Muguboka

Ask us where to go for a relaxed Korean dinner, and the answer will be Muguboka. This place on Balboa and 5th Avenue in the Richmond is chill, quiet, and homey—basically, all the words you want to hear if a quick dinner alone or with a buddy is on the agenda, and you have an aversion to overly fussy. There’s always a table, a big screen TV that plays things like Wheel of Fortune on mute, and the staff is attentive and friendly. A constant stream of neighborhood regulars pack this place to fill up on comforting dishes. The tofu soup is perfectly velvety, with a balanced spicy-sour broth, and the kimchi pancake is packed with flavor and not overly oily. And turn to the BBQ section, where you’ll find a reasonably priced and well-charred galbi and a beautifully marinated bulgogi.

photo credit: Melissa Zink

Food Rundown

photo credit: Melissa Zink

Soft Tofu

Order this. It’s one of the restaurant’s standouts. The nicely balanced soup is sweet and salty and sour all at once. And the tofu is wonderfully silky. Chunks of onion and bits of beef add texture. Ideal for two people.

photo credit: Melissa Zink

Gal Bee

Not overly sweet, not too over done—it’s perfect. It’s also $33 for a hot sizzling plate of it, and for the size, is a pretty good value.

Dolsott Bibimbap

One of the dishes where the meat and vegetable topping could use more flavor. The rice is nice and toasted at the bottom, though.

photo credit: Melissa Zink

Kim Chi Jun

Like everything here, this kimchi pancake goes for balance. It’s the perfect thickness, spiced and pungent, and the portions are big enough to feed an army. There is no going wrong with this order.

HaeMul Pa Jun

Like the kimchi pancake, we love this seafood pancake. There’s a high seafood count, which results in individual pieces that kind of break apart when you lift it with your chopsticks. That said, we still have love for it.

Duk Boki

A bowl of not-too-spicy, fill-me-up-now rice cakes. Nothing more, nothing less.