Sonamu Korean Restaurant

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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

I walked in at 12:15 pm . Restaurant was empty. Hostess looked annoyed when asked for a table of one. She rolled her eyes and said anywhere. She handed me a menu. I asked if there were lunch specials ( I've eaten here before as well as take out) . She rolled her eyes and said no and walked away. She came back to the table and dropped a cup of hot tea on the table away from me. I asked for a glass of water. She dropped the food and water in Front of me. No other interactions. I am not returning here even for take out. I felt like an annoyance versus a paying dining customer.

Great authentic food in a family restaurant setting. The quality is very good! The menu is fairly large for a smaller restaurant with many good options.