• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Alice Dishes

Adventures and Real Food

  • Design
  • Life
  • Recipes
  • Reviews
  • Travel

May 12, 2014

Namu Gaji, San Francisco

I first met Dennis Lee, one of the three brothers who co-founded Namu Gaji, a hot, “New Korean American” restaurant near Dolores Park in San Francisco, late last year. He had transported what looked like his entire staff and kitchen to make some amazingly flavorful and delicious food at a friends’ holiday party. I was so bowled over by the magic he and his team created, combining Korean cooking styles, spices and flavors with our terrific NorCal produce, that I knew I owed the restaurant another visit.

Namu Gaji Interior

On a typically drizzly and foggy May evening, six of us showed up hungry and ready to feast. (To truly enjoy an Asian meal, dining with a crowd is vital. That way you can sample so much more.) Even the interior of the restaurant reflects the fusion of Korean and American cultures that are brought together at Namu Gaji. The communal table is crafted out of a beautiful piece of wood that’s uneven and natural. Chunky glass bottles and wild flowers adorn the tables. All very reflective of Northern California’s rustic beauty. Yet the food itself is presented with the utmost precise beauty – using elements of vegetables to adorn the plates. And no, I don’t mean carrots carved into flowers, but for instance, beet root tendrils add a natural finishing flourish to a surprising green garlic panna cotta. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Pickles at Namu Gaji

We start our meal with an order of homemade pickles which include broccoli flowers and fennel ($5). One of the things I love about Korean food is its reliance on fermentation – a process which is so great for the digestive system. A small plate of pickles and kimchi is also presented at the start of the meal (pictured left, above). The kimchi is spicy, but you just need a little bit to add a zing to a dish.

Beef tacos at Namu Gaji

Arriving during happy hour means you can order the so-called “tacos” – beef, chicken or tofu. And although we are in the Mission, these are no ordinary tacos. They’re wrapped in paper-thin seaweed, immensely delicate and with just a bit of heat. For $3 you simply have to order one of each and then try to share them (which is pretty much impossible, but worth trying).

Next up was a Korean take on beef tartare – wagyu beef served on a crunchy wonton type of based and decorated beautifully with flowers and translucent rings of raw shallots. At $18 it’s not cheap, but it’s worth it.

beef tartare

The dumplings ($14) – featuring shiitake, dashi, butter and nori –  come in a complex broth overflowing with umami flavors. It’s hard to restrain yourself from picking up the bowl and slurping it back in one go.

dumplings at Namu Gaji

An amazing – and filling – mushroom dish ($16) with portobello, shiitake, tofu, ricotta, and nori lands next on the table. Again, as much as feast for the eyes as the belly. The bright colors of spring: orange of carrots, a blush of pink from radishes, and the deep purple of a finely sliced beets, complement the dark earthiness of the mushrooms.

mushroom plate at Namu Gaji

A gift from the kitchen, green garlic panna cotta is a surprise in more ways than one, and sits on the plate contrasted against the bright yellow of just-set egg yolk and golden beets. Topped with shaved asparagus and something else…  here’s where the mystery decoration puzzles us – is it seaweed? Is it edible? In fact, it’s the roots of a beet.

green garlic panna cotta

Monkey does his usual restaurant test and orders the burger medium rare – an 80z grass-fed patty ($16). And much to his pleasure, it comes out perfectly cooked to order. And this place does virtually  the best kids’ menu we have ever encountered offering scaled-down versions of the dishes on its main menu, vs. nasty processed mac n cheese or boring old penne with butter.

Korean burger

Just for the heck of it, although we are fit to bursting, we order the kid’s pancake which comes topped with bonito flakes, waving around as if by magic. A real kid-pleaser.

pancake at Namu Gaji

While the dessert menu looked tempting, with Bi-Rite Creamery right next door and three kids in our party, it was hard to resist the magnetic pull of freshly-made ice cream and so we didn’t. We rolled next door, pushing ourselves over the limit and into impending food comas with salted caramel scoops.

All-in-all, this is a feast to remember and if you’ve ever dismissed Asian, or more specifically, Korean food, as not being on the same “level” as American cuisine, re-think that immediately and head down to Namu Gaji.

