Dong Baek Restaurant

Not being an expert on the Korean cuisine, I can only offer general observations.

* The panchan were nice but not outstanding. The standouts were the slippery thick noodles with a mildly spicy red sauce and the very mild crispy kimchee.

* The oyster jun was interesting, resembling a cross between egg foo young and stewed oysters.

* The peppery black goat stew casserole was delicious, but...+READ Not being an expert on the Korean cuisine, I can only offer general observations.

* The panchan were nice but not outstanding. The standouts were the slippery thick noodles with a mildly spicy red sauce and the very mild crispy kimchee.

* The oyster jun was interesting, resembling a cross between egg foo young and stewed oysters.

* The peppery black goat stew casserole was delicious, but I expected a stronger goat flavor.

* The fish egg soup was very nice and was my second favorite dish of the day.

* The delicate dumplings served in a small amount of broth and with a sesame dipping sauce were outstanding. The sauce was a bit thin, but the dumplings shone with flavor.

* The homemade noodles had a wonderful texture but the black bean sauce was noticeably lacking in flavor. I would order these noodles again but either in soup or with a stronger-flavored topping.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (7 Replies) (by davidgi, created December 22, 2009)

This was another good meal, and while I generally enjoyed all the dishes, it was again the panchan that made me the happiest, All of it tasted very fresh, with many different flavors and textures. My favorite was kimchee made with what looked like baby choy sum - crisp and delicious.

I think we ended up ordering interesting and well-matched dishe, thanks to a great group of dining compatriots!...+READ This was another good meal, and while I generally enjoyed all the dishes, it was again the panchan that made me the happiest, All of it tasted very fresh, with many different flavors and textures. My favorite was kimchee made with what looked like baby choy sum - crisp and delicious.

I think we ended up ordering interesting and well-matched dishe, thanks to a great group of dining compatriots! Memorable for me were:

Spicy rice cake. I found the rice cakes to be softer and slightly less chewy than I'm accustomed, and I enjoyed the black pepper that along with the hot pepper paste sauce.

Goat meat stew. A new dish for me, and I really enjoyed the strong flavor of the broth.

Oyster Jun. Nicely cooked and juicy oysters. Good ratio of oyster to fried batter.

Noodles with black bean sauce. I've only had this dish a few times, and this version was comparable. Sauce was a little sweet for me, but that can be remedied at the table,

Fish egg and vegetable soup. Generally good, but not exceptional.

Dumplings - a nice complement to what were mostly spicy dishes.

While I'm not sure I can put Dong Baek on a list of must-visit Korean restaurants in SF, it's definitely worth a visit if in the area. I think it has improved with the new management.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (7 Replies) (by David Wishart, created December 21, 2009)