First Korean Market
Categories: Ethnic Food, Korean [Edit]
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond4625 Geary Blvd
(between 10th Ave & 11th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94118 (415) 221-2565
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 9:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 9:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
Sun 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
47 reviews
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
"I've been going here for *mumble mumble* years. They know my order by heart (falafel sandwich, no tomatoes, extra tahini). I get the best…" read more »
52 Reviews for First Korean Market
I was lucky enough to stop by here one afternoon when they were fully stocked of Korean goodies. By the register , there is bunch of saran wrapped delicacies like gim bop , duk bok ee , pancakes , jap chae and chicken wings . Pancakes w/ little bits of crab meat were heavenly. Chicken wings are always a hit with me. A huge selection of ramen awaits you. Great prices and a great selection all crammed in a little store. FYI , their kimchee got nominated for best kimchee in Sf Weekly.
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Love this little market! Really good prepared dishes and they have good food spiced up to bring home and cook! You can also find that really delicious melon gum here that you get after a meal from Hanh's! I really like the chicken wings and the egg with fish and the gim-bahp is awesome too! I was addicted to this place for a good amount of months last year.... and they actually do hook you up from time to time.
I went there and spent about $100 on chicken wings one time and they gave me 2 free trays of gim-bahp!
Another time, I just bought a tray of chicken and a tray of the eggs with fish, and they gave me an extra tray of each... maybe cuz it was my 5th wednesday in a row ive been there haha!
This market is a godsend.
I'm not korean, I'm japanese american and I love this store.
Excellent korean products. They also carry a few japanese items as well.
They also have pre-marinated meats like kalbi beef and chicken which is off the heezy! I go in and buy like 5 pounds of kalbi ribs and freeze it for the ultimate back up dinner plan. Defrost and throw it on a hot grill or sizzling hot pan.
Don't forget the korean sushi!!!!!! oh my gawd, I totally raid the shelf of their korean sushi each time. I end up buying like 5 packs of beef sushi and stack it in my fridge. Korean sushi has no vinegar, so it keeps longer than japanese sushi and you can warm it up in the microwave real quick.
There's also take out jap chae(good), and pae jun (which I think is decent.)
They have the fresh sea salts and Korean salts that are essential for perfect meat marinades/rubs and korean seasoning. They have all the vinegars, rice wines, soy sauces, Kim chi, red bean paste, miso paste, crispy Korean nori (seaweed), all the cool Korean snacks and candies, noodles, etc. They have a good selection of Korean pears and fresh vegtables at amazing small shop prices.
You'll love this store. The Korean ladies who work there are so cute and they always give me free stuff. I love you first Korean market!!!!!
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Love the different types of food they have here (especially the chicken wings). Great place to go for kimchee and side dishes as well. Only thing is that all korean markets usually hook you up with a lil something if you spend a good amount of money. I was having a bbq at my house and ended up spending close to 200 here and they didnt offer anything. Not even a ddok bok kee! (im not cheap... its just the principal I tell you!)
Love coming here and I just went for the first time. GF has given me Kim Chee to try bought from this place. Wow! it was very good because it was so.. balance! you know.. sometimes people make their kim chee so strong and spicy that it stinks!, but this one is just perfect. So are other pickles they have in their little "pickle bar". So good and I think I'm addicted to the place! They sell the kim chi in a medium jar, pretty big for medium for $4.99 and it is cheap! I saw that they also sell marinated meat as well, so it is easy if I am in the mood for Koren BBQ all I have to do just go and buy! Simple!
I love this little market. The kimchee's really good--and cheap! The lady that works there is totally sweet, too.
Super nice lady owner.
Prices comparable to Kukje (the big korean mart.)
Condiments bar.
Free duk bok kee.
Need I say more?
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I love this little korean supermarket, the homemade sushi that they package is so good, everytime i come to here I always get at least 2 packs along with the japchae that they also make and package themselves. Not only is this a small grocery store, but in the pack they have a small little butchery that sells raw kalbi great for picnics and barbeques. The cashier/owner is really nice, she is really patient. This place is clean, has alot of variety of korean snacks/drinks.
Great place, great values! Cheap eats!
