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    KAOKAO Grill

    4.7 (194 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 3:00 pm, 4:00 PM - 8:30 PM
    Updated 2 weeks ago

    Order KAOKAO Grill Takeout or Delivery

    KAOKAO Grill Photos

    KAOKAO GRILL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - KAOKAO Grill

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    Char siu
    Olivia T.

    The char siu is the best thing I've eaten in 2026 so far. Everything was perfect - the texture, seasoning and smokiness. Service was really great and friendly too. Highly recommend!!

    Eggplant Salad
    Emily X.

    I recently went to KAOKAO Grill with my boyfriend and I was really excited by their bbq meats. Before you even walk in, you can smell the dreamy aroma of the bbq. This place is located in the Elmwood area and has lots of indoor seating. You place your order at the counter and the server will bring you your food. Water, napkins, and utensils are self serve. We were really hungry so we got the Stir Fry String Beans and eggplant salad as an appetizer. The eggplant salad has a great savory/smokey flavor and the eggplants were tender. We also enjoyed the string beans which had a mild garlicky flavor. My boyfriend got the char siu bowl set and it was a good portion for the price. The meat was super juicy and had a nice bbq glaze on the outside. I got the bbq brisket noodles but instead of brisket I got chicken because they didn't have anymore brisket that day. The skin on the chicken was crispy and cooked to perfection. The noodles were perfectly cooked and they're handmade daily! Overall, this place is great for a casual bite to eat with friends or small groups. The meat is standout and the service is friendly.

    Beef Brisket Soup Noodle
    Grace Y.

    This spot has been in my bookmarks forever after I saw it got featured in the Sf Chronicle. I love BBQ, so I was sold when I saw they put creative twists on Asian classics. Our favorite was the char siu set - this was so smokey and had the perfect level of char/sweet glaze. The brisket noodles were also delicious; the brisket melts in your mouth. I thought portion sizes were pretty fair given how heavy / rich the meats were. New fave spot in Berkeley!

    Johnny W.

    Summary: Flavorful, too salty meats Details: I'd been meaning to try KAOKAO for a while now, but the lines were always a major deterrence. Fast forward a few months and the initial hype seemed to have died down, to the point where we ate in a mostly empty shop when we went. Having tried both their chicken and char siu, I'll say that they're amazingly flavorful, with lots of depth and in-your-face flavor, but as one might expect from me by now, I found them a bit too salty. That said, the char siu in particular paired quite well with the noodles, slightly balancing out the salt levels as well. While probably not a spot I'd go back to myself, I would imagine that most folks wouldn't find their seasoning too heavy-handed, so it's certainly worth trying yourself! Accessibility: The downstairs area is on the smaller and more narrow side, with a handful of accessible tables. More seating upstairs, but not accessible.

    Smoked pork belly over white rice.
    Steve S.

    Perfect location everything everything. Walk in and smell that awesome almond smoke. Better than traditional ie. American bar- b- cue. Food is to die for. Thank me later.

    Kaokao Char Siu
    Laura C.

    I wanted to like KAOKAO more! Coming on New Year's Day, they had some supply chain and logistical challenges. We ordered and paid at the counter and later found out that two of our dishes were not available. Luckily we were able to get refunds and order alternative dishes instead. I wish the ventilation was a bit better as it does get quite smoky instead. The char siu set is super tender and worth ordering.

    Kaokao Char Siu Set
    Michele L.

    Wow, Kaokao has blown us away with their delicious food. We were looking around for lunch and came across Kaokao on Yelp and it looked amazing, so we decided to give it a try. My brother-in-law actually had this place bookmarked for a while so it was right up his alley too. We came for a pretty late lunch, probably around 2PM-ish so there weren't that many people in the restaurant. How it works is, you place your order at the counter first and you're free to sit wherever you want. They have both bottom and top floor seats available. Between the four of us (+ a toddler), we ordered BBQ Brisket Noodle x 2, KaoKao Char Siu Set x 2, Stir Fried String Beans, Eggplant Salad, and Cold Cucumber Salad to share. - Stir Fried String Beans: So much wok hey. Smokey and delicious! Not overcooked and still slightly crunchy. - Cold Cucumber Salad: This was a little too spicy for my palate, but it was refreshing. They even peeled off the outer layer which was surprising to me because I never see it served like this. - BBQ Brisket Noodle: I believe they said their noodles were made in-house. They're chewy just a tad thick, and they don't get soggy. It was great. The briskets were thick, tender, and had a good mix of meat and fat. Definitely recommend! - KaoKao Char Siu Set: This was amazing as well! Especially the end bits that are slightly charred. Wow, it reminded me of the Bo Ssam from Momofuku. Just as good. Whatever they rub as the seasoning / sauce, it was amazing. Definitely recommend this one too! The sauce from the char siu gets mixed into the rice, so it makes the rice extra tasty. - Eggplant Salad: Of all the veggie dishes, I would choose this one - not because the rest isn't delicious, but I think this one is a little more unique. The sauce that comes with these eggplants was a little nutty, a little spicy, a little creamy. But the eggplants were super soft. Service was friendly and amazing too. We will definitely come back in the future when we're around Berkeley!

