ii-cha soju bar

This is pretty much the same restaurant as Tonight (I have my suspicion that it’s the same owner since they share the same workers). The only difference is that they serve alcoholic boba. It’s certainly interesting and not bad, but it’s super expensive for a glass of drink. They overcharge you at $ 9 for a skinny glass drink that sells more gimmick than quality. Don’t get me wrong, it does taste good but I have a feeling they would only attract first time buyers and no return customers because of the price.
Decent place but they need a price adjustment. Bottom line, if they wait at Tonight is too long, come here and avoid the boba drink unless you haven’t tried before. If you have some extra cash, treat yourself and your friend to one!

One waitress army… great personality…
Fries with bulgogi… great personality…
So why the hell do I count the calories
cause I only want to count my salary
it’s a little sad right now my paycheck needs some ecstasy
I suffer my health from the wealth disparity
my One Percent fat got me voting Hilary
right wings tryna impose this trickle down economy
if it ain’t Cantaloupe Special then the trickle is a fallacy
sorry the trickle spilled on to your samsung galaxy
please keep your iphone to the side of me
so the shot glasses can be our catastrophe
I just killed the fries you can call it fatality
carbo load on simple carbs pray I won’t get them cavities
cause ii-​cha be feeding me all this enthropy
and the waitress be feeding off the energy
pretty waitress refills the water almost instantly
only waitress working she be working constantly
If you ask me I will tell it honestly…
It all comes back to great personality.
bite me if you call this blasphemy
foodkid fAAtcity

Came by on a friday night. It was quiter than i had hoped, but the ambiance, and place looked cool. We ordered some flavored Soju in a combo which came with truffle fries, and wings.
the wings were saucy and tasted ok, but they had some good meat on them. The fries were good, but nothing amazing.
The mango soju tasted cool, but like zero soju added? It was like a non alcoholic drizzy drink!

Came here around 7 with a friend and the place wasn’t even crowded but it was loud as hell!!! Young Asian kids yelling and screeching everywhere. The restaurant is very dark inside, no ventilation, and so loud I had to basically yell to have a conversation with my friend. We ordered the bulgogi fries which were just ok, not really a big fan of the wasabi mayo they drizzle all over it, and the fries were soggy, the spicy rice cakes with ramen, and the kimchi fried rice. Everything was just mediocre and I don’t think it was worth the price. Everything on the menu is at least $ 10-​$ 12. Gave this place a try and I don’t think I will be back. There are a lot of other Korean type bar food places that have more flavor and a better atmosphere. I miss when this place was tonight shabu.

I would definitely come back here because my friends and I had fun!
We ordered the strawberry, lychee, cantaloupe, mango soju (we kinda went all out). Everything was served in a small tea pot, except the cantaloupe which was served in a cantaloupe. :P
I liked the:
* mango the best,
* followed by the cantaloupe,
* then strawberry
* and the lychee was only okay.
Food-​wise, they give you complementary pretzels, which is a nice gesture. We ordered bulgogi fries, calamari, and a seafood pancake.
* Bulgogi fries were alright, I’m not a big fan of the wasabi infused flavor.
* Calamari was really good and crispy and it consisted of all the legs /​tentacles and the sauce was delicious.
* Seafood pancake was also okay, lacked vegetables & flavor but maybe I got a bad piece.
The service was great! They always checked up on us if we wanted to order more and they were very personable and joked around with our party.
There were a decent amount of tables and seating. There was a small bar area, but they were able to accommodate our party of 7 on a Friday night and the wait around 9pm doesn’t seem too unbearable.
I’m docking a star because of the food, but I would give a 4.5 if it was possible! :)

Great hangout spot! Although the food wasn’t spectacular, the boba and the service was!
Service by Mi (?) Was amazing! She really took care of the whole restaurant plus our table with great attention to detail! She showed us how to take care of our canteloupe drink and explained how they use real fruit so don’t be alarmed when your boba separates.
All the food we had was just MEH:
Kimchi fried rice — meh
Chicken wings — meh
Soup — meh.
All the soju cocktails had good sweet chewy boba:
Mango — the tastiest
Peach — the strongest
Strawberry — it is what it is
We also for an off the menu cantaloupe drink that came in the actual fruit, it was super refreshing and super real
Bottom line: great pregame place but you may not want to have your dinner here

I’m agreeing with Winé C’s review.
It has the look, glamor, and feel of a LA clubby korean lounge, but misses the mark on variety and quality of drinks and food. I feel the price is too high for its offerings.
The drinks are presented very nicely, but it wasn’t anything unique enough for me to make a trip here unless soju’s your drink.
They have a boba soju drink, but was price quite high when compared to the other drinks.
One thing I would say is unique is their vinegar soju. Maybe it’s offered at other korean places, but first time I’ve tried it.
Recommended if you’re in the area and want some soju.

