Best Korean Food on Convoy
16 picksThe short answer
The best Korean food on Convoy depends on what you're after: Chon Ju Jip for homestyle stews, Friend's House Korean for soondubu with a group, Tofu House for quick hot-stone bowls.
- Best for homestyle stews: Chon Ju Jip
- Best for soondubu with a group: Friend's House Korean
- Best for quick hot-stone bowls: Tofu House
- Best for pork bone soup in the morning: Jomaru Hot Pot
- Best for beef bone soup and galbi jjim: Woomiok
- Best for spicy beef soup and bossam: Yuk Dae Jang
- Best for dakgalbi cooked at the table: Hongdae Dakgalbi
- Best for wings and beer: Bonchon Convoy
- Best for fried chicken with the most flavors: bb.q Chicken Convoy
- Best for a pocha night: Min Sok Chon
- Best for late-night soju: ZZan Sushi & Soju
- Best for a late pocha night without karaoke: Thang Thang
- Best for bossam after 10pm: DalBam Moon Night
- Best for KBBQ as a splurge: SOT BBQ
- Best for classic AYCE KBBQ: Manna BBQ
- Best for charcoal KBBQ and home cooking: DJK Korean BBQ
How to choose
Convoy is San Diego's Koreatown in all but name. KBBQ gets the headlines, but the best Korean meals here often come in a stone pot. These eleven cover homestyle stews, soondubu, gamjatang, hot-stone rice bowls, Korean fried chicken, late-night pocha food with soju — and the Korean BBQ rooms to start with.
For the most homestyle cooking on the strip, Chon Ju Jip. For soondubu with a patio and friendly service, Friend's House. For sizzling hot-stone bowls, quick and cheap, Tofu House. For pork bone soup from 10:30am, Jomaru. For milky beef bone soup and braised short rib, Woomiok. For spicy yukgaejang, bossam and cold noodles, Yuk Dae Jang. For cheesy dakgalbi cooked at your table, Hongdae Dakgalbi. For wings and beer, Bonchon; for more flavors (cheesling, honey garlic) and a $15.99 weekday lunch, bb.q Chicken. For a late night of Korean food, soju and karaoke, Min Sok Chon or ZZan; for a pocha without the karaoke, open until 1:30am, Thang Thang — or DalBam Moon Night for bossam until 1am. If you do want to grill, SOT BBQ is the a la carte splurge, Manna is the classic AYCE and DJK grills over charcoal with a full home-style menu on the side — the full rundown is in the Korean BBQ guide.
Before you go: tips for Korean food on Convoy
- Banchan (the little side dishes) are usually refilled free — just ask
- Chon Ju Jip gives about 10% off for cash and is closed Sundays
- Stir Tofu House's hot-stone bowls right away or the rice burns
- Bonchon's $1 wings are Monday and Tuesday, dine-in only
- Jomaru opens at 10:30am — the hangover-breakfast move
Compare the picks side by side
| Spot | Best for | Price | Parking | Past 11pm | Reservations | Wait |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chon Ju Jip | Homestyle stews | $$ | Brutal | No | No | Often |
| Friend's House Korean | Soondubu with a group | $$ | Brutal | No | Yes | - |
| Tofu House | Quick hot-stone bowls | $ | Brutal | No | No | - |
| Jomaru Hot Pot | Pork bone soup in the morning | $$ | Medium | No | Yes | - |
| Woomiok | Beef bone soup and galbi jjim | $$ | Medium | No | No | Often |
| Yuk Dae Jang | Spicy beef soup and bossam | $$ | Easy | No | No | Often |
| Hongdae Dakgalbi | Dakgalbi cooked at the table | $$$ | Brutal | No | Yes | - |
| Bonchon Convoy | Wings and beer | $ | Brutal | No | No | - |
| bb.q Chicken Convoy | Fried chicken with the most flavors | $$ | Medium | No | No | - |
| Min Sok Chon | A pocha night | $$ | Medium | Yes | No | - |
| ZZan Sushi & Soju | Late-night soju | $$ | Brutal | Yes | Yes | - |
| Thang Thang | A late pocha night without karaoke | $$ | Medium | Yes | No | - |
| DalBam Moon Night | Bossam after 10pm | $$ | Medium | Yes | No | - |
| SOT BBQ | KBBQ as a splurge | $$$ | Medium | No | Yes | - |
| Manna BBQ | Classic AYCE KBBQ | $$$ | Brutal | No | No | Often |
| DJK Korean BBQ | Charcoal KBBQ and home cooking | $$$ | Medium | No | Yes | - |
The 16 picks
Chon Ju Jip
Tiny, homestyle and run by Korean aunties — kimchi jjigae, gamjatang and raw marinated crab, with banchan that keeps coming. About 25 seats, cash discount, closed Sundays.
