If you're craving Korean comfort food in Berkeley, Spoon Korean Bistro is definitely worth a visit! Everything was flavorful, satisfying. The bibimbap was sizzling, the Chicken Katsu was packed with flavor, and the Bulgogi Tacos had the perfect kick. The portions were generous, the staff was friendly, and the whole experience had that cozy, casual neighborhood feel. Basically, come hungry and leave happy! Spoon is the kind of place that makes you want to order "just one more thing" because we definitely last minute chose to take home the Bulgogi Nachos. Definitely a spot I'd happily come back to! read more

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My friend introduced this place to me after we were browsing at Urban Ore. Not too sure how parking is, since we walked over, I like how there's outdoor seating. I ordered soondubu with seafood as extra spicy and my boyfriend ordered the bulgogi tacos. My friend ordered the Gangnam fries to share which were tasty! I enjoyed the extra kick to my soups and the seafood tasted pretty fresh. The downside was that the bulgogi in the tacos were pretty dry, and it also took a while for our food to come out. read more

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Return customer for probably over 10 years. Food 3.5/5 Service 4/5 Ambiance 4/5 There is no parking lot, we parked on the street. Don't get me wrong, spoon is still solid but it didn't hit the same craving this time around. Complimentary fishcake is no longer available, it was there when I last went 5 months ago However they gave us 2 sets of side dishes, so that's a plus The Seafood Pancake did not taste the same, there is new plating, the portions were smaller and thinner , which is understandable, but it wasn't as good. There was less flavor. The Galbi was solid and that has not changed. Good taste and portion for the price. The Spicy Pork in the Bibimbap was not spicy and did not have much flavor. Maybe I came on an off day, but I like spoon for their solid food, not really for the vibes or ambiance. I drive 25-35 minutes each way for their food, but after this experience and with recent inflation for all Korean à la carte restaurants, I'd rather eat at ayce kbbq. read more

Spoon - Seafood pancake - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Food: The stew, pancake, and corn cheese were good. The banchan / side dishes can be skipped in my opinion; none of them tasted that great. For me, banchan is a very important part of any Korean dining experience so this is the reason for the overall 4-star rating Service: staff was friendly and fairly quick Ambiance: No frills, casual Korean spot read more

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Omg, the food here was good, everything was authentic and fresh. A must go to when in the mood from some bomb Korean food. Staff was very friendly and it was clean, easy parking. read more

Spoon is a neighborhood Korean and Hawaiian restaurant in the Berkeley area, with something on the menu for everyone. We ordered the cheese corn, kimchi pancake, rose tteokbokki, chicken katsu, and bibimbap. Everything surpassed our expectations, and we had plenty of food to bring home as leftovers. Added plus was all the banchan they served! Service was fast and friendly, and there's ample seating both inside and outside. Their back bar area has a nice private room setting for larger parties. There's a loop of K-pop videos playing on the TV in the main room, and the entire time we were there, there was a steady flow of patrons coming and going. I found it a little disappointing that they no longer serve sushi even though I'm seeing they had it on their menu at some point, but the offerings they serve now is still excellent and worth coming back for. read more

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FOOD was delicious. You get unlimited side dishes. I enjoyed the broccoli and I think pickled radishes. Chicken katsu was crispy. Macaroni salad is saltier than I'm used to but good. They have vegetarian options like tofu. Different spicy levels too. Ginger tea was yummy. VENUE has a front casual dining section with a fancier night time club feel back section. There's also outside seating with heating lamp option. PARKING is along the side of the building. There was an unhoused man asking for money so be careful. It's well lit at least. STAFF was on par. read more

Spoon - Chicken katsu - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

Spoon on Ashby, right next to Berkeley Bowl which means its always on my route anyway. Kimchi fried rice came out in a hot stone bowl, nice crispy rice layer on the bottom, egg on top cooked just right. Seafood pancake was generous, thick and well browned, good texture. Banchan rotation is solid, kimchi was fresh. Service was friendly and the outdoor seating works well on a nice day. Unpretentious neighborhood spot, no gimmicks, food just tastes like someone actually made it. 5 stars, honest Korean food and convenient parking which in Berkeley is basically two stars on its own read more

