Don Blanc opened in the long vacated Koryo BBQ spot. decor may have been upgraded. the infrastructure looks essentially the same as decades ago. plenty of seating. can fill up quickly. small parking lot and street parking available. offerings: pork bbq, beef bbq, beef intestines, set menus, sides, beer, soju, drinks eats: Beef Set A (120.85): Wagyu Brisket, Wagyu Bulgogi, LA Galbi, steamed egg, stew, complimentary banchan (side dishes) -banchan of leafy kimchi, fish cake which had taste of fish which other places lack, cucumbers, spicy radish, red colored radish, bean sprout salad, shredded ? *tasted ok, most tasted as if made previously and refrigerated. -kimchi stew was too salty, from kimchi, should have gotten miso stew instead -steamed egg was scrambled eggs steamed. nothing special -waygu brisket and 4 pieces LA Galbi anemic portions, wagyu bulgogi plentiful. had some bean sprouts, pumpkin, carrots, mushrooms as well. -bbq meats best eaten wrapped with lettuce wraps. 100% sesame oil dip adds another level of unami. -charms pops for dessert. 4.5 stars: haven't had this level of korean bbq for decades. it literally takes a village (or a minimum of 2) to eat korean bbq. difficult to do it solo... banchan: -the pork bbq is steamed before bringing to table. skipped as perceived fattiness was a deterrent though i love pork belly...but not in such quantity. -the wagyu has marbling which adds to the juiciness and tenderness of the meat. -the meats came raw, is grilled atop table grill. thin meats cooks quickly. was too busy eating the bbq meats before it cooled so forgot to take pics. -the latina server was attentive but was the main person servicing all the tables so flagging her over was necessary at times. buzzer on table wasn't used. read more

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(4.5/5) Made a reservation for a Saturday evening and got seated immediately! The place is actually kinda smaller than I expected, so the wait might be long if it's really busy. Parking is also very limited, so you'll most likely have to find one on the street. This was my second time trying a higher end KBBQ spot and I left satisified again! We ordered the Supreme Combo Set A + an order of Brisket. The marinated boneless galbi was my favorite, I'm still thinking about it right now LOL. The marinated pork collar was also really flavorful. The portions were decent for 3 of us and we took leftovers home. I also enjoyed all the banchan! Kimchi actually had a good kick to it. I do wish that rice was complimentary at least, but you do get lettuce, kimchi or soybean stew, and salad with your set. Other than that, the workers were pretty nice and attentive. That night, they even passed around some fishcakes on the house. Would come back for sure! read more

Don Blanc - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

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Best place in Oakland/Berkeley area for KBBQ. The meat quality is super great and staff is so helpful. They definitely amped up their service throughout the past couple of years going there! The banchan is always very fresh and I love the side salad! - Pork Belly (9/10) - LA Kalbi (10/10) This place is definitely on the pricier end, but you are definitely getting your moneys worth! They also gave us kimchi stew on the house :) read more

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Overall good dining experience for our group of 10 at Don Blanc! Friend made a reservation ahead of time, they were very accommodating as soon as we arrived. It was still opening time on a Saturday so there were no other customers yet. Since we were a big group they added a small table that could fit 4 of us with a portable stove, so I think it's more ideal for groups of 6. Our server was very sweet and patient, she was jumping between both sides of the table to cook so it's definitely busier accommodating our group but she did great. I loved the selection of side dishes, the seafood pancake had a nice crispy mix of veggies/seafood, and teokbeokki was spicy and sweet with bouncy, soft rice cake! read more

Don Blanc - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

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My first time eating here and the food looks delicious!! Lots of side dishes. I went w the combo b beef read more

Don Blanc - My first time eating here and the meat looks delicious!! - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

This place is great! The meats are high quality and very tender. The staff is very friendly and is on top of their customer game. Nothing bad can be said on Lu visit here. I highly recommend this place. read more

Don Blanc - Yogurt soju ft. Sprite - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

