We came here for lunch with our dear friend who lives in Hercules. I must have passed this place every time I take San Pablo to Hwy4 East during the evening commute. Its a casual, Korean cafe located in a small strip mall and adjacent to Hernandez Park. The name is a bit of a misnomer. Yes they specialize in a variety of bone-in, Korean Fried Chicken with multiple flavor options. But turn the menu over and you'll see even more options for bento boxes, tofu soup, hot stone rice dishes (dolsot) and more. Service was fast and friendly, but don't overstay your welcome since the restaurant is small and very popular. Bulgolgi bento was awesome - it comes with ita own banchan, japchae, fried gyoza, and a food portion of beef that our 6yo som devoured by himself. Chicken Dolsot was also a solid dish - I like having veggies, carbs, and proteins all in one on a sizzling bowl with a fried egg. Wife and her bestie shared a half order of soy garlic KFC, which were large, crispy, and sticky. Its my favorite KFC flavor and wished we got a full order so I can have some more, LOL. Definitely keeping this place in mind for future visits. A good dinner takeout place if I ever need to work late from Richmond during evening commute. read more

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Walked to this location after Mass at St. Joseph. We were seated and given menus right away. We ordered the pork belly bento and fried chicken bento. I love how the bento box came with gyoza and japchae (plus other banchan). The portion size was generous. The chicken was crispy on the outside and juicy inside. The pork belly was yum! I look forward to dining here again. read more

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Stopped by here for dinner after attending a YES event close by. Tucked at the corner end of a shopping center, it had a grand opening sign outside. Their menu was on the window for one to have a preview of their offerings. We were seated right away; dining area was small, yet clean. There is a patio area beside it that is open to all. The restroom was clean, but some of their supplies are also in it too. For our party of 2, we ordered the Pork Belly Bento Box, half order of the original fried chicken, and the Galbitang (short rib soup). While waiting, we were given complimentary tea. Food is cooked to order, some items may take a little longer to serve but it was worth the wait. We were surprised how big the servings were! The pork belly bento came with 2 fried dumplings, a serving of Japchae, rice, usual Korean condiments and leafy greens to eat it as a wrap. The Galbitang soup- the broth was flavorful, meat was fall of the bone tender. The Fried Chicken was tasty served with a drumstick, wing and small portions of breast meat. We even lad leftovers to go. Great service, our server even helped up with placing items to go. Highly recommend if ever in Downtown Pinole! read more

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I love the spicy tofu soup ( soon doo boo ) They make the mushroom soon doo boo for me even tho it's not on the menu anymore !!& I worked my way up to medium spice !! The banchan here includes japchae plus many pickled veggies ! The hostess /server is the former owner so she knows my favorite dishes !! & is generous w/the banchan !!Even refills ! Atmosphere is comfortable & inviting, no frills but neat & clean !! read more

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This is a small place but they can accommodate several small groups between the inside and outside patio. Our group of four found the service to be just right. The real reason to come here is for the food! They have an impressively extensive menu. I loved the ban chan dishes (that came with refills if we wanted) and the dolsot bibimbap with chicken. One person in our party had the whole mackerel which was quite large. The servings are generous. We'll be back!! read more

We've been here twice already and we really like their Korean fried chicken! It has recently been our new to-go spot for KFC. We've ordered the same two flavors; soy garlic and honey cheese chicken. The fried chicken is super crispy, fresh, and full of flavor! We always get soy garlic at KFC restaurants, but decided to try the honey cheese chicken here. This is definitely our new favorite flavor!!! We order online through their website for quick pick up. The inside is very small and there is very limited seating. I would like to come back and try their other dishes like bibimbap and seafood pancake, but I'm always craving kfc haha. read more

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This is a new Korean chicken shop that we decided to try. We walked in and immediately was seated by the friendly staff. We placed an order for the half order of "sweet and mild" and the "soy garlic" chicken. The order arrived in short time and it was a decent sized meal and delicious. The ambiance is chill and parking was good when arrived but depending on what time you arrive you might have to park on the street since there are several businesses in the area. read more

