Have been going here for a few years now. Just visited the restaurant a few weeks ago and I am sad to see that the economy is changing this place. Don't get me wrong, the food is absolutely delicious and the quality has not changed at all. Normally I get the spicy chicken bento box. It used to come with jap cha (sp?? sorry!) 3 shrimps, kim chee, spicy cucumbers and a bean sprout salad. Because they need to cut costs we did not receive the delicious jap che, the shrimp, the kim chee or the cucumbers. Those ban chans were the best and I am sad to see them cut from the plates. I would like to suggest they sell the food on the sides..... I have no problem paying for them! Especially the kim chee!!! I know it is not their fault they need to make cuts to stay afloat but allow us to purchase your delicious food on the side. Definitely you want to try this place for its delicious food. It is always fresh and temperature hot. A must try if you are in Oakland. (I travel 20 miles to go here) It's worth the trip!! read more

I had a chance to try the food at Bento & Bowls in Oakland. I ordered a Bento Bowl with Bulgogi Beef and Teriyaki Chicken. It came with a small salad, a small scoop of glass noodles, and the meat was on top of a bed of white rice. The food was okay. The Bulgogi was sliced thin and was very tasty. The Teriyaki Chicken was tender. I really liked the glass noodles. But what I noticed was.....if you replace the salad and glass noodles with two scoops of macaroni salad.....you get Hawaiian BBQ. Just an observation...... Good food, good service......I would return. Located across from Oakland Tech (High School). read more

Bento & Bowls - Bento Box Combo with Beef Bugogi and Teriyaki Chicken, salad, glass noodles and white rice. Sauces, utensils and napkins. - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

Ordered off doordash so this review is strictly for the food. I ordered the 2 item bento box with chicken teriyaki & beef bulgogi which came with rice, side salad, & japchae & for under 20$ this plate was packed. The meat was cooked and seasoned perfectly It didn't even need no sauce. My boyfriend also ordered the 2 item bento box with galbi short ribs and chicken katsu. The galbi was so good and tender and again didn't need any extra sauce. He was happy they included 2 chicken katsu sauce as other restaurants only provide 1. Everything tasted really fresh and hot upon arrival. I definitely recommend and will be coming/ ordering here again! read more

Bento & Bowls - 2 item Bento Box Chicken teriyaki & beef bulgogi - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

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Beef bugolgi bowl was dry and needed sauce, lots of meat, no green/yellow onion just a weird combination with small portion of glass noodles and veggies on the side. They were out of short ribs and shrimp. Only 1 person taking orders and cooking, didn't have to wait long.. read more

One of my favorite hidden gems in Oakland. I love their bento boxes. The bentos come with kimchi, pickled cucumber, salad, broccoli, sprouts, and Japchae. All of which are my favorite! When you order the bento you get a skewer of grilled shrimp which I thought was nice! For the main protein of the dish, my favorites were the spicy chicken, bulgogi, and short ribs. All were well made and made to order. The portion of the bentos are fairly generous. This bento can be eaten for two meals. I've been here three times and I'm looking forward to coming back to try something new. read more

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Seen this place as I was on my way to Oakland Kaiser hospital and decided to get some food. Very small parking lot so I was happy there was one space available. I walked in and looked at the menu while the cashier greeted me. I decided to go with the teriyaki chicken bowl which came with noodles, rice, broccoli and fried potatoes? Or something that tasted like it. It was surprisingly tasty! There was a good amount of teriyaki chicken and I also got extra sauce. I wish there were more noodles because it was delicious. Overall the food filled me up and I was satisfied. read more

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We ordered the beef bulgogi and chicken katsu over the weekend evening. I found both to be overcooked. The beef pieces were more like scraps. And it needed a sauce as it was dry and flavorless. The chicken katsu was not golden brown but a dark brown. It too was dry, but at least it came with a sauce. The kimchi, cucumber kimchi, and japchae was good. Portion size of the bento was large and filling. The rice came in its own separate container. I will need to revisit this place during the day time to see if the time of day makes the difference. read more

