Sonamu Korean Restaurant

If you're searching for authentic Korean flavors, Sonamu is an absolute gem! From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with warm hospitality and an inviting atmosphere that set the tone for an amazing meal. We started with the tteok bokki, and it was everything I hoped for—perfectly chewy rice cakes in a rich, spicy sauce that had just the right kick. The sundubu beef tofu soup was another standout, served bubbling hot and packed with tender beef, silky tofu, and deep, savory flavor in every spoonful. The banchan here deserves its own shout-out. Each little dish was fresh and delicious—my personal favorites were the broccoli, kimchi, sweet soy-glazed potatoes, and crisp cucumber slices. You can really taste the care that goes into preparing every bite. A special thank you to April, our waitress, who provided exceptional service throughout our meal. She was friendly, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed to enjoy our dining experience to the fullest. Sonamu is now one of my top go-to spots for Korean comfort food. Can’t wait to come back!

Went here for dinner and we’ve ordered from here a few times, honestly one of the best Korean spots in town! Took my Korean in-laws here and they approved the quality and care with the food! Highly recommend!

I really enjoy all the food here! The side dishes are also delicious and plentiful. Everyone who works here is really nice and friendly!

This place has amazing food. We ordered the Kimchi pancakes. 10/10 The braised beef ribs. 10/10. I would spend my life eating those 5 piece chicken wings 10/10. They were good, not as good as the other stuff but still good And black current alcohol

Wonderful Korean restaurant. We got an appetizer and a couple dishes to split amongst the four of us. The Pancake was great. The Banchan were great. The chicken was great. The Bulgogi was good. The Galbi was great. And the staff was great. My favorite is always the Galbi, but highly recommend everything.

Small and restaurant on Geary tucked next to the public lot. This restaurant took over the old, shuttered Turtle Tower. The wait staff here is super nice and on a Friday night there were about 3 back and forth along tables. It wasn’t super busy but in this area, that’s how it is. Ordered the seafood and scallion pancake, Duk Bokki (spicy rice cake tubes and fish cakes) and tried the kimchi godeungeo-jorim (braised Kim chi and mackerel). The food came with some banchaan which wasnt very flavorful. I think the kimchi was the best tasting side dish. The others needed something. Not sure what but most was lacking in flavor. The seafood pancake was a little too batter-y for our taste as well. Also there wasn’t much flavor to it so we had to use up the dipping sauce and sauces from other plates to help it a bit. The edge pieces were nice and crispy but we wished there could have been more flavor. That brings me to the spicy rice cakes. If you look at the photo compare it to other duk bokki you are used to having the chili flakes all over the plate are a turn off. The rice tube were nice and soft but I was eating a mouthful of chili flakes and the sauce that I usually enjoy with this plate wasn’t working out for me. The kimchi and mackerel bowl was tasty but be warned that if you have never had braised kim chi you may find this dish to be too salty for your taste. Also, one again heavy on chili flakes. I hope this restaurant makes it. Since it’s a small local spot, I’ll try again and order different items to see if the other items may be better. FWIW - Total bill for 2 was $100 (incl tip). 7/24 update - I went back for a group dinner and it was just ok. Ordered a large soldier stew which is a standard size at other places and not large at all but at least it was tasty. Tried the tripe and intestines which wasn’t bad but my table mates didn’t care for it. The kimchi fried rice wasn’t a good size for sharing so we had to order another. The bibimbap wasn’t a good value either so I’d skip that next time. Poor wait person was working solo in a full restaurant (which is a good sign for the business) and very overwhelmed. She did well considering the circumstances.

Everything was tasty but definitely on the saltier side. The bibimbap was made vegetarian and was quite delicious. The tofu soup at medium spicy was just right and it had a lot of flavor. The japchae was yummy but on the sweeter side. The galbi looked better than it tasted. It was really hard to chew the meat. The banchan were plentiful and had a good variety. The regular kimchi and cucumber kimchi were really crunchy and delish.

I’ve been to Sonamu several times now, and it’s consistently a great experience. The vibe is casual, the space is clean, and service is efficient with food coming out quickly. There is a bit of an echo, so conversations carry, but it’s not a dealbreaker. The banchan spread is generous with seven tasty sides, and they’ll happily refill them on request. I love the courtesy tea—it’s hot and flavorful. The seafood bibimbap and tteokbokki are standouts: big portions, well-seasoned, and really satisfying. The bibimbap even stayed hot until the end of the meal, which was impressive. At about $40 for both dishes, it’s also a solid value for Korean food in SF. Definitely a reliable spot when you’re craving a hearty, flavorful meal.