I didn’t realize this place was also owned by the owner of Tonight Soju bar until after, but I enjoyed my experience at both places! This location is more spacious which I liked.
Drinks:
My friends and I came for the flavored soju drinks haha. The drinks we got had more of an «icee» texture and they also have soju cocktails! For the fruit sojus my party got mango and it was very yummy! We had 6 people and there was enough for 2 shots each~ For the boba cocktail we got the peach flavor which was my favorite! You could kind of taste the alcohol, but that was ok. Overall, very good flavors
Food:
We went around dinner time and got a couple items to munch on. My friend recommended the ii-​cha wings and they were very crispy! Also got the bulgolgi fries, and although tasty, the wasabi-​based sauce wasn’t my thing. The meat was nice and flavorful though.
Good experience and not too loud atmosphere~

I’ve never been to Tonight, but I was more enticed to check this place out because its fairly new so I assumed more space and no wait. We came on a Saturday around 8:45ish and the place was not busy at all, so we were able to pick a spot and seat ourselves. The only annoying thing was there was a big group of 6+ ppl next to us that were pretty loud the whole time and it sounded like the noise was echoing or bouncing off the bare walls as some reviews have mentioned.
To drink, I had the mango flavored drunken tapioca soju. The flavor was on point, not too sweet and the alcohol was a little light, wasn’t enough to get me buzzed personally.
To eat, we had the bulgolgi fries and their mild chicken wings. I really enjoyed their fries, almost tasted like the ones from McDonald’s! The wasabi mayo added a nice touch for flavor, the meat pieces seemed a little shredded but def a must try. The wings were good, but nothing spesh. The sauce is a little sweet so I wouldn’t recommend it if that’s not your thing.
I’d come back to try more soju, seems a little pricier than other places probably cuz of their presentations; served with boba or in those genie looking lamp thingys. I’d enjoy the food more so for drunchies/​snacks and wouldn’t come here for straight up dinner. No ban chan with the food either :(

Krn soju cocktails? Count me in! But unfortunately this place is not a winner on my go-​to list for krn soju… We ordered food and drinks here’s the summary:
–overpriced food and drinks
–watered down soju cocktails. Can’t taste the soju at all
–spicy ii-​cha wings aren’t crispy. it’s like they microwaved wings and mixed kimchi sauce over them
–Kim chi fried rice… typical. beef was overcooked and very chewy .
–workers are busy watching TV than tending to us.
I do not recommend this place. But since this is new. I might give it another shot for them to build up their reputation.

Experience: The cantaloupe soju was so yummy ! I love how yogurt-​y/​creamy it was. It was also very smooth. Many in my party agreed and 4 of them got one to themselves. I came with a party of ~20+ for birthday celebrations and it took about 15 minutes to get food coming. We also had the lychee and peach pots. They were also very good for flavor but I had around 4 – 5 shots of soju without getting too buzzed. They were a little overly strict though, the lady would only give us a shot glass if we showed ID. We wouldn’t walk into a bar without being over 21. Some in our group were clearly over 21. That was really unnecessary.
Structure: Like its sister soju spot, they have a few TVs playing kpop all night long. They also have a bunch of tables but the big table not separated and less private. (At Tonight soju the big table is separated by a wall and tables have little columns between). Also, unlike Tonight they don’t have a separate bathroom for different sexes. All of us have to share one bathroom which I don’t like because male bathrooms can be pretty gross when they squirt everywhere. Yuck. Hopefully they can keep it clean, which it was, but it hasn’t been open for long.
Food/​drinks: The food was great! We ordered the chicken wings and bulgogi fries. Yum! I mean its hard to mess up chicken wings but the bulgogi fries, those were delicious. I definitely recommend the fries. They don’t have them at Tonight soju! All of the drinks that we had were also good. Get the cantaloupe!

Food/​Drinks: 7.5÷10
Customer Service 7.5÷10
Comfort ⁷⁄₁₀
Price Value ⁷⁄₁₀
Overall 7.5÷10
Stopped by here on a saturday night… the Soju here is pretty standard… had the yogurt and pineapple flavored soju. Nothing special about the soju. However, the BUGOGI FRIES… now these were a different story. It was like $ 12, pretty standard for these typa bars. Service was welcoming and the environment was clean as the bar is pretty new and remodeled. Recommended for a casual hangout with friends.

