We got their specialty cold noodle and beef bugolgi. Overall it was a lot of food and value for 2 for the beef bugolgi. The portion size was qutie generous but the beef was not quite as charred as I'd liked it to be. I enjoyed the acidity in the cold noodle however and found it to really hit the spot. It was a little spicy for me though which is a personal preference, but I would get it again! read more

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Food was delicious! Side dishes were great, seasoned well and not too sweet (a lot of places make food too sweet nowadays). I ordered the dumplings and the spicy beef perilla soup, and both were delicious! read more

Best soon tubu. Best pajeaon! Honestly, best Korean restaurant outside of LA in Temescal area. Super clean, efficient and cordial service. This is my new go-to Korean spot. read more

The tasiest korean restaurant in the bay area: banchan was fresh and the braised beef from galbi jim was super tender! My friend and I were surprised by how well seasoned everything tasted and it's way better than Daeho. Food came out quick, we ordered from the screen on the table. We had somaek as well. The whole ambiance made us miss our SK trip. I think this the best it can get if you miss food from SK. Def coming back to try their fried chicken, garlic bossam, and kalguksu. read more

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Love trying Kbbq and mugunghwa is one of our favorites on the east side. The bibimpap is excellent - especially the crunchy rice at the bottom - and we couldn't get enough of the gochujang sauce that came with it. We also got the tofu and mushroom soup which had a very mild flavor - I wish it had more of a kick. The banchan was good - all the different types of veggies were a great start to the meal. Overall we left very full and happy but the service can certainly be improved - it was hard to flag them down and it was also unclear why they have touchscreens at the table if you can't actually make a payment through them. read more

Mugunghwa - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

Mugunghwa is a Korean restaurant with locations in Oakland and El Cerrito. We went to the Oakland one, which is located in the middle of the Temescal Koreantown and which opened in the middle of 2025. Rated 4.6 on Google, 4.5 on Yelp. This was chosen because we were nearby and had eaten at Daol Tofu next door. Modern clean looking interior with tablets to order on. They also have a printed menu. Food was as expected. Solid quality and reasonable quantity. No problems recommending this spot and their neighbor. Safety Pluses - Online menu, Delivery services available, online ordering. Food Review: Banchan had 6 different types with 2 spicy ones. Dolsot Bibimbab Bulgogi ($18) Thick Soybean Paste Stew (+$5) comes in a big stone container with ample ingredients. Tofu soup was boiling hot. Very good quality and quantity. 8.5/10 Galbi ($38) was larger than expected. It comes with SSAM to wrap the tender ribs in. Nice flavor profile. 8.5/10 Japchae ($16) with beef had a reasonable amount of meat and lots of tender clear noodles. 8.5/10 Overall - Very Good Food - Very Good Decor - Very Good Service - Good Value - Good Would we come back - Maybe read more

I came here on a weekend with my mama and we love Korean food and I was so excited to try something different. Everyone has their own recipe but with the same menu or a little bit different which I always love hole in the wall spots in the Oakland area. . For the food we tried out their premium beef short rib soup which comes with Abalone and shrimp egg and four pieces of beef bone and beef ribs which had a really savory beef broth with seafood mix inside. I also love their steamed pork with a lot of fresh vegetables and side dishes as well to pair with my purple rice. The purple rice is actually really good and taste like regular white rice but it is a little bit more healthy. Also I did try there barbecue short ribs for additional $5 to make it a combo with the premium beef short rib soup entree. However there is a Improvement which is serving the beef short ribs sizzling on a platter which it was not sizzling when served. Also I wish the beef short rib was a little bit more charred so it has a little bit more grilled flavor. I really do like their kimchi and Kimchi cucumber and radish. The service was Detail and Accommodating with refilling all the side dishes Where needed and keeping our drinks filled with water Or more tea. . It is actually located in a really great area with lots of street parking on the weekend which is free. The location has a lot of other Korean restaurants as well which reminds me of a little Korea Town in Oakland area. I hope this helps and thanks for reading and have a yelpastic day. Let me know where other green restaurants you like to visit in the Oakland area and I shall go check it out. read more

