Crisp

This place has some awesome chicken wings! The menu looked too good, so I had to go with the Seoul Sassy wings and the Seoul Sensation burrito (which is basically bulgogi in a burrito). The burrito was so-so, maybe a little bland, but the wings are where it's at! Be prepared to get messy.

Holy balls! Or I should say holy bowls! This place is delish. And it's super cute inside; the pics don't do it justice. It's pretty small, but it feels like a friend's cozy dining room with community tables (and a few stools placed by the windows). Kind of a hipster haven (which is fine by this SF girl).

Want a bowl of yumminess? Opt for the baby Buddha (plenty to fill your tummy) and you can add meat to any bowl size. Got a manly appetite? Opt for the bad boy Buddha. Or if you are insane go for the big boy Buddha and good luck! Want it all wrapped up? Yep, you can get everything in the bowl wrapped up in a burrito! Or if you're just feeling like you need to eat a half a chicken you can get some Seoul slappin' sassy wings!

The rice is sticky and perfect (and you can order organic brown rice too) and covered by chilled veggies (the number and type of veggies differ according to your bowl size). I ordered the baby Buddha and added the beef. I forgot to cancel the egg on top, but it ended up being pretty damn good. I really like dichotomies in my food: sweet and spicy, warm and cold, salty and sweet. The bowls provide an interesting layer of cold rice and veg, warm meat and a freshly cooked egg. And as a condiment lover, I adore the choice of sauces provided on each table. The atomic and the Buddha sauces are oh so good!

I can't wait to go back and try the chicken. Also, the beef was so good I might go for a Seoul steak bowl (meat, scallions over rice).

Downside - cash only, but they have an ATM onsite and charge a modest $1.00 fee. Upside: they deliver. And the food is freaking good!

Just to add my two cents as a Korean American:

First, I can't comment on the chicken because I'm vegetarian (actually a pescatarian).

On the bi bim bap (or Buddha bowls, as they call them): the bi bim bap is supposed to be spicy and a little sweet. However, their sauce is extremely sweet and a little spicy. If you add a lot of it to make it spicier, then your food just becomes super sweet. Also, the other sauce with mayo is not a Korean sauce at all. I don't know why they have it there. The rice itself is somehow lacking as well, in a way I can't describe.

On the presentation: It's terrible that they make you pay for your own side dishes. They don't promote the Korean dining experience at all. Korean dining is all about getting a well balanced meal and getting a ton of side dishes with your main entrée. At least the kimchi should be free. Also, bi bim bap always traditionally comes with soy soup, which is similar to the Japanese miso soup.

So yes, flavor is good, but you can have bi bim bap as good as this in other Korean restaurants in town (Cho Sun Ok or Sam Soo Gab San are my favorites) and get more for your money. If you're at Crisp for the chicken, you won't be able to get it at other Korean restaurants in town since it's specialized. The only other place I know that has it is Dak on Granville. Which is better? I wouldn't know.