Supposedly the Best Korean Raw Marinated Shrimp in SF! 🦐

The marinated raw shrimp here leans sweet and isn’t overly salty — definitely easy on the palate and tastier than other spots. The steamed rice served alongside was plump and satisfying. But as someone who eats all kinds of river fish, seafood, raw marinated dishes, and sashimi, I still felt a slight fishiness — likely because the shrimp weren’t alive before marination. Maybe the crab 🦀 would be better, but it’s not always available, and we missed out today. In my opinion, you’d need live shrimp or frozen coral shrimp to truly carry this dish. 🍗 Fried Chicken – Really well done! The crust is light, not greasy, with an airy crispness. The Korean sweet-spicy sauce is served on the side, so you get two flavors in one. Made from a whole chicken cut into pieces, it’s even better than some dedicated Korean fried chicken joints. 🫔 Fried Seaweed & Vermicelli Rolls – Simple but tasty and fragrant. The batter seems to include rice flour, giving it extra crispness, though it hardens a bit once cool. 🧀 Cheese & Condensed Milk Rice Cakes – Almost every table ordered these, so we were curious. Turned out… pretty ordinary. Think Macau-style pork bun — but better than this. Serving grilled rice cakes without sauce is risky: they must be eaten piping hot. Once they cool, they’re like chewing rubber. Don’t order for two — the second stick won’t be enjoyable. You can tell the restaurant is run with care — dishes are plated delicately, and service is good. But not offering side dishes (banchan) feels like a letdown for a Korean spot. The menu is also quite limited, with flavors kept simple — almost like they’re aiming for a Michelin fusion vibe, but the taste doesn’t fully back it up. Also… the lighting 💡… It’s darker than most bars in there! We were seated at a large table where it was especially dim — couldn’t even see the food clearly. Eating in the dark totally ruins the "color, aroma, and taste" experience — instant -30 points. And while the dining area is this dark, the kitchen is blazing bright, which feels glaring and uncomfortable. A trendy spot worth trying once, but for me, no standout reason to return. 📍 ilcha #LifeInTheUS #SFBayArea #BayAreaEats #CaliforniaLife #RawMarinated #KoreanFood #SanFranciscoFood 🥢