Ok the time posted for closing on Sunday is 7:30. We got their at 7 and they said they were not taking anymore orders. Just change the closing time to 7 if you don't want anymore business. At least save ppl the trip. Owner was courtesy and responded quickly to post. Great customer service and excellent food. We had the kamikaze fries, orig koja, beef tacos and strawberry mango lemonade. I personally enjoy the taco the most. read more

I know when most people come they order the meat dishes here which are delicious don't get me wrong. But I am writing to tell you that they have an exceptional ahi tuna salad. Yes, you heard me right AHI TUNA SALAD. They serve the salad with a generous bed of mixed greens (this is money!), Ahi tuna cooked perfectly, crabmeat, seaweed salad, crispy wontons and a few more ingredients. In summary, this is a surprising asian fusion twist on your regular salad. Not your standard Chinese chicken salad crap. The service is quick and I love the renovations at the new public market. I always stop by Koja when I'm passing through for a quick and quality bite! read more

Really good food and service. I have kids with severe food allergies. The manager accommodated my order and guided us around our need to avoid dairy, egg and nuts. The customer first approach and the delicious food are only going to help this business. We ordered the short rib bowl- delicious. The chicken bowl and the beef bowl were also good. However, the weak link was the buffalo wings. Too ordinary. Overall , stick with the main dishes and enjoy. read more

I love this place so much! Theyre renovating right now, and it looks great and the food is the best! read more

KoJa Kitchen - Koja menu! - Japanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

long time Koja Kitchen fan, from the early days when they first appeared at "bites off broadway" to now. offered a freebie than as a friend of Hester, the organizer. nope, i insisted on paying.... locale: emeryville public market (2/23) menu: koja(protein between fried garlic rice buns), bowls, tacos/salads, sides, eats teriyaki zen koja(5.95) -"soy & portobello patty, lettuce, sesame vinegarette, pineapple, teriyaki sauce, sesame seeds" -rice buns larger than before, some mushiness in middle. -bowls seem a better value, lose the bun, gain a side salad. -fresh ingredients thruout. 4.5 stars take outs: -lots of dining space in public market -more food options than on truck. -quick service, 5ish minutes?l -koja's an unique taste, bowls a good deal, kamikaze fries should be tried at least one time. awesome! and i don't eat fries..lastly, the mochimisu, lipsmacking....... read more

I love the Ahi salad here. Every time i come to Emeryville around lunch time, this is where i eat. The fries rock as well. Love that they are extremely liberal with their tobiko. Makes every dish even better. read more

KoJa Kitchen - Ahi salad - Japanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

Been to their food truck before, and I finally went to their restaurant in the Public Market and we went there on a Saturday afternoon and we were lucky to get there prior to it getting very busy. I had a Beef bowl and Kamikaze Fries and they were both outstanding. Both of my friends got Chicken Bowls, while one friend got Umami Fries and one got Kamikaze Fries. Both friends loved their food as well. Need to try the Koja sandwich on my next trip there. read more

"Don't shoot the messenger" is a good principle. At a restaurant, things can go wrong, and most likely, the person at the counter apologizing had nothing to do with it. But the manager does, and whatever was going on here was bad. We waited thirty minutes for four tacos and wings - wanted to try one of every taco. Five minutes before the order came out, I was told they were out of pork, and I could choose a different taco. Let's go with beef. We're now looking at two beef tacos that are completely different - one a more shredded beef, the other made of large thick cut chunks. Maybe the chunks go in one of the bowls? The large pieces were filled with gristle, and not meant to be in a taco because they were large and tough. The food also was pretty cool when it came out to us, especially the chicken wings. The flavors are also not great - every item we tried was overly sweet, and because of that boring. The vegetarian taco was disappointing, and tried to use spiciness to mask that it had little flavor. Terrible visit, and then they removed their water dispenser 20 minutes before closing. Yes, there's a water fountain a hundred feet away, but it just shows that there's no concept of service here. And when there are so many other restaurants, why choose this one? read more

