50 Best Korean Restaurants near El Cerrito

“Ban chan was nicely packaged and tasty. The Fried chicken was greasy & nasty and had a bad smell. I really wanted to have fresh fried chicken but the oil/grease/lard was not fresh. I ate one piece of a wing out of six in the $20.00 order. $20.00 for six wing pieces….so basically it was 3 wings…each wing cut in half. Pretty expensive. For that price at least use fresh oil.

The short rib cabbage soup was not remarkable nor worth the $29.00 price.

The delivery orders were all 10% higher than a pick up or dine in order. I guess to cover delivery fees?“

“썰 was an memorable experience. Every dish was beautifully executed. For a Korean American, the ingredients were an emotional process. While each dish focused on/showcased the high quality of ingredients, the flavors were a nuanced balance between Korean and Western cultures. Choosing quality over local at each crossroads, many evoked memories of my Korean childhood.

The lynchpin for this beautiful evening was when the chef unexpectedly spent time with us; shared a rare insight behind the scenes. At our table, few were from the East Coast or not Korean American, thus not realizing the backstory to arriving to this moment. I so appreciate the honesty as validated the constant struggle between balancing Korean/American expectations, especially in this time/place. To tie such a diverse audience, the chef executes well.“

“Daeho is hands down my favorite Korean spot. The kalbi jjim is the best, and it’s the main reason we keep coming back. There’s always a line here, so definitely try to get on the waitlist if you can, otherwise be ready to wait. The vibe is pretty noisy and bustling, but the food makes it all worth it. Great spot if you’re craving amazing Korean comfort food.“

“This is a good, casual KBBQ experience for a group. Not the tastiest or the best bang for buck, but definitely serves as a good fix.

We had a reservation for five and a toddler on a Friday night and were seated pretty quickly. Parking spaces were tight in the lot but fortunately there was a lot of street parking a couple blocks away.

We ordered the supreme set A, a seafood pancake, corn cheese and bossom to share. Between us we shared a grill and had our designated cooks at the table (which is how we prefer it but some might prefer a place that cooks for you). The highlight was easily the galbi (as if often is) and we did wish that the bossom was a little less dry. The others were good (as expected) but nothing to write home about. The banchan was also very standard.

Service wise, the waiters were a little slow to take our order and to give refills (for water, lettuce, etc.). Though, the yogurt soju special for our friend’s birthday was a really nice touch.

Like most KBBQ places, it’s helpful to bring your own bags for your clothes as the hoods aren’t the strongest, and it can get loud, but again - it’s a fairly standard experience.“

“We had a very nice lunch. We sat in the courtyard, which is very inviting. The portion of the dishes are huge, with lots of meat. It is a unique place where they also sell groceries and the groceries line up of the walls of the restaurant. When you enter the building, you don't realize that they have a very nice seating area with the groceries in the back. We also bought some homemade Kimchi and snacks to take. We live in the Peninsula and we will definitely go back to Berkeley to eat here again.“

“Such a refreshing and delicious lunch spot! The set comes with different fresh and pickled dishes made daily using seasonal ingredients, including fresh tofu. Acorn noodle was really flavorful too. Since it is plant forward meal and portion is just right, I always feel good and satisfied afterwards, and not heavy.“

“Have been coming to this place for more than six years now and have always enjoyed the food here. My favorites are the blood sausage, pork rib soup, acorn cold noodle, and assorted pork soup. Very authentic Korean menu items that you can hardly find anywhere else in the Bay Area.“

“Going to bansang has been a topic of discussion between us for the past six months. I’m actually never getting over this meal

Mulwhe noodles were recommended by the waiter and they were the perfect first bite. I really enjoyed the spicy sauce and the banchan that they plopped on top. Normally not a fan of cold noodles but I ate this up

Uni scallop toast was phenomenal. Bread was soft on the inside and slightly crunchy on the outside, and the oceanic flavor from the uni, scallops, and seaweed puree was a nice punch in the face.

I liked the Korean twist on the steak tartare — Asian pear and sesame oil! It’s paired with seaweed which further brought out the flavors

Kimchi fried rice 😻😻😻 best dish. Best thing my mouth has ever experienced. So spicy, lots of meat, omg. Everyone deserves to eat this at least once in their life

I also loved the gochujang black cod. Incredibly tender and a bit sweet from the sauces

Miso marinated pork would’ve been even better if we weren’t on the verge of combustion. But regardless we still agreed that it was a really great dish for being the mid meat that is pork.

