Had a delicious dinner at ttobongee chicken! Have heard a lot of good things about the food and finally decided to come tonight. We are sad we haven’t come sooner! We got the jalapeño chicken, soy garlic chicken, ttokboki, Korean corn dogs, and rice cakes with sausage. Everything was perfect and service was quick and great! We will be back soon
Shannon Long
I think is the first restaurant where I’ve stopped after two bites. I couldn’t finish it. I was so excited to eat tteokbokki, but it was very disappointing. The tteok (rice cakes) and fish cakes were soggy and falling apart, and the soupy sauce tasted like spicy Kraft Mac n Cheese…and not in a good way. I felt sick after my few bites. I’m definitely no picky eater, and I’m a cheap (and broke) young person who will eat pretty much anything, yet I couldn’t stomach this. Sad to say, I lost $20+.The service was ok, although the person at the front was very loudly watching videos on their phone.I don’t think I’ve ever written a one star review, and it’s sad that it goes to a Korean restaurant. Maybe their chicken is good, but I was very disappointed.
William Rosenberger
All things considered this could have been a pleasant (albeit expensive) experience, but the half order of boneless yang nyum was nearly inedible. The chicken was extremely overcooked, dry, tough, and stringy. I managed to chew through and swallow the first couple pieces but it was rough on my jaw. It just got worse after that and I couldn't chew the next couple pieces well enough to swallow and had to spit them out. The rest went into the trash. Aside from the meat issues, the rest was mediocre. They were on the low end of crispy. They had an undertaste of burnt oil. The sauce was kind of flat with a comfortable chili burn on the tail end. The mandoo were fine but the sauce had an unfamiliar flavor I didn't care for. Service was ok, 20 minute wait for a takeout, but friendly. That dried out stringy chicken ruined the whole experience for me though.
Sofia Aldape
Best Korean Fried Chicken I have had by far.......Me and my Daughter go to spot.....never disappoints....our favorite is the Galbi chicken...super yummy..... If your in the Monterey Bay area it's a must to go to!!! ❤️
Mr. Alcon
Amazing spicy chicken wings! Well worth the drive.
Eric Schatzlein
Visiting Pacific Grove and have eaten at 3 other places and this was the best by far. Yes it looks a bit like a "greasy spoon" type of joint but it was VERY good and VERY close to what you would get in a similar place in South Korean. Yang Nyum Chicken was cooked to perfection and the sauce it was swrrved is was amazing. Sause was sweet as well as having a spice kick to it just as it should. The 1/2 serving was 9 pieces. My wifes Bi Bam Bop was delicious and was big enough she has left overs for lunch. And the pickeled radishes on the side were extremely good.Definately recomend this place.Vegetarian options: I saw 3 options for vegetarian on the menu.Parking: This place is in a small strip mall. When we arrived there was about 80% open spaces. On a weekend night it might be hard to find a spot as there are 3 other reasturants in the mallWheelchair accessibility: Wheelchair accessable
Jeff Ogden
My wife and I were pleasantly surprised to find a Korean chicken shop within walking distance of our house in Monterey. We recently relocated to the Peninsula and had seen this place in passing a few times and decided to give it a try. To say that we were not disappointed is a huge understatement. The restaurant is a small, cozy vibrant “greasy spoon” and it always seems to be busy. They do a big take out business in addition to the eat in. It appears to be a family business and the staff is very friendly and efficient. Even when it’s busy they manage to take orders and serve drinks while you wait for your food order. There are many Korean specialties on the menu including many varieties of chicken wings and boneless wings. Can’t go wrong with any of them. My favorite item is the Dolstat Bibimbap rice bowl. It’s served in a proper stone or cast iron pot and the rice at the bottom gets crispy and crunchy as it should. A bottle of gojuchan sauce is placed at the table so you never need to worry about running short. Perfect bibimbap, very comforting especially on a cold night. I’ve had the bulgogi beef and kimchi as well—both excellent. Authentic Korean “street food” served efficiently at a fair price. What’s not to like? We’ve been here three times in the past few weeks and will be going back again soon.Service 4/5Food 4.5/5Value for money 4.5/5Overall 4.5 Excellent
Gabby Perez
We don't have Korean-style food where I'm from. This was a fantastic 1st experience. They were so accommodating to our party of 9. I will definitely vist them again.
aq xin
Love the half-half yangnyeom and crispy fried chicken here, comes with chips and radish, and also some 2-finger gloves. The spice levels are the real deal. Great selection of other items as well including black bean noodles and jjamppong. Humble and cozy interior with kpop playing on a screen. Plaza parking can be a bit tough during peak hours. Hope to return soon to try more stuff.
