21 Best Korean Restaurants in Oakland

“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.“

“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.“

“I was craving spicy marinated crab so badly lately — and I can’t believe I found such a gem so close to home after living here for a year!

Their spicy marinated crab is amazing: super fresh, soft, and flavorful. Wrap it with rice and seaweed, or just mix it into a big bowl of rice — it’s heaven.

We also tried their Hanshin Dakbal (spicy braised chicken feet), pork mozzarella cheese fondue, and sweet & spicy fried chicken. Everything was delicious, well-cooked, and full of flavor.

Definitely one of my new favorite Korean spots in Oakland. Can’t wait to come back again!“

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

“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.“

“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.“

“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.“

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

“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.“

“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.“

“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.“

“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!“

“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“

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

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

“Great place to go for a late night meal. The food was good. The peach yogurt soju was delicious. I liked how each table was partitioned off for privacy, yet it still felt like you were hanging out a trendy spot. A truly Korean vibe! The restaurant was super busy by the time we left. I would go back.“

“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!“

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

“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.“

“Walked in and ordered the Bento House sushi roll and the garlic fried chicken rice bowl. The sushi was fresh and delicious! The chicken was good but just a tiny bit salty. Overall, I had a great experience ordering, interacting w the staff and the food was good. Would definitely recommend and order from here again.“