I've ordered from Bento & Bowls multiple times, and they never disappoint. I love Korean bentos, and Bento & Bowls has the perfect options to suit my taste buds and standards. The seasoning of their proteins and the smoky flavor from the grill are truly exceptional. Every bite is fantastic, as all the side dishes complement each other so well. My only wish is that they would offer additional banchan (side dishes) for purchase on DoorDash. The portion sizes for the bentos are generous and definitely shareable, but I'd prefer to keep it all to myself! Today, I ordered the spicy chicken bento with vegetable fried rice (for an extra $3), but I think I'll skip the fried rice next time. Unfortunately, it lacked flavor and was overly greasy. read more

Bento & Bowls - Spicy Marinated Chicken Bento - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

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My first time, and I loved it, I would say I just wanted more clear noodles , but overall it was a decent amount of food I really appreciated that. Rice was fresh! Mm Definitely will be back and I will post pictures. read more

The food here was just ok. I had the Korean bulgogi beef bento. Honestly, the bulgogi didn't have much flavor. It had some soy sauce flavoring but beyond that not very robust in flavor . I was quite disappointed. read more

I had a great time. Coming here at the area is not the best but the food was really good and the chef was really cool about everything. We had to make some adjustments to our meal and he was more than happy to do that. Service came out really fast. Would come here again. Food tasted good and the price was right read more

Vegetarian versions taste oily and synthetic rather than fresh and well flavored. Fast service.

Probably my husband's favorite spot for take out Korean if we're in the area or passing by. We always get the bento box. Super packed with food and enough for two meals. It has a little bit of everything which I love. Spicy Pork is my husband's go to. I usually get bulgogi. I LOVE their japchae. We tried the teriyaki chicken recently, and that was nice too. They used to do stamp cards but have stopped. Hopefully I can still redeem my full one! It's a small shop, I can't even remember if they have a seating area, but we always get take-out. Hearty food, which may cause a little heartburn so if you're old like me, take some anti-acid. hahaha read more

During the pandemic, this place offered huge-portioned bang for your buck Korean bento boxes. As it was super close to me when I lived in Oakland, I frequented it several times and tried different options, including the tofu, bulgogi, and chicken katsu. The bento boxes were chock full of protein & veggies and were worth two meals for me. Bulgogi was really flavorful and tasty! I think they also have some bomb-looking chicken wings! Not sure how much prices have increased lately but please support this mom and pop shop- they're doing great things! read more

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Absolutely wonderful bento lunch. Debated between bento vs bowl and I'm so glad I went with the Bento. So many incredible different flavors very nice surprise for lunch in between a Kaiser training. Highly recommend! read more

it was pretty good the spam was divine, and the plastic stickers are outstanding. I would recommend this place to anyone who wants a cheap good meal. read more

Hole in the wall gem! Great entrees and Korean street food style snacks. Check them out, perfect for carry out. read more

Bento & Bowls - Great spot for an afternoon snack! - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

Thank you, Yelp, for connecting me to this wonderful establishment. I had first noticed Bento & Bowls from the Yelp "Hot & New Businesses". I did a little search and didn't think much of it, since it was a good 10-15 minutes away from work. Having an appreciation for numbers, it would be a 15 minute drive, if I were to call 5-10 minutes before lunch, another 15 minutes to drive back to work, meaning a short 30 minutes to fully enjoy my lunch bento or lunch bowl. After work, one day, I decided to hit the gym and take Broadway to Highway 24. At a stop, I noticed Bento & Bowls and recalled the glowing review from Emma, Stephanie, and the 5-star average review. Well, I know where I'm stopping. I proceeded to make a sharp right (sorry drivers behind me), to cut into the curb that fed into the parking lot (it was also dark, and the lighting was a bit difficult to see). The menu was relatively simple. A good 20-30 items, with the option of bowl or bento. Pictures of the various items adorned the transparent barrier, where you can see the chefs preparing your food. A team of 4-5 were working in the small kitchen area, with one of them shifting to help me. Being a fan of the most basic Korean BBQ meat, I ordered the Spicy Marinated Chicken Bento. With tax and tip, it ended up being just short of $20. B&B made it fresh to order, took the projected 10-15 minutes, giving time to scroll on social media while the barbecue aromas danced around the room. Once it was ready, my eyes were delighted with the nice bento box presentation. They had a separate container for the rice, and 5 sections separating the foods. The salad with dressing, banchan 1 (pickled zucchini, broccoli, and bean sprouts), banchan 2 (kim chi), jap chae, and the barbecued items. The meal felt very balanced and well worth it for the price. I wouldn't say that the bento is big enough for 2 meals, because I usually eat for two, but I appreciated the variety, the various textures, and how fresh the food was. Gold star in my book. read more

