Korean food in Palo Alto

Korean food in Palo Alto is a small category. The city does not have a Koreatown, a cluster of barbecue houses or a Korean supermarket. What it does have is a long-running family tofu house on El Camino Real, a downtown counter selling bulgogi and kimchi rice bowls and a handful of Korean dishes on other restaurants' menus. A contemporary Korean restaurant listed in the MICHELIN Guide sits just over the city line in Menlo Park.

We confirmed each place below in October 2026 through its own website, online ordering page or a verified page in our business directory. Because the list is short, this guide also explains the food itself, so you know what to order when you do sit down.

What to know about Korean food

A Korean meal is built around rice, soup or stew and banchan. Banchan are the small shared side dishes that arrive with the meal: kimchi, seasoned vegetables, sprouts or fish cake. At many restaurants they come free and are refilled on request. Flavors lean on a few pantry staples:

• Gochujang. A sweet, spicy fermented chili paste.
• Gochugaru. Korean chili flakes, used in kimchi and stews.
• Doenjang. Fermented soybean paste, similar to miso but stronger.
• Sesame oil and garlic. In almost everything.

The dishes you are most likely to meet in Palo Alto:

• Soondubu jjigae. Soft tofu stew, served bubbling hot with a raw egg on the side to crack into the pot.
• Bibimbap. Rice topped with vegetables, meat and a fried egg, mixed with gochujang. In a hot stone pot, the rice crisps on the bottom.
• Bulgogi. Thin slices of marinated beef, grilled or pan-cooked.
• Japchae. Stir-fried sweet potato glass noodles with vegetables.
• Tteokbokki. Chewy rice cakes in a spicy red sauce.
• Bingsu. Shaved ice dessert with sweet toppings.

Table habits are simple. Rice and soup are usually eaten with a spoon and banchan with chopsticks. Dishes often come out together rather than in courses. Everyone shares from the middle of the table.

Where to find it

The two Korean kitchens in town are far apart. So Gong Dong is on El Camino Real in south Palo Alto, near the Mountain View line and convenient to Stanford students with cars. Simmer and Steamer is downtown on University Avenue, a short walk from the Caltrain station. The Korean touches on other menus are spread across downtown, California Avenue, Town & Country Village and Stanford Shopping Center.

Places to try

So Gong Dong Tofu House, 4127 El Camino Real

So Gong Dong describes itself as a local mom and pop business with a focus on hospitality. The menu lists 16 soft tofu soups, from the original and seafood to kimchi, mushroom, cheese, dumpling and vegetable. Six stone pot bibimbaps cover beef, chicken, pork, seafood, kimchi beef and tofu with vegetables. Barbecue plates include beef short rib and bulgogi made with beef, chicken or pork. Appetizers run to a seafood pancake, jab chae, potstickers and two dukbokki dishes. It serves lunch and dinner daily with a break in the afternoon and takes online orders for pickup. The small lot fills at dinner.

Simmer and Steamer, 444 University Avenue

Simmer and Steamer sells Korean rice bowls through its online ordering page on Toast. The menu lists a bulgogi beef rice bowl, gochujang chicken, kimchi fried rice and a tofu kimchi bowl, plus japchae, beef dumplings, Korean coleslaw and sikhye, a sweet rice punch. The ordering page lists hours of 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. It suits a quick downtown lunch or takeout on the way to the train.

Sweet Maple, 150 University Avenue

Sweet Maple is a breakfast and brunch restaurant run by owner Hoyul Steven Choi and his wife. The brand describes its food as American breakfast and brunch "with a touch of Asian influence." When it opened in 2022, Palo Alto Online reported a fried rice made with Shin Ramyun, the Korean instant noodle brand, among the Asian touches. Menus change, so check the Palo Alto menu page. It closes at 2:30 p.m.

Korean dishes on other menus

Several places that are not Korean restaurants carry a Korean item or two:

Ramen Kowa is a Japanese ramen shop, so the bingsu is a dessert after noodles rather than a full Korean meal. World Wrapps is a fast-casual chain with global flavors. Boba Guys is a milk tea shop. See our coffee guide for more drink stops.

Dietary notes

• Vegetarian. So Gong Dong lists vegetable, mushroom and vegetable dumpling soft tofu soups, a tofu and vegetable bibimbap, edamame and a tofu salad. Simmer and Steamer lists a tofu kimchi rice bowl.
• Hidden fish and meat. Kimchi is often made with fish sauce or salted shrimp. Tofu soup broths may use seafood or beef stock. Ask if you are strictly vegetarian.
• Gluten. Gochujang and soy sauce usually contain wheat. Japchae noodles are made from sweet potato starch, but the sauce may not be gluten-free.
• Spice. So Gong Dong lets you choose a spice level. Families can pair soups with dishes the menu does not mark as spicy, such as beef bulgogi or beef stone pot bibimbap.
• Allergens. So Gong Dong's menu does not list allergens. Raise any allergy when you order.

Reservations and ordering

Neither Korean kitchen in Palo Alto is the kind of place that needs a reservation. So Gong Dong works on a walk-in basis with online pickup orders. Simmer and Steamer runs through online ordering for pickup. For a group dinner, arrive at So Gong Dong early, since the parking lot is small.

1. Pick a spice level. Start in the middle at a tofu house. You can add chili at the table but not take it away.
2. Crack the egg right away. The stew is hot enough to cook it as you stir.
3. Share the banchan. Side dishes are for the whole table. Ask before assuming refills.
4. Mix your bibimbap. Add gochujang to taste and stir everything together before eating.

Nearby in Menlo Park and Mountain View

Yeobo, Darling at 827 Santa Cruz Avenue in downtown Menlo Park serves contemporary Korean food and is listed in the MICHELIN Guide. It is about a mile and a half from downtown Palo Alto, with reservations through its website. Our Menlo Park guide covers parking behind the Santa Cruz Avenue storefronts and our fine dining guide lists it with the other nearby guide restaurants.

Many residents drive south to Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Cupertino for more Korean restaurants and for Korean groceries. Restaurants there change often and we did not confirm a specific one for this guide. Our Mountain View guide covers Castro Street and El Camino Real.

Frequently asked questions