All the deserts were just wow. My fav was the pear sorbet 🍐“

“Picked up dinner twice this week. Delicious.“

“I love this place, it is my favorite new regular lunch spot in the financial district. The kingbob rolls are tasty and healthy. They come in a perfect lunch size proportion - it isn't more food than I want or need for a casual lunch. Can't beat the price either. I try to visit every week or two because its a gem and I want them to be successful!“

“This family run cafe is the best. Get the Bibimbap!! If you eat in they’ll even do it stone pot style.

Vegetarian options: Any of the tofu specialties or sandwiches.

Kid-friendliness: They are the best with my kid. I delivered next doors so they’ve known him since day 1.“

“This is my go to place for takeout when im sick or hungry/lazy past 930pm. I always get the kimchi soup with pork belly, seafood pancake, kimchi cold noodle, and more pork belly. Their banchan also includes a crunchy mustard seaweed noodle that is so addicting.

This may be my favorite korean restaurant in the city.“

“I finally got to try the dishes here and I am not disappointed.
I got the soup and it was just right amount of jalapeños for the spice. I lobe the simplistic it had, but it was still tasty ?
I also tried the island poke dish and it was very delicious as well.
I like how you have options for the rice or a salad base, or both.
Very flavorful and right amount of sauces.
I am looking forward to trying more dishes as time goes by.“

“Came here for dinner and it did not disappoint. We had the burrata salad, spicy tuna crisps, galbi crunch, chili pasta, and galbijim — and every dish was packed with flavor. Each one was unique, delicious, and beautifully prepared. Can’t wait to come back and try more!“

“I went there on Thursday evening, and the female staff serving was so kind. I filled my beer glass with ice and mixed lemon with soju, and she brought me lemon with a kind smile. The food is quite palatable. I didn't have a parking space, so I had to park somewhere else and walk, but I think it will be a good memory.“

“So glad to find out they reopened after being closed a while during the pandemic. Currently you have to pre-order a day in advance for pickup so it takes a little planning but so worth it.Their fried chicken is so crispy. I ordered it with waffle fries and they say they only fire up the fries just before your pickup time so that they're fresh. When I went to pick up my order, they let me know it would just be a few minutes because the fries were finishing and when he came out with my order, he said he accidentally made the salad but included both the fries and salad and threw in a vanilla pudding. Everything was so delicious. Even the bonus pudding had flecks of vanilla bean and tasted so much better than the instant stuff. The chicken and fries were enough for 2 meals.“

“3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.

Kimcheese Smashburger: Patty has a decent texture, but may be too mushy for some people. Not very tasty and a bit plain - definitely did not feel like I was eating a Korean food item.

Fries: Good texture, although a bit hard. Under-seasoned.“

“We returned to this restaurant twice during our visit to SF, it was that good. Very much enjoyed the garlic soy chicken wings, salmon eggs benedict, kimchi, bulgogi, pimped up ramyun, and of course the bacon.“

“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.“

“I knew exactly what I wanted as I walked in. I smelled the Bibimbop and my tummy was already smiling. the service was great! and the food was delicious! our 3 year old approved the Chicken Cutlets with their special sauce! we're definitely coming back the next time we're in town!“

“Ilcha offers good Korean food and drinks. We had a great time. We ordered 3x of each. Braised pork belly, half dozen oysters $42, waygyu beef bulgogi, tater tots $20, fried seaweed spring rolls $10, spicy ramen hotpot $38, sweet pancakes and fried chicken $36. Our party of 14 ate most of it but had to take some of it home. For drinks, we mostly did soju and beer. The soup and fried chicken were my favorites. Service was excellent. They even help us cut a cake onto 14 pieces. Awesome job everyone at Ilcha.“

“Super nice/friendly folks. Food came out quick. Nice large portions. Was super satisfied“

“Love this spot, we’ve been going for years. All the renovations they have done really cleaned the place up.

Our favorite dishes jajangmyeon and the fried pork. Their noodles are so good!!! Big portions also. There’s no other place like it in the bay, would highly recommend.

Staff is also very attentive and always so welcoming and nice.“

“Two words: seafood pancake. This place nails the seafood pancake - it’s thin, crispy, not too oily, large, and yes; loaded with seafood!
The soups here are nourishing on a cold day. We got the ox knee soup which tbh was a bit bland, it’s only got ox knee in it. But the rice cake soup was delish.“

“Food is so good!! So comforting as an international Asian student! The lady that owns the shop is also so kind and welcoming! She remembered me after coming just a few times

My favorite restaurant around Berkeley <3 highly recommended“

“I recently revisited Valencia Street after a few years and decided to try out a new restaurant. I was impressed by the excellent customer service. I visited on Sunday, May 19, 2024, after 5 PM. The restaurant was pleasantly quiet, which was perfect since I have a toddler who likes to run around.