One of our go to takeout spots and it's always great. We recently had a private party in the back room and it was perfect. Vincent had us order ahead and all of the food was sizzling hot and out on our tables when we arrived. Everything on the menu is delicious - our guests loved the fried chicken and japchae especially. read more

Found this place by chance and had a late lunch. It's a small place with a few indoor and outdoor seating. But there was a large area where the bar is in the back. Service was quick and good. And the food was good. The one thing that was a huge turnoff was the bathroom. They had 2 unisex bathrooms. I had gone into one where there appeared to be something smeared on the floor and the toilet seat itself looked like there was something smeared on it. It also smelled of poop. After I left the bathroom I told my daughter about it and she said "yeah I used the other bathroom and it was the same thing". I hoped that this was a fluke and some nasty person made a mess in both bathroom. Just was not a good experience after have a good meal. read more

Quick service and really good Korean soup! I enjoyed it on a quick lunch break. Plenty of seating. You order from a tablet on the table. read more

Spoon - Spicy Beef Stew(Yukgaejang) 육개장 - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

Came on a weekday around 11:30am for lunch since I work nearby. There are a few parking spots in front but they were full when I was there. The place is spacious, with tables inside and outside seating as well. The server was nice but the only one working the lunch crowd. I ordered the seafood ramen with rice cake, mild. It did take about 20 minutes for my food to come out, which according to other reviews is not standard so unsure why that happened. Thus the 4 stars. But I enjoyed the meal, they gave generous fillings and the broth was good for a cold day. You can also refill the side dishes at no cost. Will definitely come again! read more

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This is an amazing home style Korean spot in Berkeley! The vibe is cozy and the workers are very attentive and helpful. The menu isn't overwhelming but it still has a lot of variety of options! Prices are very reasonable too. We ordered the Army Stew, KFC (Soy Garlic), Galbi, Steamed Egg, Rose Tteokbokki. Everything we ordered was SO GOOD. The galbi was cooked and marinated perfectly. Not tough or chewy at all. The chicken was crispy but so juicy. However my favorite was definitely the Army Stew, a classic but such good flavor and just enough for 4 people. But the Rose Tteokbokki! SO YUMMY! The flavor is different from the usual style and I think it's my new favorite. Please come and give this place a try! read more

Spoon - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

Had a very tasty rice bowl with a mung bean pancake on top. Plenty of food, not expensive. Ambiance: music videos on a large screen tv. Service: the place was empty when we went. Water is self-serve until you finish the bottle on the table. The place is huge, would be great for a group. read more

Spoon Korean Bistro is a simple but tasty restaurant with a menu of classic Korean dishes, ordered off a touchscreen at each table. But first, we started with complimentary dishes of banchan, including spicy kimchi, pickled daikon, pickled cucumbers, and broccoli (a surprising favorite for me). The Japchae was noodles stir-fried in a sweet and savory sauce, along with mixed vegetables including scallions, cabbage, and carrots, all topped with marinated bulgogi (or other choice of protein); the Steamed Egg was a hot, fluffy, savory egg custard cooked in an iron pot; and the Kimchi Jjigae was a spicy soup of kimchi, tofu, rice cakes, and noodles. But my favorite entree was the Dolsot Bibimbap, made of rice topped with colorful vegetables including carrots, cucumber, mushrooms, cabbage, and more, all topped with a stir-fried mixture of seafood (or other protein) and more vegetables along with a fried egg on top and gochujang on the side. Everything was served in a sizzling iron pot, which gave the rice a nice crispy crust. Overall, the food here was solid (though not the best Korean I've had) and everything came at a good value too! read more

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I've always been curious about Spoon when driving by because it's located on a little triangular island. If you've been thinking about it like me, I definitely recommend checking it out, it's worth it! There is indoor and outdoor seating but I've always sat outdoors the few times I've been now. The servers are super attentive and accommodating to any specific dietary requests. The outdoor seating is cozy and quite nice for larger groups. The food is your standard Korean restaurant offerings with stews and meats. I did try their sujebi stew which I don't see as commonly around other Korean restaurants. And it BROUGHT ME BACK TO LIFE. I mean I was hungry, but it was like the PERFECT thing on a colder day. The soup was flavorful, warm and full of veggies. The little sujebi (torn dough) bites were so delightfully chewy I couldn't get enough. read more