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Visited for a weekday lunch and they were able to easily seat our group of 6. This location has had quite some turnover over the years so we were hoping for a change in fortune for this new restaurant. Working in their favor is they have fantastic food. We got a half order of Soy Garlic Chicken and a half order of Garlic Mustard Chicken. Soy Garlic comes pre-sauced with a nice sweet glaze. Garlic Mustard comes with Mustard dipping sauce, so the chicken stays super crispy. Both were great. Seafood Pancake had a very crispy exterior and came with two massive bowls of dipping sauce. I appreciated that since lots of restaurants will only give you a small amount of sauce. I thought the Yukgaejang (spicy beef stew) was tasty. The Soondoobu (tofu soup) was good, but slightly underseasoned for my taste. Slight complaint about the Dolsotbop (rice bowl) - wish it had more crispy rice at the bottom. Overall, I'm ecstatic that Seoul Fried Chicken has made it into this neighborhood. Hope they become a more permanent fixture in Pinole! read more

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Seoul Fried Chicken in San Pablo is truly a gem. I've ordered takeout from here a few times now, usually grabbing dinner on my way home from Marin, and every visit has been consistently excellent. My go-to order is the soy garlic chicken and japchae, and both never disappoint. The chicken is flavorful, perfectly cooked, and incredibly satisfying, while the japchae is well-balanced and comforting. Consistency is key, and this place delivers it every single time. The employees are always welcoming and friendly, making even a quick to-go stop feel warm and appreciated. My family loves their food, and it's become one of those reliable spots we can all agree on. I'll definitely continue coming back--Seoul Fried Chicken has earned a permanent place in our dinner rotation. read more

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They just started but it's a great start. It takes them a bit to get the food out - but all good things take time. Take your time to relax, enjoy the park and take a stroll, and get the fried chicken! We don't have many Korean places around so make sure to take in this awesome spot in downtown Pinole. Very friendly and good food. read more

Local dining. Simple atmosphere. Fast service. Wanted fried chicken and fried chicken was what I got. Ordered the sweet and mild and the soy garlic. I ended up liking the sweet and mild more even though I'm not a big saucy chicken fan. I found it better flavor wise, than the soy garlic. The soy garlic had essence of ginger and I wasn't a fan. I have to say the chicken was perfectly fried but I wasn't a fan of the large pieces. Satisfying overall. Coming back? Yes but not anytime soon. read more

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Korean Fried Chicken In Pinole! I've been to this little cozy Korean restaurant a few times now since it took over from the Kimchi house! The name have been changed, but the food service and food quality remain the same! I've ordered the regular chicken, the spicy chicken and the soy garlic wings and all were yummy and generously served even with half order! Better to eat them immediately while it's still crunchy! Also try the Bento boxes. They are generously served in good portions and I promise you this, you will leave full or in some sort of mild food coma! I haven't tried all of them yet, but that's the goal for 2026! So check it out and you'll enjoy the food and the service as well! read more

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I forget the name of the Korean restaurant this used to be. But recently has changed ownership. I didn't get any of the fried chicken this time around. I ordered the army stew soft tofu stew. This tastes more like a soft tofu stew than your usual army stew. Inside was sausage, spam, ramen, egg, beef and tofu. The sides are just ok, nothing really tasted that great. The service was nice and friendly. Interior doesn't look changed from previous Korean restaurant. Everything was aright. I'll come back to try the fried chicken or other menu items. Parking lot Indoor/outdoor seating read more

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I haven't had delicious Fried Chicken in a Long Time! I saw a TikTok on this place. So I decided to go with a friend, I had the bento lunch with the fried chicken it was delicious it's so Crispy and meaty Tasty‼‼‼I ordered the Garlic Mustard Chicken . You really don't need the sauce because the fried chicken alone is so tasty crispy and delicious on its own ! I highly recommend this place if ur craving Real Fried Chicken that's so Crispy and Delicious read more

