Amazingly delicious rice buns in the Koja braised beef koja burgers. Small but filling. Yummmm…read more The k fries are also delicious. Best deal is the two tacos fries and a soda for $14.25. Worth coming back soon. Very walkable.

I like the concept and vibes of this place. Service was a bit slow and we were the only customers…read morethere on a Saturday afternoon... The short rib was tender and had good flavor, and the rice bun was super crispy & yummy. I just wish the koja had more to it....it was just meat and lettuce, but it needed a cold, crunchy, and tart aspect like kimchi or something! The umami fries were not good unfortunately; they were soggy, too saucy, and I wish they layered things instead of dumping everything on top.

Gluten free friends rejoice! You can have char sui!…read more Reunited after 10 long years! That's how long it's been since I've had char sui! I did attempt to make it from scratch once, but that's a story for another time. The chef just recently accommodated their menu so the barbecue items with rice can now be made gluten-free! It was the most succulent pork I've ever had! Both the chicken and the char sui were Michelin level, nice presentation (yes yogurt plate swoosh), in a humble setting, with super nice staff, and so delicious! Be sure to get the green beans too!

KAOKAO Grill is a cozy, casual spot off College Ave serving up Chinese classics with a bit of a BBQ…read moretwist. I ordered a couple of their popular dishes, the KAOKAO Char Siu Set and the Chong Qing Noodles, and both were fantastic. The char siu was so tasty, nicely cooked with most of the fat rendered (a big plus since unrendered fat especially on BBQ is a pet peeve of mine). It had that satisfying chew, a subtle smoky char, and a sweet-savory black bean glaze that tied everything together. The rice and pickled cucumbers on the side were a great balance to the in your face flavors of the pork. The Chong Qing Noodles were another highlight. You can tell the noodles are handmade as they are springy, chewy, and full of texture. The staff actually recommended that I get them uncooked since I was ordering to go, so I could boil them at home for a few minutes to keep the perfect bite and they were totally right. The broth was rich and balanced, with nutty sesame paste, a gentle kick from chili oil, a bit of crunch from peanuts, and some fresh bok choy for contrast. Everything was packed thoughtfully for takeout and still tasted amazing even after a longer drive. Overall, a really pleasant experience with great food, great service, and a place I'll definitely return to next time I find myself around Berkeley!

Solid 4.5/5 Got the…read moresteak and meatball pho. Friendly service, parking in the back, fair price. More of a hole in the wall feel but cleanliness isn't an issue. The pho was good. Broth was hot, noodles not overcooked, clean and beefy (not artificial) broth. I'd happily come back

4.5 stars Good!…read moreSolid pho. I've eaten here a couple times. Highly recommended if you're local to the area. Banmhi sandwiches are about as cheap as they get. Starting at $9.95 (2026)

I LOVE THE BERKELEY SIMMER AND STEAMER. The avacado roe mayo is so delicious and so cheap during…read moretheir lunch special (under 10 dollars). I've ordered this once a week AT LEAST! They closed for two weeks and I was so sad. The roe is so yummy and the portions are so huge; half a bowl makes me full. I love this place never close

I think I get the concept behind this genuine fast food operation, I.e., ready-made ingredients are…read moreassembled to produce Korean-style bowls as quickly as possible. This might work well in a bustling location full of non-exempt office workers who have strict limits on their lunch hours. However, I decided to try this particular spot and arrived when there was not a single customer. Then a deranged homeless woman came in. Fortunately I was able to dodge her as I was reviewing the giant backlit menu. I didn't think anything about the emptiness of the space until my order was ready. I decided to try the $13.99 Samgyeopal Ssam-jang, which featured grilled pork belly mixed with veggie soybean paste topped with fried onion, roasted seaweed, and sesame oil, all over rice (Photo 7). The bowl was a strange contrast of textures. Flavor wise, there were more misses than hits. The pork belly was overcooked with the chewy meat rendered almost inedible. The rice was weirdly mushy like it was sitting in lukewarm water far too long. The rest of the ingredients were nondescript. Definitely a hard pass on this bowl in the future. The only reason I'm not leaving one star for this business is that I felt bad for the one soft-spoken server who had the temerity to deal with the unrelenting rantings of the homeless woman. FOOD - 1.5 stars...pre-made ingredients kill the real flavors expected from the bowl AMBIANCE - 2 stars...certainly spacious but nothing cozy in here SERVICE - 2 stars...quiet until she had to confront the woman TOTAL - 2 stars...I was left more steamed than simmered RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/3Hv4fBG5La

After I was introduced to this restaurant, there was no going back. This place has such amazing and…read moredelicious dishes. I was here all the time in college, and I try to go back whenever I can. I genuinely dream about this place. My go to meal is the hokkien noodles with the Thai flavor and chicken. It's also a very good bang for your buck. If I get this meal, I'm eating for the rest of the day. The service is always super quick! Sometimes, there might be a line, but they do a very good job at getting the food out quickly. It is a smaller restaurant ao seating can be limited ơn busier days, but that's bc it's so good, everyone's trying to go. I don't blame them.

