Koryo Restaurant

I was walking back home from school feeling a little bummed for some reason and it just messed with my appetite. On a whim, I stopped by to see what was on their menu and I have no regrets.
A humble interior quiet during an odd hour between lunch and dinner, I got their chicken gyae jang (spicy chicken soup), and it was everything I needed to regain my appetite. it wasn’t impressive, but it had integrity — everything you expect in a home cooked meal, without the desire to impress or be flashy. Great variety on sidedishes and the owners were so kind. the food was really nostalgic and made me miss my mom a lot.
I’m glad koryo stands to serve the homesick Korean girl (: I can’t wait to try their daeng jang jjigae (soybean soup) and jjajang noodles ~

I have been to this restaurant four times. The first three times were overall very pleasant, probably because I went in when the restaurant appeared very empty. The one time I did go in during a busy time, that dramatically changed my impression of this place.
I wanted to treat my friend to a Korean dinner for his birthday, and he had never had Korean food before so I wanted him to have a good experience. But throughout the whole time he kept complaining about how slow the service was. Even when the man running the restaurant passed by and we exchanged glances, he still did not get the message that we were ready to place our order. The restaurant is run by an elderly couple, and that night it was only the husband running the restaurant. So, it is not totally his fault that the service was slow. We did wait a long time for our food, however.
The reason I am giving this restaurant 1 star is the horrible conflict I had with the owner. I asked specifically for Dukbokki Ramen and NOT Dukbokki by itself. When I saw he placed the Dukbokki dish I told him immediately that this was not what I ordered. He replied in a very rude tone saying «That is not what you said! You asked for Dukbokki!» And I responded, «Yes, but I asked for the Dukbokki Ramen, not Dukbokki by itself». He continued to deny this happened and went on insisting that I was wrong the whole time. It’s as if he thought I was stupid enough to think that I ordered or said the wrong thing. If I am insisting that this was not what I ordered I wouldn’t be making such a huge fuss about it. I did not want to point out bluntly that he clearly heard me wrong, so to avoid arguing I asked if we could still have the Dukbokki Ramen made, to which he replied again in a rude way «You’re going to have to wait a long time!» I said forget it, and stuck with the Dukbokki dish unsatisfied with the service. I especially felt sorry for my friend who had to see that on his birthday.
Never coming back. EVER.

We were planning to go to the Japanese place but there were so many people waiting. So we chose this Korean one. It turned out to be really good! I ordered the bibimbap with stone bowl. I have a biased inclination towards Korean food and culture… So in general I like most of them… Anyway I enjoyed the appetizers they served for free (which is the case for all Korean places), and I like the food here.

True story — A friend and I came in, sat down, waited about 4 or 5 minutes, and then left because it was completely silent and there wasn’t anybody in sight the entire time…
HOWEVER, this place was recommended to me by a friend and I was in the mood for Korean so I thought I’d stop by and give this place a try over the weekend.
It’s a mom & pop restaurant run by an elderly Korean couple. The inside of the restaurant is definitely very simple/​drab, nothing fancy. Whenever I pass, it’s usually pretty empty, as was the case when I came by. They were only a couple students eating there at the time.
The food itself was good, hearty, and reminded me of home! I was sick and wanted hot soup, so went with the galbi tang. It was good, although it had a lot of filler (bean sprouts!) instead of the actual meat. We also ordered the kimchi pancake and it was DELICIOUS. Really authentic. I wish they served a version with squid included too though.
Overall, I enjoyed myself here and didn’t mind the lack of customer service/​interaction. The food was good and that was enough for me!

I’ve been going to this place for like 20 years untell they changed and renovated and then we went there and the waitress was totally rude , we had been waiting to order our food for the 10 mins no hot tea NOTHING ! A Korean family came in and they were served like right away, like what the hell we’re going to pay money to. So finally got the order our food and I asked them you have BBQ inside kitchen she said yes and when she brought me my spicy pork it had been pan-​fried come on seriously so I told my husband let’s go and then the waitress called me a bitch told me never come back again I’m like see you don’t worry I won’t come and left, I’m not going back there no more!!!

The food here is decent quality and decent price. The service might be a little slow, but it’s a cute little place to have dinner with friends.

Price is little high but i love the old couples. Their galbitang is the best food here!

Totally decent sushi for the price. No-​frills atmosphere but totally a good value. Would go back for an inexpensive date night.

This place may be small but it gives a cozy feeling. The restaurant is own by this aged couple but they are really kind. Their sun tofu soup is actually pretty good considering how Korean restaurants are pretty rare in Berkeley. Also, their side dishes are really great too! I would recommend this place to anyone who is yearning for some Korean home food.

