Mixed Grain

A surprising find in Walnut Creek! Usually I venture out to Oakland/​Concord to get my Korean fix so who knew this little place existed?
I’ve only been here twice so far and so far, I’ve liked everything that I’ve ordered.
I’ve gotten the dolsat bibambap and it was really enjoyable! I liked the fact that it came with mixed grain rice if you wanted and also multiple egg options. Perfect for splitting (if you’re like me and can never finish one in one sitting) so everyone gets that delicious yolk to pool on their rice. NEVER NOT get the dolsat when you order bibambap. It will be one of your biggest foodie mistakes. That crunchy burnt rice at the bottom is
Chapchae was okay, IMO. Nothing stand out about it but I love chapchae no matter what. Kimchi pancake is good, would order again. Also their BBQ meats are pretty decent, fairly priced. Tofu soups also okay.
They also have some yummy asian drinks — honeydew melon soda is delicious!
My only dislike is that you have to pay $ 5 for bonchon, as stated on their menu. HOWEVER, the last time I went, we weren’t charged for bonchon. I firmly believe bonchon should be complimentary — thats part of the experience. I’ll have to try it out again to see what the final verdict is. Bonchon was good both times (albeit slightly different options).

Best Korean food I’ve had! Love the IronWorks bowl with spicy pork and purple rice. White Crunch (fried lotus), spicy fried chicken and kimchi dumplings are the way to go for starters. Everything we’ve had from here had been delicious — can’t go wrong. Clean and cozy if you eat in (and the banchan are so good!) and quick and still delicious if you get it to go. Love this place!

I’m Korean from Korea. I know my Korean food because I also cook Korean food everyday. This place is okay. It’s a little more expensive than the other Korean restaurants in east Bay area and I guess it’s because it’s in downtown Walnut Creek?(expensive lease? Would be my guess) the side dishes are also not the greatest but still okay. Go to other Korean restaurants so you have something to compare. There are other places that give better quality/​quantity side dishes. Service is ok. Korean waitresses there are not the nicest but okay. My husband who’s Korean American doesn’t like going there. He said it’s expensive and food is ok. So overall, not a terrible place but it’s just okay. I have other Korean places that are better so I just don’t go there that much anymore.

I think this place has solid Korean food. We had the grilled mackerel and the veggie soft tofu stew with mushrooms. The mackerel was as expected and was grilled pretty well, no fishy odor. The soft tofu soup was flavorful– we got it really spicy and when they say really spicy, get ready for your mouth to burn off. Despite the hotness level, the broth had a lot of depth and flavor. We also had the kimchi pancake for starters, which was crunchy and pretty good. My daughter had the kids meal, which was pretty awesome– it had rice in the shape of a star and shredded steak, chicken nugget, two fried dumplings, and assorted veggies and seaweed paper. She loved it. Overall a solid experience. I would go back if I’m around the area.

This is the cutest little Korean eatery!
But it’s not as if I just care about looks, its personality is great too! :) (i.e. the food is delicious).
I seriously love everything about this place, from the atmosphere (clean, casual, cozy and café-​like) to the décor (think small wooden tables à la dining hall cafeteria) to the food!
Let’s discuss the atmosphere and food in more detail. When you first walk in, the ambiance is coolly casual; small wooden tables and a brightly lit, arid space encourage you to have a quick lunch rather than a leisurely dinner. This also causes you to make assumptions about the food: quick? to-​go? for the über-​hip lunch set? Probably not the most amazing Korean food you’ll ever have, you start to figure.
You will also notice that there are a lot of signs touting their latest specials, popular items and an awful lot of hype surrounding purple rice! I mean, purple rice is great and all… but what’s with all the hoopla?
Well, it turns out that all the hype (their slogan is «purple is the new brown» after all lol) is because their purple a.k.a mixed grain rice is made particularly well and very flavorful! We even chose it in our kimbap and it added something special, a new twist on an already common Korean dish.
We also got fried rice rolls (yum) and japchae to share. Everything was on point and über delicious, which surprised me to no end because 1) its small size and express café vibe deceived me of its quality 2) it’s on a busy street in downtown Walnut Creek – not exactly the most diverse of places.
Although we got the food to-​go and enjoyed it picnic style since my friend was late for her appointment to try on wedding dresses, the to-​go containers did nothing to detract from the taste and we still appreciated it just fine; which makes me think the food would be even better sitting down! It was actually kind of nice to eat it with champagne since we celebrated after my friend chose a dress!
I suppose this place is chalk full of surprises and a prime example that you should not judge a book by its cover – even if that cover paints a positive picture of cleanliness and refinement. I tend to associate «good» Korean restaurants with old buildings, peeling wallpaper and mother figures behind the counter — you know, a hole-​in-​the-​wall type of establishment — but Mixed Grain reminds me that being consumer-​friendly does not mean that you are inauthentic and kudos to it for breaking down conformities!
I can’t wait to return to try more dishes, especially the soups, BBQ and side dishes. Count me as a fan!