On a Saturday afternoon, my friends and I were craving Korean food, and I gave the recommendation of Sonamu. I learned about Sonamu in the Richmond district, as it was vetted by an SF native. The restaurant was quite empty, with more people opting for to-go orders than eating in. For a group of three, this is what we ordered: Fried Dumpling Appetizer - The sauce complemented the crispy dumplings. Japchae - Not too greasy, tender meat, and a good portion of veggies to meat to noodles. Dolsot Bibimbap with Seafood - Crispy rice at the bottom topped with delicious kimchi and an assortment of vegetables and seafood! The portions were generous and matched the price point in SF, and we had leftovers to take home. My friends had a great first experience here, and I will continue to recommend this as a good Korean restaurant in this area!

A good spot for Korean food! I pass by all the time on Geary and finally decided to try it one day. I don't think many people know about this place, since there's never a lot of people. The food is solid, and the service is quick. The restaurant is pretty spacious and has a good amount of seating. I ordered a beef tofu soup for myself and a seafood pancake for our table to share. Very classic Korean food and portions are good. It didn't blow my mind away or anything, but it definitely satisfied my Korean food cravings. I would come again! They have a variety of items on the menu that I'd be curious to try out.

This is a new Korean spot that took over turtle tower. Don't think people know about this place yet because it wasn't as busy, but we thought the food was so good! Everything was so favorable and good! The servers were very nice and attentive too, and kept refilling our banchan! Only thing we thought was meh, was the fried chicken. It just tasted like it was coated with gochujang sauce and that was it. We will still come back tho because the food was so good!

Had dinner at Sonamu on a Friday night and really liked it. The kimchi banchan was so good--honestly one of the best I've had. We got the galbi, which was super tender and flavorful, and shared the army stew for two. It was hearty and hit the spot. The space is clean, cozy, and smoke-free (which I really appreciate). Noise level was perfect--not too loud, but still had a nice vibe. Service was prompt. Will definitely be back.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. What a FIVE star day! Both meals & experiences today were five stars! Quality/Quantity - Seafood Pancake - Good.But it looked like half of the pancake was slightly over cooked/charred. See picture. Oh, the sauce was spicy, in a good way; just make sure you can handle the heat. Beef Rib Eye Steak - The hit of the meal. Well cooked and seasoned. Decent portions. Spicy Chicken - We asked for mild and they accommodated. Decent portions. Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup - Good, except because there were four of us, it would have been nice if they offered us an extra dumpling for $$, so everyone could have gotten a dumpling. I forfeited mine, as I am a light eater and not a soup person. Atmosphere - Small local restaurant. Two unisex clean bathrooms. Metered street parking, but due to Dragon Beaux next door, it is VERY hard to find good parking. Good thing we do not mind walking. Plus today is a holiday, so metered parking is FREE. Service - Georgia handled all the tables (6) by herself very well. She was very professional and still made the time to check up on everyone. She did not forget any of our special requests either. I was so impressed. Price - $112 + generous tip. Expensive, but that is expected for Korean food. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since April of 2023; look forward to coming back often.

We came home form a trip and wanted something hot and spicy. This place is not far from our apartment, so we chose to come in. We ordered the tofu stew, the Korean rice bowl, and chicken wings. The soup is particularly good. The seafood flavor with Korean hot sauce and tofu's tenderness. The soup is really beyond the Korean rice ball is also very good but the wings are below my expectations. There are two saucy small and just not impressive in comparison to other places in the city the place here is cute family style. There's a huge TV playing Korean drama in the background which I like I will come back to this place for comfort food for Asian food and for nostalgia people here are also very quick. This is a family run business I recommend it to you.

