Soon's Tofu & Korean BBQ

Honestly, it was one of the worst tofu soup I’ve ever had. I ordered seafood and beef soup, and it was purely salty and tasted even worse than the BCD instant soup pack. I’d suggest people who want to get regular Korean tofu soup not come here. Also, the service sucks. The waiter (might be the boss) didn’t finish listening my order and turned around. If you are that busy, please hire some hands.

I don't know when Soon's opened but I've been living in the Peninsula for 6 years and cannot believe I just discovered this restaurant. For authentic Korean food, you typically have to head down to Sunnyvale or Santa Clara. But obviously for those who live in the Peninsula or above, it is a journey. Soon's finally starts to establish options alongside Daeho in San Mateo. From the outside, Soon's looks confusing. It is supposedly a Korean restaurant in a western plaza selling a whole variety of things. Is it fusion? Is it "Korean" cuisine by inspiration? And there's even some hints of Chinese, Hawaiian and Mexican in the menu. Again, not a good sign. Also, you need to stare at the ceiling when you're inside... it could've been a 3-story building. But let the food speak for itself. The banchan already is diverse and authentic, as well as every single dish that came out. The food is cooked by your "aunt" with decent sprinkling of love and nostalgia. It is Korean comfort food done well across the board. We had a tofu soup, galbi, kimchi fried rice and jjajangmyun... (?) - yes, the things from Chinese restaurants. And yes, all of them turned out great. It definitely is created with your aunt's interpretation but proper. The food tends to be on the sweeter side (so a bit additional sugar) but still within normal ranges. Ah, and the staff is super friendly. I am so glad we discovered Soon's. We'll absolutely be back. And one less reason to go down to Lawrence and El Camino. Parking: Plenty of parking in the plaza.

Horrible service Horrible food.

I’m a big fan of Korean food and have loved it for a very long time. However, today was a major disappointment at the restaurant I visited with my friend. The water served tasted terrible, and to make matters worse, we found hair in our food. As much as I love Korean cuisine, I cannot recommend this place to anyone. Sorry!

This is about my experience with their lack of kindness and customer service. Would not go to Soons for Korean bbq due to lame customer service. MY son was hunched over and in TEARS because he needed the bathroom (we were on a dog walk, aka my job, so I couldn't accompany him but stood at the doorway, and the man working there started bullying and harassing him about needing to ask to use the restroom and then gave me a lecture about how it’s not a public bathroom. he’s 6 dude, just leave it alone. I can appreciate businesses not wanting to offer a *public* restroom for anyone but for children I think more grace and kindness should be allotted. They’ve lost our business for sure. Kid-friendliness: Not kid friendly.

Food was very average, especially compared to the Korean food that you can find in the South Bay. Bulgogi was slightly over cooked and too sweet, and the kimchi jigae was okay. However, the friendly and super efficient service bumped up the review by a star! Parking: Free parking lot

Food is of good quality. But the quantity is . Will go if considering diet.

I am not sure why they are Hawaiian food with Korean tofu soup.