Definitely related to Bowl’d in Albany + Berkeley and Spoon in Berkeley! Had no idea until I saw that they had the same exact menu font and food titles. haha.
Location: Farther from the main shopping area, parking seems to be only street meter parking. We parked at the BP structure and walked over. The restaurant itself is pretty small.
Service: Good service, really nice waitresses who were attentive.
Food: Of course I got the dolsot (sizzling works) with beef + mixed grain rice! THE BEST. After I finished, I spent ~15 minutes scraping all the crispy rice from the bottom — you can’t order dolsot and not do that. I honestly think it tastes a lot better than Bowl’d — the sauce seems to be more an authentic gochujang and the veggies are tastier! Banchan were also really good, though kimchi was probably worst of the bunch.
TLDR; Find parking where you can, come put your name down, and get the sizzling works. Spend a few minutes after scraping the rice off the bowl.

Unfortunately, I haven’t experienced much Korean food so my rating isn’t compared to many. Anyhow, a girlfriend and I ate here during lunch today and was seated right away at the beginning of the lunch rush.
We both ordered the Sizzling Works Dolsot which is basically a bibimpop served in a stone bowl that crisps the rice at the bottom to later enjoy. I ordered with purple rice and kalbi (short rib). Long story short… I killed it. It was good. They served it their version of miso soup and 8 sides; Kimchis, other pickled veggies, kale salad, etc.
We also ordered the crab pancake which i also enjoyed. Although it kind of reminded of a Filipino Torta which I can easily make as well, but still it was good.
Would definitely go back!

Finally got to try this place for lunch and loved it. Walnut Creek finally has good Korean food and ramen down the street!!! I had the shrimp dumplings and the bibimbop with chicken and purple rice-​all fantastic. The staff really cared that I was happy with everything as I think they knew it was my first visit. I will be back with friends next time!

I’ve never ever eaten Korean BBQ, EVER! Yes, I’m a fan! I walked in for lunch today around 1pm. Small, clean and cozy. It was empty, so I thought I just missed the rush, apparently not! Once I sat down the place filled up quickly. I looked around and noticed there was, me (a white girl), a mother and son who were also white, and all the other tables were Asians. Hmm, no brainer, I think I hit the jack pot! I ordered the spicy ramen soup, it came out in 5 minutes in a sizzling bowl and to my surprise it came with 8 small sides of veggies; broccoli, 3 kinds of kimchee, 2 kinds of root or bean sprout, seed weed salad and fried honey glazed potato (see photo). Whoa! It was a lot of food and for only $ 10 including tip, not bad at all! I ate everything and believe it or not, I walked away feeling great, not full! The service was great, they were so nice! Actually I had to laugh, they probably came up to me 6 – 7 times to see if I needed anything, one waiter even gave me a business card and a «to go» menu. I actually felt they thought I was a restaurant inspector. lol Lets just say, they made me feel very special.
I usually don’t give 5 stars off the bat, but I really have no complaints, I enjoyed every moment, they were very pleasant, fast, clean, inexpensive and I really liked the food! Also, there is street parking and a parking lot at Wells Fargo right across the street, metered.
Thanks for a great lunch experience, I’ll be back!

