Before going to a gathering with friends, my significant other and I decided to grab a bite to eat. We initially had another restaurant in mind, however there was a long line of people waiting to be seated inside of the packed restaurant. After briefly consulting Yelp, we walked over to Mixed Grain. We arrived right on time and were seated at the second to last table in the restaurant before the waitlist started. Mixed Grain is located in downtown, so be prepared to either hunt for street parking or park in a nearby lot. Luckily, the street parking meters accepts coins and/or cards for your convenience. Although the restaurant is not large, the layout and the decoration are simple, yet clean. The tables are strategically organized to maximize the space in the restaurant, so be prepared to sit by or share a table with strangers. The customer service was average here. I don't have any real complaints. Our waitress was nice, but more on the quiet side, which could've just been because the restaurant was busy. Since it was cold outside, I ordered ramen to help warm up. My boyfriend ordered the fire bird's nest dish, which is pretty spicy (definitely not for the faint of heart). Despite the restaurant being busy, we didn't have to wait too long for our food. Although I gobbled up a lot of the side dishes, I still managed to eat all of my ramen. The noodles were the perfect texture, but I just wish the broth was a bit more flavorful. The fire bird's nest was well seasoned despite it being spicy. Overall, I'm pleased with our dining experience here. I'm looking forward to dining here again to try their other dishes. read more

Mixed Grain - Fire bird's nest - Korean Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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While visiting my best friend in Walnut Creek, I told her I was craving Korean food so she brought me here for dinner. So glad she did! The interior is modern and bright, with lots of seating space. The staff immediately acknowledged us and were incredibly friendly and attentive. When we had an extra person added to our party last minute they graciously offered to move us to another table so we'd have more room. The food is great! I was craving jap chae and bibimbap and got both. There is an entree sized jap chae on the menu, but I got the appetizer portion, and it was still more than enough for two people to split. We ordered it mild, but I could have gone for more spice (it was an appropriate spice level for a mild label, I'm just mad at myself for not asking for it to be hotter). The crunchy veggies mixed in with the glass noodles was the perfect texture combo. The bibimbap can be ordered cold or hot (dolsot). I highly recommend hot, because it comes in a heated stonewear bowl and the rice at the bottom crisps up and is really delicious. You can choose from a variety of meats, plus they have seafood and veggie options. I got the thinly sliced beef and it was so good, had a nice light bulgogi flavor and was great with the rice and veggies. I really enjoyed my meal here and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for efficient, friendly service and great Korean food! read more

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Third time coming for dinner. Every time I try something different and leave so happy for mixing things up. Service always friendly, clean and organized quaint spot. A must try when in WC and wanting fresh, reasonable priced delicious Korean food read more

I came here with family and everyone enjoyed it. I am the picky one and went with the spicy ramen and asked for no spice with added chicken. The ramen came out boiling hot. It was a bit bland as is and after a few bites asked for some hot sauce on the side. Adding some hot sauce made it perfect to my liking. I would definitely get the ramen again. Other note: they do ask for Covid card read more

Mixed Grain - Spicy ramen with chicken - Korean Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

I think this is more of a "heads up" to other customers rather than a review. I'm all for supporting businesses especially during these times and everything but I ordered on here from Uber Eats - I paid $120+ for 5 items, two of which were the short ribs and sliced beef.. $30 each for a "large size" and what arrived was such a small tray of meat, probably enough for two-four people. I understand they might have higher quality food but it taste similar to most Korean spots out there. Also, such a small serving of japchae (noodles, veggies, not including meat or it would've been a bit more $) It is $15 per serving! Wow and just enough for one person. I wanted to order from here since I thought it would be family style friendly. Luckily I ordered two but this just wasn't enough food for my family of 7 such small servings. Overall: Overpriced, quality is okay - nothing amazing than the average Korean spot and not family style friendly for larger groups. Probably better for a family of 4 or less if you're okay with spending $100+ for 5 items. read more

Mixed Grain - Veggie jap chae no meat ($15 per serving) Short ribs "large" $30ish Beef "large" $28 - Korean Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

