This place is legit Korean with gluten free accommodations! I was so glad to find this gem, definitely will be coming back. Owner and server are super aware of my gluten free dietary restrictions and ensured that what I ordered had GF bonchons. 5 star for food and service! It's clean and looks a lot like a scene out of k drama I went wild on the side dishes - wiped those bad boys clean! read more

The service and food here was excellent! The dupbop Bulgogi over rice was so flavor packed and was a great portion for the price. The banchan or Korean side dishes were tasty. If you like Kim Chee and fish cakes they have very tasty sides of these. The bulgogi was super flavorful and tasty and the rice was very generous. Our server was so kind and helpful and very attentive. The ambiance felt like a small shop with tons of books and snacks to purchase and authentic decor. Definitely give them a try. 11/10 will be coming back! read more

Chingu Superette - Over rice Dupbop Bulgogi - Korean Near Me - San Ramon, California

Ambiance is low-key with simple chair and tables for seating...there is a available, courtesy Korean food and drink items at the rear of the store (the Superette). Ordering is from laminated menus featuring Small Plates and Main items and done on electronic pads. Offered items are on the simple side, Kimbob, Topokki, Kimchi Fried Rice, stews, Hansang, and the rare appearance of steamed eggs...There is access to a variety of Asian drinks as well as the usual American picks. While the selections might not as wide-spread as a Korean BBQ, they are generous and filling and "hit-the-spot"... read more

We ordered a Chingu Dolsot and a vegetarian tofu soup. The food came quickly and the service was good. The stone for my Dolsot was extremely hot and made the rice crispy- always a good sign. It also has a "store" in the back where you can purchase premade food to go. Will come back! read more

Chingu Superette - Chingu Dolsot - Korean Near Me - San Ramon, California

Was surprised to find out this new Korean restaurant. Since my son was in town we came here to try. Be prepared for a wait if you come here at peak time as the place is small. There is also a table with prepared kimbop and other ready-to-eat items. We order the mini kimbop and wings as appetizer. For entree we had the Hansang set, tofu stew and dolsot. The mini kimbop was just spam so it was just okay, texture was not to my liking so is something I would order again. The wings were good but would be better if got more kick - come on wings! The tofu soup was good, the hansang set delicious, and to me the star was the dolsot - flavorful and with the burnt rice... yum! The service was wonderful. The sweet lady came to check on us often and ensure our water can was filled. The place was small as I mentioned, the noise level was not too much... until the table next to us with kids started jumping around and parents raising their voice scolding the kids. Food taste wise was 4. The service 4.5. Overall it was a pleasant experience and I would return with friends in the future. read more

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[IN A NUTSHELL] cute korean shop, good korean options, delicious soup [VERDICT] - APPROVED [RUN-DOWN] Came across this restaurant and it was a good place to get some soup on a cold day. The soup was delicious and came with a lot of meat inside. This is also a cute little shop if you want to get some Korean bonchon or a small lunch. They have kimchi fried rice as well ask japchae with mondu as a small to go option. If you are in need of some homemade Korean items, this would be a good place for that. Now for the food, the restaurant has limited items but they all looked good. There were other items that I wanted to try but this is just a classic Korean restaurant. [SCORE & ORDER] OVERALL: 3.75/5 Soft Tofu Stew - Medium Spicy $19 (3.75/5) -Beef Tofu Stew -The beef soup was delicious and very strong beef broth? The fklavor was good and there was a good portion of sliced beef and tofu in the soup. The interesting thing about this soup was that the egg came in a sort of poached egg that you can crack into the soup. The overall flavor was good and I would come back here to try their other items. The portion was also good and I was stuffed after. Meat was tender and the tofu was not too soft and not too hard. The bonchon was ok in my opinion. There was nothing special about it and it sort of lacked flavor. The kimchi and ear wood was sort of sour (not my favorite only because I am not a fan of sour). The fishcake was also normal and there was not much flavor in it. [SERVICE & ATMOSPHERE] (not reflected upon review score): Service was ok. You order through the screen on the table and they bring it out to you. You can also grab some items in the store and would be added to your total. Atmosphere was quiet and there was not that many customers. read more

