This Japantown hotspot serves up mammoth, cheesy, slow-braised kalbijjim with tender beef, bold spice, and crave-worthy sides in a buzzing vibe.
"At this Korean hot spot, the wait for a table during peak dinner hours can stretch as long as two hours, and almost every dish on the menu features some kind of preparation of beef — kalbitang (or beef rib soup); beef bibimbap; and seolleongtang, the cloudy-white ox bone soup with its noted hangover-curing properties. But Daeho’s real claim to fame is its kalbijjim, the slow-braised, spicy-sweet, fall-off-the-bone beef short rib stew. It’s well worth the wait." - Paolo Bicchieri
"Five years after opening their original location in Japantown, Daeho still sees lines wrapped around the corner before they open — and with good reason. It’s San Francisco’s go-to spot for kalbijjim: a dish made of impossibly tender braised short ribs, daikon, potatoes, and carrots smothered in a lightly sweet, yet savory sauce, complete with a mountain of cheese that’s melted by blowtorch upon delivery." - Lena Park
"At this Korean hotspot in San Francisco’s Japantown, the wait for a table during peak dinner time can stretch long as two hours, and almost every dish on the menu features some kind of preparation of beef: kalbitang (or beef rib soup); beef bibimbap; seolleongtang, the cloudy-white ox bone soup with its noted hangover-curing properties; and, if you think all that won’t be enough, boiled beef brisket that you can order as an appetizer. But the star of the show — and perhaps of the city’s entire Korean restaurant scene — is the kalbijjim, the slow-braised, spicy-sweet, fall-off-the-bone beef short rib stew that is Daeho’s claim to fame." - Dianne de Guzman, Eater Staff
"This wildly popular San Francisco Korean chain opened a Bellevue outpost and has even locals waiting on long lines at prime dinner hours. The giant $79 skillet (which could feed five people) is overflowing with tender short rib meat that falls apart like it just watched A Walk To Remember, chunky carrots, and softened potatoes in a rich gochugaru sauce. It’s hearty and comforting, and even better when ordered with rice cakes and a mountain of melty cheese on top that gets blowtorched tableside." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley, gabe guarente
"The kalbijjim from Daeho is covered in cheese and then blowtorched tableside with the air of an Olympics opening ceremony. When one dish is A-list-celebrity famous, you have to put on a show. The gooey and bubbling beef stew is perfection, and why you’re lining up down the block to get into this buzzing Japantown spot. Tables are always filled with people who are also here for the well-balanced kalbi bibimbap, seolleong tang with tender brisket and perfectly chewy noodles, and other dishes served in portions large enough to feed a pack of insatiable bear cubs. You may have to be rolled out, but it's a welcomed part of the experience." - julia chen 1, lani conway, ricky rodriguez
