I was in the mood for Korean food today because I had a sudden urge to be in Seoul ... specifically Itaewon. I miss Itaewon !!! :(((( I miss Korea !! So I came here to get my fix. I got the cold noodles ... which is like one of my favorite summer dishes. It's SO good! It's noodles in a Cold broth with veggies, meat, and egg. It is the most refreshing and delicious dish in the sweltering heat. Definitely recommend this place if you want to check out some yummy Korean food that you can't make at home ... so you come to the HOUSE ! read more

Korea House - Orient Express Restaurant - Cold noodles! :) - Korean Near Me - Seaside, California

Great service with a very inviting staff. Food was good with a home cooked vibe. Would definitely run it back when in the area and feeling some Korean food. For the area this place hits. Seafood pancake 4/5, sauce was key. Kimbap was made with bulgogi 4/5, made fresh. Kids murdered it. Kalbi bento was standard, kids murdered it as well. 3.5/5 Udon was basic but had that homemade comforting feel 3/5. Banchan 3.5/5 kimchi was alright. read more

Good soups! Only one nice lady works during lunch time that we went. The ambiance is okay. Typical eatery. Nothing out of the ordinary. read more

Super solid Korean food. I've been a couple times, and everything I've eaten has all been good. I'd probably give it a 4.5 but you can't do that so I'll give it a 5. I'm sure we'll be going back. read more

the wonton and rice cake soup was more flavorful than the ones in ktown but stuck true to the traditional flavors at the same time. the galbi was smoky, sweet, juicy, and perfectly cooked. the atmosphere here, however, was lacking. felt soulless compared to other korean eateries, spacious and dull. the wait staff took forever (tho i appreciate the extra fish cake), and you could hear children screaming and obnoxiously singing karaoke through some back door. no sound protection seemed to be used. it was quite annoying. read more

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Just had a late lunch/early dinner here with my husband. He's never really had Korean food or the experience. First off I wanted to wash my hands and went to the restroom down a big hallway. The hallway was was so clean and wasn't being used for storage as I've seen in so many places. That alone is 5 stars for me. Our waitress was a sweet young Filipino woman. She was helpful in making decisions on what to order. We ordered a vegetable pancake, spicy chicken dish and a bowl with crispy rice, I don't remember the name, also got hot tea. Everything was made to order. The tea was so good, it had a nutty roasted flavor to it. My husband loved the food, especially the beef dish with the crispy rice. We both loved our waitress, she was friendly, engaged and attentive without being intrusive. The space is extremely clean and spacious We will definitely be back when we're in the area. read more

As a korean girl from LA, I'm confident and saying this place has super authentic soup!! So delicious, huge portions, and good prices. The service was spectacular. My cup and my banchan was never empty! The waitress was super sweet, funny, and helpful in recommending dishes my friends and I loved and even the manager asked us if everything was alright and told us to call him over if we needed anything at all. It was also clean and nicely decorated. 10/10! read more

Korea House - Orient Express Restaurant - Galbi tang, Dukmanduuguk - Korean Near Me - Seaside, California

My favorite Korean restaurant in the area. Jay the owner is the best and really cares about the quality of his food and customer service. I always order the galbi ribs and the bulgogi and it's always on point. I highly recommend this restaurant! read more

Korea House - Orient Express Restaurant - Galbi ribs. He may have given me a little extra. - Korean Near Me - Seaside, California

Amazing vibes. Always a must when visiting from out of town. Food was great, servers were very helpful and helped me take pictures with the soju ad cut outs. Definitely recommend. read more

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Most amazing staff and super great Korean food And wonderful restaurant they take great care of their customers read more

Bibimbap and japchae are comfort foods. I also recommend the seafood pancake. The restaurant is not actually closed between 3:00-4:30 and was open on New Year's Day (it was empty when we arrived in the cold afternoon but regulars trickled in to be greeted with offers of hot tea). They only refilled banchan by request so be assertive. You have to turn on the lights yourself for the hallway to the bathrooms. read more

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Korea House is on our "must-go" list every time we go down to Monterey. The food is hot, fresh, and delicious. Service is always great, and vibes are immaculate. Support local business! read more

Korea House - Orient Express Restaurant - Korean Near Me - Seaside, California

Food portions were generous. Food was good, but spicy chicken/ pork were no that apicy compared To other korean place. Staffs were courteous, but forgot our soup. Large place with nice music. read more