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Came here on a girls night & the service was amazing! I'm honestly not sure what we ordered but I know it was delicious. They even came to help us cook our meat since we were busy eating! The kimchi soup was fire! Of course all the small sides were tasty. Not too spicy just enough for me. :) The staff even brought out a birthday cake that my friends surprised me with. Lit and everything! Definitely worth the money. I recommend setting a reservation & shooting over super early to find parking since it's in the Temescal area & parking is non existing! read more

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Top 3 KBBQ in the Bay Area for me! I have had an intense intestine craving and was so glad to see a place do it like this here in the Bay. We ordered the Don Blanc combo, monster rib, and pork jowl. The Don Blanc was amazing as expected - large intestine was definitely the crowd favorite and is the easiest for "non intestine fans" to eat since it doesn't have any funk and is mostly fat. The monster rib was so tender and juicy, absolutely a winner. Pork jowl was standard to me but always a must! The side dishes were all great quality and delicious - nothing is half assed here. It is definitely in the pricier side. Next time, I would just get the beef rib, large intestine, one more meat and one more side for a group of 4 people. The Don Blanc was a lot for us. Service - exceptional! I accidentally made reservations for the wrong date but they were so understanding and seated us immediately. They cooked everything to perfection and made sure to check on us, even though they were busy. They were so friendly and even let us try some delicious Korean beers. Will definitely be coming back.. OFTEN! read more

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Amazing food! The large beef intestines are the thing to get and you will not be disappointed.

Came here at 5pm on a Saturday trying to beat the crowd, ended up we were the only group until almost like an hour later. Parking is going to be a real struggle because the parking lot is super tiny and street parking is very rare, so give yourself some time for that. We opted for the meal combo with various types of meats, the quality was top notch but the portion was a bit on the smaller side for the price. The combo also came with kimchi jiigae which was nicely made. The boss also gave us four soy sauce shrimps and they were very tasty! Lots of soju and beer options as expected in this Korean joint, we also tried one of their specialty beer with kimchi flavor but honestly we would just stick with Terra all the way next time. Our server did about 70% of the meat grilling for us, for the rest of the 30% just watch your plate as we did get some meat burned! read more

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My friend treated me to KBBQ for my birthday! The server cooks and cuts the meat for you, and they had nice side dishes. The parking lot is small, but we found street parking. We ordered a set menu, but we also added corn cheese! This place was a vibe and it was delicious! I want to try the intestines the next time I come here. read more

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What a great way to start the holidays by having Korean BBQ with friends. I'm so glad I finally checked out this restaurant. Our server was attentive and helped us cook the meat we ordered. The lychee Sobu tasted great. It's actually the first time I tried Sobu. The bulgogi was flavorful, along with the beef short ribs. First time trying this style of BBQ, but definitely not my last. read more

Don Blanc - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

Really great experience and they are super knowledgeable! The food was good quality and and marinated well. The server was super helpful and knowledgeable, and they cook the kbbq for you which is nice! Really great service and food. read more

Very accommodating service. Food had flavor. The environment was chill. Aside from the high prices, this is worth coming by at least once.

Menu is small but great selection. Pricing seems high but well worth its quality. Probably the best pork belly and short rib I've ever had! Service was great. Not as attentive but not terrible. Restaurant was very clean. Overall I definitely recommend and I would come back! read more

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Great quality of food, good vibes and super friendly staff. Having a wide selection of pork is definitely a plus. read more

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Don Blanc always be a special place in my heart. Been here since the opening. Love the food, the customer service and the atmosphere. I also go bring my friends here and introduce them Don Blanc bbq read more

Don Blanc - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

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Highly recommend for Korean BBQ. Make reservations in advance as a precaution, this joint is cracking. Thank goodness a friend of mine made the decision to go at 3p. Late lunch/Dinner so we can beat the crowd. Between us 4 we decided it would be a better option if we chose the set. Set C to be exact, and will take the beef rib a la carte. LA style grill and they did all the cooking for us. Not an overcooked meat in sight and bbq'd to our liking I'd like to state the premium meats we received were divine compared to your regular standards. Service was awesome too, the bell came in handy but also quick on the feet when called upon. Can't wait to come back! Note: Proof of Vaccination required. read more

