Woo Ri Food Market

Nice to find a mini Korean market on the outskirts of Japantown. Honestly, it’s not much, but it’ll do. The first thing I noticed is that the prices are a bit higher. But, you’re not going to find too many choices for Korean products in the area, so it could be warranted. Also, I’m also comparing to LA prices and SF is whole different animal.
The place has been around for a while and it has all the essentials. Packaged foods, meat, perishables, and produce. It’s just a miniature store that sells Korean staples and necessities. Alcohol and beverages included. I’m sure it comes in handy for the Asians nearby.
I felt that the store was fairly stocked, somewhat quiet for a Saturday. However, it’s really convenient to get in and out, with most customers walking to the store. I didn’t see cars stockpiled outside trying to look for a parking spot.
Not much customer service inside, just a person behind the register, similar to the Korean owned liquor store setup. The neighborhood isn’t the cleanest and not the most upscale, but like I said, it does the job and that’s all you can hope for.
* UPDATE — store is now officially closed as of the New Year. Damn, what a bummer.

Pricey, but one of the very few options for Korean grocery in the city. Woo Ri is a local mom and pop’s Korean store. Their kimchi is pretty good, but if you want a better deal get it at Costco if they have it in stock.
The last time I came here was on a weekday night. The remaining kimbap and rice cakes looked pretty sad. The only things I see worth getting here are your Asian staples that you can’t get elsewhere in the city.
*NOTE: THIS PLACE HAS BEEN EVICITED*

Although a bit overpriced, this was my go-​to place for my Korean food needs, from Asian snacks to pork belly to kimbaps.
The people who worked here were such sweethearts too, well sometimes they don’t talk to you at all.
And yes, this was the place for all basic needs for Korean food. However, it is closed down now. And the rumor has it that a new Korean market will open instead.
I guess, I will just have to endure until the new one opens up.

If you’re craving injeolmi (korean rice cakes), they sell them here. They carry the ones dusted with powdered soybean and azuki beans.

Great local korean market with a good selection of staples. The quality is pretty good… I’ve purchased everything from produce, meats, kim chi to ban chan. The owner is great and I appreciate his attention to detail double bagging everything before throwing it in!

A great neighbourhood market carrying many specialty Korean grocery items. There’s a huge range of fresh miso pastes, rice, noodles, rice cakes and pickles. A small butcher is inside the store and you can pick up fresh food items like banchan and hot meals. They also carry a good range of Korean liquor like soju, plum wine, raspberry wine and Korean beers (Hite, Cass). It’s not a huge market and the service can be slow in busy times, but perfect to find niche items for Korean cooking.

I really like coming to this market b/​c its cute and has a cozy vibe to it. The food and the ban chan ~~~ side dishes are awesome. My favorite is the chicken wings, kimbbap and the pickled radish stuff but the other dishes are freekin bomb too. No lies here.
There are these three handsome guys that work there too so that’s another plus!?! I usually go there often so they take good care of me. Always have a good time when I go to market.
Great price, awesome food, and great people
I’m satisfied. YAY :)

While they do not have the most extensive selection of Asian products (rice, sauces, pastes, produce, etc.) what they have is enough for the times you don’t have the energy or time to go to the Inner Richmond. And of course, their product selection is skewed towards Korean items since there is a bounty of Japanese markets around the corner. This is definitely a place for locals particularly those who live in the Fillmore. Their prices are quite reasonable, they are open at convenient hours, and it’s certainly a less busy shopping environment compared to Clement Street. It seems the owners have their share of regulars since every time I drop by they are chatting away with familiar faces. That’s always a good sign. I’ve not tried their food, but I’ve also been told it’s pretty good. Overall, Woo Ri is a solid local shop and I hope they continue to thrive.

Amazing treasure in Japantown. Try the prepared foods at the front counter, especially sushi, the kimchee, and frozen pot stickers.

I was pleasantly surprised to be taken to this Korean grocery!
It is authentic, cozy, and fresh.
Plenty of your food staples in one aisle (cabbage, sprouts, etc); non-​perishables and snacks in another; then there’s the refrigerated section with kimchi, soft drinks, and Korean alcohol; and there’s even a tiny butcher section in the back with bones for soups or pork belly for frying.
The man in the front was your typical gruff, weathered, no-​nonsense small business owner. A+ for a local business I will come back to.

It’s great to have a korean market in the city. Conveniently located next to Quickly. I like to shop with boba in hand. They have a lot of korean noodles and snacks. A lot of soju and rice wine as well. Don’t forget to check out their ready-​made food!

