Came on a Friday night (8 pm), wasn't super crowded, ordered at the kiosk and waited for our number to be called to pick up the food at the counter. Water and utensils are self serve. We ordered: - spicy Tteokbokki with cheese: good flavor, rice cakes were a little hard, cheese not melted well (7/10) - kimchi pancake: not crispy enough, but overall tasted good (8/10) - japchae: thicker noodle type than normal japchae, a little dry (7/10) - sweet and spicy wings: juicy, crispy, good overall (9/10) - tofu soup: lacked flavor (5/10) - kimchi fried rice: a little too sour, needs more salt (7/10) - tonkatsu kimbap: no notes (10/10) read more

Kimchi Garden - Japchae, Tonkatsu Kimbap (1 Roll), Kimchi Pancake, Kimchi Fried Rice, Tofu Soup 순두부, Sweet & Spicy Wings, Spicy Dukbokgi, soju - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

Casual place popular with college students with a variety of snacks and vegetarian options. Food itself is nice. Not the kind of Korean food I personally love, but the noodles and Korean cheese dogs have good textures. They use the same noodle in the japchae as in the soup so it isn't like I'm used to, but it was better than most japchae I've had with good sesame oil. They are popular for their kimchi fried rice, but takeout of that is a fair bit smaller than eating in the resturant. Order at a kiosk and pick up from a counter. Drop off your plates and you have to sort your food waste and plates yourself. That considered, it's not as cheap as I thought it would be, but was not expensive by any means. Kimchi stew with a japchae side of just under $15 is totally fair. Not sure if I would personally come back, but it's good for groups because no one really dislikes it and it is solid for takeout. read more

Kimchi Garden - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

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It was my first time coming to this establishment. It is a wonderful establishment. It flashes off the young crowd coming from the campus of UC Berkeley. Fairly close walking distance from the college itself. The establishment is clean and organized. The employees were super hard to making your food and providing service to you. When you walk into the establishment, you'll find yourself ordering at a self order kiosk or you can pay through Apple Pay (tap). The first kiosk that we use was not working, unfortunately and when I say it wasn't working, we ordered everything that we wanted and once we got down to paying, we tried to do the tap, but it was not working unfortunately, we did not bring our cards that day because we came from an event that demanded that we do not bring our bags. Aside from that, we moved to another kiosk and order through there and pay with Apple Pay. We ordered a few items like spam pork kimchi fried rice, beef, Bulgogi, rice, hotteok, coconut milk, tea with Boba (non-dairy), and mango slushy with Boba. This establishment has a wonderful variety of Boba drinks, especially NON-DAIRY option. I was happy to see that because I am a person who cannot have dairy so this was an absolute plus. The food was OK. I will be very honest we have had better Korean food, but I feel that this place flourishes so well because it is almost as if it's a fast food Korean restaurant serving the students of UC Berkeley. We did have to go back to the counter to ask them to add in our extra pork that we paid for because it was not added into the spam kimchi fried rice. We were happy that they were able to resolve the issue for us which made our meal pleasant. Thank you, Kim Garden staff for making our visit very wonderful and memorable. Thank you for your hard work. read more

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The chicken mayo rice bowl was pretty yummy but why does their hotteok look nothing like the picture and it's prepared differently it's deep fried and crunchy instead of pan fried and soft I was so excited too But the lady who gave me my food was nice and gave me extra sauce read more

Kimchi Garden - Hotteok (2 Pieces) 호떡 on Grubhub - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Love their kimchi omurice. Favorite go to spot in undergrad. get the cheese as an add on. It's a must! Huge portion sizes. Service: they've really streamlined their service through the years now you can order through the kiosk. Food comes out extremely fast! Ambiance: typically pretty filled with undergrads. read more

The waffle fries are my favorite the best part about here is they're spicy ketchup. I loved the Milkis drinks I tried them for the first time here and they are really good. The Korean styled corn dogs were okay not my favorite. read more

Kimchi Garden - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

The food here is amazing. Really great sized portions for the price, located in the heart of Berkeley. You order at self-service machines and it is quick/easy to do. Lots of space inside and you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. My family and I come here every time we visit UC Berkeley. The soy garlic wings are my go to! read more

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DO NOT EAT HERE!!! I ordered the kimchi stew and it gave me food poisoning that lasted over a week. Kimchi stew was one of my favorite meals, but they have honestly ruined it for me read more

