GUE ZIP - The Korean Place — Restaurant in Livermore

I am a Korean- American who’s lived in the Tri-Valley for nearly 10 years now and we’ve struggled to find a korean restaurant that hit all the marks and had some quality food. Seoul Gomtang in Pleasanton was my favorite for a long time but now Gue Zip has opened up a little closer to us so we had to try it out. This is by far my favorite Korean restaurant in Livermore thus far and quite possibly could end up being my favorite. So far we only tried a few of their items and had to do pick-up with our son still being too young to go out. But you can bet we’ll be back shortly to try out the rest of their items.

For pick-up, we had the Jjanjang Myun (Black Bean sauce noodles), the korean style pork katsu, and kimbap. The Jjangjang myun was a 4.5 out of 5. The flavor was great and a lot of more savory than some of the sweeter places that serve the same dish. I enjoyed the ratio of the beef, onions, and toppings that went in to the sauce. I would say portion was just about right and what really stood out was the texture of the noodles as they were chewier and thicker than most in this area, which gave it the good noodle slurp that is signature for this dish. Only thing that would have been better with it was some korean red pepper flakes that go phenomenal with this dish. Normally, for take out, i would say it’s best practice for the sauce to be served in a separate packaging. However, due to the quality of the noodles, even after a 15 minute drive, the noodles were perfect and didn’t get soggy. So honestly, hats off to them for finding a way to not have to waste extra containers.

We also got the kimbap, which i would give this a 4 out of 5. The taste was there but for the price point it was a little small. The ratio of the ingredients was great and not too stuff with just rice. Overall, i’d still prefer Sodam’s kimbap options in Dublin. But still a quality eat while you are here.

The Korean Port Katsu gets a 5 out of 5 from me. The portion was spot on and it comes in a nice bento packaging. This came with a korean style salad, macaroni salad, pickled yellow radish, white rice, and 2 korean style pork katsu’s. The pork katsu was very tender, with the breading being crispy and flaky at the same time. The katsu sauce was very tangy but not over powering. The sides went well with this dish, especially the macaroni salad. Honestly, tough for me to rate this one though as I may be a bit biased as it tasted a lot like my mom’s home cooked pork katsu. Overall, this dish was very homie and glad the owner recommended it to us.

We got a nice small container of classic sides in addition to our order, which contained kimchi, odeng (fish cakes), pickled cucumbers, and pickled zuchini. I’ve noticed some places we’ve visited prior would provide these sides in store but rarely when we order to go or for delivery. So this was a nice surprise.

Next time, we were recommended to try the korean fried chicken. But we are also hoping to try the Ddakdori Tang (Chicken stew). They do have their liquor license so for any fans of ChiMek, this may be the new spot for Livermore natives.

This place is located in Downtown Livermore so there is ample parking. Street parking can be a little tough if you are trying to park right on the main street as it is usually pretty busy. But the parking garage and lots are not too far and gives you a nice stroll through downtown. We are told they will have outdoor seating in the near future as well. So looking forward to coming back with our pup and kiddo.

As for the restaurant itself, the interior design was very open and had a very nice touch of Korea mixed in with a very modern simple design. Cute signs across the server station / bar area had a fun Pocha (late night snack spot) vibe. The owner was very welcoming and the staff were very helpful and hospitable.

P.S. apologies as we didnt take photos of the takeout. But will post again with more photos when we...

Finally, a legit Korean restaurant in Livermore. We had the seafood pajeon, soy glazed wings, and galbi with a pitcher of Sapporo.

The seafood pajeon had nice chunks of seafood and the dipping sauce was traditional and tasty.

The soy wings were really well fried and extra crispy on the outside. The glaze was the perfect blend of sweet and savory on the wings. Probably my favorite part of the meal of if I hadn't tried the galbi.

The galbi was so succulent, juicy, and grilled to perfection. It was served with banchan and rice. They have their galbi marinade down. I'm salivating just thinking about it again. My hat is off to the chef.

The service was prompt and our server frequently checked in on us.

The space is super clean, family friendly, and has some nice Korean music and videos playing while you eat.

Since moving from San Jose to Livermore, I've been missing good Korean cuisine and this place checks all of the boxes for me. Highly recommend.

I will be coming back...

Had dinner here on a Sunday night with a friend and overall had a good experience! The restaurant itself was super clean and well-kept, which I really appreciated right off the bat.

We ordered the Korean seafood pancake, which was great — large portion, fluffy inside yet crispy on the outside. The dipping sauce was pretty standard, but the pancake itself was definitely worth ordering.

We also tried the galbi (Korean short ribs). The flavor was good, but it came out not sizzling, which was a little odd — first time I’ve had galbi served without that extra-hot, steaming presentation. It wasn’t cold, just would’ve been nicer if it arrived piping hot.

The banchan were good overall, though the macaroni salad was the one miss — dry and a bit bland. Service was friendly and attentive throughout.

All in all, solid spot for Korean food — clean, good portions, and I’d definitely come back to try a few...