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Chingu Superette is a New Korean restaurant/ market in San Ramon. It takes over the space vacated by Fresh Millions across from Safeway. A small space with the dining portion in the front, the banchan section in the middle and the kitchen portion in the back. Chingu is already at its seating capacity during lunch. The food is simple and excellent. We had the tofu soup, japchae, and the seafood pancake, all were good. The entrees come out as a set with banchans. The only knock is the banchans were tiny and very basic. Suggestion : since there are a variety of banchans offered in the market it would be nice to feature some of their banchans on the menu. Plenty of parking in the shopping center. Service was good. read more

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Chingu Superette opened a month ago where Fresh Millions was. 8 tables of seating, a small grocery with dry products, freshly made foods to go, drinks & refrigerated goods. Small parking lot. Rhythmic music in background. Korean & English books on shelves behind the tables. Greeted & seated soon after entering. Ordered after inquiring about chili hotness of a dish. Food came in 10 minutes. Offerings (Korean): small plates-Jun, wings, snacks, Manson, kimbap, topokki(rice cakes); mains-dolsot, katsu, jap chae, fried rice, stews, hapsang. Slurps: Kalbee Stew (20) -clear broth has overall sweet ambiance from radish, clear noodles, scrambled eggs, green onions, & 3 large Kalbi beef ribs. Broth had strange aftertaste at finish. -Kalbi meat was semi-chewy, semi-tender. Not much flava beyond a strange taste. Most flava went into broth. -banchan a few pieces of spicy noodles, shredded radish, leafy kimchi, stem kimchi. No refills offered. -a decade or 2 has passed since having Kalbi stew. 4 stars: semi-worthy:ymmv. Service ok, quantity: almost reasonable. quality: inconsistent read more

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What a cute concept this was. When we walked in on a weekday night, we weren't sure if we were going to dine in or take out. There were bookshelves along the sitting area; A little market and gift store. A grab and go section for snacks and drinks as well. After checking out it we decided to eat in. We sat in the corner table and ordered at the table side computer. You could order items for dine in and take out too. We decided on the kimbap, dumpling rice cake soup, fried mandu (bc we love homemade dumplings prepared differently) and brought home a katsu chicken for Hubs. The dumpling rice cake came with banchan. A few were super spicy for my pallet whereas a few were very refreshing. All the ingredients tasted so fresh. Loved how nicely assembled the kimbap the bulgogi inside was nice and marinated. Mandus were made in house and tasty. Overall felt a very homey and neighborhood cafe where you can meet up with friends for a meal or just snacks. read more

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Walking into the restaurant gives a quaint and warm welcoming vibe; maybe it has to do with the books and toys as decorations, as if you are walking into someone's home and looking at the owner's favorite collections. But at the back of the restaurant is an open kitchen. There is also a side refrigerator filled with banchan and drinks, a freezer with ready made soups and marinated meat, and a whole corner of wonderful snacks! I got this sense that I was invited to visit a friend's home, or a favorite place to hang out. "Chingu" in Korean means "Friend." It was a nice, calm, and clean environment to meet, eat, and catch up with friends too. Food-we ordered, using a QR code, the non-spicy topokki, the beef jhapchae noodle, and a custom made kimbap. The owner came by to ask how we want to customize our kimbap. Everything we ordered we really enjoyed! The kimbap was soo good-large rolls filled with flavorful and fresh ingredients. We had a hiccup in finding a piece of hair on our jhapchae, but they took the dish in right away as soon as we told them, offered us new clean plates, and remade a completely fresh plate of Jhapchae for us with no hesitation. They also gave us cheese balls on the house as an apology to make things right ( we didn't ask/request). We enjoyed our visit and would drop by again. It's so convenient whether to grab a snack, a side, or a full meal! read more

