of food. Ventilation, people.
Food: The Chex mix was awesome. That's all I ate. I did see the prices; outrageous compared to the Korean restaurants I've been to in NoVA.
Alcohol: I came here for Soju and it made up for all the other stuff =)
Ambiance: This is the type of place that you go with a group...a big group.
I was first introduce to VIP by my cousin who swears he's a regular and knows the owners out here. If I may say that its a pretty fun place. We usually order fries and Kimchee pancakes along with peach soju and extra soju and a couple large OB's. Thye even let us bring our beer bong and we chugged the night away. AHHH trying to relive college life in this professional world we now live in is wuite fun.
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If you love soju and late night food, this is the place to go. I've been to V.I.P. twice and each experience has gotten better. Depending on the day you go, it can be super crowded and you might not have a place to sit.
Don't let the exterior of this place scare you away. Once you come in, its a really nice chill place.
The menu there can be quite pricey, along with the drinks; however, for a late night Korean bar/lounge I would have to say that it ROCKS!
The staff there is friendly which I'm a stickler for. Foods that I've tried so far FRENCH FRIES = nummie! FRIED RICE = Buttery sensation in our mouth! SEAFOOD PANCAKE = nummie!
Scary from the outside but a fun environment to chill with friends. They give you free snacks and the service is very attentive. The fries are delicious and the yogurt soju was weak. We got there on a Saturday night around 10pm and the place was half full. Crowds of ppl started around 11ish but they were all guys....what a sausage festival!!!
Private booths divided by waist high walls or blinds that were literally tied on a bar. Furniture and pillow were dirty nasty. I couldn't completed get comfortable but the company and conversations were good so I got over it. Definitely a good place for big groups who want to get their drink on.
Very nice waiters, didn't rush us even though the three of us were hogging up a booth that could have probably sat 6.
VIP: Cafe, Restaurant, &/or Oriental...You choose a name.
This place is a hole-in-the-wall from the outside. Located on the side of OfficeMax, you'll find the frosted glass entrance to VIP. If it wasn't for my fellow Yelpers, we would have never tried this joint out!
We rolled in about 10pm and had a fun time eating & drinking for a couple of hours. Real casual drinking & appetizers place. Great staff (friendly, but hard to understand English).
Decor- dimmed lights, separated booths, dining/coffee tables, sofas, chairs, TVs with Korean shows, & the main bar in bar area...
Music- Hip Hop hits, JayZ, and Tupac bumpin' in the speakers was entertaining!
Food- What we tried was tasty! Seafood pancakes$10, Fried chicken$10, Fried potatoes $8, and pickled radishes (all great finger foods).
Drinks- Yogurt Soju $18 just enough for 3. Very chill & relaxing.
Peeps- A younger than I expected crowd. Mostly Asian students with the token white boy occasionally. My ONLY disappointment was the lack of ladies. I brought my GF with me, so I was covered, but my buddy barely had anything to admire in the VIP. It was a sausage fest! Bummer!
As the night got later, the noise got louder. It was fun! Great place to get your drink on! Good Times!
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I don't go to Korean bars EVER.... but I went with my boyfriend and this place is awesome cos... they don't care what age you are, you can probably drink as a 12 year old. Awesome place to get together with you friends and get drunk. I remember I did get drunk here... damn that was in high school. I would go again though, it was fun. The location is random, and hard to find if you've never been there. I thought I would feel so out of place cos everybody would be Korean, but it wasn't like that at all
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This was the first time I used yelp to find a new place to go and I really am happy I did. This place has heart and I'll tell you why later.
Situated in a corner of a complex next to Office Max, it is completely covered without being able to see inside. Don't let the intimidating exterior to prevent you from going inside (as it almost did for my friend and me the first time). Inside is a very quaint place, dim with lots of Ikea couches and bar seating further in.
Drink-wise, I have ordered soju and big liter bottles of Korean beer. I tried a fruit-concentrate soju thinking it would be like the Yogurt Soju that I love, but it wasn't and was more like canned juice and soju.