God I love living in the Richmond District.
This place is my all time favorite place to shop when I'm sick of Safeway and Trader Joes. My pantry is stocked with all the roasted seaweed, rice crackers, and Bohae black raspberry wine I want. I have strawberry Melona bars in the freezer, and occasionally catch the fiance stealing them because he is hooked as well! They make the best kimbap, and the lady that works there hooks it up with free, fresh Jap Che in the mornings. I haven't tried to bring home their marinated meats, but we'll see on the next visit.
I have made it a point to eat as many ethnic cuisines I can in San Francisco. Not sure how many more I have to go but I know I am pretty screwed at my current pace...Korean is one I can scratch off and could have done so a long time ago. Thanks to this place.
My friends have been coming to this place for years. They buy me stuff and tell me to try it. Of course, me being open to new foods, tried it. I loved it and have been coming here to get my Korean fix. Well, not the complete fix but the stuff they have already prepared and ready to go is enough to satiate that need until I go to a Korean restaurant. Better than nothing and sometimes better than some restaurants. I love everything they have. The Korean sushi, the ...the....You know what? Noone has ever told me what I was eating...All I know is what it looks like and how good it is.
Take this plate of rice noodles. It's got sesame and carrots and some green leafy things and a nice sesame oil and mushrooms...And this long solid white things that have the same texture as Taiwanese leen go...But this one is made spicy and I like spicy. And the chicken wings...So crunchy and tasty!!! I lick the bones until every bit of flavor is gone...Shameless, I know. Luckily I eat in the privacy of my own home. And the egg thingies that remind me of the Chinatown version at certain dim sum shops. Like little medallions of omelet goodness.
And the two ladies that are always working the front. Very nice and always smiling. This is how service with a smile should be like. I wish some of the people I work with could be more like them...Oh well...This place is nicely stocked with all sorts of Korean goodies. I'm pretty sure you'll find something that you will like. And then there's always the Jack in the Box next door...But why would you go there when you have homemade fast food here?
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Very small...but they have everything I need for my typical Korean BBQ meal: marinated Kalbi, dwaeji gogi (spicy pork), peeled garlic, jalapenos, lettuce, kimbap (korean sushi), and whatever those other little egg/pancake things are called with the imitation fish/crab in them.
I especially liked the kalbi: when I asked for it, there wasn't any on display, but the guy went into the back and brought out a 5-gallon bucket with a lid on it. He opened it up and it was FULL to the top with really nice looking cuts of kalbi, soaking in great looking marinade with plenty of green onions. He weighed the meat first, then filled the container with extra marinade. It was quite good.
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If there is one thing I love about Korean food it's all the veggies. They have a "veggie bar" here in the back and now I can get all those side dishes they have at the restaurants.
They even have marinated meat so if I want to do my own Korean BBQ I just need to stop here to get all the goodies.
I love this store and the nice Korean lady who owns the store! She is always so kind and genuine. First Korean store is such a gem for the Korean community and others who enjoy Korean cuisine. First Korean is always so clean and has the freshest selection of prepared foods (ex: Kimbop [Korean for sushi], Duk-bokee [spicy rice cake dish], beef bi-bim-bop, Korean sesame chicken wings, and more! I love how the store caters for parties of all sizes and how authentic to taste their food is. For a transplant like me who knows REAL traditional Korean food, First Korean is a lifesaver. My mom in L.A. would agree 100%! If you like Korean BBQ and would like to grill up some delicious rib-eye [bul-gogi], Galbee [short ribs], marinated pork or fish, this is your one stop shop. I feel so grateful to have First Korean market right here in the inner richmond!! =)
This was my first time in a Korean market, and much to my surprise and delight, it was actually easier to navigate than those Japantown groceries, even though I know next to nothing about Korean food. The selection of (semi-) prepared food with English labels helps a lot; I wound up getting spiced pork & lotus roots for a stir-fry, then some of those egg-onion pancakes (soooo good), and some neat-looking pot stickers that, unfortunately, completely fell apart when I tried to boil them (so I just called it "Korean porridge" and declared victory). Makes me want to take my Korean shopping to the next level, which of course is Kukje in Daly City.
