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Welcome to Um Ma

"Um Ma" is a modern and trendy Korean restaurant located in San Francisco, offering a unique dining experience. With a focus on quality ingredients and innovative dishes, Um Ma caters to a diverse range of preferences, including vegan and limited vegetarian options. The restaurant provides a comfortable and hip atmosphere, ideal for casual gatherings or special occasions. Customers rave about the flavorful dishes, such as the Sul Lung Tang, pork belly, and kimchi shrimp, showcasing the depth of Korean flavors. While some issues with service and ambiance have been noted, the overall dining experience at Um Ma is worth exploring for a taste of contemporary Korean cuisine.

LOCATIONS
  • Um Ma
    1220 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122, United States
    1220 9th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122, United States Hotline: +1 415-943-6071
Welcome to Um Ma: The Korean Wine Bar with a Hipster Vibe

Located in the heart of San Francisco, Um Ma offers a unique dining experience blending traditional Korean flavors with a modern twist. As a wine bar specializing in chicken wings and Korean cuisine, Um Ma stands out for its diverse menu and trendy ambiance.

With a range of options from bibimbap bowls to bone marrow broth soup, Um Ma caters to a variety of palates. Customers rave about the honey butter fried chicken, with its crispy wings and perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors. The soy raw marinated crab is a favorite for those seeking a more traditional Korean dish.

While some reviewers note the high price point, many agree that the quality and taste of the food justify the cost. The scallion pancake and bibimbap with tofu are highlighted for their unique textures and flavors. The purple rice in the bibimbap adds an interesting twist to the dish.

Service at Um Ma can be a bit slow at times, but the inviting outdoor seating area and gender-neutral restrooms add to the overall experience. The restaurant's commitment to sustainability is evident in their use of reusable tableware and allowance for customers to bring their own containers.

Overall, Um Ma offers a mix of traditional and modern Korean dishes in a trendy setting. Whether you're looking for a casual brunch spot or a hip evening hangout, Um Ma has something for everyone.

START YOUR REVIEW OF Um Ma
Allison W.
Allison W.

A modern and trendy take on Korean food! Came here with a friend right at opening so it was empty and we were seated in the back patio. I loved the space! With the lights and the roof overhead it felt so secluded and peaceful. It felt like that even though we were the only ones in the restaurant for a while, it was hard to get waitstaff's attention. We got the Seafood Pancake, the Bibimbap with bulgogi, and the Soondubu-jigae. This was way more than two people could eat for sure, definitely needed to take some home. The banchan was good, I liked the quail eggs! I've never seen them offered in banchan before. Seafood pancake: 4/5, quite a substantial pancake! It was thick and honestly could have served as a meal by itself. Good amount of seafood in it! Bibimbap with Bulgogi: 4/5, lots of bulgogi that was well marinated. There were lots of veggies that I loved. Maybe a little too sweet, but that's just my taste. Soondubu-jigae: 3/5, it was good but I think something about the dish was lost when trying to elevate it. I wish there were more enoki mushrooms instead of just being used as a garnish on top, and the broth itself felt a little lacking. Would go to other places in the city for tofu soup. Overall, had a good time and enjoyed our meal. This place seems very popular, as the tables got full as the evening went on. If you're looking for a step up from a standard Korean restaurant, try this restaurant!

Tyler K.
Tyler K.

Found this Korean spot by Golden Gate Park to be expensive but decent flavorwise! Their kimchi pancake was thin, flaky and burnt in a way that I'm not used to. Would skip. The bibimbap and tteokboki were nice. Small selection of banchan but a hearty serving of purple rice was included! Would come back with a larger party to try more dishes if I'm ever in the area but I feel there are cheaper Korean spots in other parts of town.

Brenda M.
Brenda M.

Pretty delicious spot in inner sunset. Best things to order are the Sul Lung Tang it's a perfect dish with noodles and beef for a cold day in San Francisco. Another two very delicious dishes I recommend are the pork belly dishes and kimchi shrimp. The kimchi shrimp is so sweet and delicious and gives me a honey walnut shrimp taste. So yummy! The chicken is good but I wish for what you paid they give bigger portions. I'm a big fan of galbi but I felt like this had more fat than meat. So I was a bit dissapointed. It does take a little while to get good but service was nice.

Kristina H.
Kristina H.

i had an amazing birthday dinner here! my party and i had a late night reservation in the mural room due to the patio being booked in advance. the food was amazing, we ordered nearly everything on the menu (and some duplicates) as well as three carafes of cocktails. the service was a little slow at first but the staffs friendliness makes up for it. they gave us two rounds of soju and even added a candle. i had a great time, definitely recommend! some noteworthy favorites: bone marrow corn cheese. we ordered two for the table and they were both wiped clean. scallion pancake: also ordered multiple, but had enough to take leftovers home. absolutely delish! wings: we ordered all three flavors and i can't choose a favorite. all tasty. for a party of 14, the total came out to ~ $500 including tip, which is amazing! great portions to share.

Jackie Y.
Jackie Y.

I was pleasantly surprised by Um Ma. The prices seemed like a lot, but I felt like I got my money's worth. My group arrived around 6pm on a Friday and we were seated right away. It started getting crowded after we arrived. There are some tables inside and there are a lot of tables in their back patio. We chose to sit outside. I liked that the back patio had heat lamps! At first, we were sitting on the edge next to a tree, but the wind blew some leaves into our food, so they graciously helped us move to another table when we asked. I ordered the scallion pancake and the bibimbap with added tofu. I was a huge fan of the tofu. It had a great crisp. The bibimbap had purple rice, which provided a nice chew that provided nice contrast to the crunchy vegetables and crispy rice from the stone pot. I also really liked the scallion pancake. It was super crispy and tasted great with the sauce. My friends didn't feel like their meat dishes were as worth the cost, but I really enjoyed everything I ordered. I would recommend Um Ma if you want Korean food with a nice ambiance.

Nicole O.
Nicole O.

We came for the bone marrow cheese corn and it did not disappoint. Honestly, all of the food we ordered were bomb and we enjoyed every bite. Knocked off a star though because the ambiance would have been much nicer if it wasnt for the dirty tables that weren't being attended to right away. I also feel like the service could be better, but maybe employees were all overworked as it seemed like they were understaffed on a busy Mother's Day.