The sign on the building says "Korean Comfort Food" and it was…read more Peter helped me choose between varied menu items. The original soup with tofu was rich and flavorful with a generous serving of pillowy soft tofu. The kimchi was the star of the meal with an appetizer of kimchi and cooked seasonal veggies arriving before my entree. Fantastic flavors, fresh ingredients, so many vegetarian options and great atmosphere. I will be back to try more dishes, including the bulgogi and to buy more kimchi to go. https://www.kqed.org/checkplease/23753/check-please-bay-area-reviews-fox-tale-fermentation-project-the-bywater-pyeong-chang-tofu-house

Solid Korean restaurant with locations in Berkeley and Oakland! This Berkeley location is decently…read morespacious with fast service. We got there at around 7 pm on a weekday and were seated immeadiately as a party of 6. We weren't very hungry so we ordered their Seafood Pancake and Bossam. Their seafood pancake was okay. It reminded me more of a scallion pancake due to it being quite thin and not having much seafood in it. Their bossam was pretty good. It came with kimchi, tofu soup, and crispy rice! I like these additions a lot and it left us all feeling satisfied. I feel like the pork belly itself was not super outstanding, but solid among the restaurants in Berkeley! I'd recommend this restaurant to those looking for a nice Korean spot in Berkeley. I'd also love to come back to try more of their dishes, especially those with their kimchi or crispy rice!

I had a great experience at Spoon! The bibimbap was absolutely delicious--served hot with fresh…read morevegetables, flavorful meat, and perfectly cooked rice. The portion size was generous, and mixing everything together with the sauce created the perfect balance of flavors and textures. The side dishes were just as impressive. They were fresh, well-seasoned, and constantly complemented the main dish.

Spoon on Ashby, right next to Berkeley Bowl which means its always on my route anyway. Kimchi fried…read morerice came out in a hot stone bowl, nice crispy rice layer on the bottom, egg on top cooked just right. Seafood pancake was generous, thick and well browned, good texture. Banchan rotation is solid, kimchi was fresh. Service was friendly and the outdoor seating works well on a nice day. Unpretentious neighborhood spot, no gimmicks, food just tastes like someone actually made it. 5 stars, honest Korean food and convenient parking which in Berkeley is basically two stars on its own

Our favorite Korean spot. It is always packed! We like to come here for early lunch or dinner and…read morethe food is so delicious. The beef rib soup is reminiscent of how my mom would make bone broth at home. The fried chicken is a must. You can order half or whole chicken! Definitely stop by here! There is also a simmered beef dish here on a hot plate that we order at times. I don't remember the name but I love eating the beef along with the vegetables in this dish! Very delicious! You'll find families and groups of friends dine here. It's casual and the service is quick and efficient.

Alright, I see all the great reviews, so I'm willing to give this spot another shot and order the…read more"right" things next time. But until then, my rating is based on exactly what we ordered. I was violently craving seolleongtang and did some research to find a spot in Oakland. The menu is pretty big with a lot of enticing options--I love bossam and blood sausage--but because I had tunnel vision, I stuck with the soup. The broth itself was good, and they had salt and pepper on the table so you could season it to your liking. Unfortunately, the noodles were way too soft and almost mushy, and the meat was extremely tough and hard to chew. I couldn't finish it. If seolleongtang is one of your favorite dishes, I'd probably skip it here. My husband got the kimchi fried rice, which was huge and great for sharing between 2-4 people. Based on the portion size, I do think it could use an extra egg, more Spam and some nori on top. It leaned more oily and buttery than other versions I've had, but it was still good--just nothing too special. The vibe and service were solid, so I'd come back to try other dishes and update my rating accordingly.

Brunch done the right way in Berkeley! From hard to find parking to the loud environment to…read morebottomless mimosas to Korean fusion dishes. Everything meshes just right. We went with the bottomless mimosa option. They offer 4 different flavors: OJ, raspberry, peach, and Tiffany (for it's color). We enjoyed the peach one the most. Our server made sure we had refills on both water and mimosas at all times. We started off strong with the Pajun Pancake. A good ratio of shrimp, bacon, and veggies. The sauce it was paired with was the wow factor and we even asked for more. The bulgogi on both the bulgogi bowl and bulgogi scramble was tender and had a tasty marinade. I would had wished the bulgogi scramble didn't have as much red onion. I was surprised with the sweet potato tots option and that didn't disappoint. The spicy pork sandwich was elevated and balanced out with the kimchi slaw and cucumber combo. We finished with the Crunch French toast and it was perfection! Fluffy inside but a crunchy outside. I would come back to try their other options for brunch and dinner.

