Kukje Market Restaurant

Convenient for a quick lunch or dinner while doing some shopping before or after. The combination hot pot is economic, filled with tofu, beef, shrimps and small clams. Or one can order a seafood hot pot to have a mussel instead of beef. Somehow I found at dinner tonight half of the cucumber Kimchi were bitterly tasted; while the spinach and bean sprouts were good.

Arrived with my parents around 1pm on a holiday, and the wait was about 15 minutes. I saw they had several tables open but didn’t seat anyone. I guess since they only had 2 – 3 servers and too many tables? From the 15 minute observation, I figured this wouldn’t be a place notable for their service, so I was pretty okay when nobody checked on us throughout our meal. With that said, make sure you ask for whatever you need when you do see them (when you’re ordering or they’re delivering food to your table, etc.), otherwise good luck attempting to flag them down.
Our family of 3 ordered a combination tofu soup, bulgogi, and California Roll to share. This came out to a little over $ 43, tip and tax included. The soup and California Roll were decently priced. However, the bulgogi was way too expensive compared to other places. It was good, but not phenomenal for the close to $ 20 price tag. You can buy their marinated meat in the market to cook at home, which is what we will opt for next time! I did greatly enjoy the spicy fish cake from their banchan, which I picked up a pack from the market side after the meal.
There is some parking in the small market lot, but expect to park in the lot next door or park on the streets in the surrounding areas instead. I’m sure I’ll be back when craving Korean cuisine due to convenience. Otherwise, there are better places up north or down south.

I don’t know why this place has such low ratings but this is ALWAYS my go-​to quick Korean food place. It’s convenient and while I wait for the food, I can take a stroll around the market for some Asian snacks. They are always consistent and I can’t ever complain… Cold days roll around and I’ll order kimchi jigae… the spiciness and sourness is on point! It also comes with banchan and rice… love LOVE me some extra kimchi, bean sprouts and spinach! Sometimes, I feel like dukbokki… did I spell that right!!! The combination of rice noodle things with the fish cake, zucchinis and onion drenched in that red goodness… mmmm I’m drooling just thinking about it. Those are my 2 top favs! Then at random times, I feel like some chicken… so I’ll throw a couple of orders in. Sweet and spicy are the best! Followed by garlic or soy sauce, YUM!
The only complaint is the price but it’s consistent with all the other places… I think I’m only complaining because it’s so much cheaper in Korea… but hey… that plane ticket alone could buy me a good amount of food here so I’m content… for now haha

This place is not the best for Korean food, and also not the worst for Korean food. I think you have to go much more south towards the peninsula to find decent Korean food, so this will do for Korean food cravings. SF proper is surprisingly terrible when it comes to great Korean food options! There are a few good places in the East Bay though.
We’ve been here a few times and order the same stuff usually:
— Sundubu (tofu soup): this is not bad. The last time we went, we got the dumpling and rice cake one. It was decent. Not really better than what I can make at home with maangchis recipe or a BCD tofu packet, but it’s not bad.
— The fried chicken: this is also just ok. They fry up the skin on the outside really well and it’s flavorful and crispy. However, the inside of the chicken is usually very bland. Great fried chicken is flavorful on the inside and outside. Also the chicken on the inside is often dry, so all in all, the fried chicken is just ok.
— pajeong (seafood pancake): this is not bad either! Not the best seafood pancake I’ve ever had and not the worst.
They also usually give you side dishes with your food, which is the standard stuff and all tastes decent: kimchi, spicy cucumber, bean sprouts, etc.
Basically, this place will probably satisfy your Korean food cravings but don’t go in expecting too much!

food is good… service yeah questionable. Even with the ringers by the table, I pressed it 5 times with my table number showing up in the LED screen and still no waiter. Had to hail of them down the «regular» war. I mean if you’re going to have the doorbell thingy, can’t you at least use it? Besides that, food comes out quickly.
I asked for a certain banchan (anchovies) and waiter said they don’t have it… surprised me! It’s in a Korean supermarket and I just bought some for home later. Besides the usually, of spinach, radish, cucs, and Kim chi, for the first time I was able to try the cuttlefish banchan-​it was pretty good.
I haven’t tried the Japanese food yet.