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Really enjoyed this new Korean neighborhood market/restaurant. It's a small space serving food, selling banchan and Korean snacks. It's warmly decorated with a few tables and books on the walls. Service was friendly and the food was really good. The hot stone chicken bibimbap was my favorite. The chicken was really flavorful and there were so many veggies over the rice. Both the mushroom tofu soup and the Galbi came as a set with some banchan. Both dishes were delicious but I do wish they served a wider variety of banchan. The kimchi pancake was crispy and savory. I'll definitely be back! read more

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Such a cute little Korean restaurant and market all in one, just what San Ramon needed! I'm excited to try other dishes and pick up some sides from their grab n go, especially the raw spicy marinated crabs. I had to learn the hard way that that banchan isn't served with the katsu entree dish, which was surprising to me as I've never been to a Korean spot that didn't serve you sides. Our server noticed my inevitable sad face and kindly brought out a small array of sides to make up for not communicating this, though I don't think it's what's typically given to guests. I would love to try their usual assortment of banchan another time! RECS: + Spicy tteokbokki ($16) tasted good, I only wish there were more fish cakes! PASS: + Chingu katsu ($19) was decent, had good texture but is nothing special. Also it was pretty dry. I was disappointed this dish is the only entree that is "not eligible" for banchan read more

Chingu Superette - Chingu Katsu ($19) - Korean Near Me - San Ramon, California

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Chingu Superette is such a cute Korean restaurant and market. They offer plenty of Korean groceries, along with traditional dishes. I came in to pick up one of their premade mini lunch boxes, which came with kimchi fried rice, fried egg, and vegetarian dumplings. It was so delicious and filling! Looking forward to trying out the rest of their menu items and shopping here! read more

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Nice family owned Korean restaurant. Service was very friendly and welcoming. We almost didn't go because their listed closing hour is 8 pm, and it was 7:30. They still seated and served us, not making us feel rushed at all. The food was good, but the background music was odd (I think it was hip hop, but I really couldn't be sure--it's just not my thing). Definitely worth checking out. read more

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Chingu Superette is a brightly-lit, welcoming Korean cafe / deli that opened up in San Ramon a few weeks ago. You order by electronic pad for dine-in or you can load up on freshly made banchan and other snacks and drinks for takeout. The cafe has some nice artwork and decorations, including rows of books. The Veggie Gimbap is one of my favorite appetizers. Of you like sushi, imagine a bigger maki roll packed with colorful, pickled veggies for big contrast in textures and flavor. They have beef versions too. For my main entree, Kimchi Fried Rice definitely feeds two since it'll also come with banchan and a seaweed soup. I got grilled chicken mixed in. Very moist and flavorful with sweet, savory, and pickled components. Like everything else on life, a fried egg and sprinkle of dried seaweed flakes made it even better. Absolutely thrilled to have more Korean restaurants in San Ramon. Their menu has many of our favorite items like hot stone bibimbap, tofu stews, noodle dishes, and of course KFC wings. They seem good with being able to mix and match proteins too. read more

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Finally tried this place for Lunch and was not disappointed! Hope this place does well as their menu offerings satisfy and portion sizes are generous. Will definitely be back. read more