We ordered take out from here when we were in town. The food is delicious. The food was prepared fairly quickly. The purple rice was great and I was surprised that I would like it. The banchan was fresh and veggies were crisp. read more

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Today was the first time trying Mixed Grain! My husband and I stopped by after a busy morning full of appointments....and right from the start we were immediately greeted and seated by staff. Everyone was super attentive and very kind! The food was amazing as well. We tried the Korean Miso Stew and Kimchi Iron Works. The amount of food was perfect for the price. Our plates were perfectly made and well presented. The ambiance was super calm, welcoming and comfortable for our lunch date. Will definitely be returning to try more items on the menu! read more

Truly one of my favorite restaurants in Walnut Creek. I always want to choose everything on the menu, some of my favorites are the ramens and stews, perfect for a colder day. I also love all the veggies and small bites that come with most meals. I also recently tried their hot sake and it went perfectly with our meal. I am never disappointed with the food or service at mixed grain and I will keep returning frequently. read more

I likes purple rice and BBQ RIB BEEF IS GOOD TASTE. Quite is good taste. Delicious Bbq Rib as taste fried noodle.

This place is amazing!!! The food here is so fresh and tasty. I love ordering Hot Bim Bim Bap and mango Soju The purple rice in the hot bowl gets the perfect crispy texture. read more

Mixed Grain - Korean Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

The food was amazing! Best ramen ever. They were attentive as well and had a great first experience!

Very clean restaurant, little wait time, and good food! You can't go wrong. Not too expensive either.

I always enjoy the food and service. I am disappointed that they no longer have outdoor seating that was available during the Covid restrictions. But that may be due to new city regulations. read more

I had the bibimbop and my husband had the over the grill chicken. They were both delicious and fresh. Very tasty. We will be back again for more. read more

Mixed grain is right down the street from my favorite Walnut Creek ramen shop - Ramen Hiroshi. I came in around dinner time and was seated immediately, although the restaurant was pretty packed. F o o d Shrimp tempura (5/5) -to start off I ordered the shrimp tempura and they nailed the crispy texture that tempura should be. It wasn't too fried nor soggy, and when paired with a simple tempura sauce this is a must-get. Sizzling works (5/5) -I opted for the sizzling works, bimbimbop aka "mixed rice". It included 11 different vegetables over a bed of rice plus whichever meat you choose (I picked spicy pork and added extra sliced beef for $3). The stone bowl efficiently keeps your food hot throughout your meal but a side plate is supplied if you want to cook your food down. The spicy sauce (the name slips me) that's provided is fantastic as well, i highly recommend using this if you're a fan of spicy food. S e r v i c e The service was great here as expected in downtown Walnut Creek. The lollipops supplied with the check were a nice touch. The prices were on the higher side but the meat quality and portion size make this a nonissue. All in all, this will now be one of my favorite places to grab a bite when I find myself in WC. Ill be in quite a pickle considering my favorite ramen shop is down the street, but I can count on mixed grain to satisfy occasional craving for spicy Korean food. If you're still reading, I'd like to mention that there's metered parking all around this area. At peak hours all spots might be taken so I recommend using the nearby parking garage (and it's cheap too!). read more

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Wow I forgot about this review and just saw this. I checked this place out with my buddy Harvey K. and I think we were both a bit dissapointed. First of all everything is very expensive. Second, if you want to add meat to a dish, they charge you an extra few bucks and you get maybe 1/2 oz total with a few tiny pieces. We stood around for a bit as the servers were just walking around and I thought we might of been in that "invisible space" where they see everyone else in the restaurant but never see you. We were finally acknowledged and seated just to the left as you walk inside at a table against the window. Getting water here was less fruitful than searching for it in the Saraha Desert! I think I was about to get dehydrated as once we had our first water, getting the second didn't happen until near the end of our meal and believe me we were watching and trying to flag down our server (I still think we were partically in the invisible zone!) We tried the Seafood Pancake which was not what I expected. Really not great and I have had better elsewhere. It was a bit greasy and doughy in texture and not very flavorful. We also didn't find any "various seafood" other than I think some squid inside, very dissapointing. I had the Veggie Jap Chae which did not come with meat, so I ordered extra meat. I would of been better off not ordering any extra meat because what I was served was so small I couldn't believe they would charge me a few extra dollars for .$25 cents of meat. Five tiny pieces which stacked up would fill a tablespoon, not more than two tablespoons and that was it. For Korean I have had so many good lunches and dinners elsewhere (there is a regular place I go to in Hayward that is 1/2 the price, double the portions and 3x the flavor) so this is not going in my bookmarks. I rarely have a two star experience, but this was unfortunately one of those times where it missed the mark completely. 2 stars. read more