I've had their stuff multiple times via food truck, but this was the first time I've been to their brick and mortar here in the in-renovation-for-years Public Market. There wasn't a long line, just a large group of people standing in front trying to decide their order (haven't yall heard of yelp!?). I ordered the wings and a pork taco, with an ahi tuna salad to go. The wait was a little longer than expected but not too bad. The wings were all flats, no drumettes, and were nice and crispy but the sauce was a little too sweet. Still, these were delicious. The pork taco was tasty, you could taste the hints of coconut from the braising liquid. I took a look at the salad and poked around a little and was sorely disappointed by the small amount of fish they put in there. Sure there's surimi and noodles, but considering it's called an ahi tuna salad, they super skimp on the tuna itself. Cost isn't too bad, though I feel that 4 dollars is a little high for a taco. read more

I ordered the short rib bowl and was disappointed. It didn't look or taste like your typical short rib. It looked and tasted like shriveled pieces of old meat and the marinade was too sweet. It's just didn't taste.... satisfactory or even... good. I cant even enjoy it and I'm really hungry. They have other stuff on the menu but I figured can't go wrong with a short rib bowl. If I had to base the other food on this dish, I wouldn't bother. Hope I'm wrong. But wow. This is horrible. read more

KoJa Kitchen - Japanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

Koja is good. Order anything off the menu and I'm pretty sure you won't be disappointed. I've tried just about everything on the menu and I can't complain. I don't really have any favorites, it just depends on what I'm in the mood for. My roommate on the other hand swears up and down that the beef koja is the way to go. I'd say I've been to Koja with him about 10 times since they've opened and he's only ordered the beef koja! Lol. Service is cool too. read more

This is an amazing lunch spot. I always get the original Koja (short rib) with Kamikaze fries. It can definitely get messy as the sandwiches always tend to fall apart, but wow is it so good! Unique "bun" made of rice. Good portion of meat with the sandwiches. The BBQ sauce has a sweet flavor to it. The kamikaze fries have a nice spicy kick but not kvetwh read more

KoJa Kitchen - The original Koja's with Kamikaze fries - Japanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

Good stuff here. Had the koja original and the kamikaze fries. Would definitely reorder the koja original. Casual location in a good court style. read more

KoJa Kitchen - Koja original and kamikaze fries. - Japanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

Been coming to KoJa for over a year and I have to say the food is always good always comforting and the combination of it being Korean Mexican fusion just takes it to another level. The short rib KoJa with the rice crisped " bun" is mouthwateringly good I didn't think I'd like the "bun" but everyone raves about it and I see why. Hard to really describe the tender beef and flavors that this sandwich/ Korean fusion KoJa is a must try, and treat yourself to the AMAZING kamikaze fries. I've had the beef bowl and it's the perfect combination of delish meat, a yummy salad laud over rice which helps tie it up in a ribbon. My SO loves their food and the incredibly informal staff who make us feel like old friends. If you find yourself over in or around Emeryville treat yourself go to This oasis in the Public Market. I've had several things on the menu and all have been excellent and if nothing else grab a basket full of the Kamikaze fries. Their lemonade is awesome too read more

I always go to the one at the Emeryville Market as I live nearby. The food is good and service is fast. However, they've been out of salmon for months. It's better to just take the option off the menu entirely. read more

They went down after they expanded out of the food truck arena . Not happy with my last 3 meals from here. Its too pricey for tough , chewy beef. Why try it 3 more times before I give it the can? Because I always give the benefit of doubt at first. But its now a NO!JA for KoJa read more

We tend to stop by our fav Koja spot on our way to the city, which is not too often...so it's definitely a treat!! Hubby loves "The Original" Koja, which is very unique!! Short ribs sandwiched between these fancy tasty rice bun things!! He orders that every time and I really enjoy the Unami fries!! I love some good pulled pork... especially on top of waffle fries!! So yummy! I don't usually like all the saucy stuff, but the two sauces they top their fries with are amazing!! I don't even want to know what they are to be honest!! We also tried their chicken taco... I must say I'm pretty sad I never tried it before and we totally missed out on their taco Tuesday deal!! Next time!! read more

Ordered online for takeout during a busy weekday lunch hour. The order was done quickly, the food was delicious, and the staff were super friendly and helpful. It was my first KoJa in over a year since the pandemic started, and it was soooooo good. read more