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I am SO excited a Korean place opened up so near to me I can walk there. It's pretty new and I've already been there a handful of times, twice to eat lunch there, twice to pick up banchan (side dishes). The banchan, snacks and drinks are constantly changing or being added to. Jessica, the owner, is so friendly and fun to chat with and makes you feel so welcome. She's constantly having customers try out different snacks and takes feedback whether to stock the snacks or not, and it just adds a little bit of fun every time I go there. You take a seat anywhere and order off a tablet. So far, for lunch, I have tried soft tofu stew, kimchi pancake, and yukgaejang (spicy beef stew). They have all been delicious. The first time I went, they had a Mild and Spicy option on the tablet for the soft tofu stew. I went up and asked for it Extra Spicy. The next time I went, there was an Extra Spicy option on the tablet. But my favorite part of these dishes are they taste so clean, like something a Korean mom would make. Most Korean places I have ever tried the spicy beef stew has been so oily, it made me feel sick afterwards, but here, they make it so clean without a layer of oil hovering on the top and there is absolutely no compromise in taste. I can't wait to try everything else, every time I come here, I'm going to try something new. I also follow them on Instagram so they posted about the spicy raw marinated crab - one of my favorite dishes. I immediately ran to pick some up. The price is decent, and the crab was so fresh and clean tasting. My kids ate most of it since they absolutely love it, but I did get to sneak some in also. I also picked up some kimbap another day because I had a flight the next day and didn't want to pay for airport food. I refrigerated it overnight and then just packed it up and hours later, I ate it and it was so good. And it is so huge and packed so well that it doesn't disintegrate when trying to eat it. (You gotta eat it in one bite though =D). I cannot recommend this place enough, the food, the vibes, the service all HIT. read more

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Rejoice!!! Finally a Korean restaurant in San Ramon! This is a cute, mom & pop shop/restaurant with the front part for dining and a back side with a mini mart. I love the ambiance when you walk in and there are a bunch of books lining the sides of the dining area. You order from the iPad. The food came out nice and hot. #Cheese balls -- these were devoured very quickly. It's a slight sweet fried mochi ball with cheese inside. That cheese pull went on for daaaaayyys #Soy glazed chicken wings -- super crunchy on the outside, the sauce was on point. #Seafood pancake -- this was really good. I liked how it wasn't all batter like in other places and loved how the thick chunks of green onion brought out brightness in this dish #Hansang (bulgogi) -- this is a set menu that comes with lettuce for wraps, rice, seaweed soup, and a variety of delicious banchan. The beef was ok, not the best bulgogi I've ever had in my life, but I appreciated the "home style" feel - like I went over to a friend's grandma's house for dinner vibe The service was excellent! Our server came around to check in fairly frequently, despite there being a busy service. We have yet to get stuff from their mini-mart, but next time we have plans for KBBQ at home this is where we will stop to shop! All in all a great experience and we will definitely be coming back! read more

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What a great new place to open in San Ramon! Korean restaurant and small grocery store. The inside is so cute, walls covered in shelves with various books you can browse. The service was excellent. The staff were so kind and helped us order such amazing food. The beef jhap chae noodles were so good. The kiddo who only wants noodles totally loved them. The K-cheese balls were awesome and soft tofu soup was perfect. Of course ordered too much food but what can you do when the food is so good?! read more

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Great food - especially side dishes that accompanied our tofu stew. Service was friendly and place was very clean. Reminded me of places in Japan - part supermarket, part restaurant, part take out, with books on shelves for display. read more

Amazing food. We went later in the afternoon, and received great service from the owner! It's a pretty cozy place, and like the bookshelf

5* Food 4.5* Service 5* Ambiance Charming and quaint, this little Korean restaurant and market is an absolute find. The space is beautifully decorated with shelves filled with books and unique novelties, creating a cozy and inviting atmosphere. The menu is concise, making it easy to choose from a variety of beloved Korean favorites; everything from comforting soft tofu hot pots and crispy pancakes to flavorful beef kimbap and perfectly grilled galbi. Ordering is seamless thanks to the selfserve touchscreen system and the food arrives impressively fast without compromising quality. Making our lunch a worry free and enjoyable one. I ordered the bulgogi beef over rice and it was outstanding. The beef was tender and richly marinated, cooked with onions, mushrooms, and bell peppers, then served over perfectly steamed rice. It came with a selection of traditional Korean sides and condiments that elevated every bite. The portions are generous and it shows the owners care about every detail, from presentation to flavor to overall experience. This place delivers both comfort and quality in every way. I will absolutely be back and highly recommend it to anyone looking for authentic and delicious Korean cuisine. read more