I love the food here. I've been getting food from this place ever since I was a kid and it's always been good!! The bulgogi bento box (with banchan) is my favorite!!! Can't find bulgogi like that anywhere else. Absolutely delicious!!! The kimbap is a family favorite. I would always order a couple of them for a potluck and people would always ask me where I got it from. Although the place may need some redecorating, the quality of the food outshines everything. The place is quiet which I like because I don't have to project my voice too much to talk to people around the table. The service is great and they are very attentive. I hope this place never closes because I will continue to come here for a bulgogi bento box and kimbap read more

We were in the mood for Korean food, so I scanned Yelp reviews, pictures of dishes & menus and decided on Korea House - Orient Express Restaurant. (Note: there are only a few Korean restaurants between Marina and Monterey, CA.) We arrived for lunch, and I noticed one Korean family eating, so that was an encouraging sign. When we left, there was another Korean gentleman. (I judge ethnic restaurants by the number of nationals speaking the national language that are eating in the restaurant.) So these are good signs. Compared to other restaurants within a 15 mile drive, I would rank this restaurant ****Good**** However, compared to other Korean restaurants that I regularly eat at in Honolulu, Hawaii. I would just rank them as ***Ok*** Their kimchi was good, while their other Bonchon, side dishes, were just OK. They gave us 5 different Bonchons. (Sorry, we ate first then remembered to take a pic.) Overall: *** Ok *** Food: *** Value: *** Menu: **** Ambiance: ** casual, aged Service: **** Parking: ***** right outside, free RATINGS & RECOMMENDED ORDER: Soft Tofu Seafood & Vegtable = B Dol Sot Bi Bim Bop = C Topokki (no spice) = C Mondoo = C Website: http://koreahouse831.com/ Yelp: https://yelp.to/P8YtaYW7Uw YELP: Sorry! They allow only one 12 second video & the remaining to 3 seconds, with maximum of 10 pictures/videos. The full video can be found elsewhere. RATINGS KEY: A = Really Good - one of the best B = Good - would order again C = ok - similar, nothing special D = Not very good - wouldn't order F = Terrible - avoid read more

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Food is amazing. Def best Korean food in Monterey area. The owner is very friendly and the service is always great. The waiters are always very attentive. There is always good music going too. It's over all one of my fav spots in town. read more

Korea House is a more traditional style Korean restaurant with Korean dishes that seem to have some Japanese influence. They have ample parking in their shared lot in a strip mall. The lady who served us was very nice and seemed to be the owner--there was a help wanted sign up for a sever. We got the seafood tofu hot pot and the BBQ chicken bento lunch box. The quality of the seafood tofu pot was comparable to tofu house places but had a relatively small amount of seafood: ONLY 1 shrimp, 1 octopus tentacle, and 2-3 small clams--the rest was tofu and no egg other places give. The flavor of the soup base was very good. The bento box had a decent amount of BBQ chicken, typical salad with sweet white Japanese style dressing, 2 gyoza, and a medium amount of rice. The BBQ sauce seemed to be the spicy soybean paste type used at KBBQ places. The flavor and spiciness level were just ok like everything else in it. The bento has a regular and dinner portion. This seems to have been the regular portion. The quantity was probably ok for small to medium eaters, but big eaters or a big guy will probably need the dinner potion, an appetizer, and a dessert to get satisfied. Although they had decent business, it was relatively quiet with calming background music around 11:30-12:00 on a Wed for lunch. Overall, this was a nice experience for lunch and we would go back and would recommend giving them a try. However, the 4 star Yelp average is probably about right as the quality and quantity do not warrant 5 stars for the price. There are just simply better Korean restaurants in CA, but this may be one of the better ones in this area. read more

Korea House - Orient Express Restaurant - Seafood Tofu pot - Korean Near Me - Seaside, California

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Always super delicious Korean food, I usually stop here in my way to Monterey. It's a big restaurant with cozy booths and cute decorations. My favorite dishes here are kimchi pancake and dolsot bi bim bap. Both are expert versions. The service is always great, they give a sweet, homey feel. Note to vegetarians: their kimchi has shrimp oil in it, as does some of their banchans. read more

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Totally disappointed about this Korean restaurant the tofu soup was horrible first time I ever ordered a Korean tofu with a lot zucchini and noodles with barely you can find a beef , also the bonchon they serve the taste are not as a typical Korean food. So dissatisfied and not coming back here at all. read more

They've updated their menu! I recommend the Spicy Pork and Spicy Tofu Soup, those are always my go-to's (: read more

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I've been going here forever and everyone is kind. I think the owner or the chef even came to my table to see how I was feeling about the meal. I loved the music and the sound of the music and they're are always welcoming read more