Sonamu is a lovely KBBQ restaurant located on Geary. This place has the kindest staff and the best music. There are a variety of options, ranging from bibimbap and soup to my personal favorite--galbi, Korean pancakes, and much more. The tteokbokki here is incredibly delicious and sweet, and it also comes with fish cake. They are very generous with their banchan, which is refreshing since most places in San Francisco are not. They even offer the marinated potato side dish, another one of my favorites, which isn't served often in the city. They make the best Korean pancakes. The chive pancake is particularly flavorful, and their pancakes have the perfect texture and thickness compared to any other place I've tried. They are crispy and chewy, with no pockets of thick, bland dough. The rice is always fresh, and the owner was kind enough to show me the brand they use. The ambiance here is inviting, and the host always remembers us and is super attentive. She also gives excellent dish recommendations. The gentleman who works there is also extremely on point and observant. The bathroom is clean, and there is a conveniently located parking lot adjacent to the restaurant. The space is large, and though there aren't many people who dine in, don't let that discourage you--there are plenty of takeout orders. Personally, I enjoy going in and watching K-pop music videos. Every dish I've had here has been delicious, and their soup is the first thing that comes to mind on these winter nights.

My family of 4 came in on a Saturday night and we snagged the last open table. The seating was kind of crowded and we were seated tightly. The food also took a long time to come out. We ordered the: Galbi - $38 (2/5) - Meat was on the harder size and small portions. I was hoping for better especially if I'm going to pay almost $40 for meat. Dolsot Bibimbap with Fried Egg and Seafood - $22 (2/5) - Seafood was mixed with some sort of sauce that wasn't too good, different from the traditional gochujang sauce. Sundubu-Jiggae with Seafood - $18 (3/5) - Soup was ok. Tteok-Bokki - $18 (1/5) - This dish was so watery and the rice cake was kinda hard. Service was ok; they weren't attentive and we had to ask multiple times for water/banchan. I probably wouldn't go back.

We stopped by Sonamu for dinner recently as we were looking for a restaurant that was open late in the area on a weekday night. FOOD // We all enjoyed and would recommend the following: + Seolleongtang (ox bone soup): this was so comforting on this chilly night. Comes with a bowl of rice. Add your own salt and pepper to taste! + Tteok Mandu-Guk (rice cake & dumpling soup) + Dolsot bibimbap (beef, veggies, and rice in stone pot) + Kimchi-jeon (kimchi pancake): so crispy and delicious! I'd say it was a mild level of spice (as someone who usually orders mild at restaurants). The banchan were also delicious. SERVICE + AMBIANCE // There were several other groups still in there at 9pm, chatting happily (and in one table's case, quite boisterously - perhaps helped by the soju), which gave the restaurant a bustling yet cozy atmosphere. Service was good. The restaurant seems family-run. I'd happily come back to Sonamu again for more delicious Korean food.

One of my go-to spots for soondaboo. It's because you're able to add ramen as well. This time I ordered fried dumplings to pair and it was all delicious. There's a young man and young lady that work the weekends (Fri-Sun) Haolk, and Sang, wonderful staff, very polite, very attentive, and just the sweetest.

The workers here were super friendly and welcoming. The restaurant felt like someone's living room and I suspect it is newer, thus there wasn't much of a wait. The food was decent but did not stand out. The seoullongtang was medium richness and had a decent amount of noodles, however, the meat was cut into uneven shapes and that little detail is super appreciated when done right. I would come here again, however, wouldn't go out of my way to visit it again.

There were four of us looking for a casual place to stop for lunch after running around SF looking at the decorated staircases in the Sunset and Richmond Districts and we happened on Sonamu on Geary Blvd. The whole place was empty, but we decided to give them a try anyway. Before committing, though, I asked if they served banchan with their food and they said yes. Unfortunately, I didn't get a shot of the banchan! We ordered the seafood pancake, dolsot bibimbap, fried chicken wings, and japchae. All the food was okay to good, but nothing fantastic; not anything I would go out of my way to get. Probably my favorite dish would be the chicken wings, but even they weren't anywhere near the best I've had. Service was lackluster, too, but maybe it was because it was almost closing time. I probably won't be back, but I'm glad some people really like them; I know the restaurant business is difficult, so I wish them well.

Reliable, authentic Korean diner. You can find anything from soon dubu, kalbi to naengmyun here. Fun place to grab dinner and drinks on a weekend night with friends, although this is very much a restaurant suitable for families, too. Exceedingly clean. Tea is good. Banchan portions are less than generous, but the kimchi is above average. Sometimes I wonder if they're serving the pre-made versions of some of the dishes, like mandu guk (dok doesn't always taste fresh) and jok bal also didn't taste like they made it in house. Other than that, their dishes are always good.