Overdue review as I've been here several times now. Ambiance isn't much to write home about. It's…read morevery simple and casual with few tables and seating areas. Service here is overall friendly and welcoming. Although, I've mostly gotten take out and dining in means you clear your own table? Food*: - Tom Yum Soup 8/10, bold and tasty - Laksa Soup 7/10, tasty but oily - Clear Soup 10/10, clean and flavorful which is what keeps me coming back almost every time (especially good when feeling under the weather) * I've only had the soups and always with the big flat noodles Overall: - 8/10, great place for quick and casual dining or maybe best as take out order to enjoy at home

After much anticipation, Sobo Ramen finally opened in Berkeley. I can eat soup noodles of all…read morevarities regardles of season so I was happy to see another ramen shop open in Downtown Berkeley. When you walk in, you step into a vast, open concept restaurant where you can fully see into the entire kitchen and feel how everything connects into the space where you dine. The decor is mellow, warm and inviting. It's great for an intimate meal, groups and everything in between. I immediately notice that each table had a tiny sake bottle holding a mouthful of freshly picked wildflowers sitting on top. It spoke to my heart as I love reusing cool bottles just for the same purpose. My bf and I were greeted warmly and walked to our table. We arrived knowing what we wanted so we ordered straight away. My bf ordered the Pork Belly Tonkotsu and I had the Vegan Spicy Miso with tofu done 3 ways. My bf really enjoyed his ramen and said the meat was tender and flavorful, the broth "just right". My vegan ramen was pretty standard overall. I didn't find the broth to be very complex (it was solidly "miso") but I appreciated the texture of the noodles (they were absolutely perfect!) and the 3 types of tofu offered great variety- soft plain tofu, abura tofu (fried bean curd), and stewed bean curd. There were several distinct textures of tofu to savor: soft, crispy & creamy, firm. The owner, Stella, was on the floor as we headed up to pay for our meal. She was so kind to gift me an empty sake bottle after I complimented on the table decor. We learned about the painstaking patience required to open this location in Berekely and how passionate she and her staff are about the food they bring to the community. In their Oakland location, they used to host midnight ramen and community events which really bring people together and connect them with the food they enjoy. This was such a cool visit and we hope to come back again to try their Matcha Coconut Yuzu Ramen!

OMG it took forever to get our food even though it wasn't busy. It was just Ramen too... Not sure…read morewhat was going on but other people seemed to get much faster than us. It wasn't busy and took about 40mins after ordering. Once it arrived it was ok but the pork was very tough (except the strip of fat) and was pretty simple... like some pickled onions, bok choy, some scallion/ garlic stuff.... Even though the description doesn't lead you to think a lot is going on (Slow-simmered pork broth, thick-cut pork belly, scallions), generally isn't there some extra stuff going on or option to add stuff? Bean sprouts, mini corn, bamboo? Even the egg is $2 extra. But that was all that was optional. Was just a bit boring. Host and server were nice. Watching the kitchen staff move in slow motion was a little frustrating when was getting hangry from waiting so long and then it was a bit disappointing as well.

Living down the block for years this is the first time I've been to kitchen story. The weekends…read morewhen I would drive by seems like there's always a lot of people here so I made a reservation reservations online and you have the option to choose if you want to sit outside inside or upstairs. I reserved for three to sit in the main dining room. The next day we arrived right on time for our reservation and still had to wait about 10-15 minutes and was asked if we could sit outside and then we were seated upstairs. I was a little bummed we didn't get to sit in the lower dining room like I booked on our reservations. It was still cute upstairs and good company always makes brunch even better. The servers were quick and helpful. I wanted something light so I just ordered the chicken and waffle bites. My husband got French toast and a side of chicken and my friend got a main entrée of a sandwich with some fries and a little soup. All of the food that came out looked amazing even at other people's tables. For brunch, the price is a little pricey, but I would like to come back to try other entrées when I'm more hungry. We asked one of our servers if he had a light as I brought a little candle to celebrate my friend's birthday, and as he lit it, he also decided to join in with us as we sang happy birthday, which I thought was really sweet. He did not have to do. He even got other tables around us to sing happy birthday as well. It felt like a special moment for my friend, which was a nice surprise. I did really appreciate this part and look forward to coming back.