Seoul Fried Chicken - Crispy Fried Chicken - Korean Near Me - Pinole, California

We were in the area and decided to try this place, as it has changed hands several times and we were curious. Now it is a Korean fried chicken place! We are glad to have found this gem. We had the mackerel bento plate, a seafood pancake, and the 8 pieces of Korean fried chicken. Wow, the portions on the mackerel bento plate were huge! Enough for hubby and I to share with food left over! It included two very large pieces of mackerel, kimchi, bean sprouts, jopjae, gyozo, broccoli and rice! The seafood pancake was delicious in the dipping sauce and the Korean fried chicken state crispy and crunchy. The only suggestion I would have for them is to please heat up their tea. We were served tea that was room temperature and when we asked for new tea, it came again at room temperature! Otherwise, the service was fast and friendly. We were pleasantly pleased and plan on coming again. read more

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Since I discovered Seoul Fried Chicken about a month ago, I've always stuck with a "Half" size order of their fried chicken. A half order costs about $18, and I highly suggest calling in your order if you wish to save on "food fees". I normally don't order whole chicken from Korean fried chicken joints (ie: Vons, Bon Chon, Omudak, etc.)---but trust me--Seoul Fried Chicken in Pinole is different. The thighs and breasts are cut up into more manageable pieces for eating, which I am aware, is common for Korean style fried chicken. I just enjoyed how fresh and tender the chicken was. The meat itself is so tender---even their chicken breast will impress you :) I I've tried the Garlic Mustard, Soy Garlic, and Honey Cheese. Soy Garlic is perhaps, my recommended (and favorite) flavor so far. Regardless of the flavor, Seoul Fried Chicken has always came through with some winning poultry. Their chicken is thoroughly battered to perfection. You'll definitely agree that Seoul delivers a satisfying crunch. Purely fried unadulterated chicken is what we got here!! I've ordered from Seoul Fried Chicken about 3-4 times already. During each visit I've ordered their chicken. To my surprise, this place serves more than just poultry. Seoul serves the typical Korean fare: Seafood Pancakes, Japchae, Tofu Soup and Beef and Pork Rice Bowls. One of these days, I'll break into Seoul's Korean fare, but their chicken is so impressive, that's all I crave here. Since Seoul Fried Chicken is conveniently located to me, it definitely tackles my cravings for fried chicken--which happens a lot. No more resorting to my aimless ventures for chicken joints in Contra Costa County. The service here is fast and friendly. The place accommodates about 20-22 customer comfortably, inside. The place is located right by Fernandez Park--perfect for taking your poultry outside on a nice, sunny day! read more

Seoul Fried Chicken - Beauty shot of my Seoul Chicken (1/2 order).... - Korean Near Me - Pinole, California

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YUM! Really happy to have another delicious Korean spot near me, especially with hella good KFC! Looks like they rebranded themselves with a new menu with a fried chicken focus. Located in the back of a small plaza in downtown Pinole, it's easy to miss. Free parking and the indoor dining environment is small so I'm sure there are several takeout orders. I ordered the following online: -Soy garlic fried chicken (1/2 order) -Seafood pancake -Chicken dolsot bibimbap Everything was hot and fresh when I picked it up - total was about $61 and I gave some tip to support this new local business. Prices are a little higher but quality is good and with big portions. I ordered for 2 ppl but it was definitely enough for 4. The fried chicken was love at first bite - hot, crunchy, flavorful, and juicy. All that was missing was the pickled daikon! Seafood pancake and the bibimbap were very tasty - nicely made with fresh ingredients and robust flavor. Welcome to Pinole SFC! read more

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I liked everything we had here! My only complaint is not enough variety of banchan. I really enjoyed the spicy beef stew and fried chicken we ordered. Bibimbap was pretty good but I don't think the hot stone bowl was hot enough bc there was barely any char on the rice. I will be back for more fried chicken! read more

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Over priced and the chicken has no flavor but the bento box was good. It's also extremely small.