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Cute new Korean spot right in downtown. They have a pretty wide selection of dishes decently priced, friendly service and a very clean and simple interior with ample seating. Spicy Pork Bibimbap (3/5): For $14.00 your meal comes with miso soup and 8 the side dishes. The miso soup was a bit salty. The side dishes were all good. It mostly came with pickled vegetables which is to be expected. I loved that they had rice cake, it's one of my fav side dishes and is not always offered. For the bibimbap itself, it comes with a protein, egg, veggies and rice. I chose spicy pork which was flavorful, however they did not give very much. They do give you an egg which is a nice bonus and there was plenty of veggies. For my rice base, I chose purple rice. Love that this is an option. It's healthier and not always offered at most places. Overall the meal tasted roasted on the verge of burnt, not sure if I overcooked it by mixing it too much? Next time I want to try their spicy ramen and rice cake. Again, one of my fav items that's not always offered elsewhere. All in all, I like their offerings, service and interior. Will be back to try other foods :) read more

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Despite the growing fame of being a foodie destination, Walnut Creek has always been a one-Korean restaurant town. First, it was Sorabol. Then came Koreana Kitchen. The torch was passed to Mixed Grain almost five years ago. Since I've heard mixed reviews from my friends who've tried it, I decided to check it out myself. So on a muggy Friday afternoon, I met my Yelp bud Jay G. here for lunch. Mixed Grain occupies a small space on Bonanza Street, across from the Walnut Creek Yacht Club. We walked in just after 12:30pm and the place was busy. It took a few minutes before someone acknowledged our presence. We requested to be seated at the first table to the left of the entrance. As we were waiting for the table to be cleaned, I took a quick look around. What used to be the open kitchen is now closed off. Seating wise, there were about a dozen tables or so. Decors were minimal. One of the servers dropped off a couple menus. I noticed prices are a few dollars higher than most Korean restaurants in the Bay Area. After a few minutes of perusing, we ordered the following: - Seafood Pancake ($10) - Veggie Jap Chae + Beef ($13 + $2) - Veggie Soft Tofu Stew ($12) - Purple Rice x2 (one came with the tofu, the other I'm not sure about the price) - Diet Coke (unknown price) An array of eight banchans was brought to us prior to the arrival of the food. I tried all of them and found they were pretty ordinary. Nothing stood out. The veggie soft tofu stew was pretty ordinary as well. The base broth tasted okay. A very small amount of zucchini and onion pieces were used. ! thought there would be more veggies in the stew since I didn't get one with meat in it. I was wrong. The seafood pancake was cut into eight pieces and served with a dipping sauce. Both Jay and I thought the pancake was doughy. On the menu it says the seafood pancake is made with "shrimp, calamari, mussel, squid, octopus, scallop, and green onions". But all I found was squid. It was disappointing. When I asked Jay later about his jap chae, he expressed his disappointment since for the extra cost he paid, he only got five small pieces of beef. On the service front, our server was friendly, but she seemed overwhelmed by the busy crowd. She never came by to check on us and we had to flag her down for water and banchan refills. The check, with T/T, came out to $50 even. I thought for the money we paid, we could have gotten better food and service elsewhere. With better Korean options in nearby Concord, I don't think I will come back again unless someone really wants to eat here. BONUS MATERIAL: - Street and garage parking in the area. - Major credit cards accepted. - Closed on Sundays. read more