Although it wasn't my first time eating Korean food, the meal was outstanding. I had the Spicy Pork Bowl, and it was absolutely delicious. If you enjoy spicy food, I highly recommend it!
we will be back :)

Kid-friendliness: yes !

Wheelchair accessibility: yes,“

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

“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.“

“This was not my first visit to Jong Ga House, and it is most certainly not my last. I frequent Jong Ga House when I’m craving korean bbq that reminds me of home.

I have celebrated several birthdays amongst my friends here because it is perfect for large groups and they even throw in a birthday discount ($22.99 for the birthday person), two scoops of ice cream, and they play happy birthday through the speakers across the restaurant! They never fail to provide excellent, attentive service as well as authentic Korean bbq that keeps you wanting more.

This is also one of the more affordable all you can eat (AYCE) kbbq spots in the East Bay. Lunch & happy hour (9pm-11pm) is $29.99/person and dinner is only $32.99. Compared to other spots that charge nearly $50/person and often have slower service or marinades that don’t quite capture traditional Korean flavors, Jong Ga House knocks it out of the park in every category.

I especially love that they offer Mul Naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodle soup) and bibim naengmyeon (spicy buckwheat noodles) on the AYCE menu. These noodle dishes pair perfectly with freshly grilled Kalbi, so it is always a delight to be able to order one of these with my meal here. Mul Naengmyeon is always served with a side of hot mustard and vinegar to mix in to taste. It is such a refreshing dish that brightens your whole meal, make it as spicy or as sour as you want! Pro Tip: Be sure to cut your noodles into smaller pieces, they are super-duper chewy!

Everything here is an absolute hit, but you have to try their Kimchi Pancake, Caramelized Fried potatoes, and, of course, the corn cheese! (Usually I order one of each per 2 people) You don’t have to worry about filling up too fast on the sides—the portion sizes are thoughtful, and you can always let them know if your table wants more or less of a serving.

In addition to their banchan (complimentary side dishes that you can refill at most Korean restaurants), they also offer Booricha (roasted barley tea) which helps to cut the grease of some richer meats, like pork belly and intestine.

Beyond the food, the stellar service has kept me coming back. During one of my first visits, I came with a party of eight, and one of our friends was vegetarian. The staff kindly let her order from the regular menu while the rest of us enjoyed the AYCE KBBQ + hotpot combo.
(FYI: the hotpot add-on is available for parties of 5+ for just $10 more.)

It’s the little things that they continue to do that make them my favorite Korean bbq spot in the east bay. Come give this small business a visit and eat your heart out!“

“Had a great time at AB Steak. This was our second visit, and we were not disappointed. Food quality and service were top notch. Really enjoy their premium cuts. it would be even better if the wine pricing could be more approachable, especially for red wines.“

“Tell me why when I first opened the delivery box of galbi boneless chicken and stabbed what I thought was a French fry with my fork, I literally did a chew double-take and removed the tteokbokki from my mouth because my taste buds were so thrown off from what I was expecting. I really should’ve known better, but I’m accustomed to seeing tteokbokki drenched in a gochujang based sauce, so they deceptively resembled fries. To be fair, from this experience, I learned they taste way better dry and seasoned, but I digress.

Onto the main part of the review…

As I’ve written in a couple other reviews this week, I’m “researching” the best Korean fried chicken spots in San Francisco to determine which to order from for an upcoming Friendsgiving. I looked up a ton of options in the city and narrowed them down to a shortlist of 3 spots, this place included. A few things I examined to create my short list were varieties/flavours of chicken, quantity to price ratio, other customer ratings, images of the chicken, and proximity to my neighborhood or deliverability to my friends’ neighborhood where the Friendsgiving will be hosted.

When I took the first bite of K Soul chicken, I knew I’d found a winner. I’m very particular about KFC having spent the last few years living in LA and Orange County, home to copious dedicated KFC restaurants. K Soul’s chicken tastes the most similar to my favourite spots in SoCal. It has the perfect texture and crunch, the meat is neither dry nor greasy, and the umami flavor is on point. They’ve created a perfectly balanced KFC, and that’s why I’ll be taking this to Friendsgiving.“

