This probably wasn't my favorite location of KoJa Kitchen. The service was a bit subpar and the food lacked quality. I got the Kamikaze fries that I've had before at their food truck. My partner got the ahi tuna salad and said it was alright and got the job done. Since I've had their food before, this was sort of a disappointment. I might try their food again but maybe a different location. read more

KoJa Kitchen - Kamikaze fries - Japanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

Updated Review: Second time here. Ordered the same thing - the braised pork bowl to-go. Service was much better. I appreciated that because it was a busy Saturday evening. Food tasted one par with the bowl I ordered the first time. The kimchi portion was satisfactory. I'm just a kimchi lover so I will just order extra ahead of time. I do plan on coming back again. The fries look good and I have a Yelp offer I want to redeem. read more

KoJa Kitchen - Japanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

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Koja Kitchen is a chain in the Bay Area with a large selection of asian fusion favorites. This one is located inside the Emeryville Public Market, a marketplace hub of pop up food stores. The bowls were recommended, so I decided to order the Short Rib Bowl ($9.75). In addition to the short ribs, the bowl also includes half rice, half salad, masago, kimchi, green onions, and sesame seeds. The short ribs were thinly sliced and very flavorful. I also liked that greens are included, they balanced the meal, although I would prefer an extra serving of kimchi. Ask for Gochujang sauce when you get your order, it adds even more delicious flavor for the short ribs. The bowl was a portionable amount, which is great because you don't want to stuff yourself and you can always order the fries if you are still hungry. Koja Kitchen is a great casual spot for asian fusion food. I would recommend any of the bowls and fries. The Koja burgers are in rice buns, so that's something interesting that I might try next time! read more

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Worst customer service ever The employees were very rude and when they were cleaning the overhead the cleaning products were getting into my food I asked them to stop and they still proceeded to do so I asked for a refund and they refused I will be disputing this transaction with my bank this is highly unacceptable read more

Worst koja location. Skimped the meat on burger only 4 peices of short rib, food smelled like the cleaning supplies they're using in the back, rice patty is stale & has bad taste and smell to it. Kamikaze fries has the worst preparation just mainly red sauce with few ground beef on it. This place is a joke and waste of $22 NabiQ KBBQ is the waay better option.. you don't want this Koja Location. read more

Food: 5/5 Service: 4/5 Ambiance: 4/5 Overall: I'd be back! The extended review... Food: Short rib koja - a definite must if you come here. Rich in flavor and very innovative spin on an Asian sandwich as the bun is made of rice. Been at a few locations and it's consistent. Umami fries - yeah these fries are loaded as you can see. Very much so packed with flavor. Service: friendly staff Ambiance: so the food hall is very casual is sort of like a mall food court. Pretty mod. read more

KoJa Kitchen - Short rib koja and umami fries...slam dunk - Japanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

This place is delicious! I had the short rib bowl and the meat was tender and seasoned well. We also shared the kimchi fries and they were beyond amazing! I appreciate the presentation of the food as well! Definitely would come back for more! #yummy read more

I've had this a few times and it's been 3 stars for every visit for me. I think this place is more hype food than anything, with the rice "burger" and loaded fries. The former tastes like what it is - rice and meat. The kamikaze fries are tasty, but the meat is usually over seasoned, salty, and over cooked. The fries themselves usually go stale-ish after 10 mins, so be sure to eat it while it's hot. Decent place to try if you're in the mood for "fusion" Korean. read more

Fries. If you don't get the fries, what are you doing yo. These fries are sooooo amazing. Im still dreaming about it weeks later. I must say the food is really fresh and I always liked KoJa but the interaction I had with the staff was kinda off putting. When you check in, you have a 15% off a rice or salad bowl. So I asked the employee at the cash register if I can have the chicken salad bowl and I showed her the yelp discount and she replied back saying that it doesn't work on the salads and its only the rice bowls, even when I went ahead and pointed out where it said salad bowls... she gave me attitude and went into the back to bring in her manager to look at something, he completely ignored me and she said I can get the chicken rice bowl but she will take out the rice (which costs more than the salad bowls that was already there). read more