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the only east bay kbbq place worth paying a visit. meat here is such high quality - probs the only kbbq place that does not disappoint in this area. service is stellar! manager kindly offered raw marinated shrimp and extra types of banchan:) super spacious inside and I've never experienced a wait time. food is pricey, and things like veggies and other typically complimentary Korean sides come at a cost, but they don't skimp on portions for the sides you do order. Service is quick!! read more

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As a picky Korean, I had a hard time finding a kbbq place I liked. I really liked Don Blanc for their price, quality of meat of course, side dishes, AND SERVICE!!! A group of us went for a birthday dinner and everyone was extremely satisfied. Only shitty thing was parking but this area always has shitty parking lol Be prepared to street park far away unless you're extremely lucky and get a space in their tiny tiny shared parking lot. read more

Don Blanc - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

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Meats were top quality and the servers grill for you. The drawback is the location, since in Oakland. Parking is sketchy.

Such good quality meat! Chris, the general manager, took great care of us. They cook your meat for you here which is amazing! Great conversations& even better food. read more

Price leans on the higher side but the food quality is definitely ahead of many of the other offerings around the area. Definitely recommend a minimum of 3 people if you order a set menu, it's quite a lot of food. We got the beef set B and it's by far some of the best LA kalbi I've had in the Bay Area. Their banchan is also easily my favorite, but sadly my stomach didn't have enough space to order seconds. Here are two sad photos of the sides because I was too excited to eat the main course. read more

Don Blanc - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

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Favorite late night gem, great hospitality even better food. S/o Chris for always taking care of us. (open late night) read more

Don Blanc - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

My go-to KBBQ spot in the East Bay! The servers are always friendly, and the portions are generous. The pork jowl is my favorite -- so flavorful and perfectly cooked every time. read more

I made a reservation at 5 and we were seated immediately. The servers were very friendly & we were pleasantly surprised they cooked our meal for us. We ordered the Beef Combo & Stew Set B and that was more than enough for 2 people. Would definitely come back! read more

Don Blanc - KBBQ - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

the food is so delicious and cooked so well! I love the cucumber and onions that go with the meal read more

Don Blanc - kimchi and sides - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

The overall quality of this restaurant has gone south since our first few visits. It actually used to be a decent kbbq place in Oakland with good food and personable service. At our last visit, however, there was so much confusion over who our server was, and whether or not they were doing the grilling for us. The restaurant was only half full! The food was mediocre at best, with half of the meat being dry and tough! Some of our drinks didn't even show up until we were finishing up our meal, and when they arrived we were shocked at how bad they were. The cocktails tasted like watered down juice with some soju. Even the server tried to discourage us from ordering them! It was embarrassing because we took friends who had never been there, gushing about how fun and delicious the food is there. Not again!! read more

The waiters are vary nice and funny, the food is delicious, bathrooms are super clean! read more

Don Blanc - Front of restaurant - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

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Don blanc has quickly become one of our staples in Oakland, with its friendly service from all staff (special shout out to Chris and John), the meat quality is and bonchan is also delicious. We just came back from LA and can easily say that this place is the best bang for your buck and just overall a great bbq spot in the Bay Area read more