We were apprehensive about coming here for authentic Korean food. After all on the Monterey Peninsula? Well weren't the four of us surprised. We entered yesterday on a Friday night around 5:45pm. Right away we were greeted and told we could sit anywhere. The place is huge. I chose a table that sat four. Somewhat tight. We were encouraged to move to a larger table. So we did. We looked through the menu. It helped that there were pictures. The host/owner was very friendly and attentive. He brought us our drink orders and hot tea. Took our orders. Within minutes ban chan placed on the table. Then our food. My friend & I both ordered dinner bento boxes. Her hubby ordered a spicy soup. My hubby ordered the stone pot bi bim bap with spicy pork. My spicy pork had a lot of heat. I liked how the pork was grilled too. And the salad dressing on my salad was light and sweet. Right cup my alley. In the time we were there a bus load of Korean tourists arrived. They filled up the entire back area. And many more diners like ourselves filtered in. A very diverse crowd. The place was packed within 45 minutes of us arriving. Out apprehension dissipated by the end of our meal. Good food, good portion size, and good price point. read more

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$42 for a beef rib lunch to go??? I should have just walked out and left but I took a chance and lost. White rice, terrible vegetables and beef that was tough and stringy. Total RIP OFF!!! read more

Amazing food, the employees were also so nice. The ambiance was very peaceful and the building is very pretty. Would recommend as it's not as busy. read more

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Who's been to Korea House in Seaside? We met friends for dinner there Thursday evening. First impressions - we pull into the shared parking lot and it is busy. We were lucky that someone left as we arrived. We were able to snag a space right in front of the restaurant. We arrived a bit early so Marty took a peek into the restaurant. To his surprise it was empty which had him questioning our choice. However, I assured him that I had heard good things about their food. We were warmly welcomed as we entered, given our choice of seating (booth or table) and provided menus. There is quite the variety of foods on the menu and I loved that it was written in Korean with an English translation and picture. Our server was lovely and very patient in answering all of our questions. At our request she offered opinions on her favorites on the menu. I had not had Bi Bim Bap for years and had been craving it for quite some time so my decision was easy. They offer a veggie, beef or seafood version and I chose the beef (I love the bulgogi flavors). My husband chose the Galbi (Korean Short Ribs) while our friends chose Beef Bulgogi and Seafood Bi Bim Bap. The Bi Bim Bap was served in a hot pot and our server warned the rice at the bottom would be crispy. If I hadn't been sold on the dish before, I was now. Crispy rice at the bottom, sticky rice at the top, all topped with veggies, bulgogi seasoned beef and an egg that was fried perfectly (soft yolk and crispy edges). I poked the yolk and let it ooze into the rice. I was so pleasantly surprised at just how unctuous and delicious this meal was. The crispy rice at the bottom was like frosting on a cake. My husband's Galbi were also quite delicious. He said he preferred the marinade I use for mine, but I think he was just being nice. The ribs were tender and flavorful. They were topped with toasted sesame seeds, spring onion slices and served with a bowl of white rice. They were steaming hot when brought out. Our friends ordered the seafood Bi Bim Bap and Beef Bulgogi. While I didn't taste either, they said the dishes were well prepared and delcicious. If any indication, portions were generous and everyone decoured their meals. Sides included both cucumber and cabbage kimchi, braised potatoes and bean sprouts. We were offered additional servings of the sides as we finished each. My husband and I split an OB Premium beer, our server's recommendation for Korean beer. It was large and there was more than enough. My friend tried the strawberry soju (flavor again chosen by our server - they have several flavors) and she shared with us as it packs a punch as far as alcohol content. The sweet strawberry flavor made it perfect as a little after dinner sip. The restaurant was large with tables in the middle and booths outlining the space. It was nicely decorated for Christmas. The people working there were just so lovely. I don't understand why it was not busier on a Thursday evening. Delicious food, very reasonable prices (my husband and I paid about $70 before tip for two generous entrees and the large beer) and great people taking care of this. We'll be back as I really want to try the spicy pork bulgogi, amount other dishes. I could not recommend this spot more! read more

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Hidden Seaside gem - low-key, wonderful food, service, karaoke music, soju could be a venue.

This was single handedly the best meal I've had since moving to seaside 3 years ago. The service was quick and our server was so sweet. The restaurant was eclectic inside and was very warm and welcoming. I will be coming back very soon. read more

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Super solid Korean food for the area. The portions were good and the food was flavorful.