The cold noodle was pathetic. It was the same if not worse than what you get from HMart. The dolsot bibimbab was decent. The restaurant was not prepared for the long line of guests at all. We waited for 40 mins when there were empty tables. Many tables were upset with the slow service. It's not just the waiting staff, the kitchen was also slow.

Reserved a Father's Day dinner for 8 people and had ample space to sit comfortably with my family. Every dish was delicious and loved that it was not greasy or too heavy. It all tasted very home cooked and everything came out really fast. Perfect spot for casual laid back dinners and large birthday parties. They had a variety of dishes that were not too spicy for my parents and other options with just enough kick for others who can handle the spice. The service was great and would definitely go back to try dishes we missed this time!

I had just finished getting a pedicure at Aquatica and was hungry for lunch. Across the street was Sonamu and I love Korean food and Galbi. The Yelp reviews were pretty good so I had to try For $38 you get a good amount of Galbi and I like how the meat was a little thicker than some places. You get six banchan and I'm getting used to the smaller taste size banchsn in the Bay Area. Back in Hawaii, most Korean restaurants offer larger portions especially the kimchi. While I was waiting, they had nice K-Pop videos on a big screen. The service was good and I'll definitely be back:)

Came here on a Thursday night at around 6:30. Parking around here is not difficult but you will have to take time to look for one. The restaurant is a nice mom and pop store. When we arrived we were immediately seated. There seemed to be only one waitress working and when it got busier later it took a while to call her down as she was the only one working. For the food, we ordered the spicy pork belly, tteokbokki, and spicy roe and intestine soup. The food did take a while to come out, with the side dishes coming out only when our food came out, but my favorite was the pork belly. It was marinated really well and the sweetness of the marinade helped with the spiciness. The tteokbokki felt very warm and comforting to eat but I have had better elsewhere as I think it lacked a bit more of spice as it was watered down. The fish roe and intestine soup was pretty good. There were hefty amounts of roe and intestine which surprised me was cooked very well. The intestines were not chewy at all and were actually pretty soft which I liked. The soup was a bit spicier than I anticipated but it was overall really nice for a cold day. I would come back to try some of their other dishes like the ox bone soup which they were sold out the day we were there.

Good naengmyeon, I enjoyed the noodles but also quite liked the bancheon. I see a lot of other interesting things on the menu so will definitely be coming back.

Ambiance was great especially the food which was exactly needed especially someone from Someone who has wanted "home food@

Walking back from Ocean Beach, I was getting quite peckish deep in the Avenues. The menu for this place looked appetizing just at the right time. I was lured by the $40 Jokbal, which provides enough pigs' feet for a parade of swine, as well as my perennial Korean restaurant favorite, the $28 Samgye-Tang. That's where a whole Cornish game hen bathes in a soup filled with ginseng and aromatics. Alas, I displayed uncharacteristic restraint and ordered the $19 Seolleongtang, the Ox Bone Soup. I was kinda expecting ox tails, but the meat pieces were more akin to beef tongue which I frankly didn't mind (photo: https://yelp.to/1uNbIdaWyn). . That's because I like a chewier texture in a bowl of broth. It came with a nice compact set of Banchan which was actually best served in the soup (photo: https://yelp.to/W0uNSFa-lc). It was also good with the big bowl of white rice, but hell, that rice tasted good in the soup, too. It was hearty Korean comfort food well played. FOOD - 4 stars...homey soup with chewy ox bones AMBIANCE - 4 stars...clean and uncluttered SERVICE - 4 stars...well organized and attentive TOTAL - 4 stars...solid Korean comfort food in the Richmond RELATED - Exploring the Richmond? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2HvkBu7

I came here at around 8pm on a Friday night and was seated instantly! There are plenty of tables, they also have a waitlist you can join and you can make a reservation as well so it is easy to plan when you'd like to arrive. We ordered the galbi (marinated short ribs) and the seolleongtang (ox bone soup) and both were so delicious! My favorite was the soup but I might just have a bias for it because I'm a soup girly. The soup was so creamy and rich with the ox bone flavor, the meat was super tender and soft and also it had very chunky vermicelli noodles which was fun to chew while drinking the soup. I thought the galbi was super yummy as well, it was marinated perfectly and I thought it was cut into good sizes as well! The meat was tender and not super chewy and easy to get off the bone. They gave a good amount of banchan as well but I wish they gave that to us while we were waiting for our main dishes instead of coming with our main dishes - but this is also just my personal preference.