Love this restaurant run by a little old couple – they are always so accommodating and sweet! I always stick with the bibimbap because it never disappoints… plus I’m a sucker for crispy rice that’s all nice at the bottom: P
The boyfriend always gets the short ribs with a side of rice. It’s not the best Korean food I’ve had in the Bay, but when we’re feeling like something home-​y and close by, we’ll go for this!

Food: Galbi Tang
Always full of flavor and a generous amount of meat, this dish is our go to for lunch, dinner, or comfort food.
Service:
We can’t say it’s the best but please also keep in mind that the ONLY staff here is elderly couple. That’s right! There’s only TWO of them. The elder gentleman is the Front of House. Don’t take his no smile, menu and dish plop down personal! They try their best to make sure you have what you need but sometimes, you just have to flag them down.
My BF and I come here ALL THE TIME for their Galbi Tang aka Short Rib Soup. We’ve been to a few other places but this has been the best thus far! just once out of the 20 – 30 times we’ve been here was their soup not up to par.
This review was written on Thursday, Feb 12^th. We’re having their soup for lunch today even though we were here Monday and Tuesday for dinner. Best Galbi Tang ever!!!

The food is barely ok, which would be a 3 stars on its own, but we got dirty glasses, bad service, and the tiny restaurant is in shoddy condition with worn out tables, worn out seating, and broken stained glass windows.
First sin — our drinks. We got complimentary water, in dirty plastic glasses. I didn’t even bother asking for more — I just went without a drink. Buy a dishwasher. Clean it occasionally.
Second sin — I ordered a pot of hot tea, and our elderly waiter waited until another party member ordered tea to tell him «we don’t have hot tea.» If you don’t serve tea at an asian restaurant, you shouldn’t be in the biz. I was so dumbfounded by this I didn’t even bother asking if they had other beverages.
Third strike — the food. It was bad to mediocre, and much of it was served to us cold. We’d ordered an appetizer of pot stickers that tasted like something frozen out of a box. Overcooked limp wrappers and flavorless fillings.
Our entrees appeared about 10 minutes after along with the usual Korean side dishes (they do have good kim chi, though) but my dining companions’ entrees were served lukewarm at best. My dish was (I think) supposed to be served cold, so I wasn’t as upset. As for how they tasted? Well, they tasted just ok. Not too terrible, but not great either. At least it was cheap, which might have been this place’s only saving grace.
Finally, our waiter disappeared once we’d ordered, so asking him for more water, or clean glasses, or even additional silverware was never going to happen. The meal was delivered by someone else, and he finally reappeared 15 minutes after we’d finished up our meal to deliver the check. He then disappeared again, so we had to walk the bill up to the counter to pay.

I went for lunch on a weekday. I actually wanted Japanese food, but they weren’t open for lunch. They were located in The Village on Telegraph Ave close to Dwight Way in Berkeley.
I walked in and there was an Asian guy looking a his cell phone seated at a table near the window. He turned out to be a customer. The host greeted me and seated me on the upper level. The floors smelled like someone took a mop from the bathroom and cleaned the floors in the dining area.
I ordered the BBQ short rib entrée. The entrée, soup and banchan all came out at the same time by a woman in an apron. The soup was lukewarm. There were 4 kinds of banchan on a plate. I liked the kimchee the best. There were about 6 pieces of meat on the bone. They were thick tender slices perfectly marinated and grilled.
I felt like I was having lunch at grandma’s house. The plates were simple and the food was good. The woman walked over and gave the male customer his bill. I waited a while and finally walked up to the kitchen for my bill. The woman rang up my bill. The man was no where to be found. The kitchen was full of dirty pots and pans in the sink.
I don’t think I can get over the smell of the place and won’t be back.

It’s so hard to fulfill my cravings for tofu soup in Berkeley, but Koryo came close! It’s a small restaurant tucked in the quaint (and slightly sketch) plaza on Telegraph.
I ordered the spicy tofu soup with vegetables, egg, and beef. I got to try the bulgogi as well. I thought the meat was a little saltier than necessary, but I liked my tofu soup accompanied by six side dishes. The taste was slightly bland, but it was close to what I’ve had at my favorite Korean tofu house. The space is pretty big, and the owners are very nice, although service was slow considering I was one of the few who were there.
Still, I enjoyed my experience and I’ll definitely come back here when the cravings start up again.

It is run by an old Korean couple, which makes it more authentic. You will have to be a little patient. They have a great choices of Korean dishes; I ordered the spicy rice cake and Ramen, and it came with free side dishes.

