Aria Korean American Snack Bar

When you walk into this joint you might want to walk out, but don’t. The fried chicken will solve all your problems in life.

Yum. pork cutlet is my love! I like spicy and sweet source with chicken. It is so delicious. Also, fried calamari and tofu soup are nice too.

Came here for a to go lunch, but it really doesn’t matter since they don’t really have any other options. The place is so small other than the counter where people order food, there is one table that can sit 2 people. As others had said it is a mom and pop shop.
So I ordered the chicken lunch set to go. When it arrived it looked like larger versions of Quickly’s Popcorn chicken. It wasn’t a cheap box too, at least Quickly has theirs for $ 6.
Nothing special, nothing bad.

Given all the great reviews, I was extremely excited to get my Korean fix of garlic-​soy KFC & ddukkbokki! After getting it delivered through postmates, I was disappointed and underwhelmed with the overall quality and flavor. I usually frequent Korean bars like Zzan & Cocobang which has decent crunchy KFC (although expensive). The fried chicken I had here on the other hand just tasted more like soy sauce, with a really thick and flour-​ey batter. The ramen ddukkbokki was better and tasted authentic, except it doesn’t come with fishcake. +1 since everything on the menu’s pretty cheap, but I doubt I’ll be coming back in the future.

Original Korean food. classic food from real korean mom and dad.
really good and soups are amazing.
just area is ghetto and noisy.
But food is fantastic.

My girlfriend said this was a mom & pop restaurant, and I walked in to literally a mother and father.
This place is the definition of hole in the wall, like I’m not lying, the location is a hole in the wall of Larkin St.
The food is great for the price, the owners are nice, and they even accept card!
So why the 3 stars?
Because something was off with the chicken for me. I understand that they are served in strips, and cooked like how my mom used to cook for me… but the bite/​texture was a bit off. Usually when I bite into a piece of chicken, I can tell that it’s chicken meat, but this time I couldn’t. It was as if it was so dense that it broke off in one piece, try it!

This place is a literal mom and pop shop. Mom cooks the food and pop takes the orders. The shop is tiny with only three tables, and sometimes one of the tables is taken up by a huge deep fryer or rice cooker. They take card and have a pretty huge menu.
The food tastes like home cooking, in the best way. The shop feels like you’re eating at your parent’s house, including the K-​Drama playing in the background as the owners do business in the open kitchen.
My boyfriend and I ordered the kimchi fried rice and 9-​piece Korean Fried Chicken (KFC). The kimchi fried rice is simple, and tastes like ketchup rice with the ocasional bite of kimchi. It was pretty good, but nothing unique. You get a large plate for the price that can be shared between 2 – 3 people. The fried egg on top is crispy and cooked all the way through, just like my dad used to make. It made me super nostalgic. The KFC was not the best I’ve eaten, but again pretty cheap for the amount. $ 7/​9-​pieces is really good. It’s boneless chicken, both dark and light meat. It comes with a choice of two sauces: sweet and spicy or garlic soy. We chose sweet and spicy and it tasted like a sweeter gochujang. I asked for the pickled radishes and they gave a small cup to me for free.
In the past I’ve ordered the bibimbap which was super delicious and big.

[delivery only] Food was passable — generally rather bland, and zero variety in the lunch box.
Asian lunch boxes are typically little self-​contained meals — a happy variety of carb, meat, veg, etc. Not so here. The lunch box amounts to a large heap of rice, the side of your choice, and a tiny saucecup full of kimchi. That’s it.
Maybe the (only?) highlights here are the fried chicken? Disappointed given expectations set by the generally glowing reviews

Had to get my Korean fix and found this place on Unilocal.Got the veggie kimbap-​2 big rolls for $ 8, not bad. Freshly made taste, good balance of textures. Honestly, if this place was in flushing/​Murray hill, New York, where I’m from, it would be a mediocre 3.5 stars, but for a Korean food dessert like SF, it’s closer to 5 stars. Decoration were interesting-​old vintage records, what looks like an old record player, and for some strange reason, the tables were covered with yellowed, aged Russian newspaper-​USSR relic? Why?

3.5 stars.
Korean Fried Chicken = lightly battered crispy chicken. Dark meat and white meat. Choice of garlic soy sauce or spicy and sweet sauce. The latter was pretty good. Enjoy! (Yes, boneless.) $ 7.99 for 9 pieces.
Dukbokki (hot & spicy rice cakes) = spicy, very slightly sweet, and plenty of chewy rice cakes to go around. Good luck if your chopstick skills are mediocre. They’re slippery. $ 6.99
Pan fried fish cake (one of their banchan, back side of menu) = warm, savory, soft and hit the spot. Family favorite… we’d fight over this one. Glad I ordered it tonight. $ 4.00.
Canned soda = $ 1.25×2.
Prices = moderate. Dinner for two came out to $ 23.36.
Service = at the counter. Friendly. Menu is on the wall to the right.
Seating = limited. Maybe 10 people tops, but it’s pretty cramped in here. They need to clean a bit more… sticky table.
And yes, totally a hole-​in-​the-​wall complete with high volume Korean TV shows behind the counter. Undecided if I’d recommend this place for many, as it’s in a sketchy neighborhood (with good eats, and colorful characters.)

