There are two things i get here. Bbq chicken and tofu soup. Ever since I discovered tofu soup here, I refuse to go anywhere else in Berkeley for the soup. I love the fish cake side dish, you can always ask for more if you want, and also the bean sprouts are seasonal. I love the tofu soup, you can have seafood, or beef and I usually end up getting beef. I'm not great with spicy but mild is perfect. The service is amazing but sometimes the food takes a while to cook if there are a lot of people there. This place have huge seating areas so big groups are totally great for this location! read more

They recently revamped the place so it looks more upscale than your average college town fast food restaurant. Food quality is comparable to most other restaurants in Asian Ghetto, though I feel like their portion size has gone down in recent years. That being said, their kimchi fried rice is still a solid go-to and there's always plenty of seating + free wifi so it makes for a good study spot. read more

I don't understand why Kimchi Garden has such low ratings! The food here is pretty good and very filling for a decent price, which is perfect for a busy college student. The dining area is also spacious and clean. However, service can be slow sometimes. I came here for lunch during Cal Day, and I had to wait over an hour for my potato sujebee while my friend had already received and finished her kimchi fried rice. Most times, service is fine, but still slower than a majority of restaurants; just beware when there are large groups or a college-wide event (the two-person kitchen can only handle so much). Overall, Kimchi Garden is my favorite as well as go-to restaurant in the campus area when I want hot and filling Asian food. Although I've ordered a variety of dishes, I've stuck to the potatoe sujebee, bi bim bap, or the rice cake soup with dumplings. It really hits the spot when I'm sick, hungry, or in need of food that will last me awhile (dead week problems). If this hasn't convinced you to come here, should I mention that free instant coffee is provided? Okay, that might not have worked, but don't be appalled by the terrible ratings because in my opinion, Kimchi Garden is THE place to go to for local Korean food. read more

So first of all there is no great Korean food within walking distance of UC Berkeley. That being said, if I really am feeling something resembling Korean food, I'll go to Kimchi Garden. My go to is usually the omelette fried rice. Simple, I know, but I just really like it because it's huge and it reminds me of the omurice from Kdramas (anybody seen Rooftop Prince?). On other days I'll get the jajangmyeon (black bean noodle). Don't expect amazingness with either, but they are tasty and I usually have to take half of it home. Make one meal into two! I notice that there are a lot of complaints regarding service. I've personally never had any major issues in the many times I've been there. If anything, the owner who mans the cash register can be kind of brusque but I don't really care. There is plenty of seating so this is definitely a good place for large groups. read more

I think this place used to be Gomnaru. Whether it's owned by the same people remains a mystery. A dining companion and I where craving Korean, but too lazy to bike to Sahn Maru in Oakland (and also too lazy to walk a couple blocks further to Koryo..it was HOT ok?!) so we settled for this place. 1) Place your order at the counter from a menu on the wall. 2) Get your order stub and take a seat in the dining area. 3) Wait...and wait...and wait for your food. The seafood pancake appetizer was probably the best thing about the meal. Though there wasn't much evidence of seafood, the bottom was nice and crispy. The seafood soft tofu soup was bland, and the only evidence of seafood was a single octopus tentacle hidden beneath some tofu. My friend's ja jang myun was very funky tasting with odd little bits of potato. I dunno how the Koreans do zha jiang mien, but it sure doesn't taste like the Chinese version. I think the saddest part was that the meal did not include banchan. I received a little dish of kim chi and julienned potatoes- neither were good. I would like to advise those who are craving Korean food to learn from my mistake. Walk a little further, spend a dollar more, and get some decent Korean food. Now excuse me while I try to get rid of this MSG dry mouth. read more

You know how sometimes a dirty, janky ass place has hella bomb food? This is not one of those places. -- My finger accidentally grazed the underside of the table I was sitting at and immediately felt something sticky. The sauce jars are also sticky. The tray return area is not well maintained, so it becomes a balancing game when you're trying to return your bowls and tray. The entire time I was waiting for my food and eating, I did not see a single table get wiped down. The food wasn't bad but it wasn't good either; generally it lacked flavor. read more