Oh man! Finally a Korean market in central SF! I nearly fainted when I saw it. It’s not a big shop, but they really cram the goodness inside. They have fresh produce, prepared ban chan, pre-​marinated bulgogi, snacks, and everything korean. The fresh made kimbap smelled just like my Omma makes back home. I need to go back and buy everything.

Accessibility (Parking /​Wait Time)
¹⁄₁ Star: street parking is ok. There is a parking lot for the area even though it looks like Safeway’s parking lot. No wait.
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Service (Waiter /​Cleanness /​Ambiance)
⁰⁄₁ Star: it’s a market. Buy your food and leave like a fast food restaurant.
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Taste (0=Not Edible /​1=Edible /​2=Good (average) /​3=Must Try!)
³⁄₃ Stars: the to go food is fresh and really good. The Chicken Wings are a MUST TRY! Heat them up in a toaster oven. The wings have lots of flavor and the sweetness is very balanced. My most favorite chicken wing in the whole city!
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Overall Experience
⁴⁄₅ Stars
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Last Words
Chicken Wings!!!

Most Korean markets are in the Richmond District of the City. In recent years, more Korean merchants & professionals have set up shop in the now hot Fillmore corridor. The neighborhood has changed so much that you’ll even find a Michelin star restaurant directly across the street!
But don’t expect that type of quality food or products here, just simple down home cooking. There is a small assortment of cooked foods, nothing like Kukje down south, and in-​house made Kim Chee and marinated meats. They have some savory pancakes and jap chae right at the counter if you’re looking for a quick bite too. It reminds me of those corner stores in the ’70’s.
Don’t recommend coming here too late in the evening as there are still those typical neighborhood ‘incidents’ as in crime, but, with more foot traffic, they are less common.

This Korean market is great. Has everything from dry to assorted kimchees. In the back also has meat for BBQ. And most of all I come here for. Is their cooked items. Vegi sushi n other yummy yummy mouth watering chicken wings n vegi noodles.
But good luck finding parking if u come late. Cuz it’s only street parking around here.

A good neighborhood korean market. The first few times I came just to pick up some obscure Asian ingredients but I noticed they also had pre-​sliced pork belly which is perfect for twice cooked pork. I also got some of those rice noodles good for stir frying and some cheap produce. At first I found the grocer to be cold and unfriendly but after I went back and started asking about the pre-​made korean food you can buy to take and eat, he was quite friendly and seemed eager and happy to explain what they all were.
My only experience with Korean food before that was Korean BBQ, so it was a pleasant surprise to find out just how diverse and tasty the offerings here were. I gor a variety of cold dishes for lunch, and some mini crabs in a spicy sauce, squid in spicy red sauce and seaweed salad were my first tries. WOW, delicious. The crabs were by far my favorite, you eat the whole, shells and all, and they are great. The seaweed and squid were pretty tasty too, and all three worked out to about $ 13.00 and enough to feed two people.
I can’t wait to go back and try the rest of the dishes!

Woo RI isn’t Kukje. (never been there) or Koreana (oaktown) but it has all the essentials sans frozen treats/​deserts (melona-​ice cream).:
–deli section (looks like the banchan you wish you could get at korean eateries.
–small meat section in back
–soju, sake, and …
–ramen, all types
–frozen korean meals/​soups.
–ready to eat snacks.
buys:
samyang ramen kimchi (1.29)
–initially boiled ramen tasted stale so overboiled to tender
–kimchi flavoring not so, just chili powder, little spiciness. some msg.
nongshim, champong (1.39)
samyang chinese soybesn paste ramen (1.19)
–comparing it to ramen offered at korean eateries. almost all use instant noodles. few use fresh noodle/​ramen.
shopping notes:
–prepped food had no pricing, need to ask
–groceries i checked had princing.
–no smile service, similar to border guard at DMZ/​38^th parrell.

This place is just ok – the man behind the counter never acknowledges you, everything is overpriced, the bread is always stale, and their selection is very limited. But I guess I can’t really complain considering that the next best Korean market is all the way in Daly City (Kukje Market) or Oakland (Koreana Plaza). And the guy hates it when you use your credit card, and he isn’t afraid to show it… even when you’re spending over $ 10.
Oh, and I am not sure why everyone is calling their Kimbap vegetarian sushi – it has fish cakes in it, so I don’t think it’s technically «vegetarian.»