Namu Gaji is at 499 Dolores St, San Francisco, CA 94110, Tel: (415) 431-6268

Our bill for six came to $188, including a few “adult” drinks.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: Korean food, Namu Gaji, restaurant review, san francisco, The Mission

Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. 1601 Bar & Kitchen, San Francisco, CA | Alice DishesAlice Dishes says:
    December 29, 2015 at 9:14 am

    […] The name alone doesn’t tell you much, but when I read that it offers a modern take on Sri Lankan cuisine, I was intrigued. For all the variety of restaurants on offer in San Francisco, there aren’t many that do ethnic flavors well. Of course, there are some notable exceptions, like Namu Gaji. […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

About Alice

A bit about me... I grew up in the UK and moved to Northern California in the late 1990s, drawn here, like so many others, by the lure of ...

Read More

Popular Posts

  • holey_grail_donutsThe Best Places to Eat in Hanalei, Kauai
  • Black Point Beach, Sea Ranch10 Things to Do in Sea Ranch, CA
  • Road to the coast, sonoma countyWhen All Is Said And Done: 7 Things That Really…
  • beet-soup-croppedStunning Beet and Cauliflower Soup

People are Talking About

No People Food

A Lesson in Salt From Samin Nosrat

Madeleines by Monkey

When All Is Said And Done: 7 Things That Really Matter in Life

Alice’s Favorites

101 Cookbooks
Chef on a Mission
Cook, Taste, Eat
Food Politics
Golden
Good Eggs
Healthy Cooking
Jamie Oliver Food Revolution
Mary Vance
Michael Pollan
Nina Planck
Not Without Salt
Nourish Network
Samin Nosrat
The Healthy Home Economist

alicedishes

Lover of life, Labs & horses. Visit AliceDishes.com blog for travel, recipes, design & life. Area VI #morganhorse #blacklab #eventing #interiors

Alice Dishes. Eat, Bark, Ride
Little throwback to our XC at @galwaydownsequestri Little throwback to our XC at @galwaydownsequestrian  for the @areavieventingofficial championships! So much fun. Itching to run XC again! #eventinghorse #eventersofinstagram #xc
More fun as the sun came out this morning. #happyh More fun as the sun came out this morning. #happyhorses #wintersun #eventers
Q was super in our lesson the other day. We’ve b Q was super in our lesson the other day. We’ve been trying out different saddles and I’m going to say she liked this one based on how well she went! Thank you @toora_o for the coaching. #dressagehorse #eventinghorse #wintertraining
Little bit of hill work on Sunday morning #petalum Little bit of hill work on Sunday morning #petaluma #horsesofinstagram
Still one of my favorite photos. Jogs at RamTap in Still one of my favorite photos. Jogs at RamTap in 2021 #eventing
Pure mayhem yesterday afternoon. It was a tad wind Pure mayhem yesterday afternoon. It was a tad windy. A tad chilly. Dinnertime. But no obvious reason for all this craziness 🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️😱 #hogwild #horses #needforspeed
She’s always my best girl - fun jump school toda She’s always my best girl - fun jump school today #eventinghorse #morganmare
The most handsome boi. #blacklabrador The most handsome boi. #blacklabrador
A little montage of our final sj round of the year A little montage of our final sj round of the year. She maybe small,  but she’s mighty! #eventersofinstagram #areavi #championships #morganhorse
Having a good time with Roger - staying in rhythm Having a good time with Roger - staying in rhythm and keeping him relaxed. #jumping #tbx
Had a lot of fun with these two today- started out Had a lot of fun with these two today- started out at 7am and chilly 🥶 29 degrees! Thankfully warmed up. In case you didn’t know they are really half brother and sister- same sire! #morganhorse #tbx #thoroughbredcross  #eventersofinstagram
Couple of hooligans at the barn today #woof #corgi Couple of hooligans at the barn today #woof #corgi #jackrussellterrier
A day with all the beings I love the most. Feeling A day with all the beings I love the most. Feeling very thankful for this life and a gorgeous day. Happy thanksgiving! #horsesofinstagram #sonomacounty #eventers
The one thing I brought home from New Zealand is a The one thing I brought home from New Zealand is a bottle of @cloudybay bubbles. Excited to try them tomorrow #bubbles #newzealand
My last morning in Auckland - I’ve loved my morn My last morning in Auckland - I’ve loved my morning ritual getting coffee and people watching at the Brighton Road Cafe in Parnell #morningrituals #coffee
Load More Follow on Instagram

Footer

A bit about me... I grew up in the UK and moved to Northern California in the late 1990s, drawn here, like so many others, by the lure of the dot.com ...

Read More

More to Explore

All Posts Archive

Stay Connected

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Never Miss a Post

Copyright© 2023 · Alice Dishes

website by lobstervine