21 Best Korean Restaurants near Pinole

“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.“

“😍 양이 아주 많고 맛도 있어요 어서들 오세요 감사합니더“

“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.“

“Good Food and Outstanding Service! it satisfied our Korean food craving. Portions were big and it's so delicious. we even ordered Togo to try their fried chicken at home. we'll surely be back when in the area.“

“Chris was a phenomenal worker. He went above and beyond to make our experience a welcoming one. My wife and I were unfamiliar with the food and Chris was patient and helpful as we worked through our indecision. With that kind of customer service we could only eat here. Chris was attentive as we dined in and speedy. We will be returning.“

“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.“

“Oh my god, how have I not been here sooner?? Legendary good Korean food, with lots of staples that don’t always make it to other Korean restaurants. I had their Kalbi Tang (stew), which came out tomahawk-style on the bone, and it was so hearty. The other persons at my table had soft tofu stew and kalguksu, also solid.

While eating I had Ratatouille-style flashbacks both to my mom’s cooking, and also to a recent trip to Seoul. Even the banchans, every last one, could’ve been a standout on its own. Will have to come back again soon.“

“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?“

“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.“

“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.“

“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！“

“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.“

“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 ❤️“

“This is the gem of the city of Hercules. The food is always solidly good. The bi bim bop is my favorite, but it is hard to find anything I don't like. The service is efficient and friendly. I really enjoy this neighborhood restaurant!“

“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.“

“Very good food and great atmosphere“

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

“Great if you’re feeling introverted. Decent food. But they don’t provide takeout bags without cash, which is a frustrating experience when you spend 35$ and leave a tip. I would come again, just wouldn’t tip next time (you do all your own ordering & bussing anyways)“

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

“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!“

“Came here for lunch on a Saturday afternoon, no wait. Great value for the price, lots of meat and appetizer options. Service was attentive in refilling our banchans and taking our next meat orders. I like their banchans, brisket, galbi and mini sesame balls.

The tables on the sides have the exhaust. We sat in the middle section and those didn’t have the exhaust. Also the stalls in the women’s bathroom are tight; barely any room to close the door. And the floor in the bathroom was super sticky.“