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Stopped by here on a Sunday for a late lunch and thankfully didn't have a wait! We ordered the Galbi Tang, Galbi, Rose Spicy Rice Cake, Seafood Pancake, and some Korean Fried Chicken! We loved the flavor profile of every dish! I think the portion size was also decent. Also, appreciated all of the banchan that was provided :) Servers were polite and attentive, and the restaurant was well-lit and clean! Will definitely be back :) read more

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This place tries to be a high class Korean restaurant in Oakland! Prices are pretty reasonable for the quality you are getting. It used to be an old hot pot place. Good value for a Korean place in Oakland and not needing to drive farther! read more

Mugunghwa - Seafood pancake, extra crispy - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

I enjoyed the food at Mugunghwa. We came for dinner and were seated immediately. Unfortunately, the only table they had open was near the door so it was pretty chilly during our meal. We ordered on the tablet at our table and had minimal interaction with the staff. My boyfriend's seollongtang came out pretty quickly, and we waited about 5-10 minutes after for my rose tteokbokki. They kept forgetting to bring our banchan and we had to ask several times. The staff seemed pretty overwhelmed since they were at full occupancy. The banchan was delicious and fresh. I liked my tteokbokki a lot and found my boyfriend's seollongtang to be very comforting and flavorful. It did need a bit more salt and we had to ask several times to get some because they kept forgetting. Even though the staff was forgetful, they were very friendly. read more

Came here in early July and thought the -food was pretty good so I decided to come back again last night. This a new place that replaced Hancook. So if you've been there while it was Hancook, the interior is still pretty much the same. The first time, our group ordered their specialty naengmyun, gamjatang, and Seafood Jeon. We thought it was pretty good because there aren't many places that served naeng myun and the seafood jeon was very crispy. I liked it enough to come back since it was hot and naeng myun sounded really good. They also gave a lot of banchan and free refills on the banchan on both visits. The second time, we ordered the regular naengmyun, the chicken wings, and the chive pancake. They gave us chicken tenders instead of the chicken wings which was a little disappointing but not worth the effort to send it back (Also, I abhor wasting food if it's not necessary). I can't speak on the wings but the tenders were pretty crispy, well cooked, tender, and flavoured well (original and soy garlic). It also came with a pretty nice honey mustard dipping sauce. Overall, the chicken was good but nothing to write home about. The regular naengmyun was quite nice and it's quite hard to find in the East Bay so this was very refreshing on a hot evening. Noodles were well cooked and soup was a little sweet but they give you vinegar and mustard to put in it as well. I think the most disappointing thing was the chive jeon. For some reason, this tasted far oilier than the previous seafood jeon and just really left a greasy mouth feel in a way that the seafood jeon didn't. Do not think I will be ordering this one ever again. Banchan was a good variety but I have to say that the kimchi is CRIMINALLY oversalted. I don't know if it's because it's fresh kimchi but it definitely lacks the fermented tang of kimchi and just tasted overwhelmingly of salt. The other banchan were much better though. My favourite was the tofu and the spinach one. Overall, I think this isn't a bad place, but it's definitely not a top 3 Korean spot in the East Bay to me. I feel like I would probably only come back here for the naengmyun. My overall feeling is that this place is a decent jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none kind of Korean restaurant. read more

Service was so quick and friendly! We sat ourselves and ordered off the digital menu, which I find sometimes less stressful so you have time to browse and see details about items. The sides were so amazing. We ordered the chives pancakes, rose noodles, Soondubu, gomtang, galbi, and Mandu. The chive pancakes and rose noodles were for sure the stars of the show. The pancake was so crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. So amazing . Rose noodles was chewy, a little sweet, but very savory. Gomtang was so tasty, and flavorful. Our friend was feeling under the weather and recovering from food poisoning, so she couldn't have anything heavy but this hit the spot and was not too heavy on the stomach yet still had lots of flavor. Mandu fell a bit short on flavor but was cooked so perfectly and delicately. Big portion of galbi and a solid choice for sure read more