I’ve been here twice and both times I left with a satisfied feeling. The food is decent, a little pricey at dinner time, but it’s not bad. However, it’s not the best I’ve had, but overall, I think it’s decent.
I ordered bulgogi the first time I came here and I ordered beef curry the second time. Service is kind of slow since it’s run by a husband and wife team. The wife is usually cooking, cutting, or washing dishes if there aren’t that many customers around. So, when you order food, the banchan (side dishes) come out at the same time as the regular meal. However, the food is good and they’re willing to refill the banchans.
Personally, I prefer the curry. The bulgogi was fine, but it’s kind of hard to mess up. Definitely come here to just a get a relaxed, comfortable, hole in the wall kind of experience, but just be prepared to wait around 15 minutes for food since there is only the wife who does the food while the husband sometimes waits on customers and does the more financial side of things.

During our visit, all customers besides my party were Korean students. They definitely look like regulars of the establishment as the waiter was a bit chatty with all of them. Perhaps that says a lot about this place? I would think it’s safe to say it’s authentic, but I’m not much of a Korean cuisine expert. You be the judge and give it a try.
We ordered spicy pork, kimchi fried rice, and stir fry seasoned rice cakes. Among the three dishes, I was pleased with the spicy pork and kimchi fried rice. The rice cakes were OK, but can easily pass on it.
Customer service was the only issue. I felt it wasn’t personal, but as a paying customer we deserved to be equally treated. The waiter seem to be very polite with all of the Korean speaking customers. It could be a language barrier or maybe he favors the regulars. We simply didn’t get the same attention. It was an uncomfortable situation. The impression was that requesting for anything was totally out of the question. Funny, but that’s the truth. If you really don’t care for service and don’t speak Korean, this would not ruin your dining experience.
Overall, the food was great. Customer service lacks, but feel the food makes up its short comings. Price was inexpensive. I would give the business another chance, but this place is surrounded by other great restaurants with better service. Koryo is not on the top of my list when dining somewhere on Telegraph.

For those of us livin’ in the deep South (of Berkeley), where we say «ya’ll» in a Southern drawl and go a-​eatin’ at different restaurants, Koryo is a welcome find. I can’t believe I been walkin’ to Toust all this time with a decent Korean restaurant so close it’s only a street-​hike away!
The service ain’t runnin’ on superhuman speed — unless that elderly couple is just keepin’ it on the down low — so be prepared for your food to take some time gettin’ to you. Specially that banchan. It don’t arrive ’til yo food does. Speakin’ of the food, you might have some trouble figuring out what it is you’re eating since the menu only has the Korean name (in Korean, surprise surprise) and an English description. I was looking for the dolsot bibimbap since e’erybody was raving about it, but those two words never popped up on the menu! Thankfully, the description of beef and veggies served in a clay bowl did.
Well, my friends, beef and veggies served in clay bowl was a fantastic choice. Even after mixing the veggies, rice, and meat together until the mixture was homogenized to my heart’s desire, the bowl stays hot enough that it continues to cook your rice until it’s brown and crispy on the outside. I’ll definitely be back here for mo’!
P. S. Lunch specials are no longer $ 4 – 5. Inflation of American dollars has now made it closer to $ 8 – 9.

Koryo is a sleepy little Korean restaurant on the edge of Telegraph and Blake. It sits in an L-​shaped, slightly dingy garden courtyard known as «The Village.» Besides Koryo, «The Village» is home to a few other ethnic restaurants and an electronic cigarette shop (lol, yeah, I did a double take, too)!
While Koryo’s dim, seemingly medieval décor may not have the most glamorous surroundings or interior, I find their food comforting and delicious. The prices are exceptionally student friendly, too. Every dish is under $ 10 and served with six side dishes (banchan). Come for the lunch specials (marinated rib eye was delish, served with a savory seaweed soup, and a bowl of rice) or the dolsot bibimbap (crunchy rice at the bottom of the stone pot, ftw!). The soondubu (spicy soft tofu soup with meat) was tasty, but just okay in terms of flavor. The menu actually says that oysters are added to the dish, but I definitely did not see any in my soondubu. However, the yolk of my egg was almost fully cooked by the end of my meal, which is just how I like it.
Come to Koryo when you’re feeling under the weather, when you’ve just finished up a tough round of finals, or when you just need some time to recharge. If you’re like me, the warmth of comforting Korean food in a homey setting will cheer you back up :) 3.5 stars.

This review is way overdue, so if things have improved since, I’m sincerely happy.
Not that is was that bad when I came, but the food didn’t sit right with me.
The 6 banchan were decent (
), nothing phenomenal but not scarring.
I ordered the RICE CAKE SOUP with EGG AND BEEF DUMPLINGS (
), which cost around $ 8.95. I just remember thinking that they used way too much salt. The dumplings were tasty, though.
My friend ordered their BIBIMBAP with BEEF, KIMCHI, and SPICY SAUCE for around $ 9.95. The rice crisped well, the kimchi was a great addition, but the meat was a bit scarce, and the raw red cabbage was a very strange component of the dish.
Not bad.