POGU

Had a great meal at POGU in Jagalchi. Everything we ordered was fresh and well made.The sashimi salad was super fresh and light, and the seafood pancake was crispy and flavorful. The grilled mackerel was perfectly cooked—rich, savory, and not fishy at all. We also ordered the pork belly, which was juicy, well-seasoned, and came out sizzling hot. It paired perfectly with the sauces and sides and was definitely one of our favorite dishes. Finished with dessert, which was light and refreshing and a nice way to end the meal. Overall, great food, nice atmosphere, and a place I’d happily come back to. Highly recommend if you’re in the area and craving Korean.

Pogu in Jagalchi, San Francisco was a thoughtfully chosen stop during my visit, and the experience was thoroughly enjoyable. Conveniently located in the heart of Jagalchi Market, the restaurant was easy to find and pleasant to visit while exploring the market. The restaurant offers a refined yet comfortable atmosphere, featuring a clean open kitchen and well-executed interior design that reflects a high-end dining environment. The staff were professional, courteous, and attentive, consistently ensuring a smooth and welcoming dining experience. The menu was clearly structured and aligned with the standards of many authentic Korean restaurants in the U.S. Each dish was well balanced and flavorful, reflecting careful preparation and the chef’s attention to detail. Presentation was polished, and the sauces complemented the dishes well without being overpowering. Every dish was enjoyable, and ordering two appetizers and two main dishes was a satisfying amount for three people, leaving us comfortably full. From reading other reviews, it is clear that the team continues to refine the menu and make thoughtful improvements, including the development of new dishes. Overall, the visit was highly satisfying, and I would gladly recommend Pogu to anyone looking for quality Korean cuisine in San Francisco.

Went on a rainy Saturday so there weren't too many people. The food was excellent and arrived very quickly. All the ingredients were high quality, fine attention was paid to texture, seasoning, and plating. All of the dishes we ordered tasted quite refined. The serving sizes were satisfying, especially the eel rice.

We celebrated a family birthday at Pogu and had an unforgettable experience. We ordered the chef’s special 5-course meal. The dishes were truly out of this world—not only was the food absolutely delicious, but each plate was presented like a work of art. To top it off, the service from our hostess, Shoon, was exquisite and made the special day even more unique. Came with a friend today and had a great time again! We were lucky to have Hostess Shoon again providing us with excellent service!

I am but a young Mexican girl with little experience with Korean cuisine but oh man. The gangwon buckwheat was delicious though it has a strong horseradish flavor which is not my favorite. However, I quite literally DREAM about the doenjang jjigae. Amazingly cooked vegetable and rice with the perfect texture. I will say though that the bibimbap was a little lacking in terms of size. Also, the cocktails are a little disappointing. Regardless, the staff were incredibly helpful and friendly. Like I said, I had no idea what I was doing but servers were sweet and answered any questions I had. The sitting areas were beautiful with well atmospheric lighting. I do recommend dinner versus lunch because it enhances the atmosphere. Solid choice for restaurant night!

Didn't have to wait when we arrived on Saturday at 7:30PM (party of 7). I think people have learned this place is overhyped. No complaints about service, but hard to imagine this is a high end place. Is it? Overall most things tasted meh. Wish they offered more side dishes. For the price, I had higher expectations. Tofu Kimchi Jjigae ($23) - Soup tasted...bitter? Barely any kimchi. Rice was good. You have to order the Seafood and Soft Tofu Jjigae ($25). if you want soft tofu. Who wants firm tofu in their soup?! Eel Bibimbap ($30) - Good balance of everything. I would order this again. Crunchy rice bits were really good.

My wife and I visit Jagalchi Market occasionally, and Pogu is a restaurant we consistently return to. The space is clean, well organized, and professionally managed, with attentive service and a polished atmosphere despite its location inside a market. While it is not an officially Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant, the menu was designed by a Michelin-star chef, and the quality and execution are excellent for its setting. The lobster tteokbokki and marinated and grilled eel over rice were both well balanced, flavorful, and carefully prepared. A dependable choice that we would confidently recommend!

I went in with high expectations, but the food was just okay. The fish cake soybean paste stew was not great, and the sashimi salad seemed like an interesting new attempt, but it did not suit my taste. Also, there were fruit flies constantly flying around and trying to land on the food, which made it hard to focus on the conversation with my companion. I was curious about the place, so at least I am glad that curiosity is now satisfied.

We came to enjoy the $85.00 Christmas Dinner Special. It was an incredible experience! The manager, Alex, allowed us to walk in despite the restaurant already having over 50 reservations. Taylor was our server, she was incredibly thoughtful and prompt with service. Junho was supporting her, they both left a very favorable impression. We really enjoyed the Risotto and Filet Mignon. The Scallops and sides were outstanding, as well. Mr. Tony Yoo put together a truly outstanding menu. And it fit real well with the beautiful interior and light music playing in the background. I would recommend a visit, truly a great all around experience.

I would give this place 1.5 stars. The service is good and the ambiance is great, but the food was very low quality for the price point. We got the holiday special which comes with scallop cucumber salad, creamy risotto, filet mignon, and mini cheesecake. The complementary bread with matcha butter was quite good and probably my favorite thing. Very fluffy and satisfying. The house kimchi salad was good but nothing special. The rest of the food was incredibly underwhelming. Starting with the scallop cucumber salad, there was little to no cohesion between the ingredients. It just felt like I was eating old, probably pre-frozen scallop with slices of cucumber and random fruit. The risotto was creamy and well seasoned but also had a similar cohesion issue with its vast amount of toppings. The filet mignon was super dry and half medium rare, half well done. Lastly, the cheesecake tasted kind of rancid and the texture was weirdly soft like whipped cream. Definitely not worth $108 (after tip).