Georgia provided the best service for my boyfriend and I while juggling five tables by herself! The eundaegu jorim (braised black cod) was as delicious as it had been last time, as well as the banchan! This time the dish was not as spicy which was perfect for us. Can't wait to come back next time and try more dishes!

With limited authentic Korean restaurants in sf, Sonamu is my go to when craving Korean food. The restaurant has a causal vibe with awesome service! Would highly recommend the cod casserole and can't wait to go back for more!

It took over an hour just to get one appetizer while the table next to us who were Korean got all their food in 20 minutes. We wanted to walk out but we had already ordered. Also, every time we tried to ask for something they ignored us. We asked for kimchi and they said they were out. When the table next to us asked they got it right away. Update: after an hour and a half we paid for what we consumed and left but never got any of our entrees.

4.5 STARS Date: Saturday, March 2nd, 2024 Time: around 8:30pm Meal: Dinner Party of: 5 How: Walk In Wait: None at All 9. Yukhoe - Korean Style Raw Beef - Beef Tartare ($30) 13. Mul Naengmyeon - Cold Buckwheat Noodles with Beef & Cold Soup ($18) 25. Galbi - Marinated Beef Short Ribs ($38) 30. Kimchi-Jjigae - Kimchi Soup with Beef ($20) 31. Sundubu-Jjigae - Tofu Stew with Seafood ($18) 37. Yukgae-Jang - Spicy Beef Soup with Egg, no Green Onion ($21) *Soda - Coke ($2.50) x2 After a day in Napa (some of it pouring rain), we wanted something comforting. I looked around for places by my house and found Sonamu. Didn't realize until we got here that this was the old Turtle Tower which I adored. Nothing has really changed with the new Korean restaurant that's taken it's place. It was a quiet Sat night, so only a table or two were here when we walked in. Got seated right away. Took a few mins to look at the menu and ordered everything above. The server was super sweet and patient as the bday boy was a little confusing. Apparently he was trying to ask our server something in Korean. NO ONE knew what he was saying, let alone that he was trying to speak Korean. (The bday boy does not speak Korean BTW. But apparently listening to Google Translate, he thought he could?) It was actually the highlight of the night since it was sooo funny. Thank you to our server for putting up with us! The complimentary banchan was delish! Came with kimchee, cucumber kimchee, broccoli, bean sprouts, fish cakes, acorn jelly, and some potato thing that's sweet (not actually sweet potatoes tho). I should know the names of these since the hubby is Korean, but I'm too lazy to look them up to fact check. Regardless, I loved the fish cakes, broccoli, and sprouts. Could have had like 5 servings each of these. Maybe more. And I'm talking about just me! A gf and I shared the soondubu. Had a great amount of spice for something where we didn't indicate a spice level. I love extra spicy on everything, so I actually asked for more chili flakes to add to the stew. I also got the raw beef since I love tartare. The texture was a little odd as it was still partly frozen. But got better as dinner progressed. I thought this could have used more sesame oil, so I added some more when I ate the rest at home. At the restaurant, it was good with the gochugaru and banchan. The naengmyeon, I brought home for the hubby. He said the broth was too sweet and asked if there was hot mustard. Had no idea to ask for it, so just a note if you don't like this dish when it's on the sweeter side. A good addition to the neighborhood. It was the perfect choice to end our day in Napa.

Delicious and authentic Korean food. Flavor was on par for places I visited in Korea. Got the tofu soup and kalbi tang. I frequent Korean places in sf every month and this is one of my favorite spots. The ladies that work there are so sweet. The service is always nice and they're just there to service you food that remind you of a mom's cooking. Location is normal, nothing extreme or instagram able. They focus on the food over anything

Came on a Sunday at 12pm and it was quiet, but started getting packed really fast and by 1:00pm the place was full. Our server was super nice. She took our orders and let us know that the bonchon could be refilled. About 10 minutes later, our food came out. I got the galbi, which was fatty and delicious; more chewy than I've tasted at other Korean restaurants. My friends got the stone pot bibimbap and enjoyed their dishes as well. Will definitely recommend and come again. Only issue is parking is hard to find - there's a parking lot in the back but I was told by someone that it cost a fee.