Stop by this hidden Korean gem in Durant. Come thru a dark alley, order thru kiosks and choose your own table to listen to K-pop. Whatever you ordered, try the big bingsu at the end to satisfy your craving. Food comes out rather quick. Very efficient service. Plenty of choices.: Korean BbQ noodles, noodles, bibimbap soup & stew rice bowls. read more

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Yum. Came for lunch with a work friend. We ordered at the kiosk and the food came out fairly quickly considering it was busy. We both had bibimbap with beef. Loved how sizzling and crispy the rice were and good tasted good. Came with a side of japchae. I also ordered a lychee lemonade which was delish. I had some of the red sauce it's more for taste than spice. It could've used a little kick. It was a very filling lunch. I'll be back! read more

Kimchi Garden - Bibimbap with side of japchae - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

This seamingly hole in the wall is more like a cave of wonders! Kimchi Garden is literally tucked away like a hidden gem on Durant Avenue and Telegraph in Berkeley. But once you find it, it's actually a very spacious sit down restaurant with an expansive menu of Korean favorites. They have an easy set up with kiosks right by the door. No waiting, just order and have a seat. Then the orders come out quick, hot, and delicious! Next time you're in Telegraph, Berkeley - keep an eye out for the sign and discover a whole new world of delicious Korean favorites at Kimchi Garden. read more

owner is horrible, she's incredibly rude, we bought a couple things and brought a dessert from outside and she kicked us out, never eating here again horrible owner one of the worst type of business to own a business, if corporate exists or cares abt this chain please find a new owner! read more

tornado potato: loved the texture, super crispy on the outside and soft, french fry-like texture on the inside. really good with a bit of salt and pepper ($4.25) spicy dukbokgi: ordered with no fish cakes. perfect mix of sweet and spicy. the rice cakes are super chewy and the boiled egg goes great with the sauce. would've liked more vegetables however. delicious but not filling enough to be a full meal. ($13) total $19.69 read more

Kimchi Garden was my go-to restaurant when I attended UC Berkeley, mainly due to its unlimited, self-serve miso soup and the generous portions of food. However, when I recently visited, it seems that these things I love about Kimchi Garden are no longer available. They no longer have the self-serve miso soup, at least when I went. The amount of food they serve has decreased, making the price proportion very unforgiving. The taste of their food remained the same, which is good. Their kimchi fried rice is still very delicious. The restaurant itself is very self-service. You order through a kiosk machine, grab your food from the counter when it's ready, and place your used dishes and utensils in the appropriate bins for cleaning. read more

Kimchi Garden - Kimchi Fried Rice - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

Kimchi garden is a reliable, quick Berkeley staple. A large store so there's always somewhere to sit, and lots of food and drink options to choose from. You can order ahead on Snackpass too. Service can get really slow if it's busy so I would definitely recommend ordering ahead during peak dinner hours. I love the kimchi pancake and kimbap from here! read more

My go to spot for bingsu sooo worth the price!! We shared the strawberry bingsu with 3 people and it was so so worth it. read more

Kimchi Garden - Beef Kimbap, kimchi Tofu Soup, ROSE Dukbokgi - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I stumbled upon Kimchi Garden, craving something warm and comforting--and wow, did they deliver! Their kimbap is seriously addictive. The rice is perfectly seasoned, the fillings are fresh, and the nori has just the right crunch. But the real star? Their kimchi jjigae It's spicy, tangy, and packed with flavor--like the kind of stew your Korean friend's mom would make if she adored you. I love how it comes bubbling hot, with just the right amount of tofu, pork (or tofu for veggie folks!), and that deeply fermented kimchi punch. Pair it with a bowl of steamed rice, and it's pure happiness in a bowl. The staff is always so warm and welcoming--it feels like a little neighborhood secret, even though it totally deserves to be packed every night. And don't even get me started on their banchan (those little side dishes). read more

First impressions: like others have said, ordering is through kiosks or Snackpass at the front, and you seat yourself until your food is ready for pickup. I've been here twice, and both times did not disappoint. First time I got the tteokbokki with more vegetables, dumplings, and glass noodles. I haven't had tteokbokki very many times before, but something about the sauce was rich and umami, a nice balance of spice and sweetness for me, though I think some might find it too sweet. Portions are decently sized with a good amount of rice cakes. With the additions, my order came out to $20.96, but with the portion size, it lasted me another meal. The second time I ordered the kimchi stew with extra pork and egg. This came out to $16.43. Personally, I enjoyed the tteokbokki a lot more, but the kimchi stew was also very comforting! I've had better, but I wouldn't say anything is missing in this one. They automatically add rice cakes, glass noodles, vegetables, tofu, and kimchi. Nothing mind blowing, but it works! Overall, a decent and reliable spot for Korean food. Good for meeting with friends or enjoying your peace while dining alone as well. Would definitely want to try the sweets in the future!!! read more