Nice place for simple Korean food Like to come with friends. Hot stone bi bim bap was good. The tofu looked pretty good too read more

Just went to Kimchi Garden. Pros. ambience and Korean music if you are into it. Staff is friendly and nice. Free miso and bean drink CONS- food is not that good and the portion size is small. Spicy pork is too sweet. They did not use a fire grill. Better options on Durant. read more

EVERYTIME I eat here I have an orgasm. Their spicy pork is amazing. They're always quick and efficient and have my order ready when I get there. The food is always on point and the register girl is super nice. This place will make your puzzy quiver I PROMISE:) read more

Okay, I miss gommaru. Why did they have to change owners? This place actually tastes pretty good because I like the soup. However, when I was going through my pescatarian phase, they did the unmentionable thing and added pork to my tofu soup. I SPECIFICALLY ASKED IF IT'S ONLY SEAFOOD and the lady said yes. Well, of course, when I was busy chowing down, I discovered pieces of flesh. I just left and didn't even finish my soup! I figured, why bother reasoning with the owners when they can barely speak English? If they didn't understand me the first time, why would they the second time? There goes $7 down the drain. read more

I come here solely for the soondubu jjigae!! Feels like home and such a comfort food for me growing up with this and I was worried I was not going to be able to find a spot that would make a good one that really hit the spot. Boy was I wrong! This place hits different. read more

It is good but it's not anything special. It isn't bad but it isn't good. It's just very average and worse than other korean restaurants

The location has changed names 3 times in the last 4 years and it serves the same food except now it cost a little bit more and they take a little longer to cook it. Food is mediocre, portions are big. Nothing too traditional, just basic korean food. The giant big screen TV inside has lasted through all the owners. Cheers to the TV. read more

Only here because its close to campus, and the food is fairly authentic.. My complain is the cooking time.. It does take a while , longer than you would expect from the environment of this place. Sometimes the same order, but the person who orders after you get it first... There is a self serve station, they have hot water, cold water,, tea bags, coffee mix. Plenty of big tables and its never packed..they have wifi too. I come to this place sometimes becuase its spacy, that gives me a little more personal space Compared to Asian Ghetto which could be really packed during peak hours. I am like soon tofu, just not at this place, too watery, and the food taste like defrosted. The bi bim bap is okay, nothing impressive.. I've been to better places, their bi bim bap rice taste different than plain rice.. Where here, what you expect to get from the Bi Bim Cap is simply some stuff (veggies and beef) on top of the rice. read more

I've only ever gotten their fried chicken here, and it was just okay. Still, its a great option for convenient Korean food! I'll definitely be back to try other things on their menu! read more

I've came here twice. First time to celebrate a friend's birthday. Second time was because Toust (another Korean restaurant) was closed. I must say that this restaurant holds the notorious title of LONGEST WAIT ever for my meal. I just keep waiting and waiting...only to see that people who ordered after me get their food first O_o...and then wait some more. First time I had some pancake thingy. Second time I had fish covered with some sauce and rice. ..Shows how memorable it was. -_- I'd recommand Toust just down the street on Durant (in Sather Lane I believe) read more