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This place is a gem. Family owned and very tasty. I been there 3 times and it always been good. Great customer service too. read more

Chingu Superette - Korean Near Me - San Ramon, California

I'm so over the moon there is a Korean tofu soup spot by me! Ahh I'm gonna start coming here more often! I ended up ordering their beef stew and it was perfect! Can't wait to try more snacks and other dishes next time! read more

Really like this place. Great food, loved the short ribs plate, and enjoyed the rice punch as well. The ambience is nice & comforting, and the place is super clean. The kitchen looks sterling and modern as well. Even though there's wide open viz into the cooking, it's quiet inside. Highly recommended! read more

Chingu Superette - Rice Punch - Korean Near Me - San Ramon, California

Did take out and the place was packed on a weekday at lunchtime. Kim Bop was really fresh and well made, the right ratio of rice and fillings. Short Ribs were tasty read more

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I LOVE this place so much! With little to none Korean food in and around San Ramon, this one definitely takes the cake. They are very understanding and accommodating towards food allergies and they have really good gluten free options. The place its self is really clean and cozy and super cute! read more

first time came here yesterday. place is quite cozy and owner is nice and attentive. there is a pad on every table for you to order foods. foods overall are quite yummy but i will say a bit pricey here three suggestions: * order two bulgogi over rice but got different ban chan on each order. in fact, on one order got double ban chan, meaning just got three different kind ban chan instead of four. make it standard, better... * the water jug is enough only for two cups. please provide bigger than that. came four people and felt not comfortable have to wait for just water, mostly quite crowded yesterday. either replace it with bigger jug or having self service for water... * having a bit more broth in steamed egg will taste even better. i think yesterday almost no broth even though still a bit soft for the texture... read more

Chingu Superette - chingu wings and bulgogi over rice... - Korean Near Me - San Ramon, California

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Chingu Suprette fills a gap in the Korean food scene of San Ramon. As soon as we approached this new hybrid restaurant/grocery store, the owner Paul welcomed us in, and we sat at one of the tables to order on a tablet. Each order came with a variety of banchan (also sold in the back of the store) including kimchi, burdock, seaweed salad, lotus root, and shredded radish, each of which was homemade, fresh, and flavorful. One of the recommended dishes was the Hansang, a set meal that came with a choice of protein (we got the salmon fillet, cooked with onions on a sizzling stone plate), rice, seaweed soup, and lettuce/carrots/cucumber/sauce for making wraps. The Kimchi Stew was a hot stone pot of a sour, spicy stew made with kimchi, beef, tofu, rice cake, and enoki mushrooms; and the Spicy Topokki were chewy cylindrical rice cakes in a spicy sauce, along with huge sheets of fish cake and a boiled egg on top. One highlight dish was the Steamed Egg, an incredibly light, puffy, and airy soufflé with shrimp, cooked in a mini stone pot. But my favorite dish of all was the Chingu Dolsot, an iron stone pot made of rice topped with a medley of colorful vegetables including lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, zucchini, red cabbage, and seaweed, along with a choice of protein, and topped off with a fried egg. After mixing up all the ingredients with gochujang, the rice formed a delightfully crispy crust that was a true highlight of the dish! Overall, the homecooked food here was high-quality, delicious, and made with love. The owners were super friendly and hospitable, and this is truly a small business worth supporting! read more

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Such a good dinner at Chingu Superette tonight. The food came out super hot and everything we ordered was honestly delicious. We got the rice cake soup, bulgogi hansang, K cheese ball, and tuna kimbap and every single dish hit. The banchan were also really good and tasted fresh, which always makes such a difference. We also tried the mango soda and the housemade rice punch -- both were so fun and refreshing. Jessica came by to chat with us and was incredibly friendly and welcoming, which made the whole experience even better. One of my favorite parts was the cute little shop in the back with Korean snacks, banchan, drinks, and ready-to-go meals. Such a fun touch and definitely somewhere you could spend time browsing after dinner. Can't wait to come back already! read more