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY. We are sitting at the restaurant right now, disappointed and frustrated at the horrible service. The whole setup is ridiculous. They bring you a paper menu but you have to order on the machine. The menu is unclear and the machine has different spellings of the meals. For example, there are two prices listed. One if for a combo but it is unclear what that means. You don't get service AT ALL. You have to flag down wait staff who hurriedly respond and run off. We had to speak to three different people to just order. As our food arrived, I ordered two extra kimche through the machine. 1/2 through the food we were trying to get wait staff to check on our order. One staff told me sorry as she cleaned tables for people to come in. That was more important than helping people who were already eating. She finished and sat them down. My partner called out to her and she flat out ignored him and then brought the Korean appetizers out for another table that recently sat down. The third time we finally got acknowledged and was told sorry and they will grab our food. Then the staff goes and print out checks for customers to pay, helps a to go order, brings out appetizers to another table and just as I got to the last three bites of my food brings one kimchi. The only time you will surely get service is when it's time to pay. They quickly run the bills out to folk to get paid! I will never return or go to any of their other restaurants when there are better tasting Korean places with at least halfway decent service. read more

My favorite kbbq from El Cerrito just opened a new Oakland location where Hancook used to be. Excellent service, delicious food, and affordable combo deals! read more

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I came here by myself on a weekend afternoon and this place wasn't busy at all. There were just a few people inside. I was greeted as I walked in and was told I could sit anywhere I wanted. I was given a paper menu to look at and they had a tablet at the table for me to enter in my order. I got the garlic bossam and it was delicious. The pork was really tender and had the right amount of fat on each slice for my liking. The garlic sauce was kind of creamy with a sweetness taste. It hit the spot when I took a few pieces of pork and some kimchi and wrapped them in lettuce. I thought the banchan was fresh, flavorful and delicious. It looked beautiful and well put together. The Sapporo beer for $2.99 was a really good deal. It was refreshing, cold and crispy. It had a nice foam and tasted like it came from the tap. Service was excellent. The staff was very friendly and nice. When I asked for extra lettuce or another beer, they were super fast to get them for me. The only thing I had to wait for was the garlic bossam but even that was a short wait. The restaurant was very clean and spacious. I thought it was a relaxing place to have a meal. It would have been nice if there was a TV to watch a movie or game while I was eating. Street parking may be difficult to find given how busy Telegraph Ave can get. read more

Mugunghwa - Garlic Bossam - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

Mugunghwa has a lot of competition as there are several other Korean restaurants in that area. They stand out because of their aesthetics, beautiful cutlery, and well-executed dishes. We ordered the Soft Tofu Soup, Japchae, and Galbi. All of the dishes were scrumptious and plentiful. We had leftovers for lunch the next day and they still tasted great. Be forewarned that they are located in a sketchy part of Oakland where cars are broken into. read more

We came during the soft opening and enjoyed our meal here! They have an extensive menu of Korean dishes from soups to kbbq to noodles. Each table has a tablet for you to order from and the waiter will come will water and banchan. We ordered the kalguksu, beef bibimbap, and original/soy garlic fried chicken. Everything was delicious and portions are pretty big so recommend going family style. read more

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I'm really disappointed with my meal tonight. I just finished eating and felt compelled to share how underwhelming the experience was. We ordered the cold noodle combo with kalbi and bone broth soup. At first glance, the kalbi looked promising and it seemed like a generous portion. But that was misleading. The top layer had a few decent pieces with meat and bone, but everything underneath was mostly inedible, with bare bones or cuts that were almost entirely fat. They charge close to $40 for this combo. $20 for the cold noodles and about $20 for the galbi. Our rice was also forgotten so I asked the waitress for it. When the rice finally arrived, it was cold, as if it had been sitting out for a while. Our meal was about $70 including tax but it definitely was not worth it. I was really looking forward to this meal especially since we had a great experience at the El Cerrito location. Unfortunately, the Oakland location was a letdown and I won't be returning. read more

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Newly opened Korean restaurant, this place is the best of all the Korean restaurants in the Bay Area. Service is very attentive. Nice ambiance. read more

Mugunghwa - Tonkatsu - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

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Great soups, got some takeout late at night and it even came with side dishes. Fair prices and meat was tender.