I am always reluctant to go to this restaurant given the owner always seems to be in a bad mood. But hell one time my friend suggested going and we didn't have a whole lot of choices so I said okay why not.Who would've thought that this would be the last time I would ever go to Kimchi Garden...and I don't regret a tiny bit of it. Food: Just as usual, I ordered the BBQ beef plate, nothing special or inspirational about it; beef is almost as stiff as Costco beef jerky. Other things are okay, I'd give it a 2/5 overall. Ambient: Well you have a TV that always plays soccer matches so if you are into that. Overall, quite okay, I don't feel uncomfortable with it. Dining Experience: One incident definitely dictated my overall experience: the owner SCOLDED me like a dog for not having the correct ticket! He's got some balls but the fact that he wasn't willing to concede for his customers suggests that he is worse than Jar Jar Binks, not worth my time! I have never been schooled at a restaurant and I will never ever come back. You can have Jar Jar Binks but not me. Verdict Food 2/5 Ambient 3/5 Dining Experience -2/5 Score = (2+3-2)/3 = 1 If math says I should give it a 1/5 so be it. read more

Ordered the kimchi stew and it was amazing. I always come here as a college student because it's affordable and close to campus

The food was alright for the price, but the terrible service makes me not want to come back again. My friend and I came here for dinner on a weekday. At the end of our meal, we went up to the counter to ask for to-go containers for the food that we couldn't finish. The woman working there first asked me why I even needed a box. Of course, it was to store my leftover food. Why else? After giving me an unpleasant look, she gave us one small to-go box to share because apparently that was their limit. However, my friend and I each ordered our own separate meals and shared an appetizer. We also had to go our separate ways, so there was no way we could share one tiny box. I have never been to a restaurant where the staff was so rude and stingy. This was ridiculous! Given the various other restaurants nearby with a similar price range but better service, I'd have no reason to come back here. read more

This place is good if you want Korean food near campus that isnt very crowded. The restaurant is actually pretty big and it is never filled so you can do homework here or even watch the game with their big screen TV. I get the soft tofu soup and it is a bit more watered down than other places. Because there are only two people working, you will probably have to wait a good 20 minutes before your food is ready. If there is an actual crowd at the restaurant, then the wait will probably be 30 minutes. So if you are in a rush, this is not the best place for food. In the end, you have to clean up after yourself. **TIPS** 1) You can use credit but there is a minimum charge of I think $10. 2) If you are in a rush, this is not the place for you. read more

The food here is not worth the wait. I called in forty minutes ago and I'm pretty sure they just started cause I just paid. There's no difference than calling in. Whhhyy life whyyy :( Go to toust or bear ramen. Good prices there for the quality and time/convenience. read more

Pretty big fan of this place because they give unlimited miso soup. I really enjoy the warm curry they have. SO NOT ORDER RAMYEON because they only fill half the pot. You're better off getting ramen at Bear Ramen next door. Servings are much greater. You also get unlimited kimchi if you ask. Many AFX dance teams come here for team dinners (or at least my team did :p) Good place for wholesome dinners. They also play Blackpink and KPOP songs in general, which is a plus. read more

The trick with Kimchi Garden is that you have to call in your order (if you're doing take-out) ahead of time, or else you'll end up sitting there forever. I literally waited so long for my order that I got 24 million in Temple Run because I hadn't brought anything better to do. :( With that being said, the food is pretty good and the portions are really large. I bet they could feed two people. Standouts include the japchae, mushroom tofu soup, and the bibimbap. Kimchi Garden also has a really large dining area with a large tv which are both nice pluses! read more

I only come here to eat 2 things: kimchi stew and kimbap. The kimchi stew is probably the "best" I've had around campus. T-Toust's kimchi stew is about the same I'd say. They're both pretty mediocre. Kimchi Garden's kimbap (aka korean sushi) though is decent! Pretty generous portion for around $8. If you come here and order these 2 things, you won't be disappointed, but the rest....be careful. read more

The food here is inedible; the beef hot soup consisted of disgusting, chewy, days-old shredded meat with a soup so filled with pepper flakes it tastes like you were right next to Mount St. Helens when it exploded. The sickening side dishes served with my dish were similarly inedible: rock-hard potatoes with sickly-looking meat (perhaps beef tongue, but I was too scared to try it). The service is perhaps the worst in the Berkeley area: waiting for my dinner took around 20 minutes when there was no line to order. Also, the staff were not welcoming and the restaurant looked like it hadn't been cleaned in months. Needless to say, I left hungry after only a few bites of food. I would not come here even if someone paid me. read more

