Possibly the greatest meal I have had in my life as an experienced Michelin diner.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Angelica Kosasih
I came in genuinely wanting to like the place—I was there to treat my sister, who was visiting SF. There was a lot about this place I could love. I appreciate thoughtful tableware, decor, music, and of course, cooking. We both love Korean food and were excited to try the chef's take. But instead of a normal/friendly response, when I asked the chef/owner whether he had any recommendations for how to eat a specific dish, he said, "You're an adult, right? If you are, then you know how to eat food." This was such a rude response to a genuine question. After the meal, I privately sent them an email as feedback on how this response was uncalled for. I sent an email because I thought this was a genuine mistake; maybe he meant it as a joke. Instead of receiving an apology or at least an explanation, I received no response even after 2 weeks. If we have to pay for the meal + mandatory service charge beforehand, I would expect the restaurant to maintain a baseline level of service. The worst part is, I'm someone who never cared about service—as long as the food arrives and I have the utensils I need, I'm good. Instead, I paid a service fee for someone to belittle me and never acknowledge it.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 1
Jason Koh
A gem. SF is so lucky to have a place like this to call its own. Non-caricature chef’s tasting: in every bite you feel the chef’s soul and peer into his vision (if you frequent nyc fine dining or read Pete Wells’ piece on Nōksu, fair or not, you know what I mean.) Seasonal ingredients, personified in the chef’s diverse culinary journey.During the winter months, be sure to round up a crew of 4-6 and pre-order the king crab. The vibe is cali-convivial, in the best sense of laid back but get it done way.Early weekday seating, the restaurant is sparsely seated and it feels like you are a guest in chef’s home, warm and inviting.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sarah Urbonas
Incredible staff, memorable dishes, and thoughtful ingredient sourcing. One of my favorite meals in San Francisco. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Yiğit Berk Tırpançeker
What can I say?! The food, the service and the ambience all were amazing! I really enjoyed each and every one of the courses which isn’t that common for any restaurant; more often than not there’s an item that misses the mark. Not at SSAL, though I gotta say the seafood courses in the beginning (especially tuna with caviar) were my favorite. I substituted for the A5 Wagyu and it was amazing too.We opted in for the wine pairing - it hit the mark too. None of the wines were extraordinary but they did pair really well with the food. You know it’s a huge endorsement when you are willing to dine at a Michelin star restaurant again - well I’dlove to visit SSAL again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Seunghee Han
Really good! We had an 11 course dinner menu and I loved every dish, which is very rare for me! I loved the hairtail and rice dish and everything was so elegantly presented. The service was wonderful and so was the owner chef. Would definitely come back again.Only thing I wish they had was more Korean alcohol beverages available. For a Korean restaurant I expect them to have a wider selection than soju.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sébastien Lebel
Really nice experience ! Thank you for having us Saturday night !Everything was really good, waitress and chef also here to explain the dishes, food and wine pairing was perfect... Maybe the next thing is to learn how to pronounce all the names as a French guy will do ??It was my first 1-Michelin star in the US and I was very surprised by the quality and the tastes...Special mention for the Eel and the "croissant" (with the French accent ?)I hope I'll come back again... maybe when you will have the 2nd star ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jeremy Cole
We had the tasting menu + wine pairing. Both were very special. I had heard it described as korean food, but I think it doesn't so easily fit into a single genre. There are definitely asian influences. It's a very beautiful setting with quick service. A small complaint, given how difficult it is to get right with the number of courses, is that the quantity of the wine pairing sometimes felt low. That wasn't true for most of the courses that are pretty small, but for some of the bigger ones, a little bit more would be better.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Horus Abbaddon
This place deserves 2 stars. I do have feed back for one dish, snow crab in a soup of caviar, what is the point of the soup ? It just made everything fishy instead of having an umami bomb to go with the crab. Please fix or get rid of it, otherwise everything else was stellar and on point.