Kimchi Garden - Kimchi stew (comes with some japchae and rice) - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

I came here on a late night hangout with friends, and the location is nice. It's like a hole in the wall restaurant you walk into with the outside always buzzing with people. As soon as you come in, you have order kiosks ready to choose from as you sit yourself in. This is a self service spot; where you order with your number and you wait for your phone to ring for your food by the window. There is complimentary free water and utensils. I got the bulgolgi rice plate; while there were several other plates my friends got. Some of them include the kimbap, fried rice, chicken wings, roasted tteokbeoki... etc. For my plate specifically; I think the bulgolgi was okay. I think the rice-to-meat ratio was off- you get a lot meat for the small amount of rice you get. As for my other friends, and after trying them, we all agreed in some way that the food isn't as spectacular as the vibe is. The plates were okay, but for the price for some of them- you'd expect them to have more flavor. Plates like the kimbap felt like it came from the fridge. The fried rice was also not as great as it looked. I feel like this restaurant has better reviews when it comes to the desserts from what Ive seen. This is something I have to try for the next time I visit. So, would I honestly come here again? Hmm.. its tough to say. In a big group its not a bad place to pick, but keep in mind that the food is average. You have to try it atleast once. read more

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I stopped by Kimchi Garden after a hike! I got a korean hotdog and a fried rice noodle dish (I forgot to take a picture). When I came, it was pretty empty and the order took about 20 minutes. The inside is pretty spacious and has plenty of seating. The hot dog was pretty good! I got the cheese filled one with potatoes on the outside. It was crispy and fried well. It was one of the smaller korean hotdogs i've had, but also one of the more expensive. The sriracha mayo I got with it paired nicely and gave it some needed flavor! The noodle dish was a bit more disappointing. It was okay flavor wise. I payed extra for extra veggies which ended up being some tiny diced zucchini that wasn't as abundant as it should've been if I payed extra. I don't know that I would get this again. I would stop by again for the corn dog if Im im the area! Maybe next time I will try something new.. read more

Kimchi Garden - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

A nice casual Korean food spot in Berkeley. Ordering is convenient on Snackpass and service is always fast. The kimbap was delicious and quite filling. My friend who had the fried rice said that it was really good. read more

Kimchi Garden - Beef Kimbap (2 Rolls) - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

Come here for the desserts! I tried their croffles and bingsoo and liked both. It's pretty hard to find bingsoo near campus so I'm so happy they started selling it again. I tried the strawberry cheesecake bingsoo. It's decently good and quite big. It's not as good as udessert but it will satisfy your craving. The croffles are also super aesthetic and come with a lot of flavors. read more

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Quick Summary: - Kiosk is located past the hallway; one is for the kimchi garden and the other is for a sweet dessert cafe - Great food portions, but it might be a lot for some - Pick up station found in the end of the room, this area also has utensils, cups, and water - Lots of places to sit inside - Order comes with a side of japchae Do not be intimidated with the entrance like I was for so many years. I am an idiot for not entering because of it. Passing through the dark hallway, it opens up to a cafeteria style room. Four kiosks line up at the entrance, but it is split in half: one if for the kimchi garden and the other is for the dessert place. When I came here, which was around dinnertime the kiosk for the dessert was turned off. Small disclaimer, that this might not be the usual case; I went here a day before a holiday, and 80% of the restaurants had special hours. After ordering, we memorized our number and chose a seat. There were plenty of seats to choose from. The wait wasn't long, and all of the orders arrived at once. I ordered the tofu soup (not too spicy) with kimchi as the main ingredient over a meat protein this round. I think it was a good idea that I made the soup not so spicy because the kimchi was spicy. Initially, I had to drink some water but I got used to it after eating it more. The flavor is really good. What I liked about this tofu soup was that the miso paste was not strong. There are some tofu soup dishes, that there is so much miso added that it is too salty. This was perfect. Another spotlight was the Japchae that we ordered as the main dish. I should have known, but each menu came with banchan, and at Kimchi Garden it was a plate of Japchae. Interestingly, the Japchae in the banchan and the main dish Japchae were cooked differently. The noodles from the main Japchae were the chewiest noodles I have ever had in my life. Even though the noodles were transparent, it was packed with flavor, so it wasn't bland at all I don't have a review for bibimbap because I was full that day and didn't try it. Definitely would come back here again to eat here. Very nice place! read more