Kimchi Garden has a decent selection of Korean food like Jap chae and Bi bim bap. To help you choose, there're pictures on the wall of their most popular dishes. Although I do enjoy the food here, I must say that it's just not worth waiting twenty minutes for a meal. Every single time I come here I feel like I am waiting forever for my food. There is spacious seating and large tables that are good for large groups. Although I haven't done it myself, I've seen people in study groups here that work while they eat. There are also multiple large TVs for sports games. read more

I think this restaurant is the most authentic and delicious Korean restaurant in the south side of Berkeley. It has a wide variety of menus and they all taste very good. It's also nice that they give more rice and kimchi if you ask for more. read more

I'm surprised at the poor overall rating; I personally love this place. My favorite dish hands down is the Seafood Kimbap (Beef Kimbap is good too). Not that kimbap is anything super fancy, but you get at least 22 decently sized pieces for less than $6. A steal for any college student. I always try to save some for the next day, but end up eating it all because it's so addictive. Their soups are nothing too special (like the Potato Sujebee or Tofu Stew); I'd rather go to Toust for those. This place is a really good alternative to Toust for Bibimbap and Kimchi Fried Rice, since Toust is pretty pricey. They only have three or four people working in the kitchen, so when there are a lot of people there, it takes a long time to get your food. Other than that, this place is awesome. They have flat screen TVs so you can watch soccer or basketball games while you eat, and an endless supply of Korean coffee mix! read more

Kimchi Garden was pretty good. The pricing was a bit steep for a college student, but the portions were pretty much worth the price. I ordered the tonkatsu, which came with a lot of pork. It was almost too much for me to finish to be honest. I would suggest that if you're a light-medium eater to split the dish or eat half and save the rest for later. The quality of the meat was pretty good, but a bit dry. (3.5) -.5 star for hot sauce being in my "clean" water cup read more

The food is not that great, but I've never had anything terrible. (okay, the jjangmyun is pretty bad) Compared to most places in berkeley, kimchi garden is huge. Problem is, I've never seen more than 2 tables occupied any time I've gone there. I feel so bad for the nice old Korean folks who run this restaurant. This is why I keep coming back. A tiny part of me thinks that I can single-handedly keep this place open by dropping by every week with a new friend alongside me. I'm hoping to convert them to my cause of keeping kimchi garden in business, and maybe once they start having more customers, they'll be able to hire better cooks? I feel like I'm helping them by being a customer and when you feel good about yourself, food tastes better. go and support. read more

Kalbi, OB, Soju...off the hook. Kalbi with an egg on top! Nuff said. Price point and value point beats any other Korean spot, bar none. Don't listen to the low reviews. Those who gave it low reviews are high-maintenance and are pseudo-foodies...you don't know real food, nor have you ever felt how it really feels to be hungry. Stay spoiled but don't knock Kim Chee Garden. read more

I don't get why this place gets such a bad rep. I totally love this restaurant. No one is ever there, you get the whole place to yourself and there is huge TV which you get to control and watch cable TV. I like the food too. Sometimes it's a hit or a miss with how salty it turns out but I think it's really delicious. One time, I was curious about something on the menu so they brought up half portion of that food with my main dish for free. They're nice. And I'm telling you, I love that TV! It's a good place to come and talk with your friends, it's never too loud and you can watch your trashy reality while you're at it. Yay! read more

5 stars for the omelette kimchi fried rice. Went here twice in a span of the week we were visiting Berkeley so that alone should tell you how much we enjoyed it. We were able to substitute the spam with tofu for no added cost but they told us we'd only be able to do this when they're not busy. Luckily, the two times we came - it was super empty. Simple and delicious! read more

