SSAL

SSAL, which means “uncooked rice” in Korean, is a modern fine-dining restaurant on Polk Street. Founded in 2019 by husband and wife Junsoo and Hyunyoung Bae, the restaurant is their personal way of sharing Korean heritage through the best of Northern California’s seasonal ingredients. Chef Junsoo, the grandson of a rice shop owner, named the restaurant after childhood memories of playing in his grandfather’s shop in Korea. He brings a deep sustainability lens to everything he cooks, shaped by years of training at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Noma, Per Se, and Gramercy Tavern before opening SSAL.

At SSAL, sustainability is understood as a “big circle” that connects the producer, the chef, and the diner. Chef Junsoo visits the farmers’ market every week, a practice he has kept without exception since the restaurant opened. His philosophy is simple and grounded: cook only with what’s in season, taste the ingredients, talk to the farmers, and listen to what’s available. He puts the farmers above himself: “I believe they are more important and more skilled than I am when it comes to good cuisine. My role is simply to present the ingredients they grow in a way that people can enjoy.”

When hail damaged a local farmer’s peach crop just before harvest, Chef Junsoo bought the blemished fruit and turned it into a shaved-ice and ice-cream dessert, now featured on the tasting menu. Nothing wasted. The farmer’s work is honored.

SSAL works closely with some of Northern California’s most respected organic and family-owned farms. The menu reflects a deep respect for where each ingredient comes from:

SSAL is a rare example of a fine-dining restaurant where sustainability isn’t just a marketing layer. It’s the cooking philosophy. Chef Bae built it that way from day one, trained at some of the world’s most eco-conscious kitchens before bringing that same rigor to a deeply personal Korean lens. With Monami, a modern Korean steakhouse, opening at 2001 Fillmore Street in Pacific Heights later in 2026, the Baes are expanding while staying true to the values that earned SSAL its star. At SSAL, diners don’t just eat well. They participate in a food system built around the people who grow things.