First time here and I ordered the soy garlic and honey cheese fried chicken. Pickup was fast and easy, and it wasn't too busy inside. Even though I took it to go, the chicken came out piping hot super crispy and juicy. I'd definitely recommend giving this spot a try if you live in the Pinole area. They have seating inside and I believe there's also an outdoor patio. read more

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Seoul Fried Chicken is good for the Foody soul! A rebranded restaurant, but the food is still delish and large portions matching the cost! Service was a little slow but also because numerous orders came in at the same time so not really an issue. Food was packed efficiently and with all the sauces! It's a small restaurant so not really for large parties unless you don't mind eating at the outdoor tables or take it to go and eat at the Fernandez Park picnic tables. We tried a little of everything togo: popcorn chicken in house sauce (no photo because we ate it all so fast in the car ride home) Garlic mustard fried chicken Spicy Pork and Bulgogi bentos Pork Dolsotbop (forgot to take photo and dug in too fast) The KFC was crispy yet moist and tasty! We always look forward to the banchan when eating Korean dishes, and the banchan here did not disappoint! Glad we now have SFC in Pinole when we're craving for KFC or any Korean dishes. read more

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Aug 24, 2025 6 pm 3.8 stars. The chicken is delicious. I messaged this store through Yelp but never heard back, so we swung by today just to clarify if they have seating or just orders to-go. . They have indoor seating that looks a little cramped and is noisy with kitchen noise, and they have outdoor seating that looks like a perfect beer garden setting for their liters of beer. The only negative of the outdoor seating is you will be listening to kitchen clanging there as well. The woman running the front of house seemed a bit overwhelmed with setting things up, taking to-go orders and handing them out. They could use some help on the floor in more ways than one. Since we were there already, the wife ordered a half order of Garlic Mustard Chicken to go and we were on our way home in under 15 minutes. The food itself was a five star experience. Moist and Crunchy at the same time. That mustard sauce took it to the moon. There were about eight or nine assorted pieces. I can't imagine fried chicken tasting any better. The operational side of things was a big miss with the litter, noise level, incorrectly installed front door fly screen etc. We look forward to revisiting our review when Seoul gets there sea legs under them. read more

Seoul Fried Chicken - Our Honey Mustard Chicken was still hot by the time we got home. - Korean Near Me - Pinole, California

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The service is great, the food came out fast, and it was delicious! The rice tasted fresh and the portions for proteins were surprisingly generous and quality! The kimchi and japchae were also delicious. I will definitely come back. read more

The ownership of this restaurant has changed hands many times. In its current iteration the former owner of Korean Kitchen has resumed ownership and revamped the menu, with emphasis on KFC obviously. We visited recently and the Grand Opening sign is still up. The interior was unchanged, but the food got an upgrade. The bento boxes look ordinary on photos, but in person the size was really large. The mackeral bento foxes, for example, has two huge pieces of mackeral, and the fish tasted fresh. Each bento boxes came with 3 banchan sides plus a small mound of japjae clear noodles and bowl of rice. My daughter ordered the tseoboki appetizer and expected the portion to be small but the dish was again well-portioned and she couldn't finish her order. I had the beef stew with clear noodles and that was also plentiful and the broth was flavorful and very satisfying. We tried two KFCs, the honey with cheese, and the soy and garlic, and both were great. Given the amount of delicious foods you get, the prices are very reasonable and this restaurant is now one of our favorites for Korean food. read more

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An amazing hidden gem in Pinole, the food is ABSOLUTELY delicious. The service is pretty nice, and it can take a bit long. The restaurant is very relaxing and I'm glad to have eaten here. read more

Did a takeout order from this place. Was craving fried chicken and I found Seoul Fried Chicken in Pinole. Its a nice place tucked away near Fernandez Ave. First time getting food from this place and I can say that the chicken is amazing. Was warm and crispy, next time I'm going to try other flavors. Also got their Jopchae w/ beef and that was good too. This will be my new go to spot for fried chicken and Korean food, also will dine in to see how the service is. It is pretty new place and hopefully will be in Pinole for long time. read more