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If you're ever craving Korean food in Berkeley, this is definitely a spot to consider. This is not your typical sit down restaurant and more of a self serve food hall vibe. You order on a kiosk and pick up your order at a window. There is plenty of seating and the whole seating area is really clean. After finishing your food, you bring your dishes to the tray drop off area where they take your dirty bowls/plates away. Overall, I enjoyed the different dining experience and would recommend this to anyone looking for a quick Korean comfort food dinner. Kimchi Fried Rice: This is such a staple to Korean comfort food. I chose to have spam as my protein of choice and I loved how everything tasted. The rice was so flavorful and there was a perfect amount of spam/kimchi. I loved how they included fish cakes with the meal as it was the perfect side dish for the meal. Soy Garlic Wings: These are really solid wings. They are a bit small, but they give a lot of them. The sauce was a bit watery and the skin of the chicken was a bit thin, but the flavors were pretty good. Tofu Soup: The soup wasn't the best. It was watery and the flavor was kind of lacking. The tofu and beef (protein of choice) was good and paired well with the white rice that came with the soup. I love this meal overall, but just wish the soup had a bit more flavor to it. read more

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Don't come here! Photo advertised on door dash looks nothing like what I got! These wings were so TINY, the meat tasted like soy meat, and chicken nuggety. We took two bites and had to leave. Genuinely one of the worst foods I've had, wasted $25, please don't waste your food experience at Berkeley here. read more

Kimchi Garden - Sweet and Sweet & Spicy Wings - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

By no means is Kimchi Garden a good Korean restaurant, but for what it is (a restaurant that satisfies your Korean-craving in a pinch) it's definitely decent. Your food comes out in no more than 15 minutes after ordering online, and the self-service water and utensils optimize the efficient and timely dining experience. We ordered the veg kimbap which was good! The vegetables inside the kimbap were pedestrian and nothing to write home about, but the rice was seasoned very well. The bibimbap was also very good, but it's hard to mess up Bibimbap just as long as a hot stone bowl is used as the vessel to serve it in. Recently, Dessert Cafe opened up inside Kimchi Garden which is probably their sister establishment? I assume the owner converted the extra space to a pseudo-Mochinut. The Mochi donuts were pretty meh. They were a bit too dense for a Mochi donut and the glaze on the tiramisu was cakey and cloyingly sweet. The first few bites of the cold donuts were fine, but as me and my boyfriend chowed further, it gradually become more unpleasant. read more

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When I am craving quick, simple Korean food in Berkeley, I come to Kimchi Garden. You can order through Snackpass for a quick, easy pickup or sit inside. The restaurant is fairly large and is a great place for a group of friends to sit and eat. The water, utensils, and sauces are self-serve. My go-to orders typically consist of their Kimchi Fried Rice and BBQ Spicy Pork. The egg on the Kimchi Fried Rice is always cooked perfectly and is a nice addition to the flavorful fried rice. The BBQ Spicy Pork is also very delicious, but I wish they could add more rice since they give a decent sized porition of pork. I also like how they always add a small side of fishcake with each entree you order! read more

Kimchi Garden - Kimchi Fried Rice w/Spam - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

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We visited Kimchi Garden this evening and ordered teokbokkiThe server wasn't looking and gave the teokbokki too fast to my partner which splashed his hand. Even after 2 hours, it is still swollen and burnt. I hope that Kimchi Garden can be more careful in the future with their customers and their staff. Love the food though. read more

Kimchi Garden - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

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After hearing mixed reviews about Kimchi Garden, I decided to get some for lunch, and it is overall very subpar. I ordered a BBQ Beef bulgogi and a Kimchi Fried Rice, which amounted to ~23 dollars. Ordering was very straightforward. It can be placed either on a Snackpass Kiosk or through the Snackpass app on the phone. The entrance was very lit and is through a corridor, which may be hard for some to find. The inside of the restaurant was very spacious and roomy, though there was an odd smell of chemicals and food wafting around. The bulgogi was very dry and the flavors were drowned out by the dryness. It is also on the sweet side, leaning away from the saltiness and savoriness of a typical bulgogi dish. The rice was rice. The japchae was served on the colder side though it had a nice texture too it, it was firm and not mushy. Overall, it was a pretty decent spot for the price point, though I would probably not return for the bulgogi, I have heard recommendations for the tofu soups. read more

