The Spot
2325 Taraval St
(between 33rd Ave & 34th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94116
Neighborhood: Parkside

Rated: ♣

This place is so popular amongst my friends. I really don’t get it. It’s like mediocre Korean food in a room full of fobby Asians (Disclaimer – I am Asian and I have nothing against my people.) The main event here is the soju. So, if you plan to get drunk and you don’t care how your food tastes, come to The Spot.

The scene:

You’ll find The Spot on a residential block on Taraval. It’s easy to spot because of the pack of Asians smoking in front. This place is great for hosting parties. They have a room in the back with a karaoke machine that, I believe, is free to use. A friend of mine hosted a fundraising event there in which they gave her a percentage of the cost of food that was purchased in her party.

The food:

There are so many other Korean places in the Sunset that’s so much better. I’m guessing you’d have to look at this place as a bar and not a restaurant. The Spot has about 12 different flavors of soju ($14 each) including yogurt, guava, strawberry, mango, etc.

Kimchi Pancake – This was the best thing we ordered. the pancake was thin and chewy, but a little too sour for my liking. I don’t remember it being spicy either.

Chicken wings – The marinade on the wings were good – sweet and tangy. The downside was that it was a tad bit over cooked. The meat was tough and chewy.

Pork Bulgogi – Probably the worst bulgogi I’ve ever had. The taste didn’t even come close to any other Korean place I’ve been to. The meat was incredibly red from the food coloring and the sauce was way too thick and pasty. It was also way too sweet and it had no hint of spice at all. This is such a signature Korean dish, how could you mess this one up??

Spicy Rice Cakes – This dish also used the same thick, pasty sauce as the pork bulgogi. There were also way too many veggies in here. So much that they skimped out on the rice cakes.

Chicken Gizzards – This was just a plate of sautéed gizzards and vegetables. Very plain and oily, but the veggies tasted good.

All-in-all, I was very underwhelmed by the food. I think we paid about $25 per person for this meal too. I’d only recommend this place if you’re interested in bottles of soju with their free popcorn. It;s also a great place if you just want to have  party rather than a meal.

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