Bulgogi Lunch
Seoul Garden

Seoul Garden

1655 Post StreetCA 94115, 95115, San Francisco, United States

Tea • Soup • Asian • Korean


"Seoul Garden? Seoul mediocre. High prices, slow service, bad food. You want more? They were out of the wine we ordered. The server announced that dessert would be green tea ice cream. Sounded nice, after a terrible dinner. She showed up with a half serving, for our party of 3, and said they were out of that flavor. Which could describe the meal. We had the BBQ Combo, at $100. Bland, dry beef that was an insult to the names bul gogi and short ribs. No sauce, no flavor. Bul gogi is supposedly marinated, stir-fried and succulent; short ribs should be tender. These two dishes were military grade. And the bedding for them, and a sad version of pork belly and a so-so chicken dish, was a sprinkling of chopped raw onions and carrots. Yep. The same stuff under all 4 dishes. Mysterious little side dishes appeared, with no explanations. A noodle dish, like the chicken, was passable. Nothing else was. Also: It took 30 minutes to get our food, and it all came at the same time. And half of it was cold. If the restaurant was busy, some of this might be excusable, but we were the only guests in the front room, and our friend checked the back, and saw only two tables occupied. Still, the long wait, and then the deluge of disappointments. Total bill: $170, with wine, sake $20 , tax and tip. And when I got home, I got a note from Open Table saying we had not honored our reservation. Although I told the host owner? my name and our reservation time, he apparently didn 't take notice. Must 've been just too busy."

Sushi Zen

Sushi Zen

7040 N Mesa St, El Paso, Texas, USA, 79912, United States

Sushi • Casual • Japanese • Catering


"When we called, a woman answered our questions about the food. I'm not sure how familiar she is with veganism, but she was able to clarify the ingredients for me, allowing me to specify vegan options. The staff confirmed several times that the miso soup does not contain fish sauce, so no special request needed for that. They also confirmed that the tempura batter is vegan, so we could order vegetable or tofu tempura without any issues. We've eaten here twice now, ordering the same items both times. We both ordered takeout for dinner. The vegetable sushi (with seaweed and rice, wrapped in soy paper) was decent, but the salad and seaweed made the roll a bit too thick for our liking. The avocado sushi, which consisted solely of avocado, was simple but beautiful. The vegetable tempura, featuring sweet carrots, seaweed, and squash, was truly delicious. For lunch, we tried their special (also available for takeout): three vegetable sushi rolls for $10.95, along with tofu steak in a citrus sauce (which we confirmed is vegan). The sauce tasted similar to Thai sweet chili dipping sauce, and the fried tofu steaks were excellent. It was a lovely meal for $10.95, and we shared it. We appreciate that the deal is also available for takeout, not just dining in. We had a funny moment with one of the staff members who wasn't very well-informed. When I asked if the miso soup contained fish sauce, he mistakenly informed me that it’s made with fish broth. Thankfully, two other employees, likely the manager and owner, quickly corrected him and apologized. If something is unclear, I recommend asking someone else for confirmation. Just a note—this location is close to essential amenities, and there are two places on Mesa Road, so be aware of that. We often like to bring our own vegan spicy mayo to enjoy with our meals."