I'll miss Hancook's hot pot but Mugunghwa's Korean dishes and banchan are solid! The naeng myeon noodles were a great texture and the broth was super chilled and icy, but slightly sweet for me. We also had the cheese donkatsu and it had a good fry. The sauce was tasty, but might be better on the side to dip. We had to try their KFC - original and spicy. The fry was crispy and hot. So good. We loved their banchan offerings, especially the spinach and tofu. The radish kimchi was really delicious too. read more

Mugunghwa - Naeng Myeon cold noodles - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

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Food 10/10 Banchan 10/10 Service 10/10 Ambiance 10/10 We ordered Rose Spicy Rice Cake with ramen, garlic bossam, cheese don katsu, and deulkkae haejangguk. Ordered a bottle of makguli and shared with 4. Food was more than enough for 4. Everything was super tasty! Best Korean restaurant in Oakland!! Cheese don katsu was my favorite. Mucho cheese inside. Would come back again. read more

Mugunghwa - Rose Spicy Rice Cake - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

Lunch vibes at Mugunghwa in Oakland hitting different. We had the Soothing galbi tang, juicy galbi wraps with crisp lettuce + pickled daikon, and that beefy japchae slaying as always! Perfect midday Korean feast read more

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I have been to the location in El Cerrito and loved it. I wish the Oakland location was just as good but came out very disappointed. The noodles in the three naemyeongs we ordered were clumped together that it was not eating noodles but a ball of carbs. The taste was not great. Our tofu soup came out burnt. It smelled so burnt when they served it and tasted burnt too. This was not edible. The ribs also came out burnt. The only thing that was good was their rice, side dishes, bbq pork (they use pork belly instead of the round cut) and seafood pancake. read more

This is a review for takeout order. Ran out of juice to eat in person and saw we could DoorDash some food. It was top notch delicious. 0 complaints and for sure a repeat order, can't wait to come in and check it out in person. We had pork dumplings as appetiser and they were top notch. read more

Came in a Saturday. Parking on the street is tough since it's Oakland but managed to get a parking in front of the restaurant. The order was quick to come out with drinks and took about 10 min for the food to come out. We ordered seafood pancake, tartar, fried chicken with garlic, spicy tofu soup with egg, white rice and purple rice. They forgot the purple rice so I had to ask for it, it came out about 10 min later. I forgot to take photos of the food but I'd recommend going to the restaurant in Albany if you get the chance. Albany's is restaurant's service is faster, food taste better, and there's an actual parking lot (no big but better than fitting on the street). I'd to the Oakland restaurant again after a few months or so. read more

We decided to eat here for my friend's visit and made a reservation for a group of 15. It was super easy to make a reservation through the phone. I truly like the idea of ordering with a tablet, especially for a larger group so we don't have to constantly ask for refills of the ban chan. Their sides dishes here are soooooo good! We especially loved the chives, kimchi and spinach. The food here was even better! Our large group split into three separate orders. My table ordered the garlic bossam with ssam, galbi jjim with cheese, seafood pancake, rose tteokbokki with ramen, and cold noodles with yukhoe. Eyes were definitely bigger than our stomach but we wanted to try everything! There wasn't a single bad dish!! The bossam was so tender and the garlic sauce paired so well with it. We were most amazed at the cold noodles. The soup was perfect. The staff was soooo kind and attentive! Thank you for making our experience a memorable one. It's been almost two weeks and I'm constantly thinking about the food there. read more