5 STARS!!! Koja Kitchen serves excellent and unique dishes with Korean-Japanese flavors. The food here is mouth-watering delicious!! SO tasty and flavorful, I almost couldn't believe I was dining in a food court/warehouse type environment. Although everything I tried was delicious, a must-order is the Short Rib Koja ($8.75). The flavor of the kalbi short ribs in the fried garlic rice buns with their combination of vinaigrette lettuce, katsu aioli, and sesame seeds is out of the world!! I'm not sure if "Koja" should be described as a taco, burger, sandwich, or stuffed bao, but it tastes phenomenal and may be its own class. I also tried the Beef Koja ($7.50), which is the Korean BBQ beef version with pineapples and sautéed onions, and it's also really good, but the short rib is number 1. Umami Fries ($6.35) were outstanding!! These are waffle fries topped with miso-coconut braised pork, garlic aioli, red sauce, fried shallots, masago, and green onions. I wasn't quite sure what to expect beforehand, but I was pleasantly surprised. The flavors were truly amazing! I could taste the coconut flavor in the pork, which was subtle and not overpowering. All of these delicious flavors combined to create one of the best and most flavorful fries I've ever had. Ahi Tuna Salad ($9.95) - light, refreshing, and delicious! The ahi tuna was fresh, which is the first most important criteria for any ahi tuna dish. In addition, the other ingredients (seaweed salad, seasoned edamame, imitation crab salad, spring mix, etc.), although simple, were also fresh and flavorful. The salad comes with a soy ginger vinaigrette, which is not too heavy and very tasty with the salad. Koja Kitchen is without a doubt, the best food stand/restaurant in the Emeryville Public Market. The flavor and quality of their food is exceptional. Koja Kitchen first started out as a food truck in the bay area and they are now expanding to many restaurant locations. It's easy to see why...their food is frickin' delicious! read more

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I have only given this place two tries, but that suffices. The food is not warm enough, and it is not flavorful. The sweet potato fries were neither salted nor crisp, and the textured soy product had no taste, just weird meat texture. As a vegetarian, weird meat texture is not desirable. Neither of these items were bursting with flavor. The "rice bun" tasted just like the rice that my mom used to make--like it was boiled off too fast, resulting in both undercooked grains and burnt stuff to the bottom. Maybe this bothers me due to my unfortunate childhood experiences with rice; maybe this won't bother you. It doesn't absorb anything from the food it holds. Each bite scoots the insides out. The one positive thing is that the price is reasonable compared to that of other places at Public Market. read more

You gotta order their kamikaze fries!! It's delicious, though their beef koja needed more meat since it's a lot of rice to chase with. It's located in a nice little food plaza :) read more

KoJa Kitchen - Kamikaze Fries and their Beef Koja - Japanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

Delicious Asian fusion food at a fair price in a very nice part of Emeryville. The BBQ short ribs were great and the teriyaki bowl was also very good. Actually, all of the restaurants in the Public Market looked good to me. read more

Koja makes you want something more whether it's after having a bowl/koja. The kojas always fall apart on me and the bowls were lacking in flavor/portion for $8.75. The braised pork bowl was meh with undercooked rice. The rice tasted like coconut/butter instead of the pork tasting like miso-coconut. The portion of pork was a bit small. I'll have to stick to the koja fries next time and get an entree from somewhere else. read more

KoJa Kitchen - Braised pork bowl - Japanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

Not a huge fan of the rest of their menu, some of the unique dishes don't work. But the coconut shrimp and fried plantains were good. But the original "Koja Burger" with the short rib beef is one of the most incredible things I've ever had! I would recommend this place to anyone just to try that alone. read more

I used to go to this store a lot. The food is pretty good given the price. However, something made me very angry today. The store opening time is 11:30 so I called at 11:35. Some guy picked up and I ordered the food. But when I came to pick it up, the cashier lady said they were still preparing and would not server until 20 min later. I said I called to order and showed her the calling record and she said this was not their number and I might had called a wrong store. It made me feel upset cuz I don't want to order food on the phone and not pay. So I called again to apologize, and guess what, the phone in the store rang. It turned out I called the right store and the worker lied to make me go away. She also said their bosses were on an vacation. That totally explains everything - why they opened up late and why they could turn down the customers even they have taken the order. What's worst, she did not apologize even once, saying it was not her fault and it was the other guy in the store picking up the phone. Very bad experience and it ruined my day. read more