It has been so long overdue… I have started dining here daily ever since Feb 2015. They remind me so much of my time with my ex and his awesome skills and dedicated in cooking.
Ajushi and ajuma like the best strangers but feel like family. I love their warm welcome and lovely smile. Sometimes, they would give me extra fish soup for free. So sweet.
My favorite dishes would be like most of the reviews: fried chicken, bibimbab (full!!!), spicy ramen, kimchi soup and Oh my Gosh… i’ve been eating there for so long!
I am surprised at the health warning… but I guess you can’t always stay too clean with good food ;)) like my mother always says, little messy place produces the best dish ;))

Better late than never, right? Overdue review incoming!
This is such a wonderful hole in the wall Korean food joint run by the sweetest family. It feels like you’ve walked into a home (maybe I like it because I’m asian) rather than a restaurant. Embarrassingly, I had a case of the hiccups when I was there but the kind woman behind the counter rushed to get me a glass of water. It definitely made an impression on me.
The food was also really tasty. After spending time in SoCal, the Korean food I’ve had in San Francisco tends to pale in comparison, but the ddukbokki and bulgogi were delicious. There isn’t a lot of seating inside but we were the only ones there so we got to sit and enjoy our food.
It’s a great place to satisfy that late night Korean craving.

Ignore the health warning if you appreciate great food for little money! TRUE TL HOLE IN THE WALL!
I really like their fried chicken, its got a light batter, while maintaining a nice crisp (not very greasy). Kind of reminds me of quickly’s popcorn chicken, but with much better meat. The sauces are awesome too. Best $ 8 – 10 you will spend in the area! The old couple that runs the place is adorable, really kind people that will take care of your belly.
This place is what Johny Rockets aspires to be, an OG retro joint with OG décor /​signs & they even have a cool OG record collection that just sits in the corner
Pro-​Tip: It’s all about expectations, don’t come here expecting a shiny counter and top notch ingredients, come here expecting an awesome meal without breaking $ 10 in an expensive city.

The issues with my rampant Korean food craving is:
1. Firstly, that I can’t cook it myself
2. Eating out at Korean restaurants is what most might do when cravings strike but many of those times I’m not hungry enough for the full banchan spreads etc. because I’m usually craving just one particular dish/​flavor
3. In addition to the above, ordering as take out from restaurants typically end up being VERY large portions and end up costing up to $ 15 when I just wanted, let’s say $ 8 worth of it and thus just ends up discouraging me altogether because I’d hate to be wasteful.
Although all the way in the TL, ordering at Aria addresses #2, 3 from above. The «snack» size portion makes me not feel so wasteful (I’m not big into leftovers and eating the same thing again the next day is not very appetizing to me) and the prices for the portion are just right.
I was surprised by how freshly made our orders tasted. We had the spicy cold noodles (jjolmyoen) and the spicy rice cakes (ddukbokki). Both were al dente and had great flavors despite it being a bit lacking in some garnishing. I was impressed they had an expansive menu for such a tiny snack bar. No, the food isn’t considered gourmet status as it might be similar to those quick places to eat/​go on the side of a street in Seoul covered by tarps. Calling this a «restaurant» is a bit of a stretch.
The cute couple running the place were very nice and took care of us. A bonus, they take credit cards.
We’ll surely be back. Both C and I already know what we are ordering on our next visit.

When the first thing I see is a cute older Korean couple behind the counter, I know I’m in for a treat and for once, the reviews aren’t overrated.
Ordered:
Crispy Chicken ($ 7.99 medium for 9 pieces) — sweet batter, spicy meat. Really good combo that tastes nothing like American fried chicken. Must try!
Kimchi Fried Rice ($ 8.50) — huge plate with a fried egg on top! The reason why this is so good and everyone orders it is because its drenched in oil. Okay not drenched but you can definitely tell that they didn’t go easy on the oil… But it’s sooooo good. The kimchi flavor was so infused into the rice!
Kimbap ($ 9.50) — fresh and made to order. Such a homey food with all the classic flavors. Not very intense flavors but still so comforting. 16 pieces!
Only 3 small tables so it’s hard to stay at eat. But on a weekday night, you can probably get a table for dinner. Make sure you eat the chicken when it’s still hot and crispy!