Mugunghwa - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

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My partner and I went and had lunch on Sunday at 11am. We ordered the galbijim with cheese. We were served six banchans and two bowls of rice. The galbijim was delicious and it was cool to see the cheese be blowtorched on top of it. The meat was fall off the bone tender and the accompanying carrots, daikon, potatoes, rice cakes and glass noodles nicely soaked up the juices of the meat/marinade. The serving size was big enough for my partner and I to take home enough leftovers for days! The banchans were tasty. Service was quick and efficient. The ambiance was clean and understated. I'd come again to try out their extensive menu! read more

Mugunghwa - Banchans! Clockwise from top left: daikon, tofu, chives, spinach, pickled daikon and kimchi. - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

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Ambiance was nice and quiet. Kinda slow for a Saturday. But it worked! Service was very attentive and fast! Now the food! SPECTACULAR. I had the cold noodles with a side of Kalbi. Best combo ever. Brother had dotsol bibimbap! Wow wow. Older brother had the tofu soup with purple rice was nice Banchans on point and you can request more! read more

Mugunghwa, one of the best Korean restaurants in the Bay Area, opened in Oakland, and I'm thrilled about it. If you're a fan of tteokbokki, you must try their rose tteokbokki. It's a creamy version that's simply delicious. Their seafood jeon is also a must-try. And if you're in the mood for bibimbap, they have a variety of proteins, including tofu. For just five dollars, you can add a delicious soybean paste stew to your bibimbap, which is a great deal. The service was attentive and friendly, and the food arrived quickly. The ambiance is nice and casual, making it a great place to enjoy a meal. read more

My favorite Korean restaurant in Oakland. Everything I've had here is amazing; my favorite is definitely the rose tteokboki and the fried chicken. I'm excited to try more of their food as this place is definitely part of my rotation now. Feedback for the management on the ambiance is to dim the lights a bit and have cooler music! read more

Saw that a new business replaced hancook (which was just OK), so i was looking forward to trying. The food overall was pretty solid, tasty banchan, good service - there is definitely potential with this place. However, I would say that the overall vibe could use some improvement, as the soft jazz music gives "dental office" and the lighting is quite bright. As of now, it feels more like a spot you go just to eat and then go somewhere else if you want to keep the night going...though maybe that's what they are going for? Idk lol. Will certainly be back again and glad to add another korean spot to the rotation. read more

NEW SPOT! "We opened two months ago," replied Thomas Kim when I asked him about the opening of Mugunghwa 무궁화/無窮花 Restaurant, located on 4315 Telegraph Avenue in Temescal, Oakland CA. "We have another location in El Cerrito," he added. Tasted three insanely delicious dishes: Bossam 보쌈 Sliced simmered house-seasoned pork belly served with ssam 쌈, lettuce and sliced pickled radish for wraps plus sauces. EXCEPTIONAL! My favorite. Gogi Kalguksoo 고기 국수 Traditional Korean al dente white noodles served with beef in a rich savory creamy thick unctuous white beef broth. ANOTHER WINNER! Seafood Jeon 해물파젼 Korean savory pancake made by coating various ingredients in batter and pan frying them. INSANELY CRISPY ON THE OUTSIDE MOUST AND SAVORY INSIDE. WOW! Served with six freshly prepared "banchan 반찬," accompanying side dishes. Extremely pleased to experience high quality traditional Korean fare that rivals those in Southern California. Mugunghwa delivers and joins my top three most loved Korean spots in the Bay Area. I SHALL RETURN! N.B. Mugunghwa (무궁화) is the national flower of South Korea, also known as the Rose of Sharon, and its name means "eternal blossom that never fades". It symbolizes the enduring spirit, resilience, and hope of the Korean people, reflecting their tenacity in the face of hardship and adversity throughout history. This deeply symbolic flower is integrated into national symbols, literature, and even popular children's games, embodying a profound connection to Korean identity and heritage. read more

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Tangy refreshing cold noodle broth. Delicious galbi, and crunchy wonderful texture for the seafood pancake. Really friendly staff, and clean comfortable space. Would definitely come back. read more