So yummy! The short rib koja is super flavorful and the buns are nice and crispy. The umami fries were good too, nice touch with the tobiko on top! Thanks koja kitchen! Two paws up! read more

KoJa Kitchen - Delicious! Short rib koja + umami fries! - Japanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

I love coming to the public market. I had to look everywhere for the location since I didn't know it was in the building. I tried the veggie Koja and the flavor was amazing! Very good! I would come here again! read more

Been twice the last couple of months and both times the quality of the meat was not very good, really fatty and tough. I probably won't be going back again for a while. Hopefully they read the review and go back to how it used to be. read more

Kamakazie fries were cold, dry, and stale. 4:45pm on Thursday. I know it's not peak time but they should still fry the fries after they receive an order. Not a few hours before. Disappointing! The sauce and toppings were good. Staff were chatting on their own and didn't pay attention to people waiting to place orders. read more

KoJa Kitchen - Cold and stale fries and veggie zen koja burger (good) - Japanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

Pretty good, but hard to compare to LA Korean food. Typically order the gal bi, and haven't tried anything else. I have heard good things about the wings and tacos though! read more

I just stopped by after picking up some beans at Peet's -- they have a video menu that shows their items, and they all look tasty. I grabbed the umami fries, and they were ridiculous. Try them! read more

KoJa Kitchen - Japanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

Wow. What a great change from everyday upscale fast food. Amazing flavor, texture and presentation. I went all out with the braised pork KoJa and the kamikaze fries. Loved them both. The rice cakes are great and held together nicely. Stuffed with pork and fillings. I'll be back to try something else. read more

KoJa Kitchen - Braised Pork KoJa and the Kamikaze fries. - Japanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

Great food but way too expensive, one koja and fries costs you more than $15. Yes it is delicious but it doesn't worth your money, they need a price adjustment Edit: Owner reached out to me to explain the pricing at Koja kitchen. Just for reaching out to customers they deserve more stars. So I am updating my review to 4 stars. read more

Koja Kitchen is inside the Emeryville Public Market, but they also sell their food at food truck events like Off the Grid. I've heard about them from several people and finally got to try it out for myself. I ordered the chicken koja and the umami fries. The chicken koja is like a burger, but instead of buns, it has rice. The rice is condensed to be bun-like and is pretty dense. I thought the rice buns would be crispy, but it wasn't. It's pretty soft. The chicken inside the koja was good and very flavorful. It is pretty messy to eat though; liquid was dripping out of the chicken koja as I was eating it. The koja is a little smaller than the size of a hamburger. Two of them would have been too much to eat. The chicken koja was good, but the umami fries are a better choice. The umami fries looked really pretty with all the ingredients on top and it was also quite tasty. The sauce on the fries or meat made it sweet. read more

KoJa Kitchen - Chicken koja and umami fries - Japanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

Came here for lunch during the week. The Public Market is under a lot of construction, but it looks to be completed very soon. Koja appears to be a fusion of Korean and Japanese food. I went for the classic beef Koja which is Korean BBQ beef short rib rice sandwich. The rice sticks together nicely and unlike a cracker, it was still moist and tasty. It's a bit pricey for a pretty small sandwich, but quite tasty. Order at the counter. Find a table to sit at. Good service. read more

A fantastic fusion between Korean and Japanese food! The restaurant is part of an international market in the Bay Area and definitely belongs there. The ambiance of the area was very casual and relaxing because of the nature sunlight seeping through. The service and people were friendly at the cashier and pick-up station. On the other hand, the food was a bit on the pricey side. I ordered the short rib (kalbi) bowl which came with a mini salad, some kimchi, and rice with short ribs. This fusion was delicious and the portion was quite big, however it wasn't really worth the price. I also tried the miso braised pork koja, which was like a really good rice burger. The only problem with the koja was that it was hard to eat because of the burger concept. In the end, this place is highly recommended! The only downsides are minor and don't affect the quality of the food. read more

