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    Choi's Oriental Market

    4.6 (278 reviews)
    Open 10:00 am - 7:30 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Choi's Oriental Market Photos

    CHOI'S ORIENTAL MARKET ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Sauce contained mainly onions as seen in this photo of Jajangmyeon
    Kelly K.

    Found this spot on Yelp and was craving authentic Korean food. It is a small Korean food shop with an area sectioned off to dine in and a few tables outside as well. Service was good. I ordered the Jajangmyeon noodle dish at the register and took a seat. It came with a dish of yellow radish. The Jajangmyeon had julienned cucumber on top. The sauce for this dish is supposed to be thick. Unfortunately, I was served a version that was very thin and oily. The sauce had tiny pieces of diced overcooked pork and a just a small pieces of zucchini. Other than that the rest was slices of blackened onions. The cost was also expensive at $15.95 before tax. This was the most I have ever paid for this dish and the quality was inferior and there wasn't enough veggies in the sauce. Between the pork and zucchini, I estimate it was less than a 1/4 cup. So essentially the dish was mainly noodles in with a sauce filled with onions.

    Tofu Stew, Bibimbap, Mung Bean Pancakes
    Divya J.

    We got the tofu stew (Soondobu Jjiggae) and the bibimbap. The stew was excellent - nice and spicy. The bibimbap was alright - loved the gochujang they provide on the side. Slightly small portion size and it was cold. Want to go back to try their hot bibimbap. The mung bean pancakes were great too. I wish they served it with some dip / sauce but it went great with the gochujang. Decent service, grocery-store ambience which is not bad at all. Parking: free, right outside.

    Chris L.

    Sometimes the simplest restaurants are the best. We stumbled upon Choi's during our trip to the area last year and ended up eating here twice. There was not way we were leaving without experiencing this simple yet delicious spot. Hidden in a Korean minimart. There are a few tables in side and one or two outside. It's one of those places where you can come as you are and leave feeling 100% satisfied. Near the campus of UCSB in Goleta Choi's is tucked in a Korean Grocery store and is no frills. They let the food speak for itself and it does. For us this is a must do when we are in the SB area.

    Japchae
    Emmy C.

    I like the variety of panchan they provide. Wife had oxtail soup and it was ok but I wish the broth had a stronger flavor. The appetizer soup provided was super peppery (I think they should lay off the pepper and let people add their own). The gal bi was good and I wanted to enjoy it with the naegmyun but the noodles were too soft and the soup wasnt strong enough for me. Usually the noodles are suppose to be chewy and you need scissors to cut them. But overall I would come back to get my Korean food fix

    Spicy pork
    Mason M.

    Mr. Choi's is a really nice spot for good Korean food and service. The spicy pork was great with a big serving. The banchan selection was very minimal, only being spicy cucumber and kimchi which was extremely fermented. The nengmyuon was decent, as well as the jajangmyun. Overall solid food with plentiful servings. My only complaints would be that it was a bit on the pricier side, and the inside was inside of a market with no music and bleak lighting. Other than that though, great experience with good and authentic Korean food!

    Beef bulgogi
    Karen G.

    The flavor was of the beef bulgogi bowl was so good, it was hot and fresh. I ordered takeout and I didn't have to wait long to get my order. I didn't realize that it was a small grocery store so I was surprised by that when I walked in. They have dining tables for you to sit and enjoy your meal.

    Banchans
    Stacey L.

    Santa Barbara's Asian food sucks when you want a variety of flavors for the cravings. But some of the better tasting ones at least are fusion so it's a blend of something to make it tastier or Americanized. And also to the average tourist that doesn't know, prices will be hiked up to three times more and usually not the Asian food that is high quality. I finally tried this spot recommended by some very smart and diverse people and Choi's Korean food is very good. I am impressed and what I love so much about this spot is the white rice. I have missed eating rice that is a little sticky and not super dry. This place is the best spot for that and among other things on their menu, also their tofu soup and bibimbap and both heated in a hot stone bowl/dolsot! They also have a small market that sells Asian but mostly Korean dry goods and a cold beverage section in the back right if you're looking for some banchans.

    Tteokbokki
    Madii L.

    I love Choi's! It's a hole in the wall spot for authentic Korean food, as you can see below. I've had their tteokbokki a couple of times and it always hits. I had their naengmyeon for the first time and it was so flavorful!! You can also buy kimchi in the store along with other yummy asian treats :)

    menu (1/6/23)
    Maria W.

    The place has got a homey storefront type of energy; you enter and are enthusiastically greeted by the sweet owners, treated with kindness and respect, and checked up on while eating (in a caring way that doesn't feel like the awkward "how's your meal" questions while you try to get the mouthful of food you just took down your gullet). I've gotten the bibimbap here a couple times and it always hits the spot. Mushrooms, wonderful pickled vegetables, a fried egg, a side of cucumbers... One thing to note, though, as another review has said, it could definitely use some more beef. It almost seems as if it's a veggie bowl with a few small slices of meat thrown in (for $16 no less)! But the flavors are delicious nonetheless. I'll be trying something new next time, though!