Cordoned off in a section of the Kukje supermarket, the restaurant has a variety of typical Korean dishes.
While the proportions are impressive, there were a few dishes that just quite didn’t deliver in taste. The teriyaki sauce on my chicken was a bit much – I ended up brushing the excess off while I ate it with my rice. The chicken was cooked well and not dry, but the sauce clearly takes that plus away.
My wife ordered their jampong and jajangmyeon. There was barely any kick to the jampong, and the squid didn’t taste fresh. The jajangmyeon was only average at best, but it seemed like they used the wrong type of noodle.
Their chicken section (various types of cuts and flavors) definitely could improve. On the most recent visit, we ordered the sweet chili flavored boneless chicken. The flavoring was average, but the chicken meat inside was dry. It seemed like it sucked out quite a bit of moisture from my mouth, which I had to drink some tea every other bite.
The service was okay – many people complained about it, but perhaps they are unfamiliar with calling the server/​waiter/​waitress by pressing the call button on the tables.
One of the most dissatisfying things was the price. I understand things in the bay area is expensive, but for the caliber of food, I argue that it’s excessive.
I really like the fact that you can eat where you shop for groceries, but at the moment I will give this place a break. Perhaps I will come back in the future, when the restaurant improves upon its quality.

It’s one thing to have slow service but it’s another thing when you have no service. None whatsoever. They didn’t even bring us plates to eat from. Yes. No plates!
The food was absolutely terrible. We ordered Kalbi for $ 27.95 and that was hi way robbery. the fried chicken was tasteless. The banchan was good.
We never complained. When I we paid & they didn’t say thank you! What a dissapointment for the prices charged. Go anywhere but here.

Definantly do not recommend this restaurant to eat at. They charge way too much for the food, and the price doesn’t meet its quality for the amount that is being paid. We ordered the spicy pork sizzle dish and the meat looked grey and taste like it was old meat. A few hours later stomachs start to feel like they are tossing and turning. So this is definantly not the place to eat, however, the grocery part of the store is where my star goes to.

Everyone comes here so I don’t know why the market only has three stars. Prob from all of the Asian Unilocalers that have unattainable standards. This is the only market of its kind in the area and the attached restaurant is pretty good as well (4 Unilocal star restaurant).

I ate here a couple of years ago and had the Galbe and the tofu soup and my memory was it was good. Don’t know what has changed but this time the food was «bad». The restaurant is located in the market and is quite busy. Service is prompt and the food comes out fast. We ordered the following:
Bul Kogi was aweful, dry, flavorless, $ 15
Kimchi Chige aweful full of kimchi no stew a few cubes of beef comes in a small tofu soup bowl $ 12
Jam Pong seafood noodle soup $ 10 bland bland bland
Tempura Appetizer was the only decent item big cuts of veggies
The banchan are good but variety is few.
Great location, pluses are for warriors on TV’s Service was good. Parking is a problem for the busy market.

I still enjoy shopping at Kukje but the attached restaurant isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. I usually stick to the bbq/​chicken dishes to be on the safe side. Their soup dishes are a hit or miss — usually bland and tasteless. But the service itself is sooo poor and unfriendly.
Additionally, it’s so confusing when you want to place a catering order. You would think that you’d order from the restaurant but it’s actually through the market. Their phone skills, calling the market or the grocery store, sucks!
Come here to grocery shop, don’t expect an authentic meal at the restaurant.