This place is small, cramp, and smells like oil. However, it’s probably one of the best «home-​made» tasting korean food I have ever had at a restaurant :) Also, the best bang for the buck.
Aria is a mom and pop store (they were so sweet!) and I loved their
#1 !!! fried chicken with sweet and sour sauce — totally bomb
#2 dukbokki it was good not too sweet or spicy
#3 bulgogi way better than sacramento bulgogi
#4 bibmbap can’t go wrong with this one either
#5 wish there were more toppings but still good
All of this was just for $ 46
If I come back to SF, this will be my first stop :) I’m craving it as I type…
Keep in mind they only have 3 very small tables. You can sit and dine for small parties, but I saw many parties after us would just take out.

The Ron Theorem proves true again: the more money you pay for an entrée, the less food you get. Many times, the converse is true too: if you pay a little for it, you may be surprised with a lot of food and/​or great taste. Aria — tastes great.
I had never had Korean food before. So I stopped in here and picked up a 9-​piece order of fried chicken with garlic & soy sauce for $ 8. Only $ 8 for 9 pieces of chicken, that’s low; I thought it would be either chicken wings or chicken tenders. Yep, they were boneless chicken tenders.
This isn’t Kentucky Fried Chicken. Kentucky fried, whether the geography or the company, has a crisp, slightly spicy skin loaded with salt and paprika, and it tastes good but slightly overpowers the chicken. Not Aria’s fried chicken. The fried skin is softer, a different taste, and it can stand on its own. Which is good, because the container of sauce was dinky. I still don’t know which one I liked better, with sauce or without sauce, they were both very good. The meat was well cooked, not so hot that it overpowered the taste.
Aria Snack Bar is NOT a date place. Parking is terrible, typical for this neighborhood. If I remember right, there were eight seats in a space smaller than your bedroom. So you can eat here, but you’d get claustrophobic. The couple running the restaurant was friendly. I enjoyed my meal at the small park at Hyde & Greenwich.
If this fried chicken was an example of things to come, then the other food should be top-​notch indeed.

This tiny place was a fish & chips place for many years. Inserted in the same spot is a Korean joint that cooks authentic and standard Korean dishes that is quick and simple.
One of the popular appetizers that this place is known for is the Korean-​style fried chicken. For $ 7.99, I get nine boneless pieces seasoned and batter with the family’s recipe. The chicken pieces are really moist and the exterior is very crunchy with a perfect amount of batter. The renowned item is legit.
I also added Kim Chee fried rice for $ 8.99. The rice plate comes with the spicy Korean salad mixed with rice and eggs. The rice plate may looked plain, but has a lot of flavor.
As I was enjoying my meal, I was browsing the menu for another future visit. This place also serves bento-​style meals, in which I may try one day.
The husband and wife tag-​teamed and cooked my meal and took care of me. I really enjoyed my time here!

I’ve been holding off writing this review so I could figure out a better way to really share how much I enjoy it. Since I’ve put it off for ages, I’m gonna just say it plainly:
I dig Aria. I dig their KFC. Korean-​fried Chicken. These are big, battered pieces of bone-​less chicken. The sauce you dip it in is the kicker. Like a lot of other Korean spots, the sauce is a spicy-​sweet mix (that I believe is Hoisan and Sriracha-​ish) and side of diced-​radishes. 9 or 15 pieces of KFC per order.
I have had several appetizers and noodle dishes. The Seaweed Rolls are great. The Japache noodles were excellent. I recommend also having Sriracha on hand if you like spice, it compliments the flavors well.
There are a bunch of things that I have never tried. And, I really wish they stayed open later. But, I think the folks who run this are very kind and do a great job. They are great about getting my food ready for take-​out when I run and have a quick drink next door, and everyone that I speak with has high praise for them. I also think the prices are very fair, and they accept cards.
I will be back, and I am happy to recommend it if you are in the ‘hood and want to try some Korean-​Snack Bar fare.

Dining here feels like eating Korean home-​cooked food. For me, it triggered a lot of nostalgia from eating at my friends’ homes when I was a kid. Aria is a small mom-​and-​pop type eatery, with only two workers (a very sweet Korean husband/​wife duo). Handing them my credit card felt strange because it almost didn’t feel like I was in a restaurant.
I’m not Korean, but I eat a LOT of Korean food. The KFC is not the best I’ve ever had, but it definitely hits the spot for the right price: 9 large, tender, boneless pieces for $ 8. The chicken itself wasn’t overly salty or flavorful, and their red sauce was sweet and delicious. We also ordered the japchae, which was yummy and filling. No complaints there!
The dining area itself was a little rundown, tendernob-​style… Not especially impressive in any way. They have maybe 2 – 3 small tables in there — my friend and I were the only ones eating there, but if there had been more people, it would have felt very cramped. What I’m trying to say: don’t expect to impress a date here. They give you your sauce in a little plastic sauce cup, and their complimentary pickled daikon is served in that too.
If I’m in the area, I’ll be back. Compared to most Korean places in the city, the food here is cheap!