Visited on a Saturday between 1:00 and 2:00 PM…read more I've been to this restaurant before and decided to come back after a few years. The hostess was welcoming, and the staff who brought out our food were friendly. Unfortunately, our server provided a very different experience. When we asked for appetizer recommendations, he simply repeated the menu items without offering any suggestions. Throughout the meal, he never checked on our table, even though we noticed him checking on the surrounding tables several times. At one point, the patio umbrella unexpectedly fell near our table. Instead of first asking if everyone was okay, his only response was, "Do you mind if I close the umbrella?" That was disappointing and made us feel overlooked. The only time his attitude became noticeably friendlier was when he brought the check. We happened to be the only Asian table that afternoon. While I can't say for certain why our experience felt different, the contrast in service left us feeling unwelcome. I hope every customer receives the same level of care and attention.

4.5 stars $20.95…read moreSeafood Dolsotbap 해물돌솥비빔밥 (Haemul Dolsot Bibimbap): spot on flavors. The side dishes (banchan) were lovely except for cubed radish kimchi. It tasted like sugar was used which is a modern Korean trend (sugar usage) that I don't approve. (Sugar was available to the palace and the rich historically.)

Be sure to check your receipt because the tip percentage suggestions that they list are not on your…read moreactual bill amount, but rather with the sales tax included. There is no reason that we should tip on the sales tax. Faulty calculations!

I've been coming to this Korean restaurant for years, and the quality of the food continues to…read moreimpress me every time. The menu is easy to navigate, with plenty of pictures that make ordering simple. Portions are generous, everything tastes great, and the prices are very reasonable for the area. The staff are always attentive, friendly, and polite, making the dining experience even better. While there aren't a ton of side dish options, the ones they serve are fresh and high quality. Street parking can be challenging at times, but that's hardly the restaurant's fault. Overall, this is a great spot for Korean food, and I'll definitely be back whenever I'm in the area and craving Korean cuisine.

Delish. Friendly folks…read more Yummy food. (Vegan options!) Comfy environment. Well worth checking out! We'll be back!

This late night Korean food in Oakland was much needed after our time at Lake Merrit…read more We especially loved their galbi and spicy pork with cheese. We even took an order to go of the pork! It's a good place to hang out for late night eats and vibes.

This definitely was giving pocha vibes, with a few bright lights and neons signs for an outfit pic…read more The servers were attentive and very speedy, we came on a slower night Unfortunately I cannot give the accolades to the food as other reviewers have done. Even though it is a pocha, the food all felt very akin to Chinese food, with strong but singular flavours for each dish The fried chicken with sweet and sour sauce tasted like orange chicken. It came with slightly crisp tteok which was nice to break up the overwhelming flavour with that texture difference The squid dish offered a similar experience, with the texture of the crispy noodles distracting from the squid sauce for a limited time The crab and egg soup was a bit disappointing, the crab was the shredded fake crab stick kind, the soup was thick but mix of flavours (heavy on the green and red bell peppers) left a lot to be desired. There's a lot of good Korean food in Oakland, so you won't be stuck for choice around the area

This is the perfect place to hit up if you're like me and experience intense, borderline violent…read morejajangmyeon cravings. Sometimes you just need a big, comforting bowl of chewy noodles covered in rich black bean sauce, and this spot absolutely delivers. Their jajangmyeon is done just right. The sauce is savory, hearty, and satisfying without feeling too heavy, and the noodles have that perfect chewy texture that makes the whole dish so comforting. The portion size is also massive, so you could definitely share one order between two people--although I completely understand wanting one all to yourself. I also tried their fried chicken, which was decent, but it wasn't the standout for me. It was fine as a side, but compared to the noodles, it didn't feel like something I'd go out of my way to order again. Next time, I'd probably skip the chicken and focus on what they're clearly known for: their noodle dishes. Overall, this is a great spot when you're craving classic, satisfying Korean comfort food. I'd definitely come back for the jajangmyeon and would recommend it to anyone looking for a generous, flavorful bowl of noodles.

I decided to get delivery for Gangnam Jajang as I was craving ja-jang myeon and saw positive…read morereviews for this spot. I ordered the ja-jang myeon, spicy rice cake and yuja ade. It only took roughly 15-20 minutes for the order to arrive and it came hot and fresh. Starting with the ja-jang myeon, it's so satisfying being able to mix in the sauce with the noodles. The black bean sauce is both salty, savory with a hint of sweetness coming through. The texture is thick and perfect which hugs the noodles with every bite. It also has a good balance of the veggies in the sauce as well. It is definitely very filling! The spicy rice cakes were soaked in a sweet and spicy sauce, with sautéed cabbage and peas. The flavors were really addicting and kept me coming back for more. The rice cakes were both delicate and chewy. Eating this dish alongside the pickled radish and onion cut through the richness of the dish. Lastly, I tried the yuja ade and was pleasantly surprised! I will say that it is very sweet, if you do prefer it to be sweeter instead of tart. At the bottom of the cup are these yummy almost candy-like yuja slices that practically melted with each sip. I'm so glad I decided to try it! Overall, the portion sizes are pretty big for the value! I was able to stretch the food across a few meals. I will definitely be eating here again!