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This is their Bulgogi. It was absolutely inedible and disgusting. Stringing pieces of dry meat that taste like smoke and propane. As you see in the image it's all in one piece connected by these yucky tissue threads. Will never come back and what a waste of 40 dollars. Super unhappy read more

Spoon - Bulgogi - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

After strolling through other locations in Berkeley, we stumbled into this place. The bibimbap was amazing! The tonkatsu and chicken kayak looked good! Thats what everyone else had they gave me good feedback. We shred a corn cheese that was great. The sides were cool also. A graffiti clean restroom, great service and a wide variety of drinks ! I'll return sometime yes or yes! 5/5 read more

Spoon - Bibimbop 비빔밥 - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

Such a cute restaurant with friendly staff! We got seats immediately and they were so nice & kept refilling our banchan! The service was super quick and the food came out immediately. The star of the show was definitely the KFC soy garlic! Would definitely come back! read more

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Haven't been here since COVID & it's still just as good! Had gangnam fries 10/10, seafood soft tofu soup 10/10 & tteokbokki were all really good & the staff are friendly and attentive! read more

Spoon - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Wow. Can't say enough great things about this place. First off, I love the atmosphere. Super chill vibe. Very laid back and casual. Staff are very friendly and were willing to answer the multiple questions that I had about the food choices. Now let's get to the food. I had the KFC soy garlic wings. These are delicious. The wings were perfectly cooked and the glaze was sweet and delicious. I also had a bowl of the Ramen. I chose spam and pork for the protein. Dumplings were my topping. This was such a delicious bowl of ramen. I had the spicy level. Perfect amount of heat for me. They give you so much protein in the ramen. Really loved the portion also. I had to take some wings honestly cause I couldn't finish it all. Let's not forget about the small plates they provide as well. These were great! I have been to a few other Korean BBQ places, but this one is tops on my list. I consider this a must try place. It is now one of my top spots at which to eat. read more

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Everything was delicious. First time here.Korean fried rice with spam. So salty and delicious. The runny egg yolk mixed with the rice was a perfect combination. Seafood Pancake had the crispy edges, large calamari and lots of veggies. Spicy Pork Belly, not too spicy. Very tender and the scallions on top were a nice addition. Last dish was, Soft Tofu Soup with Beef. I got this mild and it was delicious. Lots of beef and tofu. The egg I cracked inside cooked real fast. The ambiance is nice. This is a pretty small place inside, with about 6 tables but they do offer outdoor seating. Both ladies that served us and took our order were very friendly and checked in on us I'll come back. read more

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The sides were great. 5 stars for every side dish. Hard to find parking and slow service. The coffee was meh, skip it. The food is just okay. I had the Japchae fried rice with the $3 added beef. For around $25 I found this pricey. Think rice and noodles, like the profit margin is 500% LOL. Overall it's 3.5 stars. Nothing stricking and the rice overall has no flavor. My friend's bibimpap was another 3 star dish. Again just plain rice with some dry beef and sliced veggies. If they seasoned things the way they do the side dishes this would be 5 stars. I think the side dishes here rule. read more

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Great dishes and generous on the protein. Seafood pancake and huge pieces of squid Beef dol sot bibimbap was huge portion with lots of beef. Of their banchan, the kimchee is top notch!! read more

I want to provide a brief update. As I said in my last review, I think their kimchi is the BEST I have ever had since being introduced to kimchi 45 years ago. And, you can keep asking for more when you are dining and they are happy to provide it. Since I like the kimchi so much, I ordered some to go. Mind you, this is not something on the menu. But, I asked in one of my previous visits and was sold about a 12-16 ounce container for a reasonable price. This time, I asked whether they still set it to go. He said yes. When I got my bill, he had already bagged what the restaurant calls their 32 ounce-sized kimchi (without being asked what size I wanted). I fully expected to pay. But, I did not expect to pay $24. At that price, I not only would never buy it again, but I am likely NEVER to set foot in the restaurant again. Besides, my wife (but not me), prefers Mugungwa on San Pablo in El Cerrito. We have three Korean places on Solano Avenue around the block from me including Korean Superette. I can get my kimchi fix from them. read more

