Dinner at Korner Store is guaranteed to be loud and delicious - Review - San Francisco - The Infatuation
"The Korner Store makes the most of the mere 12 hours that it’s open a week. The Friday-Saturday only spot in the Excelsior has a clear vision of how people should spend their weekend: Eating huge portions of Korean food and (after enough soju) hitting the mini-dance floor in between courses. Sure, the DJ booth in the corner is usually empty, but that doesn’t stop the place from blasting live-recorded EDM sets—complete with call-and-response prompts that everyone’s too busy eating to respond to. video credit: Patrick Wong Seating is limited to the bar and a few skinny high-tops under strings of drop lights and disco balls, but with some clever plate maneuvering, you’ll find a way to fit the massive plates of food you’ll be ordering. Some dishes lean a little sweet, but it does little to distract you from otherwise great flavors and near-flawless execution. There’s no going wrong with the soy garlic Korean fried chicken, kimchi fried rice, and—if it’s available—the raw marinated crab (a tough find in the city). Reservations are easy to snag, and walk-ins rarely have to wait long. Just be sure to check their website for any private events or performances when a DJ will actually make an appearance. How to get into The Korner Store Bites & Vibes Just checking Korner Store’s website a few days in advance is enough to secure a reservation. If you need to make any changes, use the chat service on their website and the staff will text you back. Food Rundown Korean Fried Chicken Wings Juicy and crispy, just how we want them. The original is a bit bland, so we prefer getting these with one of the sauces—our favorite is the soy garlic. photo credit: Monica Lo Kimchi Fried Rice Solid and on par with any other respectable version in the city. Be sure to add bulgogi. photo credit: Patrick Wong Rosé Tteokbokki Don’t expect the typical thick slices of rice cake. Korner Store’s is served with long, pudgy udon-esque noodles. The sauce is creamy and thick, though a tad too sweet. But we’d still order this again. photo credit: Monica Lo Raw Marinated Crabs It’s not easy to find this dish in SF, so we’re grateful whenever Korner Store has it on the menu. The crab is sweet and goes well with the thick coating of gochugaru-heavy sauce. If they’re out of crabs, ask if the raw marinated shrimp are available. photo credit: Monica Lo Kimchi A skippable side. Like the tteokbokki, it’s too sweet." - Patrick Wong