We visited Kitchen Story for a spontaneous Mother's Day brunch. I will say this is a popular brunch…read morespot, so be prepared for a bit of a wait. We arrived shortly after 10am and our wait was just under 30 minutes. The restaurant is cozy (on the smaller side) but has an interesting layout. There's seating both indoors, outside, and upstairs. You may have to squeeze by a few tables to make your way to the restroom. Customer service was friendly and attentive. Pricing for food & drinks was a bit high. Our total for 2 entrees and 2 drinks was $60 before tip. We ordered two drinks (orange juice and an iced mocha) which were provided promptly. The orange juice was a little too sour and my mom had to add some sugar to improve the taste. The iced mocha was good, not too sweet. One thing to note the wait for our food took much longer than expected, and it may have been due to how busy it was. My mom opted to order the salmon yuzu benedict and I got an egg plate (scrambled eggs) with a side green salad. My mom mentioned the potatoes lacking salt but she enjoyed the salmon benedict. I thought the scrambled eggs were good, but slightly bland & needed salt and pepper. The side green salad was alright, but the vinaigrette had a bitter aftertaste. Overall, the meal was pretty good and timing wasn't the best. I'd likely return for brunch on a non-peak day. Definitely recommend joining the yelp waitlist prior to arriving if you can!

Flavors, textures and character…read more Thank you for a great lunch experience. The owner's service was wonderful and made it all that more welcoming. Tip: get the Tamarind seasoned fries. Fun added twist to the seasoning.

We decided to give this place another try after having a bad experience with their takeout 5 years…read moreago - it was during the pandemic so we figured maybe by now they'd found their footing. Unfortunately the food was just as bad and overpriced as the first time, I really don't understand how this place is so well reviewed. We both ordered 310 Burgers, one on the regular brioche bun and one on a lettuce wrap. The lettuce wrap came in two steamed, wilted pieces of iceberg, while the brioche bun was untoasted, foamy-textured and soggy. Both medium burgers had the consistency of boiled meatballs. The bacon jam was decent, but the overall experience was wildly unappetizing. We also both got plain fries, which were somehow greasy and dry at the same time, and instantly turned stale as they cooled down. We really hoped for this place because it's conveniently located, and all the other decent burger spots nearby have closed, but sadly we won't be giving 310 Eatery a third try.

truly one of my favorite brunch places in Oakland. the crispiness of the roti, the juiciness of the…read morechicken, and then the creaminess of the avocado creates harmony in every bite. let me stop gate-keeping and put you on to this halal Malaysian spot. grateful this is in Oakland.

This place is simple and delicious. It's a smaller and cute venue to be at. I recall being here…read morelike twice in the past year or so and it just gives me like a warm feeling, and I would come back here. It's very quiet and the ambience of the place adds to the charm. Also,, the roti is delicious. Highly recommended.

Came here on a Monday afternoon and it was really empty. The ambiance is really nice, and I could…read moredefinitely see it being an excellent date spot. The two of us ordered the Fiery Beef and Spicy Noodles and both I would highly recommend. The Fiery Beef was extremely tender with great flavor, my favorite of the two. Overall, I would rate the food a solid 4.5 stars and along with the ambiance of the restaurant, this is definitely a spot that you should check out!

I had my 40th birthday party here and that was fabulous. It's been a favorite for many years but…read moreisn't as fabulous since the pandemic hit. Things changed: more breading on the chicken (spicy crispy chicken) and reduced protein in some of the other dishes, too. But the flavors still hit and its popularity hasn't dimmed much on the nights I've gone over the last few years. I bought their cookbook years back but much of what I like isn't in it, so I keep coming back for the food and community vibes. There is a communal table, which I appreciate though I tend to sit at the bar when I go alone. It's worth it to get a view of what's happening all around you. The B S in Alameda doesn't have the same energy or coziness, but it is easier to access with safer parking (now windows broken there but I've had that here and been hassled walking to/from) and dramatically shorter waits. The diversity of the diners is much lower than this one though (Alameda is still mostly old white people) and the menu has more options here, so I'll continue to return again and again and recommend it to others ... and hope to not have to replace car windows.