Bento & Bowls - Menu (pg. 1) as of 1/19/22 - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

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Definitely fast service and definitely good food. Great portion. No one around but we just did take out. Nice small place. Menu is limited. Was expecting some sides. read more

Edit: Ok so this place has great food 100% like it, but they have changed the Spam Masubi recipe and now there is less teriyaki on it! Guys what happened?? I don't if it's just me but the lack of teriyaki kinda disappoints me. It's still good, just not what it used to be. Overall besides that the food here is amazing! read more

Bento & Bowls - Musabi - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

Still one of my favorites around for Korean food. We used to live just 5 minutes from here and I remember visiting when they first opened. It was a true mom and pop place and I thought about how nice it was to see families working together. I hoped that they would succeed given that it was beginning of the pandemic. Happy to see they are still around, even though their prices and menu has changed a few times since then. Any of their bentos (galbi or bulgogi is my fave), their tofu soup and the fried chicken is great. The price points may be somewhat high for a mostly takeout place but the food is always fresh and delicious. During the weekdays, they also offer spam masubis for the high school crowd. It can get busy during that time but since most of them are walking over, you really just need to worry about not hitting anyone as you go in and out of the parking lot. Call ahead to save some time. read more

Bento & Bowls is one of my favorite places for Korean food in Oakland and a WFH staple. My favorite bento is the Spicy Marinated Chicken, which to me is the what the ideal Korean bento box would look like. A double-decker serving of juicy chicken (on it's own, not too spicy) with the perfect complement of popular, well-seasoned Korean side dishes / banchan - all creating a fantastic balance of flavors and textures. The chicken bento is also served with a mind-blowing sauce... sounds overly dramatic, I know, but I've never tasted anything quite like it: spicy and sweet with almost cinnamon-like notes {insert Frank's RedHot slogan}. The accompanying Kimchi Fried Rice is pretty standard, but for a $1 upgrade, why not? For first timers, the price for a bento may look steep, but even for my normally hungry self, there are usually leftovers (both chicken and fried rice). Fry an egg in the morning and you've got a breakfast of champions! read more

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Ok this place is hella good. I've gotten delivery from here before which was great but today a friend and I went in for lunch (it's spring break at Oakland Tech so it was miraculously not that busy). She got the beef bulgogi bowl and I got the spicy pork bulgogi and we also got a kimchi fried rice. We ended up sharing everything because it was all so delicious. The cucumber spicy salad was a huge surprise, the glass noodles with veggies (japchae) were light and delicious, the bulgogi was outstanding (AMAZING, so juicy and fresh and sweet but savory and yummm delicious) and the spicy pork was fab. I would recommend both. They have extra sauce for 50 cents but if you order a full meal they might even include it. The business owner was there for the beginning of our meal, and he helped us choose our dishes. It's 2:15pm and I'm already craving it again. Another star was the sweet spicy crispy yams like whaaaat spectacular give me 14 more of them Ps the kimchi fried rice was awesome too. I did ask for a little extra kimchi on the side because I love it and it was perfect Ambiance was a cross between the best LA strip mall x Oakland family restaurant... perfectly clean, staff was amazing, if you don't go here that's your bad read more

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I dare you to find a business that you can find more food for the price? And it's good! Is this organic, free range perfectly meaty food? I mean come on, no. But, for about $12/$13 the chicken teriyaki or spicy pork bowl was really effing good and again, I mean so much food. Like don't eat it all in one sitting or it will ruin the rest of your day amount of food. I opted for the +$1 for the kimchi fried rice and it was a wonderful decision, although this level of gluttony wasn't needed. I actually think next time I'll request less meat and more broccoli since the broccoli was delicious and there was just so much meat. I hope they'll make that happen. It for sure should be an option, if any business owners are reading this. I really like the spicy pork and the chicken teriyaki equally. Both really different, but equally delicious. The spicy pork wasn't super spicy, so if that matters it shouldn't. Very thinly pounded pieces of pork, while the chicken thighs were larger cuts, but cooked really well. Both could of used a little hot sauce, so I'll request that next time, if possible with delivery. We also ordered the potstickers and they were heavy with the fresh cabbage and I liked 'em a lot. Not heavy at all; a nice little accoutrement to this feast. Did Doordash delivery and it was quick, cheap and delicious! read more