Authentic Korean cuisine in a cozy, family-owned setting on Geary Blvd. It's reasonable priced and offers generous portions.

Servers are super friendly and kind. I think I would come back to try the jokbal, which seemed pretty good. Galbijjim - 3.5/5, the sauce had good flavor, slightly sweet and salty. It was a bit watery, so it didn't stick to the meat or veggies as well. The meat quality was mid, could find better elsewhere for the price. Stir fried squid - 4/5, lots of veggies with squid. The gochujang flavor is more prevalent here than other restaurants, which didn't bother me too much. If you prefer not to have a heavy gochujang flavor, this might not be for you. Seafood pancake - 4/5, nicely crisp with decent amount of seafood. Yum! Fried mandu - 4/5, typical fried korean dumplings. Good, hard to mess up.

I feel bad not leaving a positive review especially when it's small businesses but I gotta be honest. Definitely not worth the price. A lot of it was just meh and kinda bland. Went with my boyfriend and it was kind of his first time trying all the classic Korean food and I felt bad since it didn't give a good impression. The japchae kinda tasted like nothing and also the galbi was kinda flavorless as well and tough. The kimchi was great but the Korean fried chicken was also mid. I didn't really enjoy the marinade on the outside. It was just kind of spicy and I only ended up eating one wing since it was mid. I guess the banchan was good and that's about it'

I came to Sonamu on a rainy day for some soup to warm me up. I got there at open and grabbed a parking spot in the lot next to the restaurant. I ordered the 5 piece fried chicken and galbitang. Service was prompt and food came out quickly, maybe because I was the only person there lol. There was complimentary hot tea, which I appreciated on the cold day. The meal came with 6 banchan selections including kimchi, cucumbers, seasoned broccoli and sprouts, braised potatoes, and fishcakes. I liked the cucumbers and fishcakes the most out of the banchan. The kimchi was fresh and not fermented, but still pretty good. The fried chicken was crispy and tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce. I liked this to start but the chicken could have been juicier and crispier. The galbitang was rich with a silky seasoned broth and was served with some glass noodles and a bowl of rice. I liked the white pepper and jalapeno seasoning in the broth, it didn't need anything extra. There was a decent amount of galbi, though I wish some parts were a bit more tender. However, it was the perfect ratio of meat and bits of fattiness and tendon for me. The daikon in the soup was soft and soaked up the flavor of the broth, so good to have with the rice. It seems like a popular takeout spot - I saw quite a few Doordash drivers pick food up in the time I was there. Overall, it was a satisfying meal and I appreciated the service and the Warriors game on the screen. I'd definitely come back to try more of their menu, the seafood pancake is calling to me!

I loved the food here and their spread of banchan was great! The service was good and we received multiple check ins. The food is priced a bit high but you definitely get what you pay for!

PRICEY. $48 with tax and tip for a marginally above-average (by Korean standards) bulgogi dish. Pleasant, prompt service.

Checked this place out as our group wanted Korean food and something close to where we were in the city. We ordered leek pancake, tteokbokki, japchae, bulgogi, spicy pork belly, and chicken soup. We got seated right away and wasn't too busy when we arrived. It's plain and simple inside, no frills. Meat and dishes are cooked for you and not KBBQ where you grill your own meat. We ordered and expected and asked for the bonchon. Service took quite awhile to get bonchon and had to request tea as well. The leek pancake was good but a bit greasy. We enjoyed the japchae and tteokbokki. Japchae seemed to have a good amount of meat and veggies in the dish as well. The bulgogi and pork were both good but sweeter than expected. Typically the spicy pork has been more spicy and this felt more like a sweeter bbq sauce that was overly sweet and overly sauced. The chicken soup was ok as well but felt plain in flavor but clean and light broth. I'm glad we checked this out. It seemed like all dishes were a little too sweet for my taste and slightly greasy/oily. It all felt a bit overpriced as well. Service was friendly and not super fast but there was only 1 server so she was busy! Happy to check out new places in the city tho and happy for more Korean restaurants.

