Kunjip

Kitty and Ducky
Kunjip
1066 Kiely Blvd
Santa Clara, CA 95051

(408)246-0025

Whether it's a cold winter day or a hot summer afternoon, Kunjip has been our go to home-y comfort food restaurant. It's a Korean restaurant tucked away in a plaza where it does not serve the typical bibimbaps and tofu soups that most people are used to. Their menu primarily consists of soups, cold noodles, and stewed meats. Albeit a more limited menu than the bigger restaurants around, Kunjip certainly makes it up for quality.

Bibim Naeng Myun

Cold Noodle with Assorted Vegetables, Beef, and Egg

[~$10]

Cold noodles?  Sounds weird?  Yes, so weird.  Good?  Maybe.  Is that a slice of watermelon?  Why yes sir it is.  This dish is exactly what it sounds like and looks like.  It was a cold noodle dish with gochujang (the red sweet and spicy korean sauce that is on everything), sliced up cucumber, some radishes, some other vegies, a hard boiled egg, 3 slices of beef or so, and a slice of watermelon on top.  Put all those things together and you get what this dish is.  It really just reminded me of a cold noodle salad korean style.  The watermelon can be a nice refreshing taste once the spiciness is too much.  On a side note, they offer unlimited noodle refills on this dish.  I'm not sure if its unlimited noodles, or they add more of the other stuff as well.  However, this dish was very filling.  I could barely finish it myself.  There was alot, A VERY LARGE, amount of noodles.  Very carb heavy and I don't see how anyone has room to get a free refill on the noodles.  If you like saucy, spicy noodles with cold cut veggies and pickled radishes and watermelon, then this dish will hit the spot.  I personally am not a fan of cold noodles drowning in spicy sauce, so I didn't like it too much.  But, I am a fan of trying anything at least once.  Well, not ANYTHING, but most things.  Is it something worth trying?  Yes.  Would I get it again? Maybe in 5 years.  [2/5] -Ducky

[Interrupting Note: I actually didn't like eating cold noodles until I came to Kunjip. I personally enjoyed this dish very much the more I tried it. -Kitty]

Galbi Tang

Beef Short Rib Soup with Glass Noodles

[$12.45]

This is what Kunjip is primarily known for, their Galbi Tang. It comes in a hot clear soup broth bubbling with a couple green onions, a red date, glass noodles, and incredibly fall-off-the-bone soft beef. Along with a bowl of rice and a soy sauce/vinegar based dipping sauce, this makes a very hardy meal especially during winter time. The broth was flavorful but not loaded with sodium, and eating the beef with the dipping sauce is a must! Between the slightly spicy and salty flavor from the sauce mixing with the soup released from chewing your beef, one can not help but sigh in utter bliss/comfort. [5/5] -Kitty

On a side note, although not pictured above, they have a stewed meat and potatoes dish that costs around $30. It is tremendously delicious and a good deal for 2 to 3 people to share.  It is a very hearty meat and potato stew.  It took us several days to finish it.

Overall Score: [5/5] A great place for Korean food lovers or those who want to start delving into Korean cuisine. Hardy and healthy with a family style influence, that's Kunjip.