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Mixed Grain is a hidden GEM. I came here once before during the pandemic and got the Veggie Jhap Chae to-go, which was delicious, but seemed to forget about the place. Until today. We were craving noodle soups, so I found my way back to Mixed Grain and I'm soooo glad I did. We sat at a table outside. The weather was lovely and their setup is comfy & cozy. The tables/chairs were clean with hand sanitizer on the tables. They even have fake grass, which brightens the area right up and makes a great back drop for food photos! I tried a little bit of everything today. We ordered: veggie dumplings steamed, soy garlic chicken wings with the sauce on the side, white crunch, spicy ramen, and spicy beef soup. Oh and we got water and hot tea. (side note: they serve both the hot & cold beverages in these cool insulated metal cups. They hold the temp well and the outside of the cups don't get hot/cold when holding them!!!) but anyways... The food was fantastic! The dumplings were fresh and light and so delicious. We asked for a side of their korean hot sauce which made a great pairing. The fried lotus root, or "white crunch," were such a pleasant surprise. They're crunchy and sweet as they soak up some of the sweet glaze - soo good. We got the chicken wings with the soy garlic sauce on the side and they were absolutely amazing. The wings were hot and super crispy! Then we dipped them in a little bit of the soy garlic sauce and bam! Sweet crunchy goodness. They are some SOLID wings! My friend got the spicy ramen, which i tasted, and it's soo good! I would've upped the spicy level had I ordered it tho, LOL. He got a medium level and it was really tasty. They are also very generous on the portion! THAT is what I'm looking for when I want ramen. Also it's served in a clay pot, which keeps it hot the whole time. The spicy beef soup was also delicious and I got Spicy level with a side of purple mixed grain rice. It has great flavor and also very generous on the portion!! Overall all the food was AMAZING. & The service was just as good as the food was. We were helped by two waitresses throughout our meal and they were both very very friendly and attentive. I could not ask for a better dining experience. We will be back here very soon! read more

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First time I've gone here and it did not disappoint. Service was fast and pretty affordable for Korean food. I got the seafood pancakes which was delicious!! My daughter loved her kid's meal especially the steamed tofu & purple rice. My husband liked his bowl with spicy pork; but wishes they gave more meat. We would def be back. read more

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Came across this Korean spot wandering around a crowded downtown, looking for somewhere to eat that looked both vegetarian friendly and covid safe. This was a perfect fit! I ordered the tofu stew with rice cake, and hubby got the Korean noodle soup. Both were very delicious, and according to husband- not too spicy to eat like many other Korean places. The kids noodle meal was adorable and fun as well. Happy to have found this place, and can't wait to return! read more

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Tried this place out yesterday with a friend, and I have to say the after reading the reviews before coming here most were spot on. Their extra charge for adding certain things is higher than what I would expect. For example, I ordered the rice cakes and added the ramen noodles, but those were $2 extra. The dish was quite tastey though and something I would order again. Also, definitely big enough to share. My friend ordered the kimbop with chicken and that was just alright. The amount of chicken they put in there was quite minimal in my opinion. The service was friendly but they did take awhile for our food to come out. Also, they messed up my friends order which somehow also delayed my food on coming out. The servers were super nice though, but on this particular day also forgetful. I would come back here though to try out their other dishes. read more

Mixed Grain - Kimbop - Korean Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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I'm elated to have found a great Korean spot in the area with such authentic flavors. I was honestly shocked to find something like this in Walnut Creek, since the Korean population here is very small in comparison to other areas, particularly outside of the Bay Area. But I've been here a bunch of times to satisfy Korean food cravings when I don't feel like cooking it at home, and it always hits the spot. I also always appreciate the variety of banchan - For the love of God, please do not waste these precious delicious side dishes. These wonderful free morsels (which have free refills) can truly be a marker of a great Korean restaurant. You almost can't go wrong with their menu items, but my favorites are: For shared bites: - Kimchi pancake - Steamed vegetable dumplings - Japchae (They allow you to order this spicy, which is not traditional but super delicious if you like spicy food) - Ddukbokki (Spicy rice cakes) For entrees: - Dolsot Bibimbap (which they call Sizzling Works) - Soft tofu stew - Spicy beef stew - Grilled mackerel (so underrated) Also, make sure you order the purple rice. I always see people ordering white rice here, but FYI - purple rice is actually mostly white rice with different mixed grains (as the restaurant name suggests) including black rice mixed in, which stains everything purple and also gives it a nice subtle addition of different flavor and texture. So do yourself a favor. Just order the purple rice. read more