Service was a little slow even though restaurant wasn't too busy. Food took time to come out. The side dishes were fantastic. The meat was great! Cooked to perfection with some char taste. My only issue was the kimchi stew, way too sour.... This place is on the pricier end, but what isn't expensive these days. Around $150 for 4 ppl.

I LOVE this restaurant! One of my favorite in San Francisco! The complimentary banchan (side dishes) are always fresh and delicious. The galbi is EXPERTLY marinated and they give a huge generous portion. I can't wait to try more items on their menu. The employees all work really hard and they are always super kind. They pay attention to every little detail and the to-go orders are always meticulously prepared. There is a public parking lot located right next to the restaurant so it's super convenient to quickly pick up an order or meet up with a group of friends!

Small local Korean restaurant with authentic food and great service, what else can you ask for? This place opened semi-recently on Geary, so it's a bit on the quieter side, but don't let that fool you. The food is very high quality and I was only left wanting more. The seafood pancake had that perfect texture, and the galbi-jjim short rib meat was so tender it fell off the bone. The galbi-tang had a kick (I'm guessing white pepper) that none of us expected, but it was incredibly tasty nonetheless. And the kimchi wasn't as sour as most of the kimchi I've tried, but I found that it made the flavor even better. I'm looking forward to going back as soon as possible.

Delicious Korean restaurant that you must add to your list of what to try next!! It's a quiet neighborhood joint that has a large menu to choose from. We ordered the chicken wings to start, and then the army stew and the bibim naengmyeon. Everything we had was delicious. The chicken wings had a nice sauce on them that was both sweet and spicy, and every bite of it had a crunch. The army stew was surprisingly really delicious and had a creamy base that made it unique from other places. And the naengmyeon was delicious and flavored perfectly. My only critique for it is that there was just one piece of beef on it but it was otherwise yummy. I was honestly so satisfied with my meal. The service was great, and parking was so easy to find! I'll be coming back soon to try other items on the menu!! (:

This might be my favorite korean restaurant in the city! It's a cute shop that looks to be owned by a mother and son. I came on Juneteenth for dinner and was immediately seated for a table of 3. Kimchi Godeungeo (Braised kimchi and mackerel) - 5 Stars! Some of the best mackerel I've ever had anywhere. I can handle my spice, but I felt like mild was just the right amount of spice for this dish. The mackerel is super tender and the braising sauce is incredible. Highly recommend Budae Jjigae (army stew) - This dish is always a safe option at any korean restaurant. The broth is creamier than usual since it tastes like they mixed the cheese in. Different but still delicious! The sausages are also slightly higher quality than your run of the mill cheap hotdogs I'm used to being served. Jokbal-Pigs Feet - The pig's feet was a lot meatier than I initially expected from pigs feet. Still this feels like a nice change of pace from your regular pork belly bossam. This portion is also massive! Easily could have fed 3 people alone.

We went on a Wednesday evening for dinner and it was pretty quiet! It was definitely a mom and pop shop, which we were excited for! The food came out really quickly, along with the side dishes! We really loved the seafood pancake and the portions were great! Kinda wish they had some ice in it, but it was stilll refreshing and yummy for a decently hot day in SF, which was exactly what we were craving! The noodle did stick to each other which made it a little hard to share among the four of us. Maybe next time we should've asked them to cut it. Super affordable and great portion sizes to share family style! Really easy to find parking as it has a paid lot right next to it!

Was very excited to try this Korean reaturant. It was busy on a Saturday evening, but was heavily disappointed in the slow service. The servers were so kind and sweet but It took over 20 minutes for the banchan to get to our table as well as almost 45 minutes to receive our food. We were served one plate of banchan, big enough only for two people when we had a group of 5. I asked for a refill and they were very accommodating but it was hard to flag down a waiter. The bibimbap was good but nothing special, it could have used more rice and fillings. Somewhat smaller than a typical bibimbap. Next time I would need to try the other items on the menu and perhaps go on a less busy night with faster service.

First time. A casual ambiance. Staff is efficient and the wait time for the food is not long. The restaurant is clean. Be aware that there is a bit of an echo effect so you can easily hear other people's conversations. As for the food, what a wonderful place. Banchan offering consists of 7 different items that all taste great and refills were provided upon request. The courtesy tea was hot and had a great taste. We ordered the seafood bimbimbap and the tteokbokki. Both dishes were larger portioned, had great flavor, and very satisfying. We were surprised that the bimbimbap stayed relatively hot through the entire meal. That was impressive. Both dishes were $40, which is on the least expensive side for Korean food. This is a definite spot for a solid meal. Enjoy!