Matt K.
As there are not a lot of KFC options in the Monterey area, it's easy to crown Ttobongee as the best. We tried the classic, garlic soy, and yang nyum. All we're crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. My personal favorite was the garlic soy. Overall, everything that we ordered was good and it hits the spot when you're craving KFC and there is not a Ktown in site. We made our order for pickup and, unfortunately, they forgot to include the japchae which we didn't realize until we got back. The manager was nice and able to rush an order through and we picked it up 5 minutes later. An honest oversight and a great response to accommodate.
The only Korean fried chicken joint in the Monterey Bay Area unfortunately but the chicken always comes out piping hot and flavorful! Slightly expensive for fried chicken and not the best Korean fried chicken but gets the job done! I suggest calling your order in ahead of time and picking up. Wait times can be long b/c they get busy.
Jane Lu
I ordered the japchae and rice cake skewers and they were a bit subpar. The japchae just tasted of salt and pepper and was a bit overcooked. I think hmart does this better. I also enjoyed the skewers but they didn't taste extremely fresh, felt premade. The inside of the restaurant was overwhelming with a heavy air of grease. Outdoor seating was really nice! Was a bit strange a Korean restaurant didn't provide banchan.Overall didn't feel very authentic.
Jaimee L.
Kimchi fried rice, jalapeño chicken, and pork dumplings were all DELICIOUS! Great flavors in the fried rice, nice heat to the chicken, and yummy dumplings that were soft in the middle but had a good crunch where the fold is at. Staff was warm and welcoming. Nice find in the community, will definitely go back.
Nycole C.
really yummy food choices and great customer service! i recommend the kimchi fried rice with a side of the fried seaweed roll!!
Eric S.
Ttobongee Chicken is their "plain" fried chicken flavor on the menu. Ordering a half combo of any of their chicken gives you 3 wings and 6 drums. Upon picking up my order and before eating, the smell of the chicken was very similar to the classic rotisserie chicken you find at costco. I was a bit surprised because I was expecting popeyes/kfc vibes but it could just be my inexperience with trying korean fried chicken. Overall the chicken was flavored well and despite being the original flavor, I could still barely detect a slight spice to it. The crispness of the chicken is more on the light side but each bite was still satisfying
Had a delicious dinner at ttobongee chicken! Have heard a lot of good things about the food and finally decided to come tonight. We are sad we haven’t come sooner! We got the jalapeño chicken, soy garlic chicken, ttokboki, Korean corn dogs, and rice cakes with sausage. Everything was perfect and service was quick and great! We will be back soon
I think is the first restaurant where I’ve stopped after two bites. I couldn’t finish it. I was so excited to eat tteokbokki, but it was very disappointing. The tteok (rice cakes) and fish cakes were soggy and falling apart, and the soupy sauce tasted like spicy Kraft Mac n Cheese…and not in a good way. I felt sick after my few bites. I’m definitely no picky eater, and I’m a cheap (and broke) young person who will eat pretty much anything, yet I couldn’t stomach this. Sad to say, I lost $20+.The service was ok, although the person at the front was very loudly watching videos on their phone.I don’t think I’ve ever written a one star review, and it’s sad that it goes to a Korean restaurant. Maybe their chicken is good, but I was very disappointed.
All things considered this could have been a pleasant (albeit expensive) experience, but the half order of boneless yang nyum was nearly inedible. The chicken was extremely overcooked, dry, tough, and stringy. I managed to chew through and swallow the first couple pieces but it was rough on my jaw. It just got worse after that and I couldn't chew the next couple pieces well enough to swallow and had to spit them out. The rest went into the trash. Aside from the meat issues, the rest was mediocre. They were on the low end of crispy. They had an undertaste of burnt oil. The sauce was kind of flat with a comfortable chili burn on the tail end. The mandoo were fine but the sauce had an unfamiliar flavor I didn't care for. Service was ok, 20 minute wait for a takeout, but friendly. That dried out stringy chicken ruined the whole experience for me though.
Best Korean Fried Chicken I have had by far.......Me and my Daughter go to spot.....never disappoints....our favorite is the Galbi chicken...super yummy..... If your in the Monterey Bay area it's a must to go to!!! ❤️
Amazing spicy chicken wings! Well worth the drive.