It's nice to see this place with more business, as it should! This place is crazy spacious, with a humungous television in the dining area, and now they've got wifi. It's like you're at home, kinda. I'd say the food itself is very delicious. When I want a quick to-go snack/meal-ish thing, I usually go for the beef kim-bap. They give you a good amount, and it satisfies me quite nicely. And it always taste fresh, veggies, eggs, meat and all. Their spicy rice cakes are good as well. More on the saucier side, but not much of a problem as you can easily move that aside. And they're very accommodating to complicated orders, haha, sorry about that. The people there are very sweet, especially the woman! I'm not too sure how to explain it, but when they hand over the food it just feels so genuine, and I really do appreciate that. I'm not too sure what others mean when they say that the staff is unwelcoming, culture differences? Ok, I do have to agree that it does take a little long for food to come, so if you're taking it to-go, calling in would be ideal. But, just think of it as a home-made meal, made with love! haha, sorry, total cheeseball. But I do think that after the waiting, the food is worth it, it does taste like it came out of someones' mom's kitchen! With a nice location, delicious food, and wonderful staff, I'm sure to be back! read more

Decent food + close to Berkeley campus!! Kimchi Garden is located in Asian Ghetto and is where I go when I'm craving some Korean food and don't really have time to go somewhere further from campus. The prices are pretty normal for a Korean restaurant but they are a bit cheaper if you pay with cash! Basically here you order first and wait at the tables. You can self-serve miso soup and they have gochujang available as well! tl;dr fast korean food that's close to campus read more

Beef kimbap to go with a side of kimchi and tofu- perfectly sliced to fill you up without stuffing you. read more

Kimchi Garden - Beef kimbap to go - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

Just an okay place. I always get the Soft Tofu soup, and it's served pretty well. I don't really like the small dishes that come with it though - they don't taste anything like what kimchi should taste like (I don't know what the other small dish side item is called)! Pretty interesting how they have a giant tv in the corner, so the upside is that you can watch TV sometimes. I am still against having to bus my own plates away when eating out, so minus points there. read more

Really, I say it's 2.5 stars but it's seriously not as bad as people say it is so I'm giving it a 3. The place has nice, comfortable seating...very big and I'd say it's pretty clean. Serious kudos for large party groups. Anyway, I ordered their nengmyun (cold buck-wheat noodle soup) and I was surprised at how biggggggggg their portion size was! But when I looked at it, I was kinda disappointed with the amount of noodles they actually gave me...serving portion was not proportional with the bowl! :( They also only gave me 2 "slices" of beef which wasn't cut thinly like how beefs should be served in nengmyun...kinda like small slabs of 'em. But overall, it really wasn't that bad. Yeah, of course I had better, but it wasn't so terrible that I'd never go back again. read more

Considering how I walk past this place all the time, I figured I should try it out. Ugh, not the business. I came here around 7pm, which is like the peak dinner hour, right? Uh, not for this place. A sign said "90 persons capacity" or something, but there was only one occupied table of 4 people. That should've been enough of a sign for me to gtfo, but of course I ignored it and didn't. Service: The food came in ~5 minutes, but then again it's not like they were busy so their speed wasn't all that impressive. Food: I didn't come into this place with high expectations or anything so I ordered the bibimbap bc I figured it'd be hard for them to mess that up. Boy was I wrong. The bibimbap was tasteless and I had to use a crapload of gochujang, which is the sweet & spicy, ketchup-looking sauce that they give you, just to eat it. This dish will fill you up, but not exactly leave you satisfied. It came with miso soup and 2 sides of panchan - kimchi and fish cake. Eh, whatever. Basically, come here if you are one a budget and ravenously hungry. Leave your expectations and desire for tasty food at the door or risk being highly disappointed. read more

Kimchi Garden - Bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

I get beef kimbap all the time with korean hot sauce kimbap's pretty reasonable for its portion but other menu's are kinda pricy for poor students like myself they have huge space inside with huge tvs read more