First time and first and foremost the Customer service was pretty bad. Took a while to take our order after being seated and took a while every-time we placed new orders and for the food to arrive. For instance, the waitress delivered the initial beef set but I had asked for lettuce jalapeños and garlic and other condiments those didn't come with the set. She didn't return again with the them for a while meanwhile our first round of meat on the grill was finished cooking. Lettuce jalapeño and garlic should have been delivered with the meat. Finally when the waitress arrived, she told me jalapeño was out. Another instance, waitress also didn't bring our rice in timely fashion. The cooked meat was getting cold on my son's plate I had placed and the kid has to have his rice first with his meat so he didn't begin to eat until the rice finally came. We had to waive down another waitress and ask for rice again . Another instance, our grill had turned black but no one paid attention to us to replace the grill. We rang the bell twice. We couldn't grill more meat on it until we waited for someone to notice us and replace the blackened grill. I also noticed the waitresses cooking the meat for other tables but never came around to ours to help cook ours. Pretty disappointed with the level of service and lack of attention they gave us for a bbq restaurant a bit on the pricier side. I'm glad the meat and side dishes were good, though. That's the 2 stars I'm giving. We were satisfied with the quality and taste. Kimchi and soybean stew was dull though nothing special at all. My kimchi stew at 2 pieces of pork belly in it and it was bland. They were also out of most of all the beers I had wanted. I think the waitress said of the maybe 10 different beers they had on the menu, only about 3-4 were available so I just ended up ordering one of those. This is Friday night. There were only about 6-7 tables with 3 waitresses and 1 waiter. I probably will not return. read more

Came here on a Saturday night and it was pretty bustling!! We ordered the deluxe set, fried rice, and an extra order of marinated pork. Everything was very delicious and above average for standard Bay Area KBBQ spots. One thing that was a bit lackluster is the service. We had to request water and banchan refills multiple times from our server. He was definitely doing his best, but you could tell that this place was a tad understaffed. Overall though, definitely worth a visit if you're in the area! read more

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Best kbbq spot in the bay area. Everything was spot on. Price matched the quality of the meat. Server was awesome.

Authentic good Korean BBQ (on the pricier side) but you pay for what you get. Good service and the meat is cooked by your server. Great for large parties especially ordering the combos. read more

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Excited to try authentic Korean BBQ in Oakland, CA! The service is great! The side dishes are delicious! Now it's time to dig in for the real meat- snowflake premium galbi and LA galbi! read more

Don Blanc - Galbi and Snowflake premium galbi! - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

Food was amazing! The waiters also cook your food while you cook which was cool. Servers were all attentive. Quality is what you pay for. read more

Don Blanc - Korean Near Me - Oakland, California

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Nice Korean bbq place. The service was excellent and prompt. The meat was prepped very neatly. The Kalbi meat was very tender. The tofu soup hit the spot on this cold night. Unfortunately, the seafood pancakes were a bit undercooked. We put them in the grill to cook them more. Will come back here again. read more

This place is legit! I am even bold enough to say it's the closest thing to LA KBBQ the Eastbay has to offer. The quality of the meat, all the banchans, and the service! Chris, our grill master was on top of his game, even on such a busy night he never let any meat get burnt or overcooked, grilled to perfection. He made sure the grill was always fresh, cookin and our cups were filled (shot!) we had a great time celebrating a bday here on a Friday night. This is now my new go to spot for KBBQ read more

We came in on a Sunday evening where it was relatively quiet, and had an excellent dinner. The manager, Chris, took care of us throughout our time as we explained that it was our first time having KBBQ that wasn't AYCE. The meats were cooked to perfection and this order filled up a family of 4. I would recommend this spot if you want to have quality KBBQ without feeling like you have to over eat to get your money's worth. read more

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Have to say, we were pretty disappointed with this place. The yelp reviews, photos, and presentation of the food were impressive for sure and really convinced us that this place had to be amazing. On a Saturday evening, if was literally just us and another table in the entire restaurant. Super dead, kinda weird. The service was very good, I must say, but the food turned out to be a let-down. The meat portions were large and everything looked pretty nice, but the bonchon was among the worst I've ever had (tasted mushy and seemed like expired cheap supermarket stuff), and the meats definitely didn't taste as good as they looked. The experience was overall really meh and by the end of the meal we already knew that we wouldn't be coming back. But to top it all off, I got pretty bad food poisoning right after eating here, so that was just fantastic. read more