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I swear I wrote a review about this korean market .. but I guess not lol . I love this place . They have fresh cheap kimbap which is really good even though it does get pretty salty after you eat a few which makes you really thirsty . I don't really like their beverages or snacks that they sell . I like the Melona popsicles though .. even though they are kind of expensive . The kimchee is good .. spicy but too salty . I like how they sell interesting canned goods .
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Great korean market in the inner richmond. Go there for korean spices, pan chan (sp?), $6 bag of potstickers, marinated korean bbq, thin sliced beef, and yummy lunch goodies.
Their new serve yourself pan chan and meat "area" is not that impressive. I am pretty sure they are cutting corners with the quality of beef they are NOW getting. Before, the meat seemed to be top quality. The "new" beef is super fatty and low low quality.
If you spend a fair amount they will give you a free dessert or wings or korean sushi. Kam sumi da (sp??)!
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Tiny market right next to Jack in the Box. You can get your korean staples here - kim chee, marinated meats, assorted seaweeds and ramen noodles. Try the soy flavored shin raymun brand of ramen in the orange packages, it's delicious. The items are all moderately priced, this is the only korean market in the city that I know of and go to.
In the front they also have premade dishes. The kim bap(korean sushi) has a nice crunch from the pickled carrots and daikon radishes. The jap chae (potato flour noodles) are also good. I usually get the spicy sweet rice cakes and the eggs. I wouldn't recommend the little drumsticks/wings if you cant heat it up.
The best thing about this place is that they have the melon flavored gum that korean restraunts give out at the end of the meal. They run out of flavor fast so make sure to stock up on a few packs!
Overall 4 stars.
(If you are by daly city/ century theater area you might want to go to Kukje Super Market on Junipero Serra Blvd, its much larger.)
LOVE this place. I drop in for a quick lunch on the go and for a Duk fix. My Korean mother-in-law says their stuff is really good and not too greasy which is a huge compliment coming from her. We have had them cater a couple of events for us and the food has been stellar. Just like Halmoni made it.
I admit I have what some may call a "kimchee addiction". Since making kimchee is slightly difficult in my extremely small dorm and I don't have the money to eat out at a Korean restaurant every night I rely on the First Korean Market to get my fix.
The kimchee here is pretty good though sometimes it can be a little salty. I am limited to buying the smaller jar because it is the only size that fits in my small dorm room fridge but their kimchee is sold in a variety of sizes. I also grabbed a small container of seaweed salad on my way out recently that was actually really good, dare I say better then the seaweed salad at my favorite Korean BBQ restaurant and the fish market in the Ferry Building. Needless to say I will start buying my seaweed salad from here too. I also come here to by my gim (nori).
The lady who works the front is really nice, though I think sometimes a little bemused by me and my addiction to Korean food. I like this place, the prices are not outrageous, the people are nice and it's close to where I live. *The reason it gets four stars is : 1. Because sometimes the kimchee is slightly salty and 2. Because there is a $10 minimum for using your credit or debit card so bring cash if you don't want to have to buy extra to make it to the $10 mark.*
I wanted to buy a little of everything here, but I contained myself. I stopped by here because I wanted to get the corn-flavored tea, the ones they serve at Korean restaurants. After some looking around I found them for a very affordable price, so I was super happy! I also stumbled upon their kim-chi and other pickled goods bar, where they charge by weight, so I couldn't help but to pack some to-go. For sure this is a good lil' market to pick up Korean snacks.
I love this place. I always get the sushi and sometimes the seaweed salad that are packaged in the front. The chicken in the front of the registers always looked good, so I finally bought it. Yum, it was delicious. I'm craving it now!
Mm, you can make a great meal out of the things they have in the back, just make rice =).
I think I'm just hungry...
I had takeout from here, and it was the fried chicken wings and yam noodles. Both were good, especially considering the price. The wings were a little soggy by the time I got to eat so I don't know how crispy they would have been "fresh" but they were saucy and tasty. I'd definitely go back to try a few more things. Great bang for the buck (which is of prime importance to my limited wallet)
Kimbap! Chop Chae! The tasty sweet and spicy drumettes! There are so many tasty treats here - if you get there before noon, they are likely wrapping up the fresh batches for the lunch time rush!
