SAN HO WON
Korean barbecue restaurant · Mission ·
Korean charcoal grill elevating traditional BBQ with refined technique
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22996841/SamHoWon_PChang_2110.jpg "SAN HO WON by Patricia Chang/Eater SF")
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22996852/SHW_Chef_Jeong_In_Hwang_credit_Eric_Wolfinger.jpg "SAN HO WON by Eric Wolfinger/Eater SF")
Korean charcoal grill elevating traditional BBQ with refined technique
"On a recent visit for Korean barbecue, every dish impressed, but the savory egg soufflé lingered with me: a cloud-soft egg capped with a bit of rock seaweed sauce and, crucially, a spicy anchovy broth poured over the top that delivered deep, umami-rich warmth I haven’t found in other versions. It arrived as part of the house menu (easy to miss a la carte) right after a Busan-style seafood pancake, and I kept returning spoonful after spoonful, wondering why it hit so hard and even pricing out a dolsot pot to try recreating it at home. It’s a humble, warming stunner — perfect for winter — and the thing I’ll come back for." - Paolo Bicchieri
"Opened in 2021 by fine dining chefs Corey Lee and Jeong‑In Hwang, this twist on the Korean barbecue format skips tabletop burners in favor of meats expertly prepared in the kitchen and brought to the table just seconds after leaving the grill. The menu works either a la carte or as a $118-per-person “house menu” that offers a lot of bang for your buck if you want a guiding hand. A light, fluffy savory egg souffle arrives hot in a dolsot; a server divides it, then pours savory anchovy broth over the top and finishes with a seaweed sauce. Soups and stews lean interactive: for the mugunjib kimchi jjigae, a portable butane stove brings a pot of soup, kimchi, and pork jowl to a boil, after which a team member snips the long strand of Napa cabbage and serves bowls while the rest simmers. There’s also a Busan-style seafood pancake and an assortment of banchan. Even if you’re full, don’t skip dessert — the injeolmisu, the restaurant’s take on tiramisu, is a revelation, layering tea- and chungju-soaked ladyfingers with misugaru, mascarpone, and pleasantly chewy rice cakes." - Dianne de Guzman
"Getting a table at San Ho Won requires month-out planning—or waiting an hour in line before they open for one of the few walk-up spots. Once inside the unmarked Korean restaurant in the Mission, you'll feel like you’ve landed in a secret club. More specifically, one serving sizzling tteokbokki, fluffy egg soufflé, and galbi that's so gorgeous you’ll never look at beef the same way again. Slide into a booth with friends and share everything while you toast with roasted barley tea and soju to another year. Reservations are released 29 days in advance at 10am on Tock. They also accept a couple of walk-ins at 5pm when they open (we’ve seen people line up around 4:30pm). There’s no waitlist, so if you don’t make it into the one or two available tables, come back around 9pm when tables start to free up." - julia chen 1, patrick wong, ricky rodriguez
"The lack of a Koreatown in SF doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t find banchan or mandu worth planning your week around. Case in point: San Ho Won. Every dish at the contemporary Korean restaurant in the Mission is a masterpiece, from the housemade tteok in a sweet maple soy glaze to the melt-in-your-mouth galbi that will make you seriously question everything you thought you knew about beef. Going big here means opting for the house menu ($118), which will fill your table up with a huge, family-style spread of eight dishes, each one more delicious than the next. Reservations are released 29 days in advance at 10am on Tock. They also accept a couple of walk-ins at 5pm when they open (we’ve seen people line up around 4:30pm). There’s no waitlist, so if you don’t make it into the one or two available tables, come back around 9pm when tables start to free up." - julia chen 1, lani conway, patrick wong
"Chefs Corey Lee and Jeong-In Hwang’s menu at San Ho Won focuses on Korean charcoal barbecue but incorporates local ingredients and fine dining techniques. (1 star)" - Eater Staff
