Um.ma

It’s impossible to have a bad time at Um.ma. Stepping onto their patio is like rolling up to an early 2000s-themed house party where throwback pop and R&B pumps through the speakers, and soju cocktails and kimchi beer flow all night. Inside, the smell of bulgogi wafts through the mostly-white dining room, which could pass for an airy museum cafe in Scandinavia. Dinner at this Korean restaurant in the Inner Sunset always adds up to a fun night—and one involving fantastic barbecue we return for again and again. 

The patio is where most of the action goes down. Groups and dates pack in around picnic tables with tabletop grills that are big enough to fit the Warriors’ starting lineup, and shuffle around plates of pork ribs and Korean staples like spicy tteokbokki and soondubu. When you’re with a group, the move is the grill-it-yourself route: bulgogi, pork belly, and kal bi are available by the pound. Order with your phone (don’t expect to be waited on like a royal here) and let the marinated meats come to you.  

photo credit: Erin Ng

photo credit: Erin Ng

In the non-DIY department, the menu of soups, made-to-order barbecue, and knockout wings are served in portions that could feed Golden Gate Park’s bison herd a few times over. Citrus gochujang-glazed pork belly melts in your mouth. The seafood pancake is crispy and flawless. And even the side of charred gai lan, dotted with king oyster mushrooms and saucy from the umami-packed ssamjang dressing, is a standout. 

This place is on the more expensive end: a pound of meat will run you $50, not including ssam or vegetables on the side (an additional $5 each). So save a night at Um.ma for birthday dinners and meals with four friends, their significant others, and someone’s new puppy (the patio is dog-friendly). This place is a group dinner destination, whether you live nearby or need to traverse seven neighborhoods to get here. Though, if you’re prepared to take down an entire serving of bulgogi on your own while listening to old Ryan Cabrera hits, don’t let us stop you. 

Food Rundown

photo credit: Erin Ng

Ginger Sesame Soy Chicken Wings

If all chicken wings tasted like the plump versions coming out of Um.ma, the world would be a much better place. Go for these, which are crackly-crisp on the outside and coated in a sticky-sweet ginger sesame soy sauce you’ll be tempted to lick off the plate.

photo credit: Erin Ng

Pork Belly

We prefer the pork belly cooked for us rather than grilling it ourselves. The prepared version arrives gorgeously charred (read: better than anything we could ever attempt) and covered in a tangy citrus gochujang glaze.

photo credit: Erin Ng

Soondubu-Jigae

Anchovy broth, mushrooms, and jalapeños give this soup a triple whammy of umami. Slurping it all down is like sinking into a metaphorical hot tub of bean curd and spice.

photo credit: Erin Ng

Seafood Pancake

Shrimp, scallop, and imitation crab are fried to golden-brown. Order this for the table and you’ll leave satisfied.