For a place that opened just a month ago, this place is on point. Food wise, had the onion rings and seafood pancake; cannot love those choices enough. The portions are huge so totally shareable. The stars of the meal for me personally are the tapioca cocktails and the cantaloupe drink. Just the right amount of alcohol and perfect. The place is spacious enough and isn’t as crowded as other soju places which is a plus. I’m sure this place will be much more crowded once it becomes more well known.
Allison was our server this night and super friendly and nice. Love her.
Will certainly return again.

I’ve been here 2 times so far and it never disappointed me. I got to try a few things on the menu already which were all delicious! Every item has very generous portions for a reasonable price!
ii-​cha wings:
It kind of reminds me of San tung wings, but better! Slightly spicy and super flavorful. Comes with a side of cabbage with a sweet and interesting dressing. I love it!
Seafood pancake:
Standard, but delicious. Comes with many pieces so it’s perfect to share when you’re drinking and just want a bite to snack on to chase with the soju.
Kimchi pancake:
Also a generous portion. Super yummy and perfect to snack on and share as an appetizer.
Bulgogi fries:
Sooo good! The waitress really recommended this and I’m glad she did! It has a wasabi flavored dressing. My friends loved it so much we had to ask for more sauce! It’s fries topped with wasabi dressing, kimchi, bulgogi and sesame seeds. It’s a must order!
Spicy pork burger:
Soooo good. Comes with an egg on top too! Definitely a must try. Comes with a side of fries too :)
Meat stew:
This is a hot pot that comes with sausage, spam, pork, rice cake, kimchi, onions, RAMEN, etc. need I say more? The broth was super flavorful. I think I’ve found my favorite restaurant that serves this! It’s a bit spicy but perfect for my liking.
Cantaloupe soju:
The cantaloupe soju comes out in the cantaloupe! Really cool presentation, like Tonight. The soju is delicious but you can still taste that there’s a hint of alcohol in there. Be careful, it will creep up on you even though it’s so easy to drink!
Mango drunken tapioca:
It’s so good! The only place in all of the Bay Area that has this (that I know of). Perfect concoction of tapioca pearls with flavored soju! Everyone loves boba, but now we can have boba with alcohol?! Keep them coming: D
Did I mention that the staff is super accommodating? They’re so nice with lots of suggestions to provide for you if you’ve got a ton of questions. They would gladly recommend dishes for you if you’re an indecisive person like me. I wanted everything on the menu! But it’s almost summer time so I had to refrain myself from doing that.
Overall, perfect vibe, perfect location, delicious food, yummy drinks, perfect staff, great prices. They’ll definitely be seeing my face way too often!

Coming here for round 2 after ordering the wrong items on my first initial visit to this spot, my munchies cravings wanted to see what else this spot had to offer after replacing Shabu tonight…
At least this time the food we picked was not too tongue burning or throat searing.
I was rather pleased with how quick the food seemed to come out at a steady pace, but maybe its just me being used to the european style cooking, but out of everything that came out during the night, one thing didn’t sit too well with me.
1.Cheese-corn? What the hell is this… its actually pretty good… needs more bacon though… much more bacon :) ., outside of that, this is a definite passable dish
(+1)
2. Kimchi pancake, not bad, not too hot, actually pretty tasty compared to the seafood pancake… by tasty i mean this one actually had flavor to it, however that really isnt saying much if you compare it to the rest of their items. The seafood pancake had as much flavor as edamame, the kimchi pancake had as much flavor as well. kimchee…this item needs a kick to it before i give it a passing grade…
(-1)
3. Korean Ramen, having the corn in the ramen isn’t a bad idea, i did the same thing at Mokutanya . – .(oh dear god… that place is more expensive than parking in san francisco with 3^rd world portions… never again… oh hell no never again… i get better deals from Costco)
But what really bugs me about this entrée is that the way its presented in the bowl looks like… matter, or maybe its just the dark lighting… i would hide the egg underneath all of the ingredients just out of pure sight… butoutside of that, its ramen. and had nothing special to it… therefore, does not meet passing mark (–1)
4.Calamari…the one dish anyone who has gone out to lunch or dinner after bowling or work with me before knows, if you screw this dish up, i will skewer you so far up the totem poll, even Sterling would be blushing…
The fried calamari was served in whole but 4 small selections uncut. That i don’t mind. They were thoroughly fried so no worry of raw seafood. I’m comparing this to the italian counterpart of fried calamari, the accompanying dipping sauce in addition to how the calamari is prepared, taste like biting into a fried but slightly hardened onion rings…(-1)
That was perhaps the biggest disappointment of the night, the calamari lacked a semblance of a flavor or a kick… this dish can be… or. Ore like MUST BE… adjusted for sure… Yikes… I don’t like ripping a place where the services wasn’t behind or a b~tch…but flavor on food wise… its not there yet…