We walked from a cold, rainy night into a warm, calming haven. The decor is minimalist but charming and cozy. The servers provided impeccable and friendly service. The food was excellent and showcased with elegant dinnerware. I enjoyed all of the tasting menu, but found the barbecued eel, wagyu tartar, croissant, abalone, jeju galchi, marinated mushrooms, and quail especially remarkable. I feel fortunate to have experienced such an exceptional meal, and look forward to going back the next time I'm in San Francisco. Thank you to all the staff for providing such a delicious and pleasant dinner. If you haven't been here yet, you've got to go! Skip Atelier Crenn and Quince and eat here instead!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
王浩禾
Other than the brisk pace (to accommodate multiple seatings per table), the meal was a truly wondrous set of a dozen Korean cuisine-inspired dishes. The chef dazzles with a mix of traditional techniques and creative twists that skillfully blend local and Korean imported ingredients. Warm, friendly service helps offset a somewhat crowded space with sub par acoustics.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jenn Lee
We had an incredible experience dining here. The space is small, intimate, and peaceful - almost felt like a museum space! We didn't know what the tasting menu would be beforehand and were not disappointed by the multitude of unique and flavorful dishes. If given the option, definitely opt in for the short rib!Bonus points for the amazing service. Our waitress was SO friendly and a wonderful conversationalist + the head chef came out multiple times to check on us. They even took a polaroid photo and gave it to us, framed at the end of the night (no extra charge, just kind vibes!). 100% would recommend for a unique and relaxing Korean fusion fine dining experience :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Suhair Nimri
My husband and I dined at SSAL for our date night & the experience was incredible. The food, service, & atmosphere were 10/10. We enjoyed every single bite of food and some I’m still dreaming of!! The quality of ingredients was honestly impeccable - you can tell that the owner and chef takes pride in what he serves. Their brassware, dinnerware and all the little details were just beautiful and super classy.The Eel was to die for so was the beef tartare. The abalone dish was so unique and tasty. The croissant was so yummy! I can go on and on because nothing was short of deliciousness.Dorothy and Alfred provided the best service & were so nice and friendly. The owner/chef was also wonderful and we loved hearing his story! Overall, I highly recommend this spot. Wishing you guys lots of success because you deserve it.Thank you for a memorable evening!Parking: Arrive a little early if you’re driving. This is a busy street and it could take you time to find parking
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rai T
Have been wanting to come here for a while. One of the better 1*s I've been to. There was not a single dish I didn't like (which is rare as I'm notoriously fastidious). Seafood was very fresh! My only feedback would be to edit the lobster dish. Lobster is great but no need for the pool of caviar underneath as it's not edible on its own after you eat the lobster (soupy and salty). Maybe some kind of emulsion or even simply a whipped creme fresh will hold the caviar better and balance the salt. Will be back once the menu changes for sure!
Possibly the greatest meal I have had in my life as an experienced Michelin diner.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I came in genuinely wanting to like the place—I was there to treat my sister, who was visiting SF. There was a lot about this place I could love. I appreciate thoughtful tableware, decor, music, and of course, cooking. We both love Korean food and were excited to try the chef's take. But instead of a normal/friendly response, when I asked the chef/owner whether he had any recommendations for how to eat a specific dish, he said, "You're an adult, right? If you are, then you know how to eat food." This was such a rude response to a genuine question. After the meal, I privately sent them an email as feedback on how this response was uncalled for. I sent an email because I thought this was a genuine mistake; maybe he meant it as a joke. Instead of receiving an apology or at least an explanation, I received no response even after 2 weeks. If we have to pay for the meal + mandatory service charge beforehand, I would expect the restaurant to maintain a baseline level of service. The worst part is, I'm someone who never cared about service—as long as the food arrives and I have the utensils I need, I'm good. Instead, I paid a service fee for someone to belittle me and never acknowledge it.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 1
A gem. SF is so lucky to have a place like this to call its own. Non-caricature chef’s tasting: in every bite you feel the chef’s soul and peer into his vision (if you frequent nyc fine dining or read Pete Wells’ piece on Nōksu, fair or not, you know what I mean.) Seasonal ingredients, personified in the chef’s diverse culinary journey.During the winter months, be sure to round up a crew of 4-6 and pre-order the king crab. The vibe is cali-convivial, in the best sense of laid back but get it done way.Early weekday seating, the restaurant is sparsely seated and it feels like you are a guest in chef’s home, warm and inviting.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Incredible staff, memorable dishes, and thoughtful ingredient sourcing. One of my favorite meals in San Francisco. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