With Japantown Safeway close by, I would definitely choose this Korean Market any given day. Some of the (gourmet) Asian items you don’t find at Safeway or any Asian Market; all sandwiched in this little market.
If your plan for a Korean meal-​gathering in your home, the friendly staffs kindly offer you suggestions on what to cook and product (s) to use. Don’t forget to invite me too, ok!
If you’re lazy or trying to find a quick bite, the little market has pre-​packaged snacks to crave our appetites. I bought the Spicy Korean Wings and the Kim Bap (Vegetarian Sushi). Each cost $ 4.00, the Korean Wings are spicy, tasty and surprisingly still warm when I first got them. And the Kim Bap has rice, eggs and vegetables all wrapped up in a seaweed wrap. With poultry, vegetables and rice, I just got everything in this quick snack or in many of you, «a meal».
I paid my snack in cash. I think this place also accept credit cards too.
I would definitely come back and check out other pre-​packaged meals and do other ethnic shopping here.

Why spend $$$ at Won Mi across the street, when you can shop at Woo Ri and have an authentic Korean meal at home?
From the outside, Woo Ri looks like a tiny, shabby Korean Market, but inside lies a lot of hidden gems.
PREPARED FOODS:
*Kim Bap (Veggie Sushi Roll w/​egg, radish, spinach, spinach, and carrots)
*Ddeokbokki (Korean Rice Cake)
*Yangnyum Dak (Spicy Fried Chicken Wings)
*Jap Chae (Stir-​fried Korean Glass Noodles)
*Sundae (Sliced Korean Blood Sausage)
*Pa Jeon (Korean Scallion Pancake)
*Tteok (Sweet Rice Cakes filled w/​red bean paste)
BAN CHAN GALORE: Just to name a few…
*Sigumchi Namul (Spinach Salad)
*Gamja Jorim (Glazed Potatoes)
*Kimchi Assortment (cabbage, soybeans, radishes, cucumbers, bean curds, etc)
*Miyeok muchim (seaweed w/​sweet vinegar)
*Ojingeochae bokkeum (Stir fried dried squid)
MARINATED MEATS:
*Bulgogi (Marinated Beef)
*Kalbi (Short Ribs)
TIP: Come here early (before late afternoon) if you want to snag the prepared foods.
PRICES:
There are no prices on any of the food items, so you have to ask the cashier.
OTHER ITEMS:
*Staples like rice noodles, rice, ramen, etc.
*Snacks: Korean chips, crackers and cookies
*Sauces: jarred and powdered
*Coffee and bagged Asian teas
*Asian sodas
So, far I’ve tried the following:
*Ddeokbokki (Korean Rice Cake): The rice cakes are slathered with a very spicy gochujang sauce (garlic, chili, and sugar). They are chewy and glutinous and the sauce was a perfect blend of savory, sweet, MUY CALIENTE, salty, and tangy. It was topped with a thin slice of fish cake which was very tender. The rice cakes do get hard the next day, so make sure to eat them the same day.
*Jap Chae (Stir-​fried Korean Glass Noodles): One of the BEST Jap Chae’s I’ve ever had! The glass noodles were combined with bulgogi pieces, shitake mushrooms, spinach, onion, carrots, and sprinkled with sesame seeds. The noodles were al-​dente and perfectly seasoned with the soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil. The beef was tender as well as the veggies. It was a perfect combo of savory, salty, sweet, crunchy, and nutty.
*Yangnyum Dak (Spicy Fried Chicken Wings): OMG – SOOO GOOD! The gigantic drummettes are moderately battered and fried which leave yummy crispy pieces throughout. They are then slathered in a thick, syrupy soy, garlic, ginger, and chili sauce and then topped with small red chilies, scallions, and sesame seeds. The chicken is moist and tender and even cold the skin is still lightly crisp. You can really taste the garlic and ginger from the sauce; it’s savory, sweet, fiery, and nutty. Finger-​licking good! If you like San Tung’s wings, you will LOVE these!
SERVICE:
Woo Ri ain’t no Whole Food’s, Mollie Stones, or TJ’s so don’t expect friendly service. The cashier doesn’t say, «Hi», «Thank you», or «Bye» which is very typical of Asian markets, so I’m not surprised.
PARKING:
Street parking (metered) which can be a little difficult during the weekends. But, it’s just half a block from the 22 and 38 line which is convenient.
I already can’t wait until my next visit to get my hands on those wings…*DROOL*