TL;DR: Ambitious concept, fundamentally broken execution by Chef Tony. Nostalgic for South Korea, we were genuinely excited to see POGU open near our home. That context made the disappointment sharper, not milder. The 순두부찌개 (Sundubu-jjigae) arrived simmered down to a thick, blunt stew and pushed to an aggressive heat level (8/10). We had to dilute it with drinking cup water just to make it eatable. Even then, it lacked depth, balance, and savoriness. A proper anchovy-dashima stock and finishing egg would have gone a long way toward restoring structure and nuance. The 반상 LA갈비 (Bansang Grilled LA Galbi) was heavily coated in sauce and cloyingly sweet, masking both the meat and any sense of char. Portion guidance from our waitress was also misleading: a Large could easily feed 4+ people, and a Regular at least two: directly contradicting her recommendations. Less sauce, more grill, and clearer guidance would materially improve this dish. The 해물파전 (Haemul Pajeon), normally a benchmark dish was generously filled with seafood but poorly executed. There was no crispness or contrast, just a soft, gummy pancake throughout. Quantity was not the problem; technique was. Overall, this feels like Chef Tony's kitchen that has lost sight of Korean culinary fundamentals: fermentation, stock, balance, and texture. While Chef Tony Yoo was visibly active in the kitchen, there was little engagement with the dining room and little evidence of feedback flowing back into execution. At ~$100 for two, this meal does not justify its price, nor does it compare favorably to even modest neighborhood spots in Seoul. That's the most disappointing part: because the potential is clearly there, but the fundamentals are not being honored.

Pretty fancy for inside a supermarket. We stopped by for lunch on a Saturday and there wasn't a wait. They were still having their holiday meal set promotion $85 for 2 which included scallops, risotto, steak, dessert and a bottle of champagne. The risotto was rich and creamy with dollops of a carrot puree, the steak was buttery but tender, the scallops were fresh on a bed of cucumber ribbons. The dessert were a cute Santa's on top of frozen cheesecake domes. There was 4 of us dining so we also added spicy chicken, soon tofu, and the seafood salad. It was plenty of food we def had leftovers. Not your typical bonchon but we got 2 butter breads with matcha cream, kimchi, potato, and pickled peppers. Will def be returning to try the other items.

My friends and I visited POGU to celebrate a birthday and between the 10 of us, we ordered two Set Bs, two shrimp pancakes, two bottles of makgeolli, and two gangwon buckwheat noodles. Unlike restaurants that bring out one dish at a time, POGU brought out everything we ordered all at once. There was not a single spot on the table that wasn't covered with a plate of food. Service here was above average. Our party had questions about the chef's menu and the makgeolli options and the our server did a good job helping us navigate the ordering situation. Our party brought a cake for dessert and the server brought over plates for us and a knife to cut the cafe, and even came over to help us take a photo with their polaroid camera. What a nice and thoughtful surprise. Overall, food was good, but not mind blowing. There wasn't a single dish where I'd look back and say "that's the best ____ I've had in the Bay". Everyone in our party was happy that we did not go with the chef's tasting menu, as we had plenty of variety, had lots of leftovers to take home afterwards, and ended up spending a lot less than we would have otherwise. My favorite dish was the buckwheat noodles, which was cold and refreshing with bits of shredded chicken. It reminded me of Taiwanese cold sesame noodles if that's something you've tried before. Both of the BBQ items we tried -- the pork belly and galbi, were tender, and there was plenty to go around. The disadvantage of having all the food come out all at once is that it tends to get cold very quickly. I think this was one factor that contributed to folks eating less food than usual. Looking back, we probably should not have added on the two shrimp pancakes. They were not particularly special, and the included steak pancake in the set is enough to satisfy a Korean pancake craving. In terms of atmosphere, some people say the super market and mall environment take away from the dining experience but for me it was not a big deal. My bigger complaint was the large number of fruit flies that were hovering around our food throughout the meal. Additionally as we sat directly across from the exit of the kitchen, we also witnessed one of the waiters diligently swinging around an electric fly swatter to zap flying critters in the kitchen. Overall, I had a good meal for the price. 3.5 stars rounding up to a 4.

Pogu is located in the newly opened Korean grocery store. Food is not food court type and a bit upscale. They also offer a tasting menu for $95. Food can be ordered separately. Decoration is mlde I ordered seafood soup, my friends got the buckwheat noodles and pork belly. Food completely exceeded our expectations! Don't let its location fool you. There are some really good food, top service, and pleasant setup over here. The service was friendly, fast, attentive. He was also helpful for us to pick our lunch dishes. Complimentary side dishes include a full size salad? Some traditional side dishes in small portions and can be replenished. I love my seafood soup. Fresh with loads of seafood. My friends ordered pork belly and buckwheat noodles. Both are delicious. We ended lunch with complimentary desert as their 100 day celebration. It was great Asian desert. Right amount of sweetness! We would love coming back again! Highly recommend!