    Menu
    Sylvia K.

    There are new owners here, who are very nice. Food is the same. If you are trying to figure out what to order here, I would order the bibimbap, which is a mixed vegetable rice with hot sauce. I would order the rice cake soup with dumplings, which is delicious. I love the spicy squid, which may be a little exotic for some people...more squid please. The beef is a little pricey for a small portion. Food is good, and in my opinion, the most authentic in Santa Barbara, so it fits the bill.

    Yukgaejang
    Katelyn N.

    Chois is an authentic korean eatery/market with many dishes, I ordered the tofu soup and yukgaejang which were both very good! The tofu soup is flavorful and has a decent amount of spice, the yukgaejang was spicy and not as flavorful but still very enjoyable! The service is quick and efficient, you order and pay when you come in, take a seat and someone will bring your food out to u. It's in a market so there's a section to buy asian sauces, food, instant ramen, and other things that would be difficult to find in this area. Overall I loved the food and will be back to try other things :)

    Bibimbap in stone bowl

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    3 months ago

    Best Korean in Santa Barbara. The food is always amazing and the owners are very kind.

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    8 months ago

    Very authentic Korean food- very few options in Santa Barbara. Naengmyun very good. Oxtail soup is a nice bonus. Kimchi stews very solid.

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    2 years ago

    The owners and employees are super sweet and the food is fantastic. Hot stone bibimbop is my favorite!

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    1 year ago

    Fresh and friendly! Ate the cold noodles and it hit the spot. The frozen food selection is good and has lots of Korean/Chinese snacks too

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    Page 1 of 7

    Ask the Community - Choi's Oriental Market

    Do they sell gochujang and other ingredients to make korean food?

    Yes! They definitely sell gochujang, gochugaru and stuff like that, but they don't have fresh veggies as far as I know.

    Do they sell marinated meat to cook at home?

    You can ask for them to marinate the meat for you. I would ask in advance due to availability

    Does this market sell boba pearls?

    They have them uncooked! I got a great packet and it was organic too!

    How to order online?

    They are answering the phone :)

    Is catering for small groups between 10 - 15 available?

    Yes :). Just call to make arrangements

    Do they sell Kimchi?

    Yes we do!

    Can you buy or bring and open wine?

    You can buy wine or beer at market and drink. No outside wine please.

    View All 13 Questions

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    Food was excellent and our server was just lovely. There was a small hiccup in our experience that…read moreshe handled as best she could within her level of experience (saying this in a positive way), and then the manager came in and was insanely gracious in all respects. Most impressive to me was that as much as she wanted to take care of us as her customers, the manager seemed equally dedicated to taking care of her server and staff. Huge respect and appreciation to both our sweet server and the woman leading such a strong team this evening

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    The Blue Owl - Pork.Banh mi ($16|dry meat) and Strawberry Walnut salad ($15|overpriced, but very good)

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    We could hear live Blues playing down the street which meant there was life. We had just left the…read moreSanta Barbara Bowl and wanted something to eat after the show ended at 9pm. Not much was open which is how we ended up here. The place was super hot so we decided to order our food to go and there was a super annoying drunk guy ahead of us in line. I felt bad for the 17 yo employee stuck interacting with them. We ordered a sandwich with shrimp in it. L said it was good but the title shouldn't mention shrimp as they were super teeny tiny and basically non existent. I got the gluten free fried rice bowl with chicken spicy. It was not spicy at all, and the chicken was a bit dry, however I could taste the flavor of the chicken and the meal was bland enough that I knew I would be okay. Earlier in the day before the bowl we went to a winery and I had a headache, so this food for me last night worked especially since we picked it up to go and had it at our Air BnB.

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    Overall wonderful experience! Food was delicious. Both…read morerolls we got was enough in terms of quantity. The unagi rice bowl was very good. The spicy beef udon was a really good choice if you like spicy. The broth was fire! The chaschu ramen was amazing. The pork was so soft, like melt in your mouth. The spicy miso wings and edamame were a good surprise. The wings had such a yummy sauce. Service was commendable. They were all attentive! Perfect for a lunch out after the zoo or other family activities in the area. Casual and family friendly inside. Although I have to mention the bathroom did not have a baby changing station.

    My friends and I were excited to get some ramen. Was pleasantly surprised to see their menu also…read morehad sushi, pho etc. There was also confusion with our food. We ordered a papaya salad and they brought out a different one with chicken. They were quick to correct it once they realized the mistake. Some dishes came with an egg when the menu didn't include it. The papaya salad and spicy edamame were good (the sauce was more sweet). One friend got a veggie miso ramen which looked and tasted like regular noodles with interesting vegetables. The miso ramen looked the same minus the veggies. Another got a honey boba with their dinner which left them feeling disappointed. I got the black garlic tonkotsu ramen which was good. Their spicy level wasn't spicy. I got a mild just in case and one of the servers overheard me & brought more chilli on the side. I didn't find it spicy but that may have been because it was really fatty dish.

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    Choi's Oriental Market - korean - Updated September 2026

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