Friend's House Korean
Twenty years on Convoy, dressed like a little Korean village with a heated, dog-friendly patio — soondubu, stone-pot bibimbap and spicy rice cakes. Easy for big groups.
Tofu House
Sizzling hot-stone bulgogi and crispy-rice bowls plus soondubu you crack your own egg into — quick and cheap. The stones make it smoky; checks split two ways max.
Jomaru Hot Pot
Korea's big gamjatang chain — a pot of spicy pork-bone stew for the table (a medium feeds 2-3), finished with fried rice in the pot, plus free banchan refills. Opens 10:30am daily.
Woomiok
Seolleongtang done right: milky beef bone soup you salt yourself ($17.99), galbitang, oxtail soup, braised short rib in a stone pot and bossam, all with refillable banchan. The LA galbi and cold noodle combo is the summer order; weekday lunch is $1-4 cheaper. Expect a wait on weekends.
Yuk Dae Jang
Yukgaejang, the spicy shredded-brisket soup, is the name and the order ($18.99, or $20.99 with ramyun), plus herb-boiled bossam, buckwheat cold noodles and handmade mandu. The house kimchi is some of the best on Convoy. Closed Tuesdays; expect a wait at weekend dinner.
Hongdae Dakgalbi
The only dakgalbi specialist in San Diego: spicy chicken, cabbage and rice cakes stir-fried at your table, topped with torched mozzarella and finished with fried rice in the pan. $28-30 a serving with a 2-serving minimum, or $85 for the Couple Set. Takes reservations.
Bonchon Convoy
Double-fried Korean chicken — soy garlic and sweet-spicy yangnyeom — with beer on tap and bulgogi fries. $1 wings Monday and Tuesday; open till 1am Thursday to Saturday.
bb.q Chicken Convoy
Korea's biggest fried-chicken chain: crackly wings, boneless thigh or whole chicken in 14 flavors — honey garlic, soy garlic, cheesling, up to Wings of Fire — from $16.99 for 8, plus rose tteokbokki and $15.99 weekday lunch combos.
Min Sok Chon
The pocha experience until 2am: wings, galbi, pajeon and flavored soju pitchers, private karaoke rooms on the side, and a 5-8pm happy hour on drinks.
ZZan Sushi & Soju
Late-night Korean soju bar — corn cheese, jjamppong and sushi, flavored soju by the bottle and private karaoke rooms. Open past midnight every night.
Thang Thang
A pocha next to DJK on Engineer Rd, open until 1:30am — big shareable plates (spicy pork rib jjim, sizzling bulgogi, chicken gizzards) over soju, with a Sun-Thu 5-8pm happy hour. The kitchen takes last orders around 12-12:30am.
DalBam Moon Night
A cozy little pocha under a glowing moon, open until 1am Tuesday to Saturday: tender bossam to wrap with garlic and jalapeno ($32), crispy seafood pancake, chadol yukgaejang and spicy cheese pork belly, with K-pop videos and soju. Closed Mondays.
SOT BBQ
If the night is about the meat, go a la carte: premium cuts up to A5 wagyu, cooked at the table by the servers. Reservations taken.
Manna BBQ
The original Convoy AYCE, now signed Manna Heaven BBQ: two tiers under $40, tablet ordering, free ice cream and a waitlist you should join before you park.
DJK Korean BBQ
Charcoal-grill AYCE ($38.99) on one side of the menu and serious home-style cooking on the other — soondubu, galbitang, naengmyeon and hot pots, with lunch prices from $12.99. Korean families fill it at lunch.