47 Best Korean Restaurants near Alameda

“Enjoyed the different meals thoroughly. Have had the Chicken Curry Rice Bowl, the Spicy Chicken Ramen Bowl, Bulgogi, and a few other dishes. Easy to become a repeat customer“

“We eat here about once a month. There’s a large all you care to eat selection, service is fast and they have decent list of beers to go with all the meat. The only problem we’ve had is that their scissors aren’t sharpened- that’s ok, next time we’ll bring our own.“

“Such a fun unique place to dine and shop! It’s a small set up and the walls are lined with shelves and freezers to shop for food. Need to run in to the market? Suuuure thing. Wanna have a cute date night? Cute spot. The garden area is such a vibe too! Not to mention the food is yummy. I love coming back here whenever I’m in the area!“

“Dooboo / tofu done so well. Got the fried dooboo set which can be made vegetarian / vegan very easily and it was such great value for the quality and quantity of food that I received. The soup (pictured bottom right) was so delicious. I easily could have consumed a gallon of it. The fried dooboo was also magical as the tofu melted right in my mouth, requiring minimal chewing.“

“Our food came out fast after ordering. We ordered the soy garlic boneless chicken and I was drooling. The picture doesnt do it justice but it’s really good. We also got rose teokbokki and the teokbokki was the perfect chewiness. Would recommend coming here!“

“Picked up dinner twice this week. Delicious.“

“My cousin and I went for dinner at 530 on a Wednesay and glad we did because we missed a big group that filled that filled the restaurant. Soy & Garlic chicken was great and the noodle dish was also delicious. I will return to try the other chicken flavor. We recommend this place. Small seating so good early.“

“The food and service here is wonderful, get as many flavors of the fried chicken that you can. Surprisingly, even the boneless fried chicken is fantastic – it’s made with chicken thighs, so it still has a crispy skin and dark meat texture.

My wife and I visited during a workday lunch hour so the owners, a mother and her son, we’re operating and taking orders. They were very nice and super hospitable. I wish them all the best with this business because they have a fantastic product.

No seating inside, as it is kiosk/countertop ordering, but there are tables outside to enjoy your food there. Super chill, nothing fancy.“

“Located on the Bay Street Plaza in Emeryville, on the second floor next to Barnes and Nobles. Saucy Asian is a Korean fusion restaurant. It’s a trendy place and is pretty busy all the way to closing time. We came in today after shopping at the new Tokyo Central across the street for a late dinner. We ordered at 7:58pm and did not receive our food until 8:26pm which was quite long wait for what we ordered. There is some indoor seating as well as outdoor seating.

As for food we ordered:
- Saucy Asian Bowl
- Saucy Asian Fries
- Island Style Poke Bowl (combo: half tuna/half Salmon)

All the food were good, have no complaints, but have had better elsewhere. Overall, if we’re in the mood for their food, we would come back.“

“Great little friendly, locally owned Korean take out place. The meals are good - “lunch boxes”, kimchi fried rice, sandwiches - and for mine are usually best with beef bulgogi. They’re also big enough to share between 2. The fried chicken is addictively good! Soy garlic and cheddar are favorites. Plus as the name suggests they have a wide selection of tasty banchan.“

“We love Mugunghwa, their food is delicious & authentic. It’s a privilege to have such well established, family owned Korean restaurant around, something that is not always given. All the main dishes, I believe, come with 6 set of side dishes and please don’t sleep on them - the portions are very generous (& you can ask for refills) and are flavorful. I think they make all their kimchi in house as well.

And as a Korean, I grew loving sotbap which is basically a rice cooked in a pot where you can take out the cooked rice to a side bowl and let the rice stuck to the pot simmer in broth which makes a nutty nooroongji. So I got pretty excited when I heard they have sotbap.

Our current favorites are: Sellongtang, galbijjim and bone harjangguk. But honestly all of their stuff is great in my opinion so try whatever sounds interesting to you!!“

“I have been coming to Seoul Gom Tang for more than three years. It is a family-run restaurant owned by a Korean family, and that sense of family is visible throughout the space. There is a hanbok hanging on the wall, which I believe may have belonged to the owners’ daughter when she was young. Every family member is attentive and welcoming. In the evenings, the father often sits in his SUV in the parking lot right outside the restaurant, wearing something that is visibly similar to a security uniform and keeping a flashlight on, trying his best to make customers feel safe. The atmosphere is cozy and comforting.

As for the food, my favorites are the Beef Soondubu (soft tofu and beef soup) and the Haemul Pajeon (seafood pancake). The soup is consistently smooth, the tofu retains its natural flavor, and the pancake is generously topped with seafood. The food here is not “Instagram-friendly” in a trendy sense; it is traditional, which I personally prefer.