Kimbap is Korean sushi - very tasty and good for those who don't like raw fish. The filling is fish cake, radish, spinach and egg. It really is a great snack - no need for soy sauce or wasabi.
Chop Chae - this is the clear noodles with spinach, shredded mushroom, carrots, little bit of beef and some onion - likely garlic powder or something...very tasty but can be oily, almost necessary so the noodles don't stick.
The drumettes - it's fried and either dipped or slathered with the sticky yummy sauce - it's garlicky, sweet and just a very light taste of spice. Goes great with a cold beer ;)
Tasty and inexpensive - better if you get it while it's still warm...delicious! All 3 of my favorites as listed above is less than $10! It's easily a meal for 2 :)
Good prices.
Helpful staff.
Nice selection.
Better organized than Geary Market http://www.yelp.com/bi... .
What is there not to like?
Tip: Great to-go food selection.
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I like this place a little more than the one on Fillmore, because the people are friendlier, speak a bit more English, and have more selection!
Prices are good, and they accept credit cards too.
When I lived closer, I'd buy boxes of the spicy dried noodles, three packages of the rolls and tons of their chicken...
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Yippeee!!! I finally found my favy korean market in the city!!!
I love this place because they have all my favorite korean food like kimbab, an amazing spicy fishcake appetizer, my sweet black beans, bean sprouts, ocean salad & they have my favy can't-live-without kimchee in the city: Cham kimchee. I've tried a variety of other ones in SF & they were wayyy too salty or too sour for my taste buds. I just discovered this place today so I'm so thrilled. Before I would always drive to Santa Clara just to pick up my Cham kimchee. Now, I don't have to.
Oh, they also have my favorite korean alcohol: bok boon ja joo (black raspberry wine). This is my big-girl, all-grown-&-mature version of Jinro. ha ha. Ladies, you must try this drink!
Also, the people are so friendly. After I paid, the lady sincerely said thank you sooo much so very graciously. I'm definitely coming back.
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Melona ice cream bars. That's it. I'm very happy now.
:D
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oh yeah. Their kim chee is excellent, my fav is the daikon.
excellent customer service. My fav korean local market.
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I live so close to here and come here so often that I think the lady behind the counter already knows me. I only get the kimbap here. Haven't had the chance to try anything else because that's all I come for. For$3.50, you get 20 pieces of fresh kimbap. (I always touch it before I grab it because the warm ones, which are the fresh ones, are usually on the bottom) I always end up buying 3-4, in case I get midnight cravings!
**update** I also bought the orange fried chicken package with 3 packages of kimbap the other day. The chicken is so delicious. They just finish making it and packed it up so it was fresh! For $3.00, you'll get 7 pieces of it.. If you have eaten at SunTung on Irving next to Yummy Yummy, it taste exactly like that..
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My boyfriend picks up the marinaded meats, frozen rice cakes, and kim chee here. The ladies are always so sweet to him and often give him a mini tray of the noodles. Check out the plate of food on my picture page! mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... komme somme da!
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I love this little market; a lot better quality stuffs than the big market like Kukje; though less variety. I can't get enough of their kimbap .. yummy but it has gotten a little expensive since the rice shortage. I guess it is still cheaper than else where. I also love their kimchi and marinated meats. Definitely good stuffs comparing to the other markets that I usually shop for food.
The perfect little Korean market, plus a great deli section with pre-marinated meats, a good selection of side dishes and really, really good kimchee in the cooler.
I'm a big fan of the single serving japchae and the gimbap. Great for a snack and a good alternative to the nearby Jack in the Box.
Several years ago when I first discovered this place, the guy normally working the counter frequently tried to convince me to:
- Learn how to cook Korean food
- Learn the Korean language
- date/marry a Korean
I haven't seen him there for a while. I kinda miss the banter.
I wish parking was easier and that it was closer to home but I still get out here every couple of weeks for a snack.