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Holy moly. Ordered the spicy pork bulgogi bento and bowl to-go and man the portions were crazy! The bento was an additional $5 because it included additional sides and a shrimp skewer. The bowl could have easily been three meals for me. Both were jam-packed with a lot of tasty stuff (kimchee, japchae, veggies, rice) and they were super (like SUPER) generous with the portion of meat. The bulgogi itself definitely had a kick to it and the meat was juicy. So much good flavor. Parking lot was small, but no problem if you're just going for a quick pick up. Staff was friendly too! Would love to try other things on their menu. read more

Bento & Bowls - Spicy pork bulgogi bento x bowl - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

Bento and Bowls is stellar. This is our new go-to restaurant for easy, reasonably priced take out on any night we do not want to cook. The portions are very large, the ingredients are very fresh, and they are always so consistent. Like, seriously, I cannot even write this review without wanting to place an order. Our favorite Bento box from them is the spicy chicken. My children prefer the kalbi Bento bowl. It's enough food for two younger kids. read more

Best spicy pork in the east bay! And they didn't gouge the prices during the pandemic like everyone else did. Super fast and friendly!

Meh- I'm sorry I spent any of my money here, will avoid in the future. Food is mid and something is sketch here.

WOW. I was eyeing this place and was so so glad to have finally stopped in- the location is unassuming, as is the store itself, but wowee, you've gotta come in and order something! I've been here twice so far, and haven't really deviated from the usual order of a pork bulgogi bento. We've had the half order of their Yang Nyum soy garlic fried chicken, and an order of their popcorn chicken. Both really tasty, and covered in sauce. The Yang Nyum does come with three huge potato wedges, covered in some kind of starch to crisp up even more and to soak up the sauces in the chicken. But let me deviate and talk about the spicy pork bulgogi bento- Y U M ! ! ! It isn't as spicy as I wish it were (which is ok, considering how flavorful it is). There are sides that come with the order, as well as a container of rice. This place does NOT skimp out with the meat, which is great given the price point- aka WORTH IT. I'll be back to update this once I am pried away from this usual order. TRY IT. DO IT NOW. read more

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We came here for takeout and ordered the Short ribs bento box and the bibimbap with bulgulgi. We were impressed with the bibimbap packaging, which separated the bibimbap's rice from the bibimbap itself. My partner loved the short ribs and thought that the meat was very tender and flavorful. He also loved that it came with a tasty salad and glass noodles. The bibimbap was also very tasty and had a large variety of vegetables. There was also complimentary glass noodles. The food overall was really quite good, even though it was on the more expensive side (upward of $30 for two entree orders). read more

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Good food, fresh and large quantity as everyone stated. I ordered the beef and hubby ordered the chicken plate. It came with rice, salad, kimchee and jap chae. We were able to make two meals out of it. The beef was a little tough on on some pieces but the chicken was moist. Will try getting the pork next time as everyone recommended. Service was smooth and quick and efficient. Plates were packaged nice and neat. They are located next to Burger King, across from Oakland Tech. Big sign out front to let you know they are open. No dining inside, just take out with shelter in place. read more

Bento & Bowls - Outside sign - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

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If you're looking for some good quarantine food and you miss eating Korean, look no further! This was the perfect meal after working from home all day long. Spicy pork bulgogi, japchae, shrimp, salad, kimchi, bean sprouts, spicy cucumbers, and brocolli all in one easy box with plenty of rice! Serious bang for your buck. Yes, it's important to support local businesses during these times, but this hearty meal supported me straight back. Stay strong bento & bowls! read more

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Good food and the servings are a lot. I work across the street from this place and I can't believed I listened to my coworker who told me not to waste my money in this place. I'm a big katsu fan so I've always wanted to try their chicken katsu. After a year, I was like F it I'm just gonna go and try it and I'm glad I did coz their food there's is bomb Atleast the katsu since that's the only one I've tried so far besides the bulgogi which is also good btw but I like the katsu more. Told my other coworkers about this place and they all loved it as well. I probably eat here atleast 2x a week lol read more

This place is absolutely amazing!!!! Great service and very friendly. Good quality food. We ordered the short ribs bento box, chicken Kati's bowl with vegetable fried rice, kimchi fried rice, and the garlic soy chicken wings. A lot of food for a very decently priced menu. Definitely must go here! Support local small businesses!!! read more