I've been to this places for over 10 times. Over time their customer service and food has gone done impressively. Today was the last time I will be eating at this place. Ordered four tacos and took them over 30 minutes for this simple order. One worker was super high, you could tell right away and fairly ineffective at doing his job. App delivery orders were prioritized over customers that were there. Don't waste your time and go elsewhere. read more

Big on customer service. Called and cancelled order before completing it. The guy answering the phone wasn't interested in telling me where I can find a current menu and kept saying everything I was trying to order was old from 2 years ago. read more

I gave this location a 1 star bump than the original location just due to convenience of a parking lot and many seating options as it's located within the Emeryville Public Market. The food is on point as the original location and trucks as the service is the same as well. As a grand opening at a new location it's really great how the food and service is consistent as other location and will be familiar with returning customers who've tried Koja's other locations. This time around we tried other dishes besides the koja burgers as my partner and i felt they were not as good as everyone made it seem it was. Instead, we ordered the bowls this time around and was really happy with our order. We ordered the Short Rib bowl, Ahi Tuna Bowl and of course we had to get the Kamikaze fries because it's simply the best fusion fries. Every dish was flavorful and appetizing. I'm not the biggest fan of the new hipster themed Emeryville Public Market especially the shiba ramen but Koja Kitchen is on the brighter note of the new transition Public Market and can't wait to see what other restaurants will open up in the near future. read more

KoJa Kitchen - Ahi tuna bowl, short rib bowl and the kamikaze fries - Japanese Near Me - Emeryville, California

Really good food! Tasty! Ive had the bowls twice now and never fails. Pork is a must. THE FRIES!!

Loved the location. That's about it. This place is pretty over-hyped. Everything LOOKED pretty and "picture worthy" but taste? Flavor? Almost none. Fries were spicy, the beef you couldn't taste. The teriyaki bowl was lacking any real seasoning. The pulled pork koja had no flavor. Overall disappointing. read more

I've been to several Koja Kitchens because I'm a fan... the one in Walnut Creek, Dublin, San Jose, the food trucks at multiple Off The Grids, etc... I was disappointed in this location. Ordered the short rib bowl; the meat seemed old and as if it was reheated several times. I must have been given the last of it before they closed. The rice was super mushy as if it had been sitting in the rice cooker all day. It was so mushy, the rice lost its shape. There was no way to even pick out a single grain. Maybe it's because we're in the middle of this a Covid pandemic and the food is not cooked as often or to order. I'm sad to have to write this but I'm more disappointed in my dinner tonight. Was looking forward to it. read more

I love this place! Every item is Bomb.edu. You gon learn today.. ;) Poké - shmackin! Koja burger - delish Koja fries - ERRRMAHHHGERRRD! Try the koja fries. Trust! read more

A nice delight. Friendly service, less than 5 minute wait time for us at 1:00pm on Wednesday. Fantastic flavors, I can't say I am a fan of the rice patty bun, but next time I will definitely try the Taco or rice bowl next time. We ordered the Koji short rib and Koji pork sandwiches on recommendation of the customer before us. Kamakazi fries were great,, maybe a bit spicy for those who can't handle the heat. Short Ribs We're Tasty with a bit of sweetness,, Pork WAS SORT Of Like Hawaiian Kalua pork. We come to the public market often. We will be back. read more

Kamazaki fries and short ribs with brown rice are my all time fav. I try to eat here 3 times a week. If you like Korean food def try this place out. Not a formal dine in place, more like fast food. read more

See all

The employees were super friendly and helpful. I love the Beef Koja. I would come to eat here again! read more

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

I was enticed and curious about the korean bbq rice patty kojas and jumped at the opportunity to try it when I passed through emeryville. I ordered the beef spare rib koja and after taking the first bite it was clearly the right choice. The meat was so tender and flavorful compared to my partner's, who ordered just the regular beef koja. I also ordered a side of kamikaze fries and was amazed by how the myriad of flavors and toppings meshed so well together. Being a hot sauce lover that I am I asked for a side of siracha. which did justice. This pleased my taste buds on all levels. I am definitely going to come back, but I must admit the flavor of the Korean bbq marinade was so yummy and overwhelming that this is one of those places I'd visit once a month to satisfy my cravings. read more

See all