Kukje market restaurant is combined with an actual supermarket.
Pros:
–free sides and refills
–sizzling meat platter tastes good
–fills Korean craving.
Cons:
–server gives hot tea in a glass cup; wastes water because we never touch it.
–prices are pricey!
–tofu soup has too much onions!
–portions are normal. Small for the price.
(Specifically bento boxes, which are $ 14)
The service is typical Asian restaurant service. Not terrible, but not the best. They always have the Warriors game on tv! And the market seems cool, and at 8pm the packages hot food by the restaurant are 50% regular price.

Whenever I need some Korean goodies, I would stop by and eat at the restaurant.
I always get the seafood soup, bibimbap and sometimes their rolls. You also get your typical side dishes. The food is mediocre, it gets the job done for your korean cravings. The service can get be very slow at times. This place is just on the go in my opinion since it is connected to the supermarket.

I came here to eat with my bf because we were craving some Korean food and didn’t want to drive all the way to San Francisco to get some… WORST DECISION EVER MADE!
We both ordered sofu tofu soup, mine with kimchi and pork and combination for him.
First of all, the servers should learn how to smile. I know Koreans are not that big of a very friendly smiler type of people, but seriously, it just totally kills the mood when you are being served by a server who seems very uninterested and bored.
And the food… jeez, it tastes so bad. It was so salty that I had to pour my whole glass of tea in the soup and it was still salty. The side dishes were salty that we just touched it once and didn’t bother eating it again.
We will never come back here again. The price we pay for is definitely NOT worth the quality and the taste of the food.

I came here with my bf to eat cause we were hungry! We ordered a seafood pancake, spicy garlic chicken and california roll. The best was the CA roll and the chicken was basically fried pieces of boneless chicken that were very try, and sauce and garlic on he side. It was pretty bad. The pancake was also mediocre for 13 bucks. Ive paid for something similar and it was way better. The only thing was the man here, he was a korean young man, bigger built, he was quite polite and very helpful. He gave us free side dishes even though we ordered nothing to have free side dishes with. They had spinach for a side dish and it was pretty good!
There’s a good amount of parking in the parking lot, but the only thing is the selection and pricing of items. It tends to be higher price than a normal cheap korean market. The restaurant inside, the sushi was not bad, everything else was rather bland and not saucey like most korean food.

Yummy, came here for a filling lunch. I came in by myself, the sign says wait to be seated. Asked for a table for one. Seated given a hot cup of brown rice tea.
Menu and a glass of water. Given also enough time to search the menu.
Ordered a typical Korean dish. I forgot how to spell it but it was really good, I was given several pickled side dishes. You must come here and try the Korean food.

It’s a good place to call ahead and order to go. The banchan have good amounts and they always take care to pack all the food (and soup) well so that they don’t leak. I usually get the sashimi salad, mushroom tofu soup, and the KFC are pretty decent too. Soy sauce and tomato wings are my favorites.
All right, I’ll be honest. The main reason I am writing this is so that I can upload the KFC menu so my roommates and I can have a reference point. :p
But seriously, this is a pretty decent place to order to go, or sit and eat and buy some extra banchan for home.

My go-​to spot for sushi in the area. Yes, I know it’s primarily a Korean restaurant but surprisingly enough even the Japanese restaurants within Daly City just don’t satisfy, especially for the price.
Decent sized, quality rolls for decent prices and of course you can’t pass up their chicken wings!

I usually come here and get their kimchi tofu soup.
The portion may seem small but I could only finish half while at the restaurant. Good amount of tofu, beef, mushrooms (my favorite) and kimchi.
I was starving at the time I was eating and since the contents were boiling hot, I had the absolute WORST heartburn of my life. Despite that, I come here when I want to satisfy my tofu soup craving.

I got a stomach ache from here. Ugh. I liked the tofu soup but the fried chicken is meh. I ordered their spicy garlic drummetes, but they give like small chicken wings. 99 chicken in santa clara is much much better! And also the actual «garlic» and «spicy» is separated from the chicken, weird.
They didnt have much selection of side dishes either. Where’s my favorite fish cake banchan??? :(I expect more from a Korean restaurant inside a frickin Korean Market!