KoJa Kitchen - Japanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

Koja Koja, this brand has expanded quite a bit throughout the Bay Area. We love going to this spot. It's a great mix of korean/japanese fusion food. We like getting the Original Koja, Fries, and the tacos. The only feedback is that on some of the items, they over sauce things but other than this, we love Koja and will continue to support local and visit when we can. Excited to see what other products they come out with. read more

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I enjoyed the Koja Kitchen food truck before, and was looking forward to try the food stall at Public Market. They seem to have a larger menu - burgers, bowls, tacos, wings, and loaded fries. They actually ran out of short ribs on our visit. No problem - lots of other good options. The DMZ wings wasn't as spicy as expected, despite having habanero in the sauce. Wings had a decent sauce , and I liked the sesame-crusted breading. The meat underneath was a bit bland - it could of used a marinade. 3 stars. The Braised Pork Bowl was a bit better - combination of juicy pork, kimchi, greens, and fish roe over rice. There was a taste of coconut in this dish! 4 stars. A welcome addition to the Public Market! read more

KoJa Kitchen - Braised Pork Rice Bowl (4 stars) - some sweetness to the pork but balanced by the pickled kimchi and salty fish roe. - Japanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

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My favorite go-to place at the Emeryville Public Market. Here are some of my favorite items. I always get the Teriyaki Zen Koja. I love the crunch of the outside rice buns and match with the sweet tangy and savory sauce. Pair that with the Kamikaze Fries but I remove the Korean BBQ beef. It was amazing and I highly recommended it! read more

Koja never disappoints! Every time I go to this location the food is delicious & filling. The staff is very helpful & the place is very clean. I usually get the Kamikaze fries (which are my absolute favorite!), but this time I decided to try something new & go with the bowl. The rice was perfectly cooked and paired well with the savory & tender meat. The salad was a fresh addition to the bowl & was very satisfying. Their lemonade is also a must try! It is very refreshing & is perfect for summer. You can never go wrong with Koja. I can't wait to try the rest of the menu & will definitely keep coming back! read more

KoJa Kitchen - Braised Pork Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

When I first learned about KoJa Kitchen as a food truck I was pretty stoked and mentally bookmarked to try them whenever I get the chance. To the best of my knowledge, they have never made a stop in Las Vegas or when I was there. So after getting a storage unit and signing all the paperwork, I searched Yelp for any cool restaurants I might like to try and was really excited to see KoJa Kitchen less than a mile away. So I went home and got my parents and headed down to Emeryville to check out KoJa Kitchen, so we can have a break from the few Chinese restaurants that are the default restaurants when they don't feel like cooking. We arrived at 4pm, the entire food court area in general is pretty dead, plus many designated spots for vendors is vacant (not the bustling and thriving casual place to meet up with friends and grab a bite). Anyway, after looking over the menu we ordered the following: Beef KoJa: The red sauce was too spicy for my mom, so I gave her my Short Rib KoJa. The KBBQ Beef was more chewy than I preferred, which gave my jaw a decent workout and slowed my pace of eating. But the main thing I disliked about my "burger" is the pressed rice that is grilled or baked to give it that crunchy texture (my preference). Short Rib KoJa: My mom liked it, but she also thought the Short Rib was overcooked and tough for her to chew. Braised Pork Bowl: Order this for my dad, we all had a taste and I thought it was quit good. Value-wise it appeared to be the best of what we ordered. I thought the pork was braised well to breakdown any connective tissues and soak up all the wonderful flavor. My dad enjoyed it too, but said not enough to go out of the way for. Umami Fries: The video of how it is assembled sold it for me. But the actual product was the biggest disappointment for me, since almost half of the waffle fries were soaked in oil (left too long in the oil or the oil was not at the proper temperature) making it unpleasant/less healthful to eat. The toppings were good though. So probably less than the full 3 stars Yelp experience, but service was decent and the order made quicker than I had expected. read more

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The decline of this location is incredible. Got a to-go order of umami fries and it looks like mystery meat. Didn't even bother with it. Terrible customer service... Quality of food is terrible so I will not be returning. read more

