Cherylynn N.
Yelp
COVID-19 OUTDOOR PATIO DINING
Soooo recently I was reading Yelp reviews for a restaurant (not this one) and one caught my eye:
"The online menu picture shows sliced pork, but I received cubed pork. It tasted good though but I wanted sliced pork...1 star."
The owner responded and apologized saying that with COVID and being short staffed, they didn't have time to update pictures on their website.
Small local businesses need our help more than ever. Unless you get the hershey squirts and/or something egregious happened, please don't be a doush.
Restaurant Silla has been on my bookmarks because I heard that the owner is from Chungdam, an upscale Modern Korean Restaurant. They have a similar concept offering upscale Modern Korean fare and there's some fusiony items like Korean tacos and quesadillas. As with most Korean restaurants in NorCal, it's pricey but I thought it was worth it.
During COVID-19, Restaurant Silla is offering takeout, delivery (Caviar, Postmates, UberEats, DoorDash, Seamless, GrubHub, etc), and they recently opened their back patio for outdoor dining. There's only two tables to seat 6-8 people so plan ahead if you want to dine in their back patio. Be forewarned, it's NOT fancy like their indoor dining area in case you want to nitpick about a spider web you may see.
C O V I D S A F E T Y P R E C A U T I O N S
* Staff wore masks properly.
* Two socially distant tables in the patio, partially shaded.
* For patio dining, order directly from their website and note that you're eating in the patio.
* Most items will be served in takeout containers and compostable plates.
* Server delivered food, napkins, and utensils with gloves.
* For pick-up/delivery orders, only one customer is allowed inside at a time and there's two tables with delivery platform signs where your order will be placed.
* Hand sanitizer available at the front table.
F O O D
* Complimentary Banchan: https://bit.ly/2WEEeG7
--Kimchi, radish kimchi, japchae, cucumbers, purple potato salad, and sesame seasoned greens.
All were solid with my favorite being the purple potato salad (creamy soft and slightly sweet). I've never seen this included with a banchan set.
White rice is also provided. Wish they offered purple rice.
* Galbi Tang: Short Rib Soup w/ tteok (rice cakes), dangmyun (glass noodles), egg ribbons ($19)
Since their opening days, they've changed their Galbi Tang - instead of two beef ribs, traditional English cut short ribs are now used (4 pieces). Also, there's no longer bean sprouts.
The galbi was super tender and fall off the bone. The broth comes already seasoned (because COVID); it was rich and beefy with just the right amount of seasoning. The rice cakes and glass noodles were both deliciously chewy.
* Maeun (Spicy) Galbi Jjim w/ tteok, dangmyun, kabocha (Large - $50 + $3 cheese): https://bit.ly/2WEZNqb
During COVID, I've had some disappointing Galbi Jjim so I was hesitant on ordering it at Silla. I'm so glad we took a chance because I really enjoyed it!
They've also tweaked the recipe for this dish. There's no longer shrimp included; instead, there's kabocha, tteok, and dangmyun. And, with the option to add cheese, it reminded me of Daeho's rendition.
The meaty English cut short ribs were meltingly tender and swimming in a rich, complex sauce that's savory, sweet, and spicy. The kabocha was so soft that you could even eat the rind but held its shape because they were in large wedges. The cheese is a must add. The melty, oooey gooey cheese is so bomb with the chewy rice cakes and glass noodles coated in the spicy sauce.
S E R V I C E
With COVID, the owner is now pretty much running the show all by himself with his son coming in to help him (indoor seats 100+). Super nice and hardworking guy.
Since the owner does all the cooking and has takeout/delivery orders to be filled, our food took longer to arrive but he was very apologetic. After delivering part of our order, he kindly asked us to not leave without giving him feedback about the food. He said, he hasn't received any since it's mainly takeout/delivery orders.
His son who was our main server was also very kind. I asked for ice but they didn't have any so he brought me a bottle of cold sparkling water on the house.
Overall, delicious Korean food served by a very kind dad and son duo. If you're in the area, please come out and support Restaurant Silla!