I love this place! Great service, great food and modern/​sleek interior design. And easier to find parking spots compared to other bars in SF.
As far as food goes, I tried almost everything in the menu and I loved and love almost all of them. My favorites of all were Bulgogi fries (fries with korean sweet beef with wasabimayo and kimchi toppings — really well balanced flavor combo!!) and spciy tofu soup. Salty and spicy Korean bar food you can find here match perfectly with a variety of fruit soju.

This place blows. Prices are ridiculous compared to other soju places. They have soju tapioca but it’s overpriced at $ 10 for a small cup.
Save your time and money and go to either The Spot or Toyose. The waitresses here are rude and disrespectful. Not surprising since they’re the same owners as Tonight Soju Bar.
Will NOT be back.

Wasn’t expecting a Dan Sung Sa or Donkey Kong Degi. 2^nd Round is exactly what it says — a simple waypoint when you’ve already been mischievous but before going on to do worse stuff you’ll regret later via OPP (Other People’s Psnapchat #yeahthatwascheating #so).
Oddly enough, my fave of what I ate was the free shredded cabbage heaped next to my entrees. My bulgogi burger fell apart into a loco sloppy joe moco at the second bite. My golbaengi muchim was way rubbery; I first thought I’d been given funky fish cake or wheat gluten.
I think ii-cha’s newness explains the sparse ambience. Let’s see if it goes the Cocobang route of suddenly creeping in the cell phone card posters, soju girl posters, and other gaudiness.
Honorable mention to the menu design.

3.5 STARS
I was sad to see Shabu Tonight close at the old Bashful Bull location. Now where will I get my green tea rice fix from? *sad pouty lip* Green tea has L-​theanine, a great mood enhancer. It kept me sane so poor Mr. NSS doesn’t have to deal with my wrath.
When I heard from Eric C. that a new soju bar would be opening up from the same owner and with a similar concept to Tonight Soju, I thought, «Hey, nothing like a little booze to cure my blues».
Grand opening over the weekend, ii-​cha inherited the décor from Shabu Tonight except the electric burners were removed. There’s seating for about 40 people with 3 – 4 flat screen TVs for watching the game. Reservations are taken and I recommend making them on the weekends and if you have a large group.
ii-cha’s menu is similar to Tonight Soju with some additional fusion items like the Bulgogi burger and Soju boba drinks. Here are the links to the menu:
and
.
You can’t go to a Korean bar/​restaurant without ordering some KFC, so we started with an order of the ii-​cha wings (8 pieces — $ 12.95):
. The KFC wings reminded me of the ones at Cocobang and were lacquered in a gochujang chili type sauce. I prefer KFC wings with a savory sweet glaze like at The Spot, San Tung, or So and these had more of a pungent saltiness with a kick.
The Bulgogi fries seem to be a popular item as all the other tables ordered it but we’re trying to avoid fries so we ordered the Bulgogi entrée ($ 16.95):
. Good savory sweet flavor but it lacked a sear and there was a lot of residual liquid. We missed Maria M. by 30 minutes. She and her BF ordered the Bulgogi fries and liked it so I would order that over the bulgogi entrée.
Mr. NSS also got an order of the Gyoza ($ 7.95) which I didn’t try:
. He thought it was ok while I got my go-​to of Cheese Corn ($ 5.95):
. You really can’t go wrong with the Korean rendition of elote: cheese and corn.
Overall, the food was along the lines of 3 – 3.25 stars but I’m sure they will improve over time after iron out their opening kinks.
The star of the night was the Aloe Soju ($ 12.95):
. Because there was bits of aloe, it made me feel like it was the healthy way of getting sloshed! Ok, not really but please don’t rain on my parade.
ii-​cha is a great place to get your drank on but for the price ($ 75 including tip for two people), I would prefer having a proper Korean meal at Han II Kwan or Jang Soo since I’m not much of a drinker anymore. Now this is a tell-​tale sign that I’m getting old. However, our sweet waitress made us feel much better when she actually carded us – thank you! She was very friendly and attentive so rounding up on my rating.
*Gun Bae*

Dropped by for the soft opening
Items tried:
Alcoholic Tapioca in Mango & Strawberry
Chicken Wings
Good place to kick it with friends, catch some bites & watch a sports game.