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Kimchi Garden is a hidden gem near Telegraph Ave. I'm down to go back! Food - 5/5 - Ordered the Beef Kimbap, Spicy Pork Bibimbap, & Duk Bok Gi Great amount for 2 (surprised by the amount of Kimbap rolls)! Vibe - 5/5 - Went here on a Friday (lunchtime) and it was not crowded! Ordered via Snackpass kiosks at the entryway (easy to use)! - The restaurant was larger than I expected - very spacious and plenty of seats! - Loved that they played BTS, Blackpink, and other great K-pop artists, too! Customer Service - 3/5 - Easy pick-up at window. When I asked for a to-go bag, the employee persisted in checking the receipt before providing a bag (even though I sat and ate for 1+ hour). - Did not understand the holdup, but other than that, I enjoyed this place read more

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Decent bingsu. It took about 20 minutes waiting! The bingsu iis mildly sweet so it wasn't overwhelming and the ice cream was the kiss on top. I wish they had more biscoff cookies because it helped tie the dessert altogether. But it is a great treat to satisfy a late night craving. read more

Kimchi Garden - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

Kimchi Garden has become one of my go-to places in Berkeley and rarely fails me. I love the tofu soup, garlic pork belly, japchae, and Korean hot dogs! Decent quality Korean food and fairly quick & friendly service always. There's usually plenty of seating and it's not too crowded or noisy inside. read more

Kimchi Garden - Garlic Pork Belly - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

Really good food, and it's ready fast!!! I really enjoy getting the Korean corn dog and the kimchi fried rice. read more

Kimchi Garden - Korean corn dog - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

Popular late night munchies spot for Berkeley students! Kimchi Garden is open late through the night and offers many savory snacks and sweet desserts! Our group had the Bibimbap and Mango Bing Su was both great to share family style! The food came out relatively quick because we went during busy hours between 7-9pm! read more

Typical Korean food with homey diner vibes but nothing extremely memorable. It does satisfy any cravings you have for Korean food though, like tteokbokki, KFC, kimbap, bibimbap, soodubu... The flavor is mediocre. It is close to the units/campus! Been here way more times than I could count for the comfort and familiarity. read more

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The go to stop for a late night meal. I get the kimchi fried rice every time. All students must try this place.

I love Korean food and I gotta say, this place satisfied me! Ordered this meal for pick up on GrubHub. The serving sizes were huge! I got an order of Tofu Soup with kimchi and dumplings. The soup was large and it was served with rice, kimchi, and marinated tofu on the side. The flavors were strong and bold, the soup had a nice spice to it. The dumplings were gingery and the kimchi was nice and acidic. The tofu had a great texture and tasted great overall! I can totally see myself coming here with friends after class, the place seems lowkey and I can totally imagine returning. Only reason I'm giving this place a 4 rather than a 5 is because the rice wasn't really fresh and it was a bit pricey. Then again, the rice just came with the food and I didn't pay extra for it so I can't complain much haha! Great food and atmosphere, give it a try! read more

Kimchi Garden - Kimchi Tofu Soup with Dumplings - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

food was average at best the lack of seasoning speaks for it self... the service was not friendly and the place itself doesn't have a pleasant smell read more

It was hecka expensive and the food took a while to make. I understand it a little big order but felt like there was no love in it.

Korean food in Berkeley! I was highly recommended by word of mouth from colleagues. I always heard about it and seen it online but never had the ever to try it until I was told by several people that's it's pretty good. To get in, one must really Go all the way to the back, it's sandwiched between IBs and the U then one goes all the way deep towards the back. It's very subtle but the neon lights will inform you that you are there. The inside has a huge amount of seating that I did not know it existed this way. You can have almost a banquette in there. I wanted to start of with something simple and delicious which is the kimchi rice, tofu as my protein. It was on point. The flavour of the acidity of the Kimchi is there, the spicy, the savoury aspect of it is present. Did not seem too busy but there was a lack of staff to be seen and most importantly to be helped. But I want to try this place with frequency since I'm a big fan of Korean cuisine. read more

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