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This place recently went through an ownership change and though the menu has mostly stayed the same they have added Korean fried chicken to the menu. Got a couple orders of the fried chicken, soy garlic flavored and sweet and mild. Also got a spicy pork bento box. The bento box was amazing, the spicy pork has sensational flavor and spice to it, if you like spicy this is it right here. Great portion size, comes with rice, noodles, a couple gyoza, some veggies and kimchi. The fried chicken was absolutely fire! Fresh chicken, fried to perfection! The soy ginger was everyone's favorite, the mild and sweet was also good just not enough heat for me. My kids were in love with the chicken they cleaned house. It was so good had to go back next day and run it back. We will definitely be coming here a lot more often. They have wings, boneless breast, popcorn chicken and regular pieces as options to choose and you can pick anyone of the variety of sauces. Great service. Must try. read more

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this place honestly blew my mind on how good it was. we went to this place before it changed, and it was alright. it wasn't anywhere as good as gangnam tofu in el cerrito. but here's the thing, idk what happened from now until then, but damn it tastes almost identical to gangnam tofu. the service was a little bit difficult, but i don't blame them, since they were so so packed with to-go orders and then lots of big parties waiting for tables. we were handled well and honestly the space was vibey. it definitely reminds me more of a reunion place with friends or family. so back to the food... the seafood pancake was to die for and honestly wish we had more. there was enough seafood and it was so crispy without having that nasty too crisp taste. i had a soy garlic wing the next day cold (not reheated), but omg the flavor was amazing and i regret not eating one when it was warm and crunchy. the sides were amazing too and the one thing i did wish they had was braised potatoes or the eggplant side dish to take the whole meal to the top. other than that i have no complaints about this place and i will definitely come back here again. it's super convenient (location wise for me) and fairly priced for the portions you get and honestly just as good as gangnam tofu with a better parking lot structure. if you were to go and you do enjoy seafood, really give the seafood pancake a try and get the soy garlic wings too. their special style chicken seen in the picture was a nice balance of not too spicy, but a good spice, which also was similar to gangnam tofu i feel like... i'm def going back within the comings week to get my fix on that seafood pancake and their side dishes and i'll be a happy man. read more

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Excellent crunchy chicken mom & pop shop in Pinole! The original recipe is a delight with any of your preferred dipping sauces. We called ahead to ensure we timed it out perfectly. Their spicy wings certainly have a kick as well. Will absolutely come back & already recommended to a friend! read more

I was originally going for something else, but I came across this and they had their grand opening sign and figured why not? As soon as we walked in, we were welcomed and seated very quickly, the menu had a pretty decent variety. I was gonna get some Korean fried chicken, but ended up ordering what I was originally craving, which was some chicken teriyaki. This has been some of my favorite chicken teriyaki in the area. The chicken was still nice and moist and held a lot of the flavor instead of just being smothered in sauce. Whatever that fried veggie dumpling was in the middle was really good and I forgot to ask about it. My partner really enjoyed the Bulgogi and he enjoyed that the pickled veggies weren't so extremely vinegary which is a preference for him. Ultimately, I would plan to come back and try out more of their menu! It's a bit of a hole in the wall and because they have to keep the door open for airflow. A few flies gotten in, which isn't cute but it's nothing that completely offended me as I understood it's a small restaurant and the kitchen is right there so it gets hot easy not a huge deal just something to know. 4/5 only because they did have a screen for the front door to not let any bugs fly in. That was still let open. read more

Seoul Fried Chicken - Chicken teriyaki bento box and Bulgogi bento box - Korean Near Me - Pinole, California

Best korean food in the area!! TRUST!!! I have ordered via DoorDash the Pork Belly Bento twice and am very impressed. They are so generous with the portion and the food always arrives fresh. I really appreciate them accomodating my special requests, they take the time to prepare and the quality of their service shines in the foods they prepare. The prices are very reasonable for the portion they give & that's with takeout. That shows a lot. They want their customers to be satisfied and keep coming back! I do wish they offer more different korean side dishes and it would be the best korean restaurant for me in the east bay!!! Such a gem of a restaurant and please support them, you wont regret it!!! So glad we have a really great korean restaurant, as this specific location has gone through two other Korean restaurants in the past, I hope this one sticks around!!! read more