The food itself is a mixed bag through its large selection. Be careful of the Korean character selections as when asked revealed to be butterfly larvae. Other than that, from what I have tried, the fried wontons and fried squid were both really good and plentiful. They give around 20 wontons, and the squid is very tender and well seasoned. I tried the labokki (sp? ramen and rice cakes in spicy sauce), it was not as good as I've had at other places and wouldn't order it again.
The thing that keeps me coming back is the free food. Yes, I said it, FREE FOOD. Sometimes, they give fresh peaches in ice and fries (which I assume to be McDonald's fries because of its distinct taste and texture along with the ketchup being that slightly sweeter McDonald's brand).
In terms of Korean bar/restaurants, the best I've had is in San Diego called Min Sok Chon with really great food and a nice dim environment for being loud and drink. But this place is great for the bay, maybe I'll try other ones but I really can't pass up free food.
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Let me contribute to all the positive reviews written here. This place is awesome!
I have to say that I love old dingy korean bars filled with sketchy old men. This place ain't like that. A lot of korean bars I've been to aren't very friendly to you if you're not korean, and neither Ami or I is. But we went into this one and were greeted by friendly hello's by the staff and quickly shown to a seat. The place looks fairly plain from the outside, but the atmosphere and decor on the inside is warm and friendly.
The semi-private seats are great if you can get them, but it can get full quick on the weekends. There's a nice selection of flavored soju's and snack like foods as well as some slightly heavier fare. Definitely a great place to just hang out with a bunch of friends. Go and down some of the pineapple soju!
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The service is absolutely great here. If you're just looking for a place to chill and drink up with your buddies, this is the place to go. I must admit the place is really AZN, but if that's your scene, then enjoy.
I definitely recommend getting the different flavored soju's as well as the kimchee pancake if you wanna get your grub on.
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VIP is one of the three K-bars to choose from in El Camino. The inside is nice. I really liked the dim atmosphere. This is just my personal preference but I don't like how the seating areas are blocked off by blinds. I like Hue's set-up where you can see everyone in the bar.
How come K-bars these days don't play Korean music? Whenever I go they play American music, maybe b/c most of the ppl that go here are Chinese.
I personally think that K-bars charge way too much for beer and drinks so try to come with a crowd of ppl, not really a good place for a date.
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This place is in the cuts, I mean it's in a huge plaza and everything, but you can't just see it driving by. I wasn't even sure if it was open the first time I went there. This place is a good spot to hang out and bring friends if you wanna get drunk and just chill...none of the downtown bs/drama/pigs (cops). I always go overboard at Korean bars, soju is a creeper!! Couple of soju bombs and I'm yours! I like their couches and seating arrangements better than Hue's. It's kinda small, but more intimate. I've been here on several occasions and the staff is real nice and helpful.
All my friends LOVE to go to these K-bars (most of us aren't even korean) but I guess is from our tradition back in the college days... I LOVE this place. THe waiter i believe his name is Sung gets a long GREAT with my boyfriend. They even serve my favorite gehran jim!!! I ordered it and they thought i was korean hahaha... but yes... very good k-bar... awesome ambiance inside... outside looks extremely ghetto but don't let that keep you away! OH and they serve free food "on the house" haha. Now if only they can open one closer to san mateo...
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I've been to this bar a couple of times, and it's a great find. This place looks like a hole-in-the-wall from the outside, but once you walk inside the atmosphere is very clean, welcoming, and friendly. The place isn't overly crowded, so it's great if you have a large group of friends going out together. Most importantly, the service is fantastic! Lots of freebie snack foods with your drinks, like popcorn, peaches, cucumbers, kimchee, etc. Highly recommended!
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Everyone is right. VIP has super nice and efficient staff, and they're down to drink with you too, towards closing only anyway...
It's chill here, a nice little spot to kick back at. I'd hang out here more often if it were a little bigger and had a dance floor.
Pros: Staff, soju flavors, and a surprisingly clean bathroom even at the end of the night
Cons: Small, music (selection and sometimes volume), alcohol selection
Try it out, it's one of the better places on El Camino
This is an excellent place to drink, eat, and hang out. The waiters are friendly and the atmosphere is relaxed. We had the Yogurt Soju cocktail (split between 3 people) and a Kimchi Pancake (quite yummy). They also gave us carrots, cucumbers, and peaches on the house. :)
I had a great time here. I highly recommend it.
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