78 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM From bibimbap to bulgogi—killer Korean restaurants. the beat on your eats service to the sleek interior and marble tables. Flavorful, marbled Wagyu beef elevates multiple dishes, from seolleongtang (ox bone soup) to raw beef yookhweh bibimbap. It also appears in the luxe caviartopped kimbab, dusted with gold flakes and stuffed with abalone and Wagyu galbi. Delve into the menu for even more tasty options, ranging from mixed tofu soup with scallops, snow crab and octopus to chilean seabass twigim and housemade sweet rice drinks (sikhye) flavored with organic honey or pumpkin. 1962 El Camino Real. Open daily. so gong dong tofu PALO ALTO Located along an unassuming stretch of El Camino Real, this hidden gem is worth the visit. It might be a simple space—the traditional illustrations on its walls its only ornamentation—but if you’re after a tasty meal, this place hits the spot. Savor a big bowl of bibimbap—rice with sauteed veggies daeho SAN MATEO When you come to Daeho, you come for the kalbijjim. This hearty dish of braised beef short ribs in a rich, flavorful sauce comes in generous portions and a regular serving feeds two to three people. It can be ordered alongside appetizing add-ons like oxtail and glass noodles—and if you request it with cheese, your server will torch it at your table until it melts into a gloriously gooey blanket. The restaurant has garnered a bit of a cult following and the wait can often take an hour so reservations are highly advised. 213 2nd Avenue. Open daily. kunjip tofu MOUNTAIN VIEW This isn’t your everyday Korean restaurant. The latest concept from owners of highly regarded Kunjip in Santa Clara and 10 Butchers in Sunnyvale offers a “casually upscale” experience, from the attentive {food coloring} and egg—plus your choice of marinated meat, seafood or tofu. If you can take the heat, try the house special, bibim naengmyeon, which soaks cold buckwheat noodles in a delectably spicy tangy sauce and tops it with chilled slices of cucumber. Wash it all down with a piping cup of barley tea. 4127 El Camino Real. Open daily. PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: TIM CHEUNG / DIANA LEE
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