I chose the tofu soup with meat (came with ban-Chan). Delicious... I enjoy this cafe & small niche market. Great service: felt welcomed and well treated. Great experience and food that screams hankook. read more

Such a cool and delicious spot for lunch or dinner. It just opened and the owner (who is very friendly) has said it's been pretty busy. The food is and the ambiance is open and clean. There's a little store inside with yummy snacks and drinks. The soy glazed wings and spam kimchi fried rice were so delicious. I can't wait to try more dishes! read more

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So glad that we finally have a legit Korean restaurant in the area. The food and service were great! Our family ordered several dishes to share - Our favorite was the Hansang beef short ribs. They were super flavorful and juicy. We also ordered the Chingu Katsu (pork) and Dolsot. Both were good but could have used a little more sauce/flavor. The steamed egg was also good. The table next to us ordered the chicken wings and we all agreed we are ordering them the next time we go! We really hope this place does well! read more

Tried the Short Ribs Set ($33) and large OB ($10). Pretty good value imo. If you sign up for the Chingu Club by scanning the QR code at your table right now they'll give you $5 off. Food was great, service was great, server even carded me for the beer (I turn 41 this year lol). Look forward to coming back to try the other items on their menu. Geonbae! read more

Chingu Superette - Short Ribs set - Korean Near Me - San Ramon, California

Came here for my birthday dinner and glad we did. Love the set up they have going on, it's a dine-in with a small take-out store added too. We ordered a bunch of dishes however I only took pictures of the tteokbokki because my parents started digging in before the camera ate first. Glad there is a Korean dine-in place near me now because the tofu soup was delicious. Definitely coming back and seeing what other dishes they add! The dine-in service experience is sit-down and order through the ipad. They are very attentive to get you anything you need before and after you order. read more

Chingu Superette - tteokbokki - Korean Near Me - San Ramon, California

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The food here is very good. I got the little box lunch and it was the perfect size. This place is so cute and delicious. I recommend this place. read more

What a charming little gem in San Ramon! From the moment we walked in, everything felt just right. The restaurant was spotless, welcoming, and thoughtfully laid out with just the right amount of seating. My kids and I had fun browsing the market area and picking out a few items to try with dinner. The service was outstanding--our server was friendly, attentive, and efficient, always making sure we had everything we needed without being intrusive. The food was delicious, and the portion sizes were perfect. We had a wonderful experience and will definitely be back! read more

Super cute casual Korean spot. Great food to have there or takeout. Quality of food was yummy and the portion size was generous

Flavor bomb! No meal has disappointed us so far. Our faves are the soft tofu soup, kimchi fried rice, corn cheese and dolsot bibimbap. They also have little kid kid meals called JZ roll (spam, seaweed and rice). We are super happy this place opened up. Authentic Korean food (even has Korean books around to read while you wait). Each table has an iPad to order. The place is small but super homey. It also has a little market where you can get Korean snacks, to go food options like Kimbap or rice meals, or even some KBBQ / banchan. read more

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There's plenty of parking available right by Katie's Korner. The restaurant features several cozy sit-down tables, creating a warm, inviting atmosphere surrounded by shelves of books. If you're in a hurry, you can also pick up quick to-go items, much like at a grocery store. Once we ordered, our food arrived swiftly. We enjoyed the Beef Chingu Kimbop, Beef Mandoo, and Chingu Chicken Katsu for two. The vinegar-soy dipping sauce for the Mandoo was light and flavorful--perfectly balanced. I loved both the Beef Chingu Kimbop and Chicken Katsu! Being used to Japanese rolls and wasabi, I appreciated how these are sweeter and don't need wasabi. The Chicken Katsu was cooked to perfection--crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. We're already planning to return on Tuesday! Such a tasty choice--you'll definitely want to try it. Thank you for a yummy dinner!!! read more

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