Visiting Pacific Grove and have eaten at 3 other places and this was the best by far. Yes it looks a bit like a "greasy spoon" type of joint but it was VERY good and VERY close to what you would get in a similar place in South Korean. Yang Nyum Chicken was cooked to perfection and the sauce it was swrrved is was amazing. Sause was sweet as well as having a spice kick to it just as it should. The 1/2 serving was 9 pieces. My wifes Bi Bam Bop was delicious and was big enough she has left overs for lunch. And the pickeled radishes on the side were extremely good.Definately recomend this place.Vegetarian options: I saw 3 options for vegetarian on the menu.Parking: This place is in a small strip mall. When we arrived there was about 80% open spaces. On a weekend night it might be hard to find a spot as there are 3 other reasturants in the mallWheelchair accessibility: Wheelchair accessable
My wife and I were pleasantly surprised to find a Korean chicken shop within walking distance of our house in Monterey. We recently relocated to the Peninsula and had seen this place in passing a few times and decided to give it a try. To say that we were not disappointed is a huge understatement. The restaurant is a small, cozy vibrant “greasy spoon” and it always seems to be busy. They do a big take out business in addition to the eat in. It appears to be a family business and the staff is very friendly and efficient. Even when it’s busy they manage to take orders and serve drinks while you wait for your food order. There are many Korean specialties on the menu including many varieties of chicken wings and boneless wings. Can’t go wrong with any of them. My favorite item is the Dolstat Bibimbap rice bowl. It’s served in a proper stone or cast iron pot and the rice at the bottom gets crispy and crunchy as it should. A bottle of gojuchan sauce is placed at the table so you never need to worry about running short. Perfect bibimbap, very comforting especially on a cold night. I’ve had the bulgogi beef and kimchi as well—both excellent. Authentic Korean “street food” served efficiently at a fair price. What’s not to like? We’ve been here three times in the past few weeks and will be going back again soon.Service 4/5Food 4.5/5Value for money 4.5/5Overall 4.5 Excellent
We don't have Korean-style food where I'm from. This was a fantastic 1st experience. They were so accommodating to our party of 9. I will definitely vist them again.
Love the half-half yangnyeom and crispy fried chicken here, comes with chips and radish, and also some 2-finger gloves. The spice levels are the real deal. Great selection of other items as well including black bean noodles and jjamppong. Humble and cozy interior with kpop playing on a screen. Plaza parking can be a bit tough during peak hours. Hope to return soon to try more stuff.
As there are not a lot of KFC options in the Monterey area, it's easy to crown Ttobongee as the best. We tried the classic, garlic soy, and yang nyum. All we're crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. My personal favorite was the garlic soy. Overall, everything that we ordered was good and it hits the spot when you're craving KFC and there is not a Ktown in site. We made our order for pickup and, unfortunately, they forgot to include the japchae which we didn't realize until we got back. The manager was nice and able to rush an order through and we picked it up 5 minutes later. An honest oversight and a great response to accommodate.
Restaurantji Recommends
The only Korean fried chicken joint in the Monterey Bay Area unfortunately but the chicken always comes out piping hot and flavorful! Slightly expensive for fried chicken and not the best Korean fried chicken but gets the job done! I suggest calling your order in ahead of time and picking up. Wait times can be long b/c they get busy.
I ordered the japchae and rice cake skewers and they were a bit subpar. The japchae just tasted of salt and pepper and was a bit overcooked. I think hmart does this better. I also enjoyed the skewers but they didn't taste extremely fresh, felt premade. The inside of the restaurant was overwhelming with a heavy air of grease. Outdoor seating was really nice! Was a bit strange a Korean restaurant didn't provide banchan.Overall didn't feel very authentic.
Kimchi fried rice, jalapeño chicken, and pork dumplings were all DELICIOUS! Great flavors in the fried rice, nice heat to the chicken, and yummy dumplings that were soft in the middle but had a good crunch where the fold is at. Staff was warm and welcoming. Nice find in the community, will definitely go back.
really yummy food choices and great customer service! i recommend the kimchi fried rice with a side of the fried seaweed roll!!
Ttobongee Chicken is their "plain" fried chicken flavor on the menu. Ordering a half combo of any of their chicken gives you 3 wings and 6 drums. Upon picking up my order and before eating, the smell of the chicken was very similar to the classic rotisserie chicken you find at costco. I was a bit surprised because I was expecting popeyes/kfc vibes but it could just be my inexperience with trying korean fried chicken. Overall the chicken was flavored well and despite being the original flavor, I could still barely detect a slight spice to it. The crispness of the chicken is more on the light side but each bite was still satisfying