Sonamu is a great Korean food addition and is a newish hidden gem right in my neighborhood! We arrived at 11:40 am for lunch service. I really like that they have the bento style lunch boxes! These boxes are only available during lunch. My best friend (since kindergarten!) ordered the Galbi lunch box. She said the beef short ribs were very flavorful. Meaty and tender. I ordered the Bulgogi lunch box. I was very impressed with it. The meat was moist, tender, delectable and had good quality texture. The sides were also delicious and plentiful. We landed bringing home the other half of the meal!! We were seated as soon as we arrived. There was only two other groups. The restaurant quickly filled up. The service was very prompt, cordial. She refilled our beverages a couple of times. She took our orders promptly and the food came out fast. The restaurant is clean and the tables are situated not too close to others which I like. There is a public parking lot with meters within quick walking distance. The lot was not full at lunch time but definitely fills up at dinner time! I enjoyed my meal so much that I'm craving another bento box lunch so I'll be taking my hubby very soon!

Food 3/5, Service 0/5. Joined the Yelp Waitlist and an hour later still was not seated. Turns out they don't use Waitlist, so I'm not sure why it was open in the first place. I'm not even sure how they seat people here - they have a check-in list at the front you can add your name to, yet they seem to just seat people on a first come first serve basis. After you get seated, which takes forever, it takes 20 minutes to get banchan and another 15 minutes to take our order. Food arrives 45 minutes later, not a single check-in from the wait staff. It's a complete service disaster, and yet they're accepting takeout orders and DoorDash orders while not even serving the in-person customers.

We came here the day before Father's Day. We had a reservation at 6pm. We got lucky and found a spot in the parking lot next door. The parking meters run through midnight every day so remember to pay. And it's easy to pay for your car's license plate. There were some hits and misses. Here are the dishes we would order again: -nang myun -spicy pork -bibim nangmyun -soon tofu stew We would skip these: -kalbi -Korean fried chicken Service is great! We got refill banchan. The broccoli banchan was delicious. We'll be back again.

Over priced. Food was awful. Ambiance non existent. Served food but could care less about customers. Warning against this waste of time, taste buds and money.

Came back again and the service was just as great as last time. My friends and I came in around 3:15 and were seated quickly, they even gave the four of us a bigger table so that it can comfortably fit all of our dishes. We realized that we got seated extremely close to closing time (3:30) and immediately felt bad but the server was so sweet about it. Near the end of our meal, she told us that they were closed but she still encouraged us to keep eating. She also came back a couple times to check up on us and refilled our waters. It was clear that they really valued customers here which I greatly appreciated. Their food was also delicious! We ordered the small army stew, tteokbokki, and the seafood pancake. They all came out in such big portions and it filled up all four of us! The army stew was my personal favorite, their soup was extremely flavorful so I kept going back for more. Overall, Sonamu is a great korean spot to hit up!

Quiet clean spot. Food was delicious & service was attentive. The beef dishes were done well & not too much salt was used

Okay so. I'm slightly biased because I did totally order one of my favorite Korean dishes (daeji bulgogi) and I'm Korean so obviously love Korean food... but Sonamu is amazing. I've been to quite a few Korean places in the city, but this was one of the best. Their lunch special is such a good deal, $19 for so much meat and other sides--and that's not even including the banchan (side dishes). I love that they have a lot of different options for the lunch box, and I'll definitely have to go back to try some of the other choices. The kimchi was great, and one of the banchan was this marinated potato or something that was absolutely delicious. The meat was tender and well seasoned, the kimbap was simple but good, and I'm not the biggest fan of japchae, but I enjoyed it here. It didn't seem like /that/ much food, but I barely even finished half of it because it turned out to be a lot. A shame because I really did enjoy it. The waitresses were so sweet! It was pretty busy because it was peak lunch time, but our food came out quickly. The interior and overall vibes are nice and very clean (especially because they just opened). Plus the location is awesome, with tons of places get dessert or a coffee afterwards. If you're looking for decently priced, high quality Korean food in the city, make sure to check out Sonamu!