POGU is located inside the Jagalchi market in Daly City. I've been eyeing this restaurant for a while now, so I was stoked! The interior is modern and aesthetic, and the utensils, plates, and dishes are Korean style. My buddy and I asked for recommendations and we were told the seasonal Lobster & Short Rib Tteokbokki and the Shrimp Scallion Pajeon were popular menu items. We proceeded to order that and also got the Eel Bibimbap. Before our main meals, we were given the Korean sulpang (rice bread) with matcha butter; this was really delicious. Sulpang + Matcha Butter (5/5): the butter was interesting and tasty with a hint of matcha. This went really well with the spongey, airy texture. Lobster & Short Rib Tteokbokki (3/5): the spicy yet creamy rose flavor was good and paired well with the lobster; however, the short rib was overcooked, tough, and did not taste fresh. Shrimp Scallion Pajeon (4.5/5): with each bite, I could tell they did not skimpy out on the ingredients like the shrimp and vegetables. This would have been better if it was crispy. Eel Bibimbap (4/5): the toppings for the bibimbap blended well together, and I loved how the pot created a layer of crispy rice at the bottom. I wish there were a bit more vegetables though. Overall it was a pleasant experience and I would come back to try something new.

Finally got to try POGU while shopping at Jagalchi . Very modern and neat interior design. The hostess and our waiters are both professional and attentive. The food we ordered were absolutely amazing! They didn't go cheap and gave us plenty of abalone. The chicken in the samgyetang was so tender and the soup tasted very rich. I had a blast!

I recently got around to trying POGU inside Jagalchi. It's also been on my list for awhile but I don't live nearby so it's a little out of the way. However, I was grabbing dinner with a friend in the area and it was a Saturday night. We happened to check if there were any reservations available and to our surprise there was! We tried the following items: - Bulgogi Rice Bowl: my favorite dish that we tried. The bulgogi was so flavorful and tender. It was cooked very nicely. (5/5 stars) - Gangwon Buckwheat Noodles: this was good though I wish there was an explanation to all the different sauces that surround the noodles that you mix in. There were several different sauces but when you mix them all together it's hard to pinpoint the different flavors. Also it doesn't look spicy however there was definitely a kick in one of the sauces and unfortunately for me, I don't handle spicy foods well. My friend enjoyed it though. (3/5 stars) - Galbi and Leek Pancake: a newer item to the menu. This was good, the meat was tender and the dipping sauce paired nicely. I typically order a seafood pancake at most Korean restaurants but we decided to try this one since you don't often see galbi for a pancake option. (4/5 stars) Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. It was easy to get a reservation even on the same day. I had seen mixed reviews so I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of the quality of the food. The bulgolgi was my standout dish and I thought everything was pretty good.

Great food quality. Prices reasonable for the high quality of food and presentation. Set menus offer great variety.

Able to get a reservation via Yelp. It was some big green onion pieces in the pancake. The noodles have a surprising kick if someone is sensitive to spice. The menus seemed chaotic when trying to order. Portions were decently sized, and we got an extra kimchi salad. Staff was friendly, the plate was difficult to eat off of due to the size. Would come back and try some other plates.

My friend and I ordered the galbi pajeon and eel rice bowl to share family style. Both dishes were delicious. The complimentary banchan also comes with a small side salad and bread. Even though the portions are small, I felt satisfied and we even had leftovers. The staff are very nice. The water cups are small, which helps to conserve water but requires the servers to refill frequently (or not). The entire dining experience was very pleasant, considering it's a modern and roomy restaurant inside a grocery store at a mall.

Didn't have to wait when we arrived on Saturday at 7:30PM (party of 7). I think people have learned this place is overhyped. No complaints about service, but hard to imagine this is a high end place. Is it? Overall most things tasted meh. Wish they offered more side dishes. For the price, I had higher expectations. Tofu Kimchi Jjigae ($23) - Soup tasted...bitter? Barely any kimchi. Rice was good. You have to order the Seafood and Soft Tofu Jjigae ($25). if you want soft tofu. Who wants firm tofu in their soup?! Eel Bibimbap ($30) - Good balance of everything. I would order this again. Crunchy rice bits were really good.

First time here. Ordered the large Grilled LA Galbi, Bulgogi Rice Bowl and rice. Food came out pretty fast. Everything tasted really good. The rice just caught me off guard coz it had foxtail seasoning, just so you know. Love the ambiance, very spacious and elegant inside with all the golden utensils. Courteous and friendly service. They even gave us a free dessert.

POGU is an unexpected delight tucked away inside the Jagalchi grocery store. From the moment we walked in, the staff made us feel welcome. They were incredibly friendly and took the time to walk us through the menu. The atmosphere was trendy, clean, and very inviting. It's clear that a lot of thought went into creating a comfortable and modern dining space. We started with a complimentary Korean bread (Sulppang) served with matcha butter, but absolutely delicious. A great start to the meal the banchan (side dishes) came out shortly after the bread. The salad tasted super fresh and had a tangy, kimchi like dressing that made it really pop. The Korean potato salad was creamy and slightly sweet. A nice contrast to the bolder flavors and the kimchi was classic, spicy, and satisfying. The galbi was perfectly cooked, flavorful, and came with a great variety of sides to wrap in perilla leaf, cabbage and lettuce. The soybean paste dip that came with it was savory and rich, tying everything together beautifully. We also tried the tofu kimchi, which was another delicious dish. The addition of zucchini added a nice texture and balance to the spice. Overall, POGU is a must try if you're in the area. Great service, fantastic food, and a unique setting that makes it feel like a hidden gem. I'll definitely be back!