    Beef Brisket Soup Noodle
    Eddie A.

    I've been here three times already! I went twice with my wife, and we both loved the char siu set and the BBQ brisket noodle soup. The soup was super flavorful! The char siu set is seriously some of the best pork you can find in the Bay Area, especially if you're looking for a laid-back vibe. The only thing is that it can take a bit of time for your food to arrive, but it's totally worth it!

    Kaokao Char Siu   The best I've ever had outside of HGg! Trust!
    David N.

    I looked forward to the BBQ brisket noodle soup. It's 1:30pm on a Friday. No soup available, well no broth. Not really sure what to think.

    Samantha C.

    Came here because my friend wanted to check out the char siu. We were going to try both the chicken and char siu, but by the time we got there (~2PM Sunday), they were sold out of the chicken. This was my first time having char siu using pork belly, so I anticipated it to be succulent and falling apart considering it is cooked low and slow like an American style bbq. While I got the smoke, the pork belly was overcooked and I thought the bark was too hard given the size of the pieces served. I also wish the pickles were more acidic and that they served more glaze because that was the star of the show. Overall, good flavors but let down by the texture especially at $20+ per plate.

    Chicken pasta
    Kevin H.

    Small portions, slow service, somewhat bland food. Fairly standard price for college but still felt a bit much. Honestly, it was mostly the portions that brings it down for me. There could have been a bit more pasta in my dish or rice in others. I should not be paying more than 20 and leaving still hungry. I do enjoy the small room and atmosphere.

    Kristin N.

    Finally stopped in and had the most amazing dinner. Value here is A+++! We started with the marinated cucumbers, spicy and refreshing. I could have eaten 3 plates. The eggplant, such a luxurious texture and mouth feel. I could have eaten 3 plates again! The sauces on both shared plates were fantastic. The star of the show was the char sui, and WOW some of the most amazing rich, sticky, sweet flavors. The pickles with it -perfect. How is there not a line out the door?! Server was super nice and attentive. This is an order at the counter place. Very excited for the next time they offer Peking duck. I will ABSOLUTELY be ordering

    Kaokao Char Siu
    James B.

    The char siu was textually wonderful -- sticky, a little hard and crunchy from char, and fatty. Flavor good as well, though I wish they'd index less into 5 spice and more into sichuan peppercorn. Comes with some salty cucumber pickles that weren't too vinegary so complemented well. The yogurt marinated chicken was textually good as well, really tender, but flavor profile was not as interesting to me. Chili oil + peanut sauce noodle was an interesting combo. I'll come back here and probably just get the char siu. To me, it was that good and earned them 5 stars by itself.

    Kaokao Char Siu

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    3 years ago

    Tried for dinner. Quick service, delicious and unique menu. Seemed geared more for take out than dine in. Will be back, for sure.

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    3 years ago

    Tasty pork and chicken dishes. Very nice service )made dishes gluten free for us). We will come back.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Really delicious food - unique flavors and everything was cooked perfectly. Plus fast service. Highly recommend!

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Delicious food - full of flavor and well balanced spice. Such a great addition the to neighborhood.

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    4 years ago

    I got the pork bowl and eggplant salad, it was amazing! The chashu was not too sweet and i loved the sauce

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    The char siu pork is the best thing ever. Very friendly staff and owner also. I would highly recommend.

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    GREAT food. I had the BBQ pork with the spicy cucumber salad, along with their in-house made strawberry lemon soda. Yummm...

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    3 years ago

    Quick food that's delicious. Will definitely pick up from there when I'm back in the area

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    3 years ago

    Loved the food! Would recommend the sandwich! The staff was very friendly and welcoming :))

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    4 years ago

    It's a small and cute place! Love all of their side dishes. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area.

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    Page 5 of 5

    KAOKAO Grill Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - KAOKAO Grill

    Gluten free options?

    I'm gluten free and I had their chicken and cucumber salad

    Is there an outdoor seating area ? Is it dog friendly to eat there ? Thx

    I believe there's an option to place a small option outside if you ask the owners and then you can sit with your pup outside. For dogs inside the restaurant itself I suggest… Read more

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Kitchen Story - Chicken and waffles, very good.  Waffles so sweet, syrup was unnecessary.

    Kitchen Story

    4.0(1.4k reviews)
    1.1 miNorth Oakland
    $$

    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!

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    Kitchen Story
    Kitchen Story - Mascarpone Stuffed Deep Fried French Toast the outside was more crunchy than expected. Was a bit tough to chew.

    Mascarpone Stuffed Deep Fried French Toast the outside was more crunchy than expected. Was a bit tough to chew.

    Kitchen Story - Korean FC & Waffles Breakfast

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    Oken - Yukhwe Onigiri- Two piece crispy rice, beef tartare, quail egg, perilla.