After having too much BBQ, this is the best place to have some vegetables. Everything brings freshness and casualty. The waitresses impressed me as she remembered the orders at once and responded very quickly. I may try some other food next time, recommend this lovely place for sure. Oh, the kids menu is good too. read more

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I love that I can enjoy kimchi fried rice while my kiddo is stoked about a Dino nugget & dumplings.

You like mouth-scalding, sweat-inducing, fire noodle challenge-level heat?! Get the tofu soup extra spicy. If it's not spicy enough, ask for some of the spicy sauce on the side, you will not be disappointed. This is my new favorite place for spicy tofu soup in the bay. :) I also love the Stuffed Chicken Ginseng Stew. A bit on the pricier side, but this broth tastes amazing. A nourishing stew to order if you're feeling sick or in need of a warm hug in the form of a korean stew. Banchan is great as well. Service is always nice. They got purple rice. I recommend. read more

There was a hair in my food. I called to ask for a replacement and they said that i needed to contact doordash to request it. Completely unacceptable. They needed to make this right and instead I got horrible customer service. I won't be returning. read more

Mixed Grain - a hair in my food - Korean Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

This is one of my favorite Korean restaurants in Walnut Creek; actually it is my favorite Korean restaurant in Walnut Creek. We eat there regularly and everything is good. The Kalbi is our favorite choice. They make a mean Kimchee soup too, although I prefer the Kalbi. I gave them 4 stars based on the food, which is consistently good. I would have given them 1 star if I was only grading them on their customer service. They don't quite get the concept of customer service. For awhile they charged the same price for takeout but would not include any miso soup with our orders. When I asked about it they said they don't provide the soup with take out order but could not provide a reason why. I could only assume they wanted to save on the cost of the plastic bowl penny wise and pound foolish. Recently, we asked for additional kimchee and agreed to pay for it. We asked for the larger container and asked them to put half cabbage Kimchee and half radish kimchee. They refused saying they will only put in one type. If we wanted both types we had to buy two containers. We asked to speak with the manager and they told us they are not here and did not have the number for the manager. Quite dumbfounding that they would not agree to a reasonable request especially when we agreed to pay for the additional Kimchee. I am all about good food so still have them at four stars. Still scratching my head about their cluelessness regarding customer service. Laziness? Incompetence? Or both? read more

Mixed Grain is a great, fast-casual Korean restaurant in Walnut Creek. I'm a huge fan of Korean cuisine because so many of their dishes are balanced with lots of veggies, rice, and grilled protein of your choice. Korean cuisine is also famous for their kimchi and other pickled veggies, which I think add bold colors and flavors to everything. I came to Mixed Grain on my Friday off for lunch and started with their Gimbap, basically Korean-Style maki rolls filled with veggies and for me, extra kimchi. This was a light appetizer where the veggies stand out. The rice is cooked and sticky, but not packed with vinegar as in Japanese sushi rice (4 stars) My main course was the "Works" Dol Sot with purple rice and grilled chicken. They load this super-hot stone bowl with lots of veggies and two fried eggs. Mix together with their spicy Gochu-jang sauce and its a 5-star lunch. But wait, there's more. Eight little dishes of banchan and a small bowl of seaweed-tofu soup that was actually pretty decent. Definitely recommend this place for Korean food. Its also a great way to sneak in some veggies into the diet. Service was friendly and attentive and the restaurant is very clean. 5 stars. read more