Bento & Bowls - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

I have certain criteria for what I consider a good restaurant. Naturally, it should taste good and the restaurant should be clean with friendly staff. However, finding a place that satisfies all three requirements can be challenging. Regarding the taste, I ordered spicy pork bulgogi and chicken teriyaki, which came with several side dishes. Usually, when I visit Korean restaurants, the side dishes served with the main dish are not particularly delicious. However, to my surprise, the side dishes at this restaurant were exceptionally tasty. In particular, the japchae was so delicious that I wanted to order it separately. As for cleanliness, even though this place is a takeout restaurant, there was a table where customers could sit and wait for their food or eat. I sat at that table while waiting, and even though it was raining outside, both the table and floor were clean. It was also apparent that they were being cleaned frequently. Furthermore, the staff at the restaurant always greeted us with a smile and were welcoming, which is not something you often see in busy take-out stores. It felt very nice to be treated kindly. I left the restaurant with a happy smile, looking forward to meeting them again next time. Although the delicious smells of the food made the car ride home a bit challenging, lol. read more

Was craving for some korea junk food, specifically some kimbap, but unfortunately this place doesn't have any. I asked the cashier some questions about kimbap and I was a bit uncertain about my order, and I guess the guy lost patient on me and started talking shit about me in Korean lol. Anyway the spicy pork came with a small side of white rice, the bento box was huge, there was a tone of spicy pork, some japchae noodle, grill shrimp, boiled and season veggies, some cucumber and cabbage kimchi, and a small salad. All of the dishes from the bento were good, but I really enjoy the seasoned veggies, and the japchae. The spicy pork was on the sweet savory side, it went well with the rice, but I prefer it to be more spicy and on the salty garlicky side. The spicy rice cake was actually better than the spicy pork, better in flavor that is. It was more spicy, a bit sweet, but more on the savory/salty side, and the rice cake was actually nice, chewy and delicious, it also came with some fishcake. I managed to finished the spicy rice cake, most of the side dishes from the spicy pork order plus the side of white rice, but not the spicy pork. There was way too much food. read more

Bento & Bowls - Spicy rice cake (sweet, savory, spicy, good) - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

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B&B is easy to miss if you're not looking for it. Located right across the street from Oakland Tech and in a small strip mall plaza. There are tables inside and take out available. You get so much food for a great price. I got the chicken teriyaki bento and it comes with about 5 sides banchan, small salad, rice and shrimp skewer. Everything tasted pretty good. The shrimp could use some seasoning on it but that's not major. Major credit cards accepted and service was quick and friendly! read more

Bento & Bowls - Chicken teriyaki bento - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

enormous portions, fast service, and great food. came in with a big group in between basketball games and the staff of only about 3-4 people served all 20 of us in less than 20 minutes. spicy pork bulgogi was the star. i enjoyed the sides of salad, kimchi, shrimp, veggies and noodlds. I had lots of leftovers to eat that night and it was just as good reheated. its a shame im not based in oakland otherwise this would be my go to spot. read more

Bento & Bowls - Spicy Pork Bulgogi Box - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

The cashier (balding guy) was not so genial. He wasn't particularly helpful when I asked about the food since it was our first time. He was kinda curt and isn't the ideal frontliner. The restaurant has no restroom for customers. The food was pretty good though not really outstanding. There were two of us and we shared a bibimbap and beef soup. The other order was ramen which my friend took home because two items were plenty. read more

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I've tried a few things here and I think the Spicy Pork is the way to go. Flavorful, slightly sweet and mildly spicy, they give you a heaping amount of meat. The bowl comes with rice and a few banchan sides thst tasted really fresh. If you get the bento, that adds in shrimp, kimchi, and salad as well. The teriyaki chicken is good too, but I think the spicy pork is better. I would skip the popcorn chicken as the batter tasted so oily and it was overall hard to chew. It's pricey, but you're getting better quality and a lot more food. None of that mall court crap of bits and pieces of tough meat. This is far superior. I do think though they need to work on consistency. This last time I ordered, the pork had a slight "pork" odor. It was within my tolerance, but had it been a little stronger, I don't think I would have been able to eat my dish. This was never a problem before so will see if this continues to happen. I hope not because I like this place. read more

Bento & Bowls - Popcorn chicken - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

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