“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！“

“Ordered Korean food for pick up while visiting a friend nearby, super homey good quality Korean food! We ordered food for 4 adults and 2 kids. We got a kimchi tofu and seafood tofu soup, chive pancake, mackerel, galbi, spicy pork, spicy chicken wings and regular chicken wings, we ordered more kimchi and rice, it also came with a lot of Banchan, and japchae for the kids. The order was easy to place online and we paid online for pick up. I missed the turn into the plaza but found street parking. The server was helpful and there was a small dining room inside. I would totally go back and order from there in the future if I’m feeling Korean food while Im in the area.“

“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.“

“Wow, my mouth was drooling from every part of this meal. I have never had banchan so fresh and so flavorful. The meal was perfection - the beef stew was creamy and slow cooked. The fried chicken was crispy and juicy. The seafood pancake was so fresh and perfectly put together. 10/10. No notes.“

“A good Korean restaurant in Albany, close to Berkeley in a safe neighborhood. What more could you ask for?

The banchan is plentiful and fresh (especially the kimchi). The food is on the sweeter side and not as spicy as similar Korean restaurants and that’s okay. It is what makes it special and unique. I would recommend going one level up of spice level to what you’re normally accustomed to.

Portions are big, so I’d recommend sharing family style and expect to take leftovers home.“

“I visited this place because it was recommended by an acquaintance when I was craving Korean food.
Bibimbap is really delicious. I liked it because it was exactly like the stone pot bibimbap you eat in Korea. The kkanpunggi was delicious too!
The person working was Korean, and he was friendly and nice. Since you are Korean, I asked about dangerous places and times, and you gave me the information. Thank you.
The photo shows seafood bibimbap and boneless skewered fish.“

“This is our local, “go to” place whenever we’re craving Korean food. It never disappoints. At night, they generally project K-pop music videos onto a large wall, which brings the whole room to life. Lotsa fun!“

“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.“

“My foodie coworkers have nothing but praises every time you guys cater for us. Impressive how you pull off such tasty AND healthy food. Thank you!“

“Love their marinated meats, pickels and fermented vegetables. Their Kimchi is my favorite.“

“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“

“This is a spot right across the street from campus in the alley cutting through Bancroft and Durant. It’s not the best Korean food I’ve ever had, but it’s still really delicious, and the price is very reasonable for something so close to campus. The portions are also pretty generous. Sometimes I feel like I can spend $20 on something at a restaurant and still not be filled, but they offer a lot of food for a good price. I would definitely recommend going into the physical location and ordering at the kiosks, even if you’re ordering takeout. Ordering on something like DoorDash will give you inflated prices, even if you do pickup. Even ordering on Snackpass isn’t the best because I’ve found that I don’t get the discounts/daily deals the in store kiosks do (maybe I’m tripping).

It’s all self-service. You order at the kiosk, pick up your food at the counter when it’s ready, choose your utensils as needed, and then you empty and return your tray yourself. There’s also a free water dispenser for patrons and you can get ice cold water. It’s pretty consistently busy throughout most hours of the day, and people seem to be in generally good spirits. There’s kpop blasting all the time too, if you’re into that.“

“The banchan were the highlight of the meal, the stewed potato, seasoned fishcake, and sprouts with seaweed--all delicious and fresh. The mushroom tofu stew was nice, and the galbi tang was good but not my favorite. It was savory, meaty, and salty, but too simple for my taste. The mung bean pancakes were bland, even with dipping sauce. Overall I wished I'd ordered other food--with such good side dishes the bibimbap is probably great. The prices were very high, though to be fair, the most expensive dishes serve multiple people.“

“Came here with some friends and overall had a good time. The chicken was on the dry side, but the seasoning powder had great flavor and definitely helped. Tried the seafood pot too — contents were fine, pretty standard taste, nothing that stood out but it hit the spot.

The real highlight here is the vibe. Fun atmosphere, good energy, and a nice place to just hang out for a while. Service was friendly and the space felt lively without being too overwhelming. Not perfect on the food, but I’d still come back for the overall experience.“

“BEST PLACE EVER!
Its been a while since I had Korean food, but this spot was a gem. It had a wonderful staff, amazing food (we got #3 (spicy but soo yummy) #8 (this seafood soup was amazing - it had notes a hint sweetness but the overall deep fresh seafood with noodles - best soup ever) & japchea (a savory delicious dish; it brought back memories from my mothers chop suy - I know its not the same but the food here had a motherly touch. Thank you so much! We will visit again when we travel to San Francisco again.“

“Great Food! And Very nice Small Restaurant“

“Tbk was not spicy enough, but I suspect they might have lowered the spice level to accommodate the majority customers who aren't used to the spice level.

Overall, taste was great, but the price is a bit high since you don't get that large of portion.“

“Very good food and great atmosphere“