I'm Korean, and I know good Korean food, and unfortunately, POGU missed the mark in a big way. The ambiance was excellent, the service was excellent, and the presentation of the dishes was absolutely beautiful. But none of that makes up for food that was cold and honestly just mid. On top of that, it's very pricey, so you're definitely not getting what you pay for. I really wanted to like this place, but when the main point of a restaurant, the food -- falls flat, it's impossible to overlook. Disappointed and won't be returning.

Pogu was delicious - highly recommend their seasonal lobster tteokbokki. The staffs are extremely well-trained (michelin-level hospitality). Can't wait to come back to enjoy the chef tasting menu. The Jagalchi shopping experience was great as well. With its bar and bakery, one could easily spend a whole day here - it's both a great venue for socializing and for grocery shopping (lots of fresh seafood!). They also have beauty products and a great collection of premium alcohol options.

We tried Pogu recently and had a very enjoyable experience. There were 5 of us and we ordered a lot of dishes. The menu offers ala carte options but also offers "sets" of food for parties of 2, 3, or 4 people. We did a mix and match of both ala carte and sets of food and had food left over for us to take home. We started off with complimentary bread with matcha butter. It was a nice sweet dense type of bread. Then we had the free ban chan side dishes which also tasted very good. Shortly after our complimentary appetizers the main courses started coming to our table fast and furious. They do a great job delivering all the food quickly. Everything tasted really good. Our server Yan was awesome. The prices are higher than other Korean restaurants but I think it was worth it not to have to cook my own food (thats usually the case with Korean places). I hate parking in the San Francisco area so one of the reasons why I picked this restaurant for a family dinner was because of the parking lot which made it easier to find parking than street parking. Another bonus was that this restaurant was located within a supermarket so I could take care of dinner and grocery shopping.

I wasn't expecting Chef's Pick experience to be so creative, with a modern rendition. We enjoyed the experience. From appetizers to dessert was perfect! So flavorful and fresh ingredients! Server gave us a complimentary pastry called suplang w/ matcha spread. By the way, can be purchased at their Bakery Shop. POGU is spacious and clean and with a sleek modern setting.

I finally checked out Jagalchi and the restaurant inside it--POGU! I first got to know Chef Tony through the Korean reality cooking show Chef & My Fridge, and I've been a fan ever since. He was the first chef in Korea to earn a Michelin star and is known for popularizing traditional Korean cuisine with a contemporary twist. It was such a pleasure to finally meet him in person. The restaurant is located in the center of the market and has a sleek, modern design. POGU offers a small à la carte menu with a few appetizers, rice and noodle dishes, and soups. They also serve a "Chef's Pick" tasting menu at $95 per person, which includes five courses. We ordered one tasting menu along with three à la carte dishes to try a variety. The tasting menu included: zucchini porridge with abalone, seafood salad, beef short rib broth noodles, grilled galbi with kimchi salad, and Injeolmi cream cake with red bean mochi. In addition, we ordered the seafood tofu soup, soybean paste fish cake soup, and buckwheat noodles with shredded chicken and house-made sauces. Overall, we really enjoyed the food--especially the bread with matcha buttercream (we even bought a couple jars afterwards!), the buckwheat noodles with their fragrant house-made sauce, and the grilled galbi with refreshing kimchi salad. A great experience all around!

**4 Stars Overall** An interesting experience where it's a somewhat elegant sit down experience but inside a busy supermarket. Not quite as an elevated experience relative to the menu pricing but would come back. **Food - 4/5 ** Abalone rice 4.5/5 - I enjoyed this dish as the flavors went well together and the diced/bite sized asparagus(?) gave the overall dish a nice crunch. The soy marinated abalone was perfect, not too marinated and overwhelming, but just enough flavor. Would come back and get this dish again. Hwemuchim (raw fish salad) 3.75/5 - honestly I kinda wish they just served the hwemuchim in a standard sashimi way. The fish was fresh and tasted good, however, some of the fish was not fully sliced and there was a bundle of strips of hamachi stuck together. I had to strip individual pieces of fish off the bundle. Service 2/5 - the servers themselves were nice but somewhat disappointing relative to the price and the "ambiance" the restaurant is trying to portray. I get a sense that they wanted to have more of an elevated chic sit down venue but it feel more like casual dining. My table had missing utensils, my appetizer and entree came out simultaneously, and my cocktail took an abnormally long time to come out.