One additional note: there are two restaurants in the Bay Area named Seoul Gom Tang. The owners’ daughter confirmed that the one in Santa Clara is owned by a different owner.“

“We got the Supreme Set A for three people a bit to much food for 3 but go figure it feeds 4-5 people. But overall food and sides were hella good kimchi sour level was great and meat well seasoned. The staff were very attentive and even cooked all the meat for us. Definitely gonna be coming back“

“everything is freshly made. very good. 💯🔥“

“This late night Korean food in Oakland was much needed after our time at Lake Merrit.

We especially loved their galbi and spicy pork with cheese. We even took an order to go of the pork!

It's a good place to hang out for late night eats and vibes.“

“I got the gan-jang beef bowl for $16.53 after tax. I think the beef flavor was good, but the beef texture itself was inconsistent. There were tender/fatty portions, but parts of the beef were quite tough & hard to chew. It came with a soft boiled egg, rice, sesame, and seaweed flakes.

They charge $2.50 extra for kimchi. I feel like if you order the meal without kimchi, it lacks veggies & something to help you finish the rice. If you were to compare that experience to sit-down korean restaurants with free kimchi/banchan, it’s stingier. I would feel better paying this price if it came with kimchi, which seems like a necessary part of the meal.

The owner was nice enough to offer me extra beef/free kimchi as a one-time service, and I took him up on that.“

“Called in for takeout late on a Saturday night. It was 11:30 PM. Surprisingly, the restaurant was completely empty. I thought there would be more people hanging out here! Not too familiar with Oakland, but maybe it was a location issue? Anyways, we called and had an estimate of 25 minutes, but our food was ready in 15 minutes. Going inside, paying and checking out was easy.

We specifically wanted bossam. We also got the tteokbokki.

Service was quick and friendly.

At home, when we started to eat, we wish the bossam had more cabbage than the portion of steamed napa cabbage they gave us. The sauce flavors were good though and they gave us some banchan. The tteokbokki was tasty.

We were also able to takeout some makgeolli since the H-Marts and other Asian grocers were closed at this time.

All in all it got our bossam fix taken care of.“

“I visited Mugunghwa on a Saturday evening and was pleasantly surprised to find no wait time. The restaurant immediately gave off a calm and welcoming vibe — clean, well-organized, and spacious, with soft pop music playing gently in the background. The ambiance strikes a nice balance between modern and comfortable, making it easy to relax and enjoy the meal.

Service was prompt and professional. I was seated right away, and the staff handled everything efficiently and courteously. My dishes — Galbi Tang and Bulgogi — arrived impressively fast without compromising quality.

The food was the true highlight. The banchan (side dishes) were especially memorable — fresh, flavorful, and clearly prepared with care. Each small plate added a vibrant contrast to the main dishes, showing attention to authenticity and balance. The Galbi Tang was comforting, with a clean, rich broth and tender beef that fell apart easily. The Bulgogi was tasty and well-seasoned, though the rice on the side was a touch too moist; a drier texture would have made the dish even better. Still, the quality of ingredients and consistency of flavors stood out.

Overall, Mugunghwa delivers an impressive combination of fresh flavors, attentive service, and a peaceful atmosphere. It’s the kind of place that makes you feel taken care of without any pretense. Despite a minor flaw in the rice texture, I’d gladly return for another meal — especially for those wonderful banchan.“

“Food Very tasty 🤤 authentic Korean food delicious friendly staff decor trendy modern nice clean.“

“Hankki (previously T-toust) has been a STAPLE in my Berkeley experience. Amazing food and staff is always welcoming and sweet. I can't even count how many times the food here made me feel right at home!! The pork kimchi stew is my favorite ❤️“

“First timer, great experience and great food! Loved it! Will be going back.“

“A good place to taste Korean and Japanese cuisine with a twist.“

“What a great surprise. The food was delicious, and the service was great. We look forward to trying the rest of the menu. I highly recommend the Loco Moco.“

“Wow! The Bimbop bowl is CAUTIOUSLY warm. Move with discretion. However, contents inside included rice. Music was played. Portions were a size that could easily defeat a child, or an adult that recently snacked. Booths were private yet public. You are seen, and at times not seen. If your teeth are viable, may I recommend the chewy noodles. We will be back, but I am busy for the next two weeks.“

“Extra busy here tonight. Yet we were still seated right away. Service was slow. We had to wait a looong time for our orders to be taken. But the food came quickly. The Short ribs was yummy. The sliced pork was yummy. The seafood pancake was yummy. The beef rib soup was different than what I was used to. Peppery and I liked it!!! Korean restaurants tend to be more expensive but you get better quality food.“

“Love this place, I go about once a week. All the meats are really good and seasoned especially when paired with the spicy mayo or even extra teriyaki sauce which isn’t needed in just a big back. The stars of the show is the short rib triangle, and the buldock and unagi are ok too.“