    Oken

    4.5(61 reviews)
    0.5 miRockridge, North Oakland

    Came here on a Friday night and had to wait over an hour to get seated at a table. Highly recommend…read moremaking reservations ahead of time if you don't want to wait. We ended up seating at a shared communal table for dinner. We ordered maguro tuna carpaccio and hamachi hand roll set as appetizers to start. Carpaccio was very thinly sliced with interesting Asian fusion flavors. I loved the hamachi handroll set; well seasoned thick cuts of fish. We also shared the ocean trout and mentaiko pasta for entrees and both were good. Crispy skin on the fish was excellent. The pasta was buttery but felt like it was missing something. We got yogurt soju and Sauvignon blanc wine, both were really good. Small restaurant with small tapa style plates. Great vibes and suitable for date night. Prices were high for the amount of food but amazing service!

    Planned a friend date and suddenly I knew what it felt like to be a guy…read more With no context of what the girl likes, and judging by her taste in make up, catalog of stamps from around the world, and a diverse palette Bob Ross could paint with, I provided two options. Oken was 1st choice while the 2nd choice was somewhat more casual. MAGURO CARPACCIO - FRESH MAITAKE TEMPURA - Great texture, not greasy BAECHU SALAD - lots of flavor and love a crispy topping WAGYU KALBI SHORT RIB SSAM - TENDER af, great flavor STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE - subtle, not too sweet Asian fusion can sometimes be a hit or miss but Oken executed every dish beautifully. Make reservations because this place fills up quick. Good date spot. Great service. Amazing food.

    Photos
    Oken - Beautiful deco and lights. There are 3 tables for 4, 6 tables for 2, a table for 6, a communal table for 8-10?

    Beautiful deco and lights. There are 3 tables for 4, 6 tables for 2, a table for 6, a communal table for 8-10?

    Oken - Mentaiko Pasta- Spicy cured pollak roe, garlic, chive, butter, shiso, nori, ramen noodles.   Instagram.com/maryelda

    Mentaiko Pasta- Spicy cured pollak roe, garlic, chive, butter, shiso, nori, ramen noodles. Instagram.com/maryelda

    Oken - YUKHWE ONIGIRI - two piece crispy rice, beef tartare, quail egg, perilla $17

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    YUKHWE ONIGIRI - two piece crispy rice, beef tartare, quail egg, perilla $17

    Delicious Thai Kitchen - Popular Massaman Chicken

    Delicious Thai Kitchen

    4.9(60 reviews)
    1.3 miNorth Oakland

    I decided to come back to this place a second time because I had a good experience the first time…read more The food was good, and the server was friendly. Upon arrival, they looked full in the indoor area in the front, but they actually had seating in the back, which is where they sat the two of us. This time I got the following: Thai Tea - This tasted as expected, so that means it was good. I told them I didn't want a straw, and they remembered! I usually keep a reusable straw on me for such occasions. Mi Krob (Special) - This dish is more of an appetizer. It was tasty and crunchy; a little sweet and a little spicy. A couple of the pieces were a bit large for small bites. Thai Basil Noodle - This was very good because of how flavorful it was. It was also slightly spicy. Since they brought the dish with chopsticks, I told them I didn't need them, so they took them away. I used reusable chopsticks that I typically keep in my purse. Massaman Curry (with beef) - This was decent, though the other dishes were better. We asked them to make it mild. The curry itself tasted good, but the main issue was that the beef was a little boring and dry. Overall, this place has delicious food (aside from the beef in the curry), so I would come again. I'm glad that they use so much reusable dishware (see Eco Notes below). ECO NOTES (Dine-In) Dine-In Dishware: Reusable plates and bowls Napkins: Single-use disposable paper napkin Utensils: Metal fork plus disposable wooden chopsticks (for specific dishes, which is a smart way to save money) Water cups: Reusable glasses

    Overall? Nice location with a great outdoor patio that easily ended up being the highlight of the…read moreexperience. Indoor seating is pretty limited, but the space overall has a relaxed, easygoing vibe. Service was fast, efficient, and never an issue. Unfortunately, the food didn't quite keep up with the setting. Nothing terrible, just slightly disappointing across the board and lacking the kind of flavor that makes you want to come back Parking? Street parking. Manageable depending on timing I had: Pumpkin Curry (3.5/5): This looked far better than it tasted. Presentation was solid, vibrant colors, nicely plated, the kind of dish that makes you optimistic when it hits the table. But the flavor never really followed through. The sauce felt flat and thinner than it should've been, lacking the depth and richness that makes a pumpkin curry memorable. There also wasn't enough actual pumpkin, which feels like a weird miss for a pumpkin curry. I did appreciate that it came with rice on the side, which helped round the dish out a bit. Not terrible overall, just a curry that felt more polished visually than it did flavor-wise

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    Delicious Thai Kitchen - Outside / entrance

    Outside / entrance

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    Drunken Mam with Fried Egg On Top(optional)

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    KAOKAO Grill - bbq - Updated June 2026

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