I went to have dinner on Dec 19, 2025. And we did order Jap-Shae and I realized that the noodles were under cook from the first bite because the noodle texture supposed to be soft and not sticky even you cooked it with the sauce. Then I did mentioned to the server and the server even asking me back how do you know the noodle is under cook. I did reply how it has to be but she told me that the cook might over cook it which I did agree but she force me to take it Togo. I did try some bites after they gave me the new one and yes the texture still the same. I would like to complain since you are the Korean Restaurant and I wish the owner see this comment and teach the cook how to boil the noodle in the correct way. read more

Spoon - Jap-Shae - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

Used to love this place but don't think I will be coming back. We used to love the service and servers here, knew some of them well! Now it's one person behind the counter delivering food and we have to order from a table tablet. I deal with screens enough at work, when I go out for a sit down meal I don't want to deal with one there too. The formerly bustling restaurant was empty during peak dinner hours on a Thursday. That should tell the owner enough that this new pivot is losing them customers. Also the japchae was flavorless and used to be my fave! read more

Casual Korean spot that delivers on friendly service and comforting taste. We popped in on a weekday for lunch and were seated promptly. I ordered the dolsot bibimbop with bulgogi (beef) and it came with miso soup. The rice was crispy paired with the usual veggie assortment (julienne carrots, radish, etc.), two types of mushrooms, and topped with a seasoned fried egg. The beef was tender in a sweet marinade. Gochujang on the side for added taste. Overall, a good/ hot comforting hug in a bowl I would order again. Also would return to try the other menu items out of curiosity. read more

Spoon - Dolsot bibimbop with bulgogi (4/5) - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

I used to enjoy this place. Recently, the big screen TV was blasting FOX news. It ruined my meal, which wasn't that great... Server was distant Probably won't come back. read more

Super casual spot for Korean food. The men restroom has complimentary mouthwash, which is like completely new to me. Anyway, not sure if we do get refill on the banchan. We finished some and didn't get any refill. The KFC were crispy - we wish they were crispier but it was still good. The mini army wasn't as spicy as I thought it'd be and the e ramen was a bit too soft for me. Not sure if I'll brave the buldak ramen though. The staff boxes the items for you so I'd say that's good service. We left pretty full. Will come back if we're in the area again! read more

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We had a terrible experience with Spoon. We ordered for takeout and picked up the food for a weekday lunch. We got the bibimbap and the soft tofu stew. The ingredients were not fresh at all and some of the vegetables were obviously rotten. The kale in the bibimbap had black rotted tips and the broccoli banchan was soft and mealy and had the smell of something that had been left in the back of the fridge for multiple days. I spit out the broccoli and we threw away the rest of the food. I don't know if we encountered this restaurant on an off day, but it's not good to be serving people rotten food when hundreds of people are currently being hospitalized for a parasite (cyclospora) that has been linked to vegetables. Beyond the rotten ingredients, the taste was not traditionally Korean at all. The rice was overcooked and the tofu soup was watery. I would not visit Spoon again. read more

Perfect restaurant for Korean food. Good food and cute plating! Friendly and responsive service. read more

Spoon - Pork katsu - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

I have been to many Korean restaurants and this one has been my absolute favorite. First, there are 3 different vibes to this place, all welcoming. The patio area has a refreshing and casual vibe. The main restaurant is what you would expect and the back has more of a bar lounge kind of vibe. The tables and the restaurant itself is clean and inviting. Second, the food was indescribably delicious. I have never had bad Korean food. That just doesn't exist in Korean cuisine, but SPOON was so good that it makes me feel like I have been eating mid Korean this whole time. We received four sides in our banchan and I knew I was in for a treat when I tried their kimchi. The menu had a good variety ranging from classic appetizers to vegetarian options and even bbq. We ordered the kimchi stew, miso stew, japchae with tofu, kimchi fried rice with spam and a ramen bowl and I cannot express how much everyone enjoyed everything. We were a group of 5 and they all raved over their dish. Do you know how hard that is? To have everyone in your party enjoy their food?! You will notice the lack of pictures of our food but that's because once I started eating I couldn't stop. Last, the service was fast, attentive, and courteous. They check in periodically to see if anyone needs anything. They provide banchan refills on request! Our drinks were always replenished. They were quick to bring out to go containers when we were done eating our meal and the check also arrived in a timely manner. Great ambience, wonderful service and amazing food. I haven't been to a restaurant that was a triple kill in such a long time. I loved it so much that I can't wait for my next visit. read more