Mugunghwa - Cold noodles, galbi, seafood pancake - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

Only tried Cheese Don Katsu and Bulgogi Dolsot--both were really good! The Katsu especially was freshly fried and generous portioned. One thing I'll ask for next time is sauce on the side. But man, the melted cheese in the center was a surprise. Will return to try the BBQ and the KFC as they look and smell great. Banchans were fresh! None of the dishes were stale and limp. Best was the fluffy tofu with sesame: light but packed with flavor. Visited during soft opening: can't beat the price of $2.99 draft Sapporo and $9.99 soju. Sad about Hancook, but Hancook before it closed was really going downhill. So really happy that it has been replaced by this great spot. read more

Such good Korean food, will be back!! Service was slow though, they were really busy. Vibes are nice, appreciate the soju wall! Can't wait to have the soondubu again! read more

I've been to the El Cerrito location which is a bit of a drive (and oh so worth the drive), so I was pleasantly surprised to see it open up in my neighborhood. So pleasantly surprised that when I looked up at the sign, I verbally said to no one in particular: "WTF? YES!!!" Mugunghwa has taken the place of Hancook, which I don't even remember going out of business (and which I've never eaten at, despite living less than a block away), which added to my shock. I'm happy to report that this Mugunghwa is just as fresh and tasty as the original(?) one in El Cerrito. This is the best thing to happen to Temescal. I know that there are several Korean spots here including a few in the plaza between 43rd and 44th on Telegraph, but they are lackluster -- there's a reason we would drive 20 minutes for our Korean food cravings instead of opting for convenience. This restaurant is actually worth the Korean restaurant prices (IYKYK). I've figured that Korean food is so pricy not only because of soft power, but because of the unlimited banchan. And with the quality of meat here, and unique banchan (I like the chives, as well as the crumbled tofu), AND the best Korean fried chicken outside of LA, I feel like spending $30-40 a person is actually justified. Oh gosh, the fried chicken is amazing and deserves its own paragraph. How do they do it? The breading is top notch and always crispy, and doesn't have that weird fridge taste that a lot of the local Korean spots have. The meat is moist. Take your pick of flavorings, but even the original/"plain" one is something to write home about... and I order it just because you can taste the freshness of the chicken without any other adulterations. I don't like mayonnaise, so I do eat it with banchan to cut some of the richness. With the soups, you really can't go wrong. The seolleontang is a fave, as well as any of the ones that also have perilla seeds. The broths just taste more rounder and more seasoned compared to other restaurants in the area. The El Cerrito location is often full, but the new one still feels slept on, even though they have alcohol specials that might appeal to the student crowd and weekend party people. I selfishly invite you to give this place a try because FINALLY, there is yummy Korean food in the neighborhood, and I want them to have staying power! read more

The food is always good and my family loves their seafood pancakes and kalbi tang. I took my Chinese grandparents here and it was their first time having korean food. Ever since then we've been going every time we visit them so I guess it's safe to say that they love it. We always make a reservation, but it's almost always unnecessary as we usually come for early dinner around 5:30. Definitely get a their pancakes as theyre the crispiest and best ones ive ever had. The kalbi tang, japchae, and soy garlic fried chicken are very tasty as well. You can order using a tablet which is convenient for larger parties to get their order sorted. read more

Probably one of the most authentic Korean places in the East Bay. The quality of food was really great and everything was so tasty. read more

Mugunghwa - Garlic Bossom - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

Yesterday I had dinner with a few friends at a restaurant. For someone living and studying in Berkeley, being able to enjoy a meal at Mugunghwa after an exhausting week feels like a real blessing. The steaming hot Galbitang and tofu soup brought a comforting warmth from the inside out, while the cheese-topped Galbi jjim was sweet but never overwhelming, truly memorable. The experience even more special was the attentive and well-balanced service, which turned the meal into not just a delight for the taste buds, but also a moment of genuine care and comfort. read more

Mugunghwa - Gaining Jim - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California