Seoul Fried Chicken - Pork Belly Bento - the container is bigger than what appears in this photo. Reasonably priced, thank you Seoul Fried Chicken!! - Korean Near Me - Pinole, California

Love this place. We've been coming here since it was Nu Ga Na. I'm pretty certain the waitress who works there now has worked there since the OG Korean spot, and she's always working hard, especially when it's slammed. Kudos to her. Now, in its previous iterations as Nu Ga Na and then Kimchi House, they didn't have fried chicken, so when we drove up one day and saw that it had rebranded as Seoul Fried Chicken, we decided to give it a try. And we've been back two other times since. The inside is a little cramped, but that's not typically a massive issue. It does mean waiting outside sometimes for people doing pick up, but it's not a problem overall. We've tried three of their fried chicken flavors: mild & sweet, garlic & soy, and honey cheese. The mild & sweet was delicious. Still crispy, even coated in a perfect sweet sauce with a small kick. The garlic & soy I personally was not a huge fan of, but my fiancé liked it a lot. And the honey cheese was phenomenal. We plan on coming back until we try all the flavors. Additionally, the beef bibimbap was hearty and delicious, the spicy pork bento was flavorful, the kimchi pancake was a perfect texture, and the additional sides (banchan and japchae) make the bentos and rice bowls complete (have not tried the soups or stews yet). I want to emphasize how crispy the chicken is. It is fried to perfection, even coated in sauce. It comes out piping hot and fresh. The prices are average compared to what others are around town these days. With that said, the portions are massive. You absolutely get what you pay for here. I have never finished a meal here because there is so much and always have enough to take home for a second meal. Overall, I would say this was a successful new direction for this Korean joint. What a great treat for the town of Pinole. read more

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I know this place is known for their chicken (which I haven't tried yet), but don't sleep on their soup! Especially for a cold and rainy night, the galbitang (short rib soup) hit the spot. The broth is rich and the short ribs were very tender and the meat pulled off the bone really easily. The green onions were also a nice compliment to the soup. The kimchi seasoning was a little more sweet than I'm used to, but I really liked it. I'll be back to try the chicken! read more

Seoul Fried Chicken - Galbitang - Korean Near Me - Pinole, California

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Everything I have had is fantastic. Bento boxes, fried chicken, banchan. It's small and full of heart with limited staff so expect some wait times. I am very happy this place is in Pinole. My go to is the spicy pork or pork belly bento box... I think of it in my dreams. This is a heavy rotation spot for me. read more

I randomly stopped by and tried the mackerel and galbi box - it was so fresh and tasty. I'll be a regular. Young, our server, was amazing - super fast and friendly even during the busy rush. Really appreciate it! read more

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7 piece original Korean Fried Chicken is as tasty and delicious as it looks. I love the batter flavor and chicken was tender and seasoned well. Only the the to go pieces were very small. I will still come back for the flavor though. read more

Seoul Fried Chicken - Original Korean fried Chicken. I took one piece out. - Korean Near Me - Pinole, California

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Had the dolsot bibimbap and spicy pork for dinner. Food was tasty and portion was good. Took kimchi spam fried rice home. It was good but we will ask for the spam to be cooked more next time. Definitely will be back. The lady taking order and serving was very friendly. read more

Had the soy garlic chicken and it was amazing. The flavor the crunch! Couldn't ask for more! Will definitely go back.

Quick ordering experience Chicken tasted great; our kids and nephews devoured the friend chicken read more

Ordered the soy garlic wings half order at $17. Chicken was good and crispy but not $17 good. Had 2 small drumsticks and the rest was chicken pieces with no bone and others with small bone pieces. Not really wings. Also ordered Tteokbokki that was also overpriced at $17. It had 6 pieces of rice cake and 4 pieces of fish cake. The rest of it was just a big bowl of vegetables and all the vegetables water down the sauce so it's not spicy at all. More like a watery kimchi bowl. Improvements could be. If they order wings give them wings. Especially at $17. And stop filling the bowl of Tteokbokki with vegetables. read more

Seoul Fried Chicken - Tteokbokki? Or what it should be called watery kimchi bowl. - Korean Near Me - Pinole, California

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