Simmer & Steamer

It is a real treat these days when you can find good quality rice bowls for less than $10, especially in pricey downtown SF!We read about this brand in the local paper and decided to try the downtown SF location. We came in a late Saturday afternoon, between meal times, so the place was empty, but we saw a lot of to-go delivery orders being picked up. We placed our order at the kiosk (did not recall that tip was asked), and selected the preference for the egg that comes with it (soft is the recommended choice). You have the option to add other ingredients (ie. kimchee). We picked up water, napkins and utensils at the self-serve station and sat down. One peculiar thing we noticed is that at every table there is a cup with hair bands inside that are offered to the customers. We wondered what these are for and speculated that it is to help get long hairs out of the food! LOL. Soon the food was brought to us at the table. The food was served in disposable-containers, but it was expected due to the low price. While the food was not as pretty as you see in the menu pictures, the portions were decent, and the taste was pretty good. We had the galbi beef bowl, sausage curry, and the avocado with caviar. My wife and two kids all thought the food was tasty. The avocado with caviar was the surprise hit. My daughter ate it all up and proclaimed she could have another bowl. Simmer&Steamer have other locations in the Bay Area, so we have marked it down as a new favorite and plan to visit the other locations!

I really wanted to like this place. Pretty affordable rice bowls with a variety of toppings drew me in, but the flavor and quality is why I will not be coming back.My friend and I ordered 4 bowls (2/3 of their menu): their galbi beef, pork belly curry, soft tofu, and kimchi fried rice. They're all around $10 and cost $3/$6 for a large/mega respectively. We ordered the galbi beef as a large and didn't see a noticeable difference with the other bowls (even though it says more rice/more sauce on the menu for the bigger sizes)Everything came with an egg (soft boiled but more on the raw side) The galbi beef tasted like American shredded bbq meat. The kimchi rice was okay, but "healthy" as my friend phrased it with not a lot of sesame oil, kimchi, or soy sauce flavor (the beef hotdog helped). The pork belly curry tasted very watered down like from a box and the crispy onion toppings reminded me of American bbq again. The best bowl by far was the soft tofu with seaweed, kimchi, and a brown sauce which was simple and had the stronger Asian flavor I expected.The service was straightforward and quick, you serve yourself water and bus the table after. Atmosphere is pretty simple with bright cold white lighting and a photo booth. Presentation and pricing was really appealing, but there need to be major improvements to taste. I understand it's more of a Korean fusion restaurant, but the flavor did not remind me of any particular cuisine

Got the Galbi rice bowl and was very underwhelmed by the amount of food (was still starving after) and the flavor and texture of the beef. It was shredded vs what you'd expect for galbi short ribs and I even question if it was short ribs as the texture resembled stew meat more. They really need to add some veggie sides as well, kimchi is the only available option and it came with a few slices of jalapeños which I don't consider a veggie side.

Stopped here on a whim mainly because it wasn't crowded and it was finally a place that had a public restroom. The guy working was so nice, and our food came out so quickly! I enjoyed the kimchi fried rice and the soft boiled egg. The sausage that came with the fried rice was a generous portion too. The galbi beef was okay, but reminded me more of a shredded beef texture you'd find in Mexican food, rather than your typical galbi in Korean food. I would have rather had a beef bulgogi option than this type of beef. Other than that, the prices are fair for the smaller size portion. This is something you'd want for lunch or a light dinner. The space is very open too unlike most fast casual places in this area, and still within walking distance from drinks and desserts.

Delicious home-cooked meal vibes at super affordable prices (meals for $6-11)! I got the sausage curry, but was initially very thrown off by the color of the sausage.. I was told that it's because they combine multiple sausages together to make a mega one. It ended up tasting pretty good though! The curry egg rice was also really yummy for the price! The restaurant is also very spacious with lots of tables. It has a simple, no frills setup with a limited menu, but offers really affordable and yummy meals for when you want home-cooking but don't got that time or energy to cook!

Food was good but very small portions. I guess the price makes up for it. I did take out so it was also a little cold by the time I got to it which could be my fault. The location is great and it was pretty empty. The egg was sooooo good but the rest was lackluster . I probably won't visit again but it's good to try once. Maybe worth it for a light lunch.

Tried their Pork Belly Curry, it was really good. The portion was perfect size, the pork belly was cut into bite size and the curry was perfectly seasoned! The staff is very friendly and welcoming. I love all the UC Berkeley paintings and items. The music and different seating make the space different versus what is in the area. Will definitely visit again!

This place recently opened up and is quite spacious inside. I believe I was greeted by Yeonsuk, based on the responses in the reviews. He was very polite and helped me with ordering the Kimchi Fried rice. The service was fast and the ambiance was very open and friendly. The food was priced well and even came with a free drink of your choice. The kimchi rice was very well seasoned and perfectly spiced. You can choose between a hard boiled egg or soft egg option, I chose the soft egg option and it went very well with the dish. Overall the experience and the food was excellent. It really has a home cooked feel and for the price it is 5 stars for sure! Final comment: Support local businesses that bring a different flavor to the neighborhood. Have lunch or dinner here with a relaxed environment and don't be too critical. This place isn't trying to compete with Korean BBQ restaurant so don't rate it as such. I like it and will recommend to family and friends. 5 Stars!

Good service and clean space. The portions are decent for the price. However, I didn't enjoy the galbi bowl (rating: 1/5). The meat and sauce tasted sour for some reason. The pork curry bowl (rating: 3.5/5) tasted like a typical curry, which was fine. Nothing extraordinary, but OK if you need something quick. I don't think I'd come back unfortunately.

Great spot for Korean fusion! The portions are super generous, and the food is incredibly affordable. The staff is nice and attentive, making the whole experience even better! I can wholeheartedly recommend if you're looking for quality, comfort food with excellent service...SWING BY p.s. thanks for free drinks kings (u dropped this)