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For my son's first Tol birthday party we picked this place to prepare the dduk, kim bop, kalbi, and bulgogi. They were right on time for the pick up. Everyone loved the kalbi and bulgogi. The dduk was fresh since they make it there. The kim bop was good, but the didn't put any spinach which I thought was kinda weird. The ahgima was super nice and put up with my mom's "please make sure everything is perfect" attitude. Also, they always give us free stuff when we shop there. And they do have the yummiest kimchee.
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the name is deceiving, cause i'm pretty sure that other korean markets opened before this one.
i'll cruise this place and head straight for the back of the market, where i scoop up marinated meats, pickled delights, and a third category that encompasses whatever else is there that i'm not so sure what to do with.
at the front is a cart with snacks and treats, i love the korean style california rolls and the squishy mochi-esque treats that sit on the cart.
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I seriously love this place. The people are friendly, the selection is good, and the prices are right. I'm kind of new to Korean food, but this place makes it easy to try new things. They always have fresh goodies wrapped in cellophane near the check-out. I can never resist, and I've never been disappointed. Plus, you can buy the REALLY HUGE tubs of kimchi there. I can't get enough of the the stuff so that works out well for me.
Parking is definitely an issue, so walk if you can, or enlist the help of a friend who can drive by and scoop you up on the way out.
we got a tray of their chicken wings for new year's eve and they were nice and sweet and sesame-ee... the size of half a mac G4 for $30.
like a lot of other people yelped, we usually get free stuff at check-out but not this time, maybe cuz it was late and there was nothing good by the register to give, or maybe we didn't deserve it because we called the order in with pretty short notice, so no star-penalty for first korean not giving out free stuff this time. hahaha !!
NOTE: most popular drink of the new years party (other than absinthe which is now legal) was "pear-hi," soju mixed with crushed pear juice you can buy in a skinny 1-liter bottle here.
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went here to get kimpbap after realizing that woo ri market was out. the kimpbap was ok, but not as good as woo ri's imo. might come back here to try their other pre-packaged food tho.
Thier sushi is really good! $3.50 for two rolls! Quite worth it!!
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Great sweet and tangy Korean wings! The price is extremely reasonable too. I got a whole tray of these wings to bring to my family picnic and everyone had a huge smile on their face. Awesome!
I love this place. They've changed ownership within the last year or so and have undergone a long-need facelift as a result. This place is still my favorite Korean grocery store in the Bay Area, though.
As before, the owner/employees are pleasant and helpful. There is still a modest selection of prepared food of "just-like-my-halmoni-makes" quality ("halmoni" = grandma) of varying prices which have been more reasonable in the past but seem to be creeping higher with every visit (but still cheaper than the other Korean supermarkets and megamarkets).
In one small store, you'll be able to find almost every spice or dry staple you need to prepare Korean food. The fresh produce selection could stand to be larger, but they've covered the basics at least.
What is lovely about this market is that they continue the old country tradition of throwing in a little sumthin-sumthin for free when you purchase groceries beyond a certain dollar amount (OR if you become a regular and remind them of their niece or nephew or something...).
Today, I spent $25 (I REALLY wanted bean sprouts and dumplings for some reason) and they threw in an order of their chap chae (seasoned Korean vermicelli noodles with vegetables) for free. That was my lunch ... how can you beat that?
I WOULD HAVE GIVEN THIS PLACE FIVE STARS, but parking can get a tad bit tricky. Today, I got there before 11am, and it wasn't too bad. The Jack in the Box has a parking lot, but they tow ... go buy a soda or something then grocery shop.
TIPS:
* They have a plastic container of spicy seasoned tofu in the refrigerated display near the entrance for $2.50. It is such a deal and tastes so good (reheat and eat with hot rice ... YUM!).
* The have the best Kimbap (Korean nori-rolls filled with veggies, fish cake, and egg) in San Francisco. The rice is fresh and flavored with toasted sesame oil, but not greasy.
* If you are having a party, this place is a great choice for catering. I ordered enough Korean food for a group of 30 people (bean sprouts, tofu, barbeque beef, chicken wings, rice, kimchee, chapchae) and spent just under $150. They gave me enough food for 50 and there was plenty of food for everyone to take home a full meal for consumption later.
* Every day, they have freshly made rice cakes. Sometimes, they are still in thick, stick-like shapes. So delicious, soft and warm!! Great to snack on.
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