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This is definitely one of the best Korean food in the area. Came here on a Friday night at 6:30 pm and we waited about 10 min for a table. We ordered the spicy rice cake with ramen, seafood pancake and ginseng chicken soup. I really like the spicy rice cake with ramen - you can request how spicy based your preference. The spicy sauce that comes with it is very tasty and it goes well with the other items that comes with it including the fishcake and the egg. You can't go wrong with the seafood pancake - it's a great appetizer to start with! The ginseng chicken soup comes with a few slices of ginseng and a half chicken. It is very tasty and the soup is rich and flavorful. Can't wait to be back to try other items on the menu! p.s. We always walk past this place and there's always people waiting outside of the restaurant during the weekends so do come early. They are definitely short staffed since the servers are super busy - it's hard to get their attention. Also, don't sit at the table right by the door, you will feel the breeze whenever the door opens which is pretty annoying. read more

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The Mongolian woman who has worked here forever clearly hates her job. The food here is good, but you can feel how stingy they have become with their sides. read more

I been here a handful of time & am so surprised I haven't reviewed it. Love everything here. Cannot go wrong with anything. It's not your typical Korean restaurant but more modern & to fit the area. My favorite thing here is built your own bowl hot or cold & the japchea with spicy pork. read more

Mixed Grain - Yum. - Korean Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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Have not been here in a while due to the covid shutdown. Yrs, it's been a while. I was glad that they survived it. Anyway, the food was as good as I recalled. Had the works with purple rice and chicken. Seems that there are all new servers since I was last here. But they did a good job. read more

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We loved the traditional pickles, bibimbap, and black bean noodles. So comforting on a cold day. The spice level was perfect and adjustable.

Delicious! I only wish I had found this place sooner. Plenty of vegan/vegetarian options. Friendly staff who make suggestions for items that fit our dietary needs. We've tried the miso stew, tofu stew, and Korean noodle soup (all made vegan for us) so far and can't wait to try more. Everything was fresh, hot, and packed with flavor. read more

Mixed Grain is a nice spot for weekday lunch, never had a problem with waiting and always was seated right away. So far I've tried the steamed beef dumplings, veggie rice rolls, as well as The Works bowl. The rice bowls are served with soup and multiple little side dishes! Each side tastes totally unique and they are refillable so don't worry about eating all of your favorites. I always prefer the purple white over white rice, its a healthier option and has a nice texture and taste! Everything here tastes healthy without sacrificing the flavor. read more

Mixed Grain - Korean Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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Feel like Mixed Grain has been bookmarked on my Yelp page for like 10 years now and I finally got the chance to try them out recently! Was it worth the wait? Ehh it was good but nothing to write home about. The side dishes were actually my favorite part of the meal here. They had this like, pickled cilantro that was so delicious. Like, I didn't even know I could really eat cilantro straight up like that, but on man I finished the entire dish and asked for more. It went so well with the bulgogi meat, especially since the meat was just kinda plain tasting. My partner got the spicy rice cakes and it was kind of watery and had a different flavor than what we were used to. In all, I don't know if I would come back here again! Especially with the gluttony of good Korean restaurants that the Bay Area seems to have. read more

Outdoor dining was cozy with the heaters. Friendly staff and a good selection on the menu. We had the Kimchi Stew- bubbling hot and so delicious! Everything was so tasty. I've since gone back for the spicy rice cakes. Yummy!! They are super nice people and deliver all the flavors you should expect. read more

My husband and I happened to walk by for lunch and had a wonderful experience. Service was very good and the food was also excellent. We loved all the unique variety of sides that came with each dish. The food was all very fresh and the meal was pretty light! read more

Came here yesterday for dinner with the family not your typical all you can eat like Oz or Gen it's pretty busy on a Friday night we were seated within 10-15 mins it's a little crowded took a little while to get our order taken but we got our food quickly it was ok staff was really nice. Don't know if I'll come back or maybe I'm just brain wash that I'm expecting the out come like Gen or OZ it's worth a try if your in the area and looking for something quick Korean fix read more

Mixed Grain - Spicy noddles and fixings - Korean Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

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