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We stopped by last night for dinner. This place is everything you would want in a Korean Bistro. The food was amazing. The chicken wings cured my chicken wing cravings lol Our order: BBQ spicy pork Kimbop, Korean ramen dish, mild Korean style wings, edamame, Korean beverage and ginger tea. The Kimbop tasted so good and was very flavorful. My friend really enjoyed the ramen. The Korean beverage had such a "fun" taste lol. Service was great as well. Our server was very patient as we figured out what we were going to order. read more

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Love this place so much! The food here is always amazing and the service is incredible. Came here today for lunch with my partner. Daniel was our server and was very friendly, attentive, made us feel welcomed. Prices are very reasonable, (between 15-20$ for an entree and 10-15$ for appetizers. KBBQ is around the 30$ range). Highly recommended read more

Spoon - Rose-Tteokbokki 떡볶이 - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

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The 4 starts is lwk a diversion.. me and my partner ordered the Japchae with pork belly, Tteokbokki, and the kimchi pancake. The japchae was okay/average, it was very sweet and the pork belly was kinda skimped out on. The kimchi pancake was okay, def better someplace else. The tteokbokki was very disappointing, it was super watery (like soup..) and the rice cakes just taste plain, even the cabbage wasn't cooked through, just shredded in and raw. As for the sides, they were all alright, the cucumber kimchi in particular just tasted like fresh cucumber. To be honest, just cook at home guys, even the Trader Joe's frozen tteok is better than this (this as in an actual restaurant) LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING!!! (Left early) read more

Spoon - Tteokbokki 떡볶이 - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

Spoon on Ashby is a quiet and cozy restaurant in the morning, but quickly awakens as the day progresses. The staff are swift in cooking and serving, which is always welcome if you're arriving on a completely empty stomach. But when they *are* caught up on other orders, you could listen to their wonderful selection of K-pop to pass the time (they played all of Big Bang and BTS's greatest hits when I was there)! Like other Korean places, they will first start you off with some kimchi and vegetable sides. Every restaurant makes them slightly different, but I particularly enjoyed Spoon's because there was an edge of sweetness to the kimchi on top of the spice. The tofu was also very delicious, and I almost wanted to ask for more! Since I couldn't decide on what to get on the menu, I ended up building my own seafood ramen. For $16.99, I got a huge portion of mild ramen with rice cake, clams, mussels, squid, octopus, shrimps, and an egg to top it all off. The chef really did a great job combining such a wide assortment of ingredients to make this a delicious and cohesive bowl of noodles. And for such a sweet price -- I definitely left full and satisfied! read more

Spoon - BUILD YOUR OWN K-Ramen - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

Wow, odd location but incredible food! We got banchan even tho we didn't get any grilled meats which I thought was a nice touch, plus the kimchi was so nice fermented it was fizzy, SO GOOD! The dumpling soup was delicious and the meat inside the dumplings were cooked and minced well. The bibimbop was also super delicious, the bulgogi was amaze and the toppings were great. We WILL be back! read more

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Great Bi Bim Bop and seafood pancake! Plus patio dining and easy table side ordering.

honestly, the food was okay, but the charge we got was crazy. when we first got seated, they sat us at the back of the restaurant near the bar since there were no empty tables. once we got the bill, we noticed a 20% service fee. it specifically said that this was NOT gratuity and that you can add additional gratuity. we went to ask about it since we were a table of 5, and the service fee was specifically for those with parties of 6 and over. when we went to ask about it, they said that this service fee was not for the workers, but for the owner. in addition, it was because we sat at the back of the restaurant, which was not indicated to us when they sat us down. the spot wasn't even great because it was separated from the others at the restaurant, which meant the servers were not there (we had to go to the front to ask for the check and boxes). overall, we will not be back because of this insane charge. we still ended up giving additional gratuity for the server, but the recommend amount started at 18% which is a total of 38% overall! read more

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