We came to Jaglachi on a whim and decided to splurge on the 5 course set meal at POGU for $95pp. The service was impeccable. Although the portions are smaller than what I'm used to, especially for the main meat dish, each dish tasted exceptional. We dined on a Thursday around 6pm and the place was about half filled. Servers were all quite busy but everyone tended to us in a very reasonable amount of time. I really enjoyed the seafood salad -- the pieces of fresh octopus was so tender and not chewy like a lot of common octopus. The galbi for the main dish was absolutely succulent!! I wish I had more than 4 pieces. Dessert was a glorious combination of all things Korean like red bean, matcha mochi, a little honey cookie. They do rotate their set meals so if my pics and videos look good, be sure to make your way to POGU soon! Lastly if you write a review, they will give you a complimentary cocktail and I opted for their version of the pina colada with makgeolli which was very refreshingly coconut forward. Not very much alcohol but still tasty. Overall this was quite the extravagant treat! Total bill was

POGU is an upscale Korean restaurant located inside Jagalchi supermarket. The entrance for the restro is actually by the mall entrance and food court in the back of the supermarket. Reservation was super easy for a Saturday lunch, I was able to book the night before. When we arrived the restaurant wasn't busy at all and had plenty of seats available. Our table of 4 ordered the set B and everything was super yummy. My favorite was the beef and scallion pancake. Everything pretty much came out at the same time so we had a huge spread. Set B comfortably feeds 4 and we had a little leftover. Unfortunately the service was lacking, waitress was barely around and hard to waive her down. They barely provide any service besides taking your order and serving your food. I'd come back for the food but hopefully they can provide better service. As most people know the parking lot is a nightmare here but people are always coming and going but it's just so congested.

I was honestly skeptical about eating at a restaurant inside a grocery store but it proved me wrong! I believe we walked in and it was about a 20 min wait for a sunday evening for the 4 of us. The restaurant itself is very spacious and can seat a lot of people, I think the main concern is not having enough wait staff. We tried 5 different dishes and they were all so delicious. I forget the name of them but I believe some were limited time specials. Every dish was so flavorful and blew us away. I was very impressed and would recommend for others to try this restaurant at least once.

We stumbled upon POGU on a Friday afternoon and had no wait. The restaurant is located in the new Jagalchi mall and is absolutely beautiful! The space is big, clean, and has a lounge area that is reminiscent of a hotel bar lobby. Our waitress, Clara, was so nice and friendly. She explained the menu, checked up on us regularly, and gave recommendations for what to order. We ordered the yogurt highball and white lotus cocktails which were delicious, the Pogu seafood salad, and veggie bibimbap with a side of bugolgi. Before the food came, they brought out a trio of banchan which was delicious, and a sesame gochugaru salad. The bibimbap was great, although I wish it was served in the traditional stone pot so the rice could be crispy. The raw seafood salad was also delicious with fresh ingredients. We were delighted by the dragonfruit and crab guts and zesty flavor of the salad dressing. Overall, we were delighted by our experience here and would definitely come back!

Was surprised to find a nice restaurant in the middle of Jagalchi market and it was surprisingly pretty good! Did not have reservations but was able to get a table just after noon on a Saturday. It was busy, but plenty of seating as it's quite large. They do have a set course menu but they do also have a handful of entrees and specials. Service was very attentive from beginning to end. I ordered the Yuzu cocktail which was mixed with soju and mint. It was refreshing but did not taste the alcohol at all. We received a few banchans, the spicy squid was my favorite. There's also a nice bowl of salad and the most delicious rice flour bread that comes with a whipped matcha butter. Really tasty and could eat 5 more of these. The bulgogi rice bowl was a bit pricey at $28, but it was really good. I loved all the touches of fried enoki mushrooms and some sort of green sauce. The meat was super tender and it was a huge portion as well. Overall would recommend, just wish they had more entree options available.

Great Ambience, service is good. We had reservations but your whole Party needs to be here before you can be seated. The food was delicious

If you're shopping at Jagalchi supermarket, definitely consider stopping at POGU, which is tucked right in the middle of it all. This isn't your typical Korean restaurant. The menu is small, but it's clearly curated with care by a Michelin chef, and every dish feels intentional. I had the buckwheat noodles, which were plated beautifully and tasted just as good as they looked. My kids went for the bulgogi beef bowl and loved it, and the galbi was a standout. On top of that, the service was warm and attentive, which made the whole experience even better.

This review is for the bar at Pogu. This bar sits in the middle of a beautiful and wonderfully stocked Korean grocery store. Decent variety on the drink menus - one cocktail and a separate wine menu. The service was friendly - Joseph, our bartender, manages the drink making for the bar and the restaurant with class and style. We can't wait to try the restaurant next!

What an amazing dining experience inside a giant supermarket at Serramonte. Chef Tony did amazingly. Quick friendly host to sit us down. Soft lighting that makes food look more appealing. Great service and good convo, it was easy fun time. Love the smaller more specific menu choices so you are not overwhelmed. We ordered abalone baby chicken hot stone soup and galbi set. Big portion so you don't leave hungry. Bonchan was very tasty too (kimchi and squid, more please =) Next time we will pair dinner with soju, I'm sure it works even better. Must come and try for yourself.

They didn't have a lot of items on the menu, maybe they change it frequently? Honestly, that's a good thing to me. We ordered the pork belly and the seafood tofu jjigae, and I really enjoyed both. The pork belly came with a small selection of banchan, and the jjigae was so tasty with crab legs and big shrimp. My husband thought it was just like any other Korean restaurant, but I found it pretty delicious! I also liked that the space wasn't crowded. Service was good -- nothing special, but nothing to complain about either.

