"If you want to get a real taste of what Korean drinking culture is like, Ilcha is your go-to spot in San Francisco. Co-owner and chef Kuumi Kim nails the concept with her tailored menu of “anju,” which in Korean means “food paired with drinks.” Order from their carefully curated list of Korean spirits and sojus, and follow it up with the umami-rich kim mari — fried seaweed spring rolls filled with glass noodles, gochujang sauce — and a platter of the ultra-crispy Korean fried chicken. If you’re lucky, you’ll also get to snag the ganjang saewoo and gyrean bap (soy-cured shrimp served alongside a bowl of rice topped with a fried egg and curls of dried seaweed) or the masterpiece that is ganjang gejang, the restaurant’s soy-marinated raw crab." - Lena Park
