Husband-and-wife and chefs Michael and Meichich Kim have had a rather Goldilocks’ culinary journey.
Their former Michelin-starred Maum in Palo Alto with its one long communal table that seated a mere 16 diners at once was maybe too exclusive for most.
Their former Bao Bei fast-casual spot at State Street Market in Los Altos was maybe too lowbrow to fully utilize their talent to the fullest.
With Yeobo, Darling, though, which opened in Menlo Park in June, they have created a spot that is just right.
It’s a fitting showcase for their very personal cooking that spotlights Michael’s Korean heritage and Meichich’s Taiwanese lineage. In fact, Yeobo is Korean for “sweetheart,” symbolizing just how intertwined their relationship and personality is with this restaurant.
On a recent Thursday night, the place was packed. The 50-seat dining room is not huge, but it doesn’t feel cramped, thanks to drapery that adds softness, elegance, and a cozy sense of swaddling and seclusion.
My husband was jazzed to try his first Taiwanese lager, the amusingly named Ugly Half Modern Tiger Lager ($19) that was crisp with a bright citrus note. I gravitated to the Yuzu Smash ($17), a soju cocktail with yuzu, mint, and jasmine tea to play up the floral quality of the deep citrus taste.
The a la carte menu is divided into one-bite canapes, snacks that are shareable, and larger plates that are best enjoyed family-style.
Finely chopped Wagyu beef tartare fills a tiny, thin, and crisp tartlet ($12) that is so creamy and rich tasting from the marbled beef. Smoked soy amps up the beefy taste, too.
At $28, the potato jeon may make some folks think twice. But it’s a marvel of potato jeon or Korean pancake refashioned into a potato brick that’s crispy as it gets on the outside and custardy within. The hefty price is due to the sea urchin on top. And there’s a lot of it, cloaked under a paper-thin slice of Iberico prosciutto. The creaminess of the uni matches that of the potato flesh. It’s a two-bite wonder that tastes like money.
Salt & pepper California coonstripe shrimp ($21) are flash-fried and so crisp that you’re encouraged to eat shell and all as you dunk it into black garlic aioli. Crunch down on the thin shell to meet the utter sweetness of the shrimp meat.
Redwood City’s Baker Next Door has created an exclusive scallion croissant loaf ($24) for Yeobo, Darling, and it is a must-order. So much so, that after demolishing it, I would have gladly gotten one to-go, too, if I could This riff on a scallion pancake is pure brilliance. It has the sweet onion taste married to crispy, buttery layers of lamination. It magically separates naturally into four thick slices when you give it a pull. It’s served warm with a crock of butter enfolded with rou song or pork floss for an addictive combination.
Slices of raw amberjack ($26) get rolled around crunchy slivers of radish and cabbage, and accented with finger lime and Korean pepper for a vibrant dish that looks all Japanese but tastes very much Korean.
Chicken wings ($20) are crisp with a sweet soy taste. Pickled daikon on the side and a pile of shishitos underneath provide a burst of acid along with a grassy note plus the surprise of heat if you get one of the peppers that just happens to be spicy.
The next dish ($25) arrives at the table completely filled to the brim with a frothy sauce that obscures anything and everything else. It’s only when you get two forks into it and start lifting and mixing do you find the chewy perilla noodles underneath. Keep mixing so that the jatjuk (cold, pureed Korean porridge of roasted pine nuts, sweet rice, and soy milk) ends up clinging to each and every noodle. The chilled noodle dish has a hominess about it with a lovely nutty taste along with the creamy, unmistakable taste of fresh soy milk.
Next comes a Taiwanese version of lasagna ($34) with the flat pasta sheets tinged green from chrysanthemum and spinach, and layered with braised pork seasoned with soy sauce, bechamel and cheese. It’s rich, savory, and saucy.
Wagyu kalbi ($76) arrives in bite-size pieces neatly arranged on a plate in a uniform circle, alongside cabbage kimchi, pickled cucumbers with seaweed, and house-fermented chili paste. House-cured for two days, the beef is sweet and so tender.
Lettuce leaves aren’t provided here to wrap the kalbi in. So do opt for the koshihikari rice ($12), not only because it’s a natural accompaniment, but also because it is a showstopper. How can rice be that outstanding? Because of the teeny fried anchovies strewn over the top. Close your eyes and take a taste, and you’d swear that you’re enjoying the socarrat from paella or tahdig from Persian rice. The anchovies are a genius touch that mimics that crispy layer of rice.
With four of us and just three desserts, you know we had to order one of each. I finally had a chance to try Meichich’s famed Karat Cake ($14), so named because of its gold leaf garnish. It’s incredibly light and moist, a very delicate rendition of a classic cake that’s usually much heavier and cloying than this.
A dark chocolate mousse ($16) is fluffy and creamy, and hides the surprise of banana Korean rice cake underneath.
Milk soft cream with a drizzle of strawberries and pieces of sweet pear ($14) stole my heart because it’s the closest to Hokkaido soft serve I’ve had in California since enjoying it repeatedly in Japan. Rather than the usual vanilla flavor soft serve, this one spotlights the unabashed pure taste of quality milk.
I’d happily return to Yeobo, Darling just for that and the croissant bread again. Yet no matter what this restaurant deems worthy of putting on its menu as it continues to mature is a sure bet to captivate and delight.