Ordered the blue crab appetizer, beef bulgogi, eel bibimbap, abalone hotpot, and abalone bulgogi. They were very busy everything came out slowly whether you need napkins, spoons, water, etc. Bread starter Rice flour bun gluten free with a side of matcha cream. The bread was tough at the surface and crumbly in the center. Over baked? 6/10 The matcha cream was great- good matcha flavor and not too sweet 9/10 Blue crab appetizer A large roll of crab fish cake with drops of carrot puree, thinly sliced veggies, microgreens, and onions. The sauce made the dish. Sauce was sour maybe lemon juice, slight taste similar to wasabi, microgreens a bit bitter, onions were sweet. Overall a fun dish but didn't quite like that the crab was served as a fish cake 8/10 Abalone bulgogi Light flavor, the Abalone is light and crunchy, there's a nice fried onion or shallot topping that makes it taste a bit like charcoal. Not bad but wouldn't get again. Eel bibimbap Doesn't stand out. As good as any eel bowl.

Been wanting to check out this place since it's opening. They provide complimentary kimchi salad with some refined banchan dishes. The salad is refreshing and tasty. We love it so much that they refilled for us. We ordered the tofu kimchi appetizer which came in a beautiful plating. The tofu is crispy with kimchi garnishing around it and toasted seaweed sprinkles on top. For main entrees, my husband ordered the grilled mackerel set that comes with a complete lovely set of dipping sauces and some raw veggie wraps. He thought the mackerel was super delicious. I had their Pogu kimchi noodle which the base broth itself (before mixing with Kimchi and toppings) was really clean with good taste ( mixture of umami and/or anchovies). I also ordered their Jeju blue sunset cocktail. Well balanced (alcohol to sweetness) a refreshing drink. It's mixed of vodka, soju and blue curaçao would be my guess- for the color). I have to say the highlight of this meal has to be their complimentary kimchi salad and the tofu kimchi appetizer. Service is great. The food came out fast. With great ambiance considering it's inside a grocery store

We didn't have reservation. Walk in was quick and easy. Wait was about 10 mins Saturday lunch time. My abalone chicken soup was fresh and pipping hot. The taste could be better. My DD and DH had their eel bibimbap and abalone jangbap. They were all satisfied and very filling. Yuzu baram didn't disappoint me. Banchan and kimchi salad (in house) came in later than the entrees which was a little odd. Otherwise we are happy with our dining experience.

Fresh ingredients and elevated set up despite being inside the jagalchi. Dishes were delicious in the light and fresh way. Nothing was heavy or greasy. My favorite was the abalone samgyetang as it felt nourishing and slowcooked. The kimchi noodles were underwhelming to me but still light and I imagine it to be a good summer dish. The bread and banchan were nice additions, although the banchan portions were a tad too small and we asked for a second plate. Cookware was mostly silver and wood which I liked. Service was okay but we flagged them many times to refill water. Good experience, but unsure how many times I would go back. I think it's an interesting placement in the middle of the grocery store and it should probably be its own stand.

Delicious food and great atmosphere The service was also good and attentive This place is different than other Korean restaurants where we can really taste the ingredients and the presentation is also memorable

Came here on a weekend, and the space has finally calmed down so you could actually have a reltively relaxing experience. I pulled up and was shocked to get parking within the main exit space. Amazing. Entrance to this restaurant is on the mall side, so if you come in from the parking lot, you're required to walk around the whole space. I recommend doing this via the seafood/meat section, since it's easier to walk through. We had a reservation and was seated pretty quickly. I was glad we weren't near the entrance sides - it makes you feel a little like a fish in a bowl as people walk by. Our server, Jaz, was great. Had good recommendations and was by often to refill our water. Which was often...because the water cups are hella small. The food was pretty solid. I did a yelp review in that moment for a free coffee booze - it was...okay. It had the caffiene I needed. Generally food was fine. It wasn't anything very special, and for the price it was borderline too expensive. But the flavors were clean and given it's a restaurant inside a grocery store...it was pretty good. Probably my favorite was the Bulgogi Bim Bim Bap and the LA Galbi.

Pogu has a spacious layout dining room with dark furniture and warm lighting. You don't feel overcrowded. It has an open kitchen in the center of the restaurant. Their menu is small compared to other restaurants. Our server, Karl, was friendly. He filled our waters several times and followed up on us. Great service! Husband and I enjoyed their complimentary rice flower bread with yummy, soft matcha butter! It tasted more like a dessert. NOM NOM. We also had their starter salad and three banchan. We ordered their eel bowl and beef bulgogi bowl. Both dishes had a pretty presentation and tasted good. We will be back to visit when visiting the Bay Area.

I honestly can't get on board with Pogu. I think a lot of the initial reviews were more spot on. It obviously has a high pedigree started by a chef that deserves the accolades. However, I think that there's a lot left to be desired. The flavor on average were just OK except for the Galbi, which was great. But the thing is Galbi is great everywhere. And you can get it for much cheaper and better quality lots of other places. The service was good and the dishes are beautiful, but honestly the food is pretty lackluster for the Michelin backed chef prices. We were brought here by a rich Filipina tita who wanted to show off. Good presentation and ambiance but not worth the hype or the prices

At this point, I've been here about 4 times... which is too many times in my opinion as I only get one thing from here: tofu stew. It's just that, the menu is so small and my friends are so many (oh woe is me) so different people want to come here. 1. The complimentary bread is good but for some reason, you would think it's the same as their bakery, which maybe it is, but it doesn't taste like it. It tastes way better than what the adjoined bakery tastes like 2. Bulgolgi bowl: you get a lot of bulgolgi and I think the only one worth getting (I know, I learned my lesson too late) 3. Eel bowl: you can't go wrong with this especially since the eel they do sell at jagalchi is very yummy. But also, you can make this at home and it's cheaper (just make rice and combine it with the eel they sell lol) 4. Soft tofu stew: it's fine. It's soft tofu stew! Not much can go wrong and it's good. It's just... mid. Everything is decent but no WOW factor.

