Wait for the hype to die down before you go to Pogu in Jagalchi - Review - San Francisco - The Infatuation

"After teasing its arrival back in spring 2024, Jagalchi, the massive 75,000-square-foot Korean food complex finally opened in Daly City. And so far, it's giving the DMV a run for its money with seemingly endless lines at street food stalls, the store's bakery, the entrance to the store itself, and Pogu. The Korean restaurant in the middle of the store is enclosed by wooden slats, which keeps out the chaos of cart-clogged aisles and people clamoring for Korean skin care products and jars of kimchi. But as decompressing as the dining experience could be, Pogu isn't there yet. On a recent visit, more than half of the menu was unavailable, including the grilled meats and seafood, as well as a few appetizers and rice dishes. What we did try was solid: house bread from the store’s Basquia Bakery, crispy tofu kimchi, pungent doenjang fish cake jjigae, and an obang bibimbap that was just a tad too sweet but otherwise hit the mark. video credit: Taylor Gomez photo credit: Pogu Pause Unmute The service isn’t quite ready for prime time either. People who have reservations and walk-ins wait in the same line, menus are scarce, and the staff radiates stress. We suggest holding off until Pogu settles in. In the meantime, if you’re at Jagalchi, you’ll have more variety (though a longer wait for some items) at the street food stalls and Basquia. How to get into Pogu Some same-day reservations are available, but mostly for smaller parties after 8:30pm. Walk-ins are likely to encounter a line. Food Rundown Tofu Kimchi As long as every bite of crispy fried tofu is accompanied by a piece of the sweet and spicy kimchi underneath, you'll love this dish. Just be sure to ask for a knife if you're sharing—the slab of tofu is only sliced part-way through, so you'll need to finish the job. We’d happily order this again. photo credit: Pogu Doenjang Fish Cake Jjigae The broth is layered with a little bit of funk from the soy bean paste, and that's what you'll smell first. Every component is done right. The beef meatballs are tender, and the fish balls are silky and practically don't require any chewing. Get this. photo credit: Julia Chen Obang Bibimbap This rice dish has potential, but some little details bring it down. It's served too cold, the egg is overdone, and the sauce is overly sweet. We’re looking forward to trying the other versions. photo credit: Pogu Banchan Off-kilter. The kimchi (a different take than the tofu kimchi dish) is too salty without spice to balance it out. The marinated burdock is too subtle, while the gochugaru-dressed radishes needs more heat and less sugar. photo credit: Julia Chen House Bread Even though your meal will arrive minutes after ordering, you should still lunge for this bread (and ask for refills when it's gone). Then, once you’ve paid the check, head to the in-store bakery to get more. photo credit: Julia Chen" - Patrick Wong