What can I say?! The food, the service and the ambience all were amazing! I really enjoyed each and every one of the courses which isn’t that common for any restaurant; more often than not there’s an item that misses the mark. Not at SSAL, though I gotta say the seafood courses in the beginning (especially tuna with caviar) were my favorite. I substituted for the A5 Wagyu and it was amazing too.We opted in for the wine pairing - it hit the mark too. None of the wines were extraordinary but they did pair really well with the food. You know it’s a huge endorsement when you are willing to dine at a Michelin star restaurant again - well I’dlove to visit SSAL again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Really good! We had an 11 course dinner menu and I loved every dish, which is very rare for me! I loved the hairtail and rice dish and everything was so elegantly presented. The service was wonderful and so was the owner chef. Would definitely come back again.Only thing I wish they had was more Korean alcohol beverages available. For a Korean restaurant I expect them to have a wider selection than soju.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Really nice experience ! Thank you for having us Saturday night !Everything was really good, waitress and chef also here to explain the dishes, food and wine pairing was perfect... Maybe the next thing is to learn how to pronounce all the names as a French guy will do ??It was my first 1-Michelin star in the US and I was very surprised by the quality and the tastes...Special mention for the Eel and the "croissant" (with the French accent ?)I hope I'll come back again... maybe when you will have the 2nd star ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had the tasting menu + wine pairing. Both were very special. I had heard it described as korean food, but I think it doesn't so easily fit into a single genre. There are definitely asian influences. It's a very beautiful setting with quick service. A small complaint, given how difficult it is to get right with the number of courses, is that the quantity of the wine pairing sometimes felt low. That wasn't true for most of the courses that are pretty small, but for some of the bigger ones, a little bit more would be better.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place deserves 2 stars. I do have feed back for one dish, snow crab in a soup of caviar, what is the point of the soup ? It just made everything fishy instead of having an umami bomb to go with the crab. Please fix or get rid of it, otherwise everything else was stellar and on point.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing dishes ??
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
We walked from a cold, rainy night into a warm, calming haven. The decor is minimalist but charming and cozy. The servers provided impeccable and friendly service. The food was excellent and showcased with elegant dinnerware. I enjoyed all of the tasting menu, but found the barbecued eel, wagyu tartar, croissant, abalone, jeju galchi, marinated mushrooms, and quail especially remarkable. I feel fortunate to have experienced such an exceptional meal, and look forward to going back the next time I'm in San Francisco. Thank you to all the staff for providing such a delicious and pleasant dinner. If you haven't been here yet, you've got to go! Skip Atelier Crenn and Quince and eat here instead!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Other than the brisk pace (to accommodate multiple seatings per table), the meal was a truly wondrous set of a dozen Korean cuisine-inspired dishes. The chef dazzles with a mix of traditional techniques and creative twists that skillfully blend local and Korean imported ingredients. Warm, friendly service helps offset a somewhat crowded space with sub par acoustics.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had an incredible experience dining here. The space is small, intimate, and peaceful - almost felt like a museum space! We didn't know what the tasting menu would be beforehand and were not disappointed by the multitude of unique and flavorful dishes. If given the option, definitely opt in for the short rib!Bonus points for the amazing service. Our waitress was SO friendly and a wonderful conversationalist + the head chef came out multiple times to check on us. They even took a polaroid photo and gave it to us, framed at the end of the night (no extra charge, just kind vibes!). 100% would recommend for a unique and relaxing Korean fusion fine dining experience :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My husband and I dined at SSAL for our date night & the experience was incredible. The food, service, & atmosphere were 10/10. We enjoyed every single bite of food and some I’m still dreaming of!! The quality of ingredients was honestly impeccable - you can tell that the owner and chef takes pride in what he serves. Their brassware, dinnerware and all the little details were just beautiful and super classy.The Eel was to die for so was the beef tartare. The abalone dish was so unique and tasty. The croissant was so yummy! I can go on and on because nothing was short of deliciousness.Dorothy and Alfred provided the best service & were so nice and friendly. The owner/chef was also wonderful and we loved hearing his story! Overall, I highly recommend this spot. Wishing you guys lots of success because you deserve it.Thank you for a memorable evening!Parking: Arrive a little early if you’re driving. This is a busy street and it could take you time to find parking
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Have been wanting to come here for a while. One of the better 1*s I've been to. There was not a single dish I didn't like (which is rare as I'm notoriously fastidious). Seafood was very fresh! My only feedback would be to edit the lobster dish. Lobster is great but no need for the pool of caviar underneath as it's not edible on its own after you eat the lobster (soupy and salty). Maybe some kind of emulsion or even simply a whipped creme fresh will hold the caviar better and balance the salt. Will be back once the menu changes for sure!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5