Yuk Dae Jang San Diego / 육대장 샌디에고

A casual Korean chain specializing in Yukgaejang and Seolleongtang but they also have fresh, perfectly cooked purple rice, do a great bossam, and have delicious galbi patties! I love wrapping my bossam in perilla leaves. Upon looking at the pictures on Google amd social media, it didn't seem that they offered perilla leaves so we came prepared 🤭 Upon ordering, I asked our server if they had perilla leaves and he said no so I nicely asked if it was okay that we brought our own. He said it was fine 🙂 We actually went back the next night to eat more soup!!! The owner/manager was so kind and friendly.

Yuk Dae Jang is a casual Korean eatery serving comfort food dishes like spicy beef soup, dumplings, and bossam (thin pork belly slices). The wait staff are business-like and efficient—taking orders, delivering food, and closing out orders without much chit chat. The four banchan side dishes, with kimchi and other vegetables, were a tasty accompaniment to the bowls of warm purple rice. The Beef Short Rib Yuk Gae Jang with pasta noodles ($3 up charge) came with a warm, comforting, and flavorful broth. The handmade noodles were smooth and well-cooked for a nice bite. Unfortunately, the beef short ribs were quite tough to chew. The six (6) pork and chive mandu were hugged by a light dumpling wrap—really nice bites as an appetizer. The bossam was thinly sliced and artfully arranged around a pile of sliced round onions. It was accompanied by fresh garlic and jalapeños slices, and two nice sauces that brought a good salt profile to the dish. Note: The restaurant offers frozen mandu/dumplings and yuk gae jang soup base for take out. The seating/tables are naturally laid out for groups of 2-4, although the restaurant can squeeze more tables together. There is a large amount of free parking available. ⚠️ The restaurant does not take reservations. They use a paper waitlist only. Overall, a great comfort food Korean restaurant for a group outing.

Yuk Dae Jang is so consistently good it almost feels illegal. The food always hits — the broth is rich, the meat is super tender, and the flavors take me right back to my time in Korea. I’ve dragged friends, family, and basically anyone who eats… and not one person has walked out disappointed. Service is always on point — quick, friendly, and they actually pay attention. Parking? A full blessing. Especially in Convoy where you normally need to pray, circle, and manifest a spot. And the music is lowkey a vibe. Works for catching up with friends, bringing the family, or even a cute little date night. If you want a spot that delivers every single time, this is the place. I’m obsessed.

Sooo good!! We got here around 545p on a Th and it was just the right time.. It got packed like 15 mins later. We only ordered cold noodles and dumplings. It was so good. Don't mind my pics for food... Not the best but trust me when I say it was fab! Next time I wanna try the stews

Monday early dinner was not very busy here. We didnt have to wait for a table and there were plenty of parking spots to choose from. I ordered the premium tripe & brisket yukgaejang and it was very delicious. I will never get tired of ordering this.

Stopped in for lunch since it was on the way home and had been on our list of places to try and were so glad we did! We walked in and it was gorgeous inside with authentic pictures of their dishes on the walls. We were sat in a booth seat and given menus right away. The table already had a long Korean spoon (my favorite) and gorgeous gold chopsticks. Water was served promptly. We ordered the Premium Tripe & Brisket YukGaeJang with Glass Noodle and a 6 piece order of the Kimchi and Pork Hand Crafted Steamed Mandu. The YukGaeJang was well seasoned and served hot to the table. It was loaded with green onions, shredded beef Brisket and noodles. My wife and I shared it and still didn't finish it. The Mandu was also very well seasoned and steamed to perfection. The ponchos (sides) that were served were fish cakes, kimchi and i think green onions or leak? All well seasoned and flavorful staples! We also got a side or rice and when we ordered it the server said "white or purple?" Omg!! We love purple rice! This definitely spoke on the authenticity of this place!! Everything was so good and well worth the price! We paid a little less that $40 for everything!

I visited this place with my wife for lunch, and it was truly satisfying. We ordered Yukgaejang and Seolleongtang, and both dishes had perfect seasoning and generous portions. Not only was the food delicious, but the restaurant was also clean and well-maintained, providing a pleasant dining experience. The staff was friendly and attentive, which made our visit even more enjoyable. During our week-long trip to San Diego, this was the only restaurant we visited twice. That says a lot about how great the food and service are. Highly recommended for anyone craving authentic Korean cuisine!