44 Best Korean Restaurants near Emeryville

“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.“

“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.“

“Flavorful food & good customer service“

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

“It's a lot of food...... a whole lot. Careful ordering any appetizers or other starters, because the main dish is a monster in size.

Amazing flavor on everything and the service was fast and friendly. Highly recommend.“

“Truly outstanding meal. The eel wrapped in smoked sea grass was amongst the best bites I have ever eaten, but pretty much every bite on the menu was excellent. The service was also great - no attitude, very friendly, and super knowledgeable. They gave us a great wine suggestion within our price range which was not something I would have found on my own but was perfect for the meal. This is one of those meals that we will think back on fondly for a long time.“

“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!“

“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.“

“We had late night dinner reservations elsewhere and needed a little snack to hold us over. We got the bulgogi kimbap and boneless KFC with the sweet and spicy sauce. While waiting for our food, we were pleasantly surprised when they served us each a hot cup of broth. The chicken was delicious and they were big pieces of breast meat that weren’t overly breaded, but still very crispy. The kimbap was also great. The man who helped us was very nice and the restaurant was clean.“

“We ordered the rose tteokbokki, soy garlic chicken, and seollangtang. It was SO GOOD!!!!! The soy chicken came out really hot but after it cooled down, the sauce was incredible. The seolltangtang was super fresh and clean, very light. The rose tteokbokki took the cake and the portion size is HUGE! Overall an amazing experience, will be back!“

“This place is the epitome of comfort food. Located where all the medical offices seem to be - this is an unassuming mom and pop cafe with no frills but has warm and friendly energy. I always order off the Korean menu and the dolsot bibimbop is absolutely delicious and in the same leagues as your typical Korean restaurant. This is definitely a local's joint and I look forward to coming here after my doctor's visits.“

“Picked up dinner twice this week. Delicious.“

“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“

“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.“

“Absolutely amazing. ❤️
This place was first recommended by a Korean friend, and it’s now easily the restaurant we’ve visited the most in the entire Bay Area. When we lived in Berkeley, we came at least every other weekend—and even now, we still happily drive for it. We’ve been here 20+ times.

I’ve brought many friends here, and every single one wants to come back. It always comes up whenever we talk about fried chicken.

The food:
• Fried chicken — heavenly
• Tofu soup — rich, comforting, and deeply delicious
• Kimchi pancake & seafood pancake — both excellent
• Banchan (Korean appetizers) — so good we often pack them to go

The food is comforting, addictive, and consistently outstanding. We clean our plates, scrape every last bite, and take leftovers whenever possible.

The service:
Warm and attentive, even when the place is packed and everyone is clearly working hard. It genuinely feels like eating at an auntie’s place—welcoming, caring, and full of heart.

We will absolutely be back again and again and again.

(Attached: photos over the years, the quality never changes)“

“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 came here for the smashburger, but i guess they dont do lunch untill later in the day. I ordered a breakfast sandwich instead, and it was really good! Hopefully i can try the lunch menu one day but i dont think it lines up with my work schedule. 🙃 will be comming back for breakfast though.😇“

“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.“

“Our experience was incredible! The steaks cooked table side and the accoutrements were out if this world! Our server was very personable answering all of our questions about the food and sharing personal stories of he and his family! Loved it! Highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a too notch Korean food experience!“

“The soups in this eatery are the bomb - we had seolleongtang (oxtail soup) and kalbitang (rib soup with mung bean noodles), both of which were nourishingly delicious. I had them with rice and it was just the perfect meal for a chilly day.

I liked it so much that I returned the next week - we had extra yukkejang, which was spicy and tasty and also the crispy and flavourful seafood pajeon.“

“Amazing, underrated spot and easily my new go-to for pre-theater dining (walkable to civic center performance venues). The food was some of the tastiest and most unique + memorable I've had in the last year at least! My recs: golden toast + clams (you MUST add on the octopus and abalone).“

“Korean Soul Chicken was absolutely delicious. We ordered the fried chicken, which was crispy, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. I also had the BBQ pork, and it was tender and full of flavor. The potstickers were amazing, crisp, fresh, and not greasy at all.

The service was excellent and very attentive. The food was super affordable and everything tasted fresh and well made. I would definitely recommend“

“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.“

“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“

“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.“

“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!“

“Great local Korean restaurant - it has that cozy Korean mom and pop feel with great food. We ordered the combo sundubu and it really warmed us up on a cold rainy day.

Menu is a little limited, but what's there was really good quality and delicious.“

“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.“

“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.“

“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.“

“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.“

“Just incredible Korean contemporary fusion cuisine. Kept the fundamentals of the Korean authenticity with unique broad appealing western gastronomic desires. Well done!!!👍“

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

“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.“

“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.“

“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!“

“I've been here more times than I can count. I've eaten at multiple KBBQ spots to find a place that can best this one...can't find it!

The pork belly at Jong Ga house might be the best quality I've ever eaten. It just melts in your mouth(assuming that you cook it right, of course).

I can't praise this place enough.“

“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!“

“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 ❤️“

“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.“

“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,“

“We saw so many korean restaurants and were unsure which to pick. We figured the high prices of others would make them better but we were looking for something that was more reasonable in price and found Jin Mi. We were SO glad we did. The food was phenomenal!! We got a bimbimbap bowl, Ramen, and tofu soup and all of it was just delicious. The service was fast, the employee was so friendly. The best place we ate at in SF this trip! Thanks so much.“

“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.“