What an amazing gem! Always looking for places with delicious and unique eats, and KoJa Kitchen most definitely didn't disappoint! Basically, a Korean/Japanese Fusion food stand, you'll love the awesome, umami-bomb offerings they provide! Bulgogi, Spicy Pork, teriyaki chicken, even tofu are elevated and transformed into burger-like KoJa, which take these proteins and sammich em between two sticky rice "buns", with all the trimmings. Yum!!! Grab an Umami Fries to go with! Waffle fries, spicy pork, masago, kewpie sweet mayo, sriracha, & green onions make for a meal in and of themselves, but are also great for sharing. My meal (pictured) was $20.06, including tax. A bit pricey for everyday fare, but just the KoJa would have been a great entree on its own, and only $8.99. If you're in Emeryville or leaving IKEA and you're hungry, stop in at KoJa! Free 120 min parking right across the street, too! read more

KoJa Kitchen - Japanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

Salad rice 80% meat 20% wasn't that good either , ordered chicken and got little beef in there somehow not complaining just wasn't better then some options in there read more

My review is for fries only. The Kamakaze and Umami fries are delicious. Get both for sure. Distinctive taste for each one. read more

KoJa Kitchen - Kamakaze and Umami Fries. Both are super delicious. - Japanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

I rarely say negative things about a business, as a small business owner myself, I understand the challenges of running one. What is hard to tolerate is bad customer service. I may rate the food 4 star but the customer service is 1 star. Why? I ordered via public market 's website which takes me to Koja kitchen 's website. I picked the right location in public market, placed in my order , paid via square. I was told to pick up after 11:45 am. At noon, I showed up to pick up my order. I was told #1 we are backed up so we did not make your order # 2 you can cancel your order then resubmit in one hour I suggested that since I am physically here and have laid for my order, that they put my order in now and I will wait. The lady at the window insisted that I come back or cancel my order online. I tried again to go online, which including connected to the public markets' s wifi. It does not have a canceling order feature. So I restated my case , finally was able to convince her to put my order in. She throws me a sentence Fine ! But you have to wait for 10 min. Right , Better than one hour right ? read more

The chicken Koja is my go-to here, definitely tasty. The whole Koja concept with the fried rice buns is a nice change of pace and something I haven't seen at any other restaurant. Also, shoutout to the server Fabian who is always super friendly and attentive! I live close to Public Market, so I go there fairly often and Fabian always greets me with a smile, whether I'm ordering a Koja or just walking by. read more

The food is really not good. Fish didn't taste fresh, the mushroom patty is strange and spongy. Wouldn't eat here again.

I have to admit that I was highly skeptical of Korean Japanese fusion. However, KoJa kitchen has completely garnered me as a big fan. I started trying their "koja" from their food trucks. I have since ordered delivery, & most recently visited their location in Emeryville. Some of their menu items are a bit rich for me but I keep going back to the short rib koja. The kimchi really makes it. I believe they make their own and it is very very good. The meat is succulent, and the flavor/texture combination of this rice "sandwich" is mouth-wateringly good! read more

The food is great, but the service was horrible. i would have loved to give this place a 5 star, but the service was not the best. My coworker and I took our lunch and decided to get Koja Kitchen. we got our food and i asked for 2 extra sauces on the side for my fries and the ladies were very rude and seemed irritated that i asked for something else... i ordered food on the app because its usually faster, but there were no options to ask for sauce on the side or anything, plus when i ordered a drink, it did not let me pick which drink i wanted. When i got there to pick up my food, the lady asked what drink i wanted and told me that i needed to make sure i select it on the app. but i told her there were no options of which soft drink to choose... then when i asked for 2 extra sauces, the lady rolled her eyes and said "these sauces cost extra. you need to put it on the app next time." at this point, i didn't want to wait for anything else cause i felt like i was inconveniencing them and it wasn't even that busy. read more

The food I ordered was cold! The seasoning was disgusting. & the food was expensive. I would never eat here again.