I was waiting til the lines died down before going to Jalgachi. I actually wanted to get a few dishes at the market and eat outside, but my mom wanted a nice sit down dining. We went to the bank before coming here and we told them we were headed to Jalgachi for lunch. The banker even said it was all hype, and many of his co-workers didn't really like it. Well, I like to see things for myself, but he was right. We went to Pogu and as soon as I saw the menu, which was limited and expensive, I wished we got the food deli boxes from the market. We shared a bulgogi side dish( which was plenty of meat) and veg bimbap. Wished they offered a variety of bimbap instead of having to order bulgogi as a separate entree. Do not order the meal, but order as a side and it will be half the price and plenty of meat still. Now I should have gotten the clue, there were Hispanic and other than Koreans cooking in the open air kitchen area. The food just didn't appeal to me and I normally love Korean food. The veg bimbap had a small regular bowl of rice ( so no crispy underside coming out and cooking in a stoneware bowl- none of that). A platter filled with cold mushrooms, greens, tiny diced maybe asparagus, shredded carrots and cucumber and lots of alfalfa sprouts ( which I don't like) and even a COLD sunny side egg bordering on raw. I am so glad I added the bulgogi for something warm at least to make it palatable. This dish came out very quickly so maybe sitting there to serve whoever orders it and got cold? Or idk maybe it was supposed to be cold- like almost ice cold? The bulgogi did not taste good either and tasted like gristly type of shredded meat despite not being shredded and tasted actually like Chinese "Ro Song"(dried shredded pork almost kind of powdery meat to put on jook or xie fan). That was not good as a bulgogi( and I do like ro song normally but not as my grilled meat!) and kind of dry and tasted kind of boiled, rather than grilled or stir fried. Banchan came and there was kimchi, mashed potato salad( both of these were good) and a pickled jalapeños ( something was good in this mix like pickled light green beans- avoided the pickled raw jalapeños). Note they do give free refills on the banchan. Anyway, for 2 people who shared one entree 23.00)and one side (10.00) so 36.26 for the total( 43.26 including tip). So figuring 1-1.5 dish if I ordered two entrees it would be easily 70-80.! So tip 1: order the bulgogi if you want meat( limited entrees) as a SIDE order for 10.( instead of like 28.00)! Tip 2: order the barley tea- that was nice and warm. I liked it and wanted to try it as I heard it was good for digestion and flat tummy/can lose weight and like a fountain of youth keeping Koreans young looking. Also a good anti-oxidant and good for skin, colds/flu and immunity, etc. Mild flavor but warming-I liked it actually. Tip 3: The pork bassam was a special that day to be eaten in leaves with other pickled vegetables. I saw later passing by other tables, if you are trying to decide what to order, don't get what I got, but try this which actually looked better! It looked delicious as I passed by! Tip 4: if you go to Jalgachi, get the ready made dishes like Japanese sushi, bimbap rolls( Korean sushi with fish cake and one had bulgogi too). These were ok, as I ordered for dinner later that night for a quick meal. These were more reasonable in price and you can eat in outside picnic tables. They even had bulgogi bowls with hotter ( in terms of temperature) and about 11.00 for entrees with rice( almost half to 1/3 the price of entrees at the restaurant!). Save you money and probably looked a bit more appetizing even. Japchae though didn't look appetizing more mushed together. Overall, food at Pogu was - 2.0 level. They could do much better and with good Korean restaurants in the SF area, they should do better which will draw more people in.

Great ambiance, fast service, good food! My table ordered the kimchi noodles, kimchi tofu stew, and veggie salad. There was free bread and match dip as well as banchan. The food portions were big & super tasty! Definitely would come back here, especially if also doing a grocery run

I've come twice so far. The first time was during the week of their grand opening. And if I have to be honest, that was not a great experience. The inside was super clean and service was super nice. However, the food was fairly bland, the portions were small, and the cost was just not worth it. However, I am a local, so I did come again a second time a few weeks later. And my experience was much better this time. The presentation of the food was much better, the portion sizes were more fair, and flavors were improved. in terms of flavor, the dishes were still fairly mild in terms of additional flavoring. So it would not be too well suited for people who prefer strong flavors. However, the lateness in the flavors really bring out the freshness of each ingredient. Service was just as nice and the place was still very clean.

We went shopping at Jagalchi and decided to try this place, which is right in the middle of the store. There is no privacy because all of the shoppers can see inside as they walk by behind the open wooden poles. It's a pretty large restaurant and I can't imagine that this place would ever be full, so not sure why they wasted the space. We looked at the menu prior to seating and before you open to see the food options they highlight that the menu is from a Michelin rated chef so that intrigued us. Unfortunately, the entire meal fell flat. They give you a couple of complimentary things, which were nice and might've been the highlight of the whole meal. We ordered the crab appetizer, which had a great presentation and looked like it would be good. There were a lot of flavors, but the crab itself was cold and in large chunks that had no flavor themselves. I ordered the Eel, which was ok. A small bowl for $30 - I've definitely had better. My fiancé ordered the special and he said it was ok. Lots of small cuts of meat but nothing on the bones, which took up the majority of the dish so it was a bit deceiving. They had a variety of different dipping sauces, cabbage, and veggies to make it look like it's a lot of food. I was really expecting more from the chef and for the price. I definitely would not revisit. Honestly, I'd rather go grab a box of sushi that is made fresh on the outside of the restaurant.