We went yesterday and everything was delicious!!! My kids shared a bulgogi box, my husband got the spicy pork box, and I got Jajangmyeon (which is a new item so it hasn't been added to the menu yet). We all really enjoyed our food. There was nothing that we didn't like. The waitress was super nice and helpful and the chef even came out to check on us. We will be back! read more

food 10/10 service 10/10 ambiance 10/10 Our server was attentive and kind, and recommended what what popular and overall favorite! We ordered the Udong and the Bibimbap bowl and they were wonderful! read more

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tldr; AMAZING Korean food in Monterey, I'm bittersweet about the ownership change, this restaurant has a long history in the area! Orient Express is a hidden gem to say the least. My family has long cherished this restaurant, we don't know the new owners quite as well but I'm sure they are equally awesome. Food wise, the Galbi here is top notch, but you really can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Bibimbap-wise, there are 2 options, dol-sot (served in a scorching hot bowl, made of rock), and regular, served in a regular bowl. Having tried both, I'm definitely a fan of the regular bibimbap as the egg is cooked to perfection on a over-medium well that other restaurants simply can't seem to achieve. The dol-sot tended to bake/burn the rice and egg to a point where I didn't like it much. That said, the service is still going strong and it's a rather large interior that was probably once made for big parties and gatherings with groups of 40+ people. These days it gets more foot-traffic around dinner time, but still has a lot of vacant space. Fighting! read more

Korea House - Orient Express Restaurant - Bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Seaside, California

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The food was delicious and the service was amazing! Would highly recommend this place if you're feeling like some yummy Korean food.

Great service and good food. The dol sot bibimbap was tasty. The place always looks empty even when it's not because it's a banquet hall that's been poorly converted into a restaurant, so the ambiance leaves a lot to be desired..: read more

Great service! Good food and affordable. They had a karaoke room too. Totally recommend

This restaurant is really good and I have been here several times since the new owners took over. They have been working hard on cleaning up the the food and portions are much better. Jay the owner has remarkable hospitality and he even goes around the restaurant checking on customers. I'm also glad he kept the older waitress who's been here for years. My only reason I don't come here as often is because of the location and the homeless people lurking around the parking lot. I unfortunately don't feel safe parking my car in their parking lot. I also need to mention that the parking lot is in deplorable condition with huge potholes that can severely damage a car. If you read this and decide to eat here just be careful of the homeless lurking around and lock your vehicle. The spicy chicken or spicy pork is definitely worth ordering. read more

Went recently for a birthday celebration. We all ordered bulgogi and were very disappointed. The real let down though was the banchan. They were extremely underwhelming (one of them was just lettuce!). The miso that came with the box dinners was such a small portion. It was served in like a saucer, like the one the sauce for tempura might be served in. Overall, the service and the food quality were sadly so low quality and unauthentic. It's a real shame, because Orient Express (which used to be there)had amazing food. The place always looked like a hole in the wall, but the saving grace was the food quality and authenticity. Now it's a hole in the wall with hole in the wall food... read more

The good: Service was amazing. Very attentive. Food was even better. Prices were inexpensive for what it was. The bad: I got nothing. Honestly. To consider: Ample parking. Bathroom clean but old. Didn't check out if there was a diaper changing station. Good for groups. We didn't take the kiddos. But. I would like to. I think that this restaurant would do well with them. read more

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I love getting my food from this place. They have impeccable customer service. The owner and the staff are very kind. It is always clean. I feel right at home. I usually get the short ribs, kimchi, and rice to go. I love anything that's Korean. Thank you for being such a wonderful part of our city. I look forward to eating with you all until there's no more breath in me. read more

We got to go since my son didn't feel well. This is my first time eating here. I am quite impress considering where we are at. This isn't exactly SF, I didn't expect the food to be legit, like SF Korean food. I got the galbi tang soup for my son, since his stomach wasn't feeling right. The broth was a clear beef bone broth. He enjoyed it for sure. We ate the vegetables and short ribs with it. It was so soft the beef short ribs. It was so delicious. We got the chapchae, La galbi, and spicy chicken dinner bento box too. Unfortunately I have no picture of the spicy chicken bento box. My husband finished it before I had a chance to take a photo of it. That should tell you how great it was. I believe you can see a photo from another Yelper. The beef short ribs (La Galbi) was so tender and perfectly marinated. We even got some side dishes of pickled vegetables like banchan in the Korean restaurant. That was a surprise for sure, since we got to go. The next time we come back to Monterey I will definitely come here again. read more

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Wow! It's been nine years since my last review of Orient Express which is now Korea House-Orient Express. Some new owners, new signage, new paint job but not new menus. Must of kept the cooks. Stopped in for lunch on a Sunday with my wife, seated quickly. Not another person in the whole place that didn't work there. The nice lady that waited on us was new to us and quick to take our orders. She was "kinda " in a hurry, I'm thinking her own lunch was getting cold at another table. Okay. We both ordered our usual lunches of one soup and a broiled mackerel with some sides, rice and tea. All were as we remembered, filling us up without waddling out. Last words...yea sure. read more