NURUNGJI fully intact here!! True, I treated my gf to lunch here, and true I but took 5 very distinct bites of everything on the tray-- just so I could fairly review the food. Man, I have not had KoJa since it was a food truck only! See how many years it's been? So I was seeing my soon-to-be Europe travel partner. Wanted to get her some delish food. KoJa seemed to fit the bill. $33 and stuffed to the gills, enough for her to doggy bag the remainders for her upcoming work ahead. Very tasty-- kojas are Asian tacos, in which the tortilla is replaced with rice with spot-on NURUNGJI umaminess! Buffalo wings just mildly spicy. Waffle cut on the kamikaze fries. read more

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Thumbs up on the short rib bowl. The meat was tender, juicy and seasoned nicely, kimchi crisp and perfectly spicy, rice moist (wish it was brown rice instead of white) and the green lettuce side was good but needed to be mixed in with the rest as would be rather plain otherwise. Will definitely come back for lunch to try other things. Came to $12+ including tip with no drink. read more

KoJa Kitchen - Japanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

KoJa is a great go to for some heart warming, asian comfort food. Last time I went I ordered the beef bowl and it was amazing. The sauces are delicious, the meat is well marinated and the combo over rice is a perfect serving size. Worth noting that the kamikaze fries are AMAZING as well. read more

KoJa Kitchen - Japanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

Went to KoJa for lunch recently since i work nearby. I like how convenient Emeryville public market is with all the variety of restaurants in there. Parking is plentiful for those who need to drive but luckily i am within walking distance. I tend to go to lunch late like past 1pm to avoid lines. I decided to try the tuna bowl for the first time from KoJa. I would give the tuna bowl about 3.5 stars. Price is very fair like $12 or so. Portion is a good size. Everything was as expected however i found the imitation crab to be a little too dry for me so it kinda threw everything off. Workers were friendly and they were fast and efficient. I would come back to try other things. Overall 4 stars for the whole experience. Especially since i didn't have to wait in line or for my food lol. read more

KoJa Kitchen - Japanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

So We went a little wild and tried multiple things here even though one Koja burger wouldve honestly been enough food. We ordered: The original koja burger Chicken taco Beef taco Kamakaze fries The sauce on the fries were damn good, fries were crispy, but still wayyyyy to saucy and overpowering so couldnt eat much of it. The chicken taco was really good, the sauce was well proportioned so it was easy to eat but still really wet and dripping off the plate The beef taco was not good at all.... too much sauce it ripped through two layers of tortilla and still so freaking salty I gave it away.... The koja burger now.... i didnt care for the rice bun (or whatever its called) but the freaking meat was BOMBBBBBBBBB!! So tender and perfect! Overall, extremely saucy and salty. Only thing i really enjoyed was the meat for the original koja burger! read more

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The short rib bowl was okay. Most of the meat was tender, but it did not have much taste. The short rib meat had just come off the grill, perhaps it might have needed to sit longer. The other ingredients in the bowl were: katsu aioli, kimchi, green onions, masago, sesame seeds, and fried onions over rice. They were yummy, but the meat was a disappointment. We come to the Emeryville often, so I will try this bowl again. Reading the reviews it seems like most people really seem to enjoy their meals here. read more

Delicious and quick! We got the chicken and beef Koja and the beef tacos Can't wait to come back! read more

I'm a big fan of KoJa Kitchen food. I'm happy that they opened a location in the Emeryville Public Market. A lot easier than going into SF. I'm a huge fan of the kamikaze fries. Crisp fries with tasty sauce, kimchi bits and meat! I can eat that all day. The kojas are great too. How can you not like a bun made with rice, which a crispy outside. And to add it delicious meats...score! It can be a bit noisy there because it is a food court. read more

KoJa Kitchen - Kamikaze fries and short rib koja! - Japanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

Looking for a meal that is delicious and filling?? Koja Kitchen has it down. This korean inspired cuisine puts a spin on dishes like tacos, burgers and fries. Whatever you are craving you will find in this order-at-the-counter joint in the Emeryville Public Market. I highly recommend the following dishes: 1. Short Rib Bowl- ~$10 2. Chicken Bowl (spicy kick) ~$9 3. Kamikaze Fries ~$7 Each of the bowl dishes come with rice, salad, and kimchi to eat with the protein of your choice. PROs: 1. Portion size is HUGE 2. Kamikaze fries are WAFFLE CUT and can be a meal if you want it to be 3. Service is friendly and QUICK 4. Proteins are seasoned well 5. Rice also is seasoned, NOT plain white rice 6. Pink Lemonade is BOMB CONs: 1. Short ribs can be cooked a little more (will request next time) 2. Umami fries were just OK, not a huge fan of the pineapple pork read more

KoJa Kitchen - Umami Fries - Japanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

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