Such a delight to have dined here at Ssal. I've been to several Michelin starred fine dining restaurants here in the bay area, and so far this is my favorite. What stands out to me about Ssal is that none of the courses were unpleasant/disappointing which I find often happens with tasting menu experiences. This spot is quite inconspicuous and small with ten or so maximum tables inside. Simple clean aesthetic with an open kitchen where you can see chefs prepare the food. Our server was so helpful and actually a formally trained sommelier which definitely came to play since we shared a beverage pairing. I appreciate that we got to share our pairing and we just ordered a second glass whenever one of us particularly enjoyed one. I've had so much Korean food in my life and I feel like Ssal's approach is different due to an emphasis on quality ingredients and so much of it feeling home-y. The crab juk and the wagyu pine nut courses were two of my favorites. The seafood in the juk made it so decadant. The sesame oil on the wagyu pine nut course stood out to us and if I remember correctly, our server said they make the sesame oil in house. You can actually taste the difference and it's incredible. The halibut with rice and baek kimchi was a surprising standout. I didn't expect something so simple to be that flavorful. The dessert was delicious as well. I was actually able to try all of the courses and finish a majority of them which is another reason I like Ssal so much. Usually tasting menus are too big to comfortably try every course. Overall, an amazing experience and can't wait to come back.

Was looking for a nice restaurant for a date night with hubby and came across this Michelin star restaurent I had never heard of. Such an inventive take on Korean influenced food! Size of the courses does not cause you to feel like the tasting menu is over whelming. Pro tip: Parking is challenging and there are no lots around the restaurant, so make to give yourself ample time if driving to the restaurant.

My wife took me here for my birthday and food was great! I keep thinking of the Wagyu tar tar tart with smoke sesame oil!!! Must try place!!! What was great about the experience and service was that the menu was a surprise...we didn't know what was coming until it was brought to us. Service was what you would expect from a 1 Star Michelin. Very modern atmosphere inside and seated about 15 tables.

Decided to return and try SSAL again after they transitioned from an ala carte menu to a tasting menu We decided to reserve a table here for our anniversary celebration. It was a very intimate restaurant with only about 8 or so tables. I love the sleek and minimalistic decor. Some of the highlights from dinner: oyster eel wrapped in seaweed Dungeness crab porridge with uni and truffle ariscault croissant with injeolmi butter Overall, I like this modern take on Korean food, but compared to other Michelin places I've been I don't think the price was justified.

Came here for a birthday dinner and boy is it a delight! It's a Michelin star restaurant and I can really see why. Every dish had such interesting flavors or textures that really made me wanting more. Highly recommend for a special meal! I think the only negative is that it's quite expensive for a one Michelin star meal. Roughly $400 per person with the extra $50 galbi supplement and we didn't order any drinks. Parking is also difficult around here and they don't have valet so I'd recommend arriving at least 15 minutes earlier.

I'm not trying to be over dramatic but the day I ate here was the best day of my life. You truly get what you pay for here and it is nothing short of perfection. The service is first class as the staff takes time to greet you, check in on you and even inquire on how you've been or any recent life changes as if you were an old friend. Each dish was a 10/10 knock out of the park with a blend of flavor and texture. They have a meticulous process for crafting each dish and we were both stuffed at the end! Exactly what you'd want from a meal like this, would love to come back and bring everyone I know. The space has limited seating per night so guests have enough room to eat comfortably without overhearing noise from other guests. The mood lighting keeps the atmosphere pleasant and relaxed as well. Would recommend!

My husband and I live in the neighborhood and decided to treat ourselves to a nice Sunday dinner. This place is amazing - it has a Michelin star for a reason! Every single thing we ate was delicious and explained in painstaking detail by our knowledgeable waiters. They even brought out the live eel we would be eating that night for us to see! The space is minimalist and cozy with just a few wooden tables. This means you can actually speak with your table and hear them! Hooray for good acoustics. The restaurant ended the meal by taking a photo of us in front of the kitchen, which we got to take home - what a lovely touch! This was a long meal (almost 4 hours) and expensive but it really felt worth it! It was so special and memorable, really unlike any other restaurants we've been to.

We decided to try SSAL when we were in San Francisco recently, and it was an absolutely fantastic dinner. It's hard to find Korean fine dining executed well, but SSAL has got it down. The tasting menu at SSAL draws inspiration from a wide range of Korean cuisine, and there's really good variety of flavors and textures. Every course was a delightful surprise, and everything was absolutely exquisite. The amount of food and the time between courses courses is perfect. The service was exceptional and they do a really excellent job of presenting and explaining each dish. The servers were super friendly and welcoming, but professional at the same time. We were also the last table to start and leave, but at no point did we ever feel rushed. Overall it was an amazing dinner, and SSAL's tasting menu is an exceptional example of elevated Korean fine dining. Every course was delicious, aesthetically pleasing, and presented well. We'll definitely be back again soon!

Made a reservation online for my partner's birthday. It was a very intimate session, only about 8 or so tables. The typical Michelin restaurant experience with the servers explaining all the dishes and inspiration as well as clearing plates every meal. some food comments: hay smoked oyster - yum oysters caviar hand pressed sesame oil - they like using peas a lot sweet corn and black truffle - this was my partners favorite, a nice pastry and truffle not too strong shima achi fish tomato kombucha and shishido flowers - probably my favorite dish, the fish was so soft and buttery dungeness crab porridge with sea urchin hakaido and truffle - i liked this dish a lot too, lots of flavors going on scallop with a cabbage outside layered croissant with honey butter - batter from arsicalt bakery and it was honestly really yummy, the honey butter was quite sweet as welll quail white nectarine bingsoo and mochi yuzu creamsicle with strawberries assorted desserts Overall, I really liked the concept and the food was delicious, but compared to other Michelin places I've been I don't think the price was justified for this place because I wasn't as WOW-d, it was more in line with other fine dining places we've been to. It's around 350pp which is higher than average other restaurants when I think the types of dishes were similar in content and quality to places like Bird Song (most notable bc they had quail here and squab at Bird Song)