“人生吃過最好吃的士林大雞排，竟然不是在士林！是在柏克萊！好吃到爆炸！爆汁！皮超脆粉超好吃！瘋掉！ 葡萄柚綠茶裡面有葡萄柚本人！超好喝！它們家是用有機茶～成本比一般的飲料店貴兩倍～烏梅汁也超好喝很濃～ 旁邊的貢茶不只奶蓋是我喝過美國最好喝，裡面賣的雞蛋仔超級好吃！滿滿的紅豆抹茶 日本麻糬鬆餅好吃到，回台灣開都會爆的那種！“

“Very good food and great atmosphere“

“New favorite KBBQ spot in Oakland. I was really impressed with how fresh the meat was, and they have a huge variety to choose from. It’s hard to find a place this good that doesn’t totally wreck your wallet, but the price here is really fair. Definitely coming back with a bigger group next time!“

“The food is good, the portions are generous, and the prices are a bargain. The restaurant seems to cater towards the student lunch crowd, so the lines can get long.
I have tried the kimchi fried rice, the popcorn chicken, and the beef Bulgari, and I can recommend them all“

“I am glad that they are located in Montclair. They have a clean store with good selection of items. Great customer service!“

“I grew up in KTown Los Angeles this spot in Berkeley reminds me how lucky I was to learn about how excellent Korean food is. We love going here. Try it all. I introduced my Wife and kids to Korean food now they Love it too. For decades. Amazing staff too.“

“A little overpriced, but what isn't. The food is always good. Portions are hit or miss. I was full on my last visit, and I like that they have a low carb option. I've had the pork, beef, and chicken and it's all good. Need to try the seafood some time. Self serve water is always a nice touch.

Parking: Good luck finding parking.“

“Atmosphere in the restaurant was great, service was attentive and they would take the time to explain the elements of every dish. If they have the off menu potato and cheese croquettes again, they are a must try. The short rib was amazing and the oxtail was a great comfort food. The milk bread dessert was delicious and unique, but the chocolate cake had too much cream and not enough chocolate for us.“

“Delicious! Amazing tofu kimchi stew, kimchi pancakes and bibimbap. Highly recommend for authentic Korean food beyond Korean bbq.“

“ton katsu rice bowl: amazing!!!
spam rice bowl: not good.
kimchi fried rice: pretty good
beef kimbap: good
japchae: not good, too oily and soggy
beef bulgogi: good
pork belly: good
dumplings/potstickers: good!
corndogs: decent

croffles: not really that good
mochinuts: very yummy
drinks: all very yummy, my favorites are ube and horchata“

“The chicken on point! I like the cheesling and the gangjeong sauce for my wings. Very pricy for 8 wings but delish! That crunch is what it needs to be 😆🤭 Very flavorful. Yall should get sum! Forgot to take photos before eating them lol Too good to worry about a phone!“

“traveling and yelped this .. just go..“

“Flavorful food & good customer service“

“In all my travels, I look for what I call "happy food." Happy food for me is healthy, nutritious, tasty, nicely prepared, and served by smiling people in a clean environment. Oori exceeded all my happy food requirements and then took me for a ride through food blissfulness worth each bite. I had chicken teriyaki, grilled salmon, and spicy tuna triangles. On the side, I complimented it with miso soup and ginger. Each flavor was distinct and made my taste buds ooh, ahh, and wow for more. I'll be back here for more without question. I felt like I was dining at a 5-star restaurant and found the food reasonably priced.“

“Very customer friendly with speedy service. Staying on top when it is time to change the grill plate. Food is amazing. Service staying on top of checking with customer on the next round of all you can eat. Thumbs up!“

“So good and so dangerous being right down the street… The honey butter dusted fried chicken is like if Crispy Crunchy and farmer’s market kettle corn had a beautiful baby. Do yourself a favor and get some spicy kimchi rice with your chicken for that hot sauce style heat on the side. Bomb!“

“It's delicious.
Can't believe it's my 1st time tried out this place.
I believe at least one of the owner is Korean.
So there is delicious Korean bulgogi bento box.
Will definitely go back and try more.“

“Great food and quick service! A must try place if you’re in the area!“

“A good place to taste Korean and Japanese cuisine with a twist.“

“The food was pretty good, though from what I've seen the prices are pretty high. GBO gave us an item included, but otherwise, even though the food tastes good and has great portions, it's very expensive.

Also, for any GBOers who see this, the spicy rice cakes (Tteokbokki) is not portioned for a full meal!

Otherwise the dine out area is quite nice!

Vegetarian options: There is the miso tofu ramen and maybe one other option, so vegetarians won't be left out!“

“Great Customer Service Great food Friendly atmosphere“