Booked a reservation the night before for 6pm Saturday on Yelp. Arrived to shop a bit beforehand. The entrance to the restaurant is behind if ur entering from the main entrance in the front. Theres a line for reservations and walk-ins. We were checked in and seated right away but people were entering from any which way and seemed a bit disorganized. We were seated, the space is spacious. Ur far away from other tables which is usually not the case in bay area loll. There seems to be a bit of lack of communication and timing with things being served. Good thing was we were able to order pretty quickly. And the food we ordered came out quickly. But the complementary barely tea and ban chan came out after us asking. And there is a sweet bread with whipped cream served right away as well. Overall the food was good. The kimchi jigae is veryyy spicy and the bulgogi u cant really go wrong. The blue crab cabbage jjim is served cold and i didnt really like it. Combo of imitation and real crab in a cold roll with veggies and dragon fruit on side. Overall okie but dunno if i would be back. The price point is high for the quality/quantity of food.

POGU is located inside Jagalchi market at Serramonte Center. I was intrigued to come try this restaurant as it's run by a Michelin-starred chef, Tony Yoo. The restaurant is open concept with the kitchen being in the middle. We were seated right away, however after that service was so-so. It is interesting to note that the restaurant was not busy on a Thursday afternoon around 6pm. We ordered drinks. Unfortunately, the drinks were not bought out until halfway towards our meal. We ordered 3 dishes to share: the tofu kimchi, POGU kimchi noodles, beef bibimbap. Having been to many good Korean restaurants (mom & pop, mid & high end) and traveled to Korea, I would say the flavors at POGU is lacking. The presentation of the food is beautiful but it ends there. To really elevate the experience, the service needs to improve as well as most importantly, the food. On a higher note, Jagalchi Supermarket was awesome! After dinner, we walked around and stocked up teas, ginseng teas, matcha, korean coffee, mochis, etc. I love the different departments ranging from beauty, bakery, dried goods, teas, frozen goods, butcher shop, etc. I saw many brands we have consumed in Korea so I'm glad if I'm craving something Korean..I can stop in at Jagalchi!

Let me start off with: I went into this with an open mind since it was new. I love trying new things especially if it's food related and it sounds good. I read that the chef's menu was crafted by a Michelin chef so I got a bit more excited, but I ended up a bit disappointed at the very end. But before I get into that, let me start off with the good. They were kind enough to substitute their 2nd dish which had shrimp in it because I'm allergic to shrimp. The substitution was delicious! Almost better than the actual dish it was suppose to be. It was a crab filling, wrapped with steamed cabbage, with pickled greens around it. Probably my favorite out of the course. The first dish was an abalone porridge.Really good and I finished it. Reminded me of when I was little and my mom would cook something similar when we were sick but the sesame oil really over powered the fresh taste of abalone. Not sure if they were going for that, but I would have liked the abalone taste to stand out a bit more. Second dish, already explained. Third dish was a noodle dish with bone broth. Excellent presentation! Loved the noodles, soft but not soggy soft. Broth was nice and flavorful but not too salty which is great for me. Fourth dish is where it got a bit more questionable. It was presentable, the food was edible, but favors were questionable and I was trying to figure out how to pair or even eat this. It had carrot puree and what seemed like beets purée with an asparagus in the middle. A rib bone? With pickled greens, salt, and wasabi. Then 2 small pieces with rice inside, wrapped around cucumber?? And some other green wrap. Then 4 pieces of steak. Steak was cooked very well. Medium rare. Lightly seasoned. Juicy. I added a bit of salt, perfection. The wasabi.. questionable. The pickled green, not my pref. I even tried a piece of the steak with the carrot puree by itself, meh. Beets puree, meh. Both, meh. Cut a piece of asparagus and ate it with a piece of steak, better than the puree. I thought maybe it was just my palate but everything for the last dish was questionable. I still finished it. Dessert. Also a bit of a disappointment. Red bean wrapped with a green mochi, and topped with more red bean. A bit overpowering if you ask me and it was really hard to cut through the mochi to eat with the ice cream. The little cookie on the side was very dense. Super hard to eat. Once leaving everyone said their "thank yous and have a nice day". It's a work in progress.

The food is the most important part of the experience at a restaurant and unfortunately at Pogu the food fell flat. My friend has food allergies ( which they did not ask about) and she told them twice not to add that food she was allergic to and they added it anyway, she had to pick it off her food. The plating was creative, stunningly sleek and pleasing to the eye. I loved how modern, large and bright the dishes looked and I thought the food would taste as good as it looked but it did not meet my expectations. I had better bibimbop on Korean airlines! What a shame because the open kitchen concept and wonderful service were unique and up to standard. The dining experience is classy with some fine dining elements but again the food was not great. I hope they can fix the execution of the dishes to match the look and feel of this modern, upscale restaurant. The price point does not match the food quality and flavors. Ps. Lose the cheap paper place mats. It lowers the feeling of elegance.

Brand new! Customer Service is excellent and quick! The food was delish tho you may wanna add a Beef dish on the main menu! Other than that, we'll be back!