Had lunch there today for the first time. Service was okay food was so-​so but acceptable.
Be forewarned: they say us in the middle of the restaurant and if it’s cold outside the wind when the door opens will hit you right in the back.
I paid by card and left a 20% tip only to be followed outside by a frantic server asking me to return the signed copy of the receipt. I didn’t take the paper and she didn’t say it nicely. No doubt, it blew off the table when the door was opened just like the second copy I went and signed. I didn’t appreciate being made to feel like I was stealing. I didn’t appreciate the tone they took with me. I stayed cordial and thought maybe they would apologize for the way they were treating me after I walked back in and said I’d sign another copy if they’d like.
I won’t be back again.

The food was good. Served in extremely hot bowls. Beware if you order the Fire Bird’s Nest — I love spicy food but this was just too much. This is the first time I’ve not been able to eat my food because it was just too hot.
I’ve only had Korean BBQ once before so can’t really comment, but the last place was much tastier than Mixed Grain. Then again, it was fantastic. Mixed Grain is OK — if a little pricey. Actually, a lot pricey.

Excellent panchan! Purple rice. Dol sot bimbimbap. And ginseng chicken soup. The latter is $ 20, but easily shareable for two. And so delicious.

Walked in and this place smelled of deliciousness. My nose was correct. This place is so good! Got the dolsot? And I loved it. Order an extra mixed grain rice if it isn’t enough! Short ribs were also especially good. This place is also the cheapest I’ve seen for seafood pancake. $ 10. Tastes good and plenty enough for a party of three.
The only thing I didn’t like was the white crunch. Honestly I felt like fried lotus could’ve been part of the small dishes. There were only a couple lotus on the plate for $ 5 and they tasted like chips. Wasn’t impressed.
Décor is modern and well lit. Mason jars are cute.

I love this place! Came here with a friend for a quick lunch today, and got the regular bimbimbap with sliced beef.
KUDOS
— lots of water refills
— big portions
— the side dishes were great and they even asked if we wanted seconds of anything
— the sunny side egg was just right
— price was reasonable considering the portions
— lots of veggies, and the meat was well seasoned
MOST of alllll: the people who work here are super nice. The last time I came here they let me and my friend stay late past lunch hours because we were talking and didn’t notice that everyone had left LOL and today they helped me break down my $ 20 for four $ 5, no problem! Great people:)

There was a food contest in my mouth tonight and the Chicken Wings won! Oh my goodness, these are the best wings I’ve ever had. So crispy, perfectly cooked, juicy meat and the sauce was so amazing. I can hardly stand to say that this is the first time I tried them. My wife ordered them but I Bogarted a few. Next time it’s my order.
She also ordered the steamed beef dumplings. They won second place in the food contest in a very close race.
I had the Korean Noodles (med spicy) with chicken. So good.
The service is always great. Tonight the place was packed with a line outside and the kitchen and front of house worked beautifully.
Great job!
Did I mention how good the wings were?

Seriously the only time I come here now is when I desperately need a Korean food fix but the last couple times I’ve been here the service has been terrible. I’m sitting here waiting for my check as I write this. Honestly, get in the car and drive the extra 20 minutes to Oakland from walnut creek. It’s Saturday dinner and there are three people working. Three? No wonder I couldn’t get my water refilled let alone food that I ordered.
Not coming back.

Do you ever order the same dish over and over again just thinking, maybe this time it’ll taste good? Well, I have – with bibimbaps. Different restaurants, different occasions and I’ve never found myself able to eat the whole thing in one go… until now. I figured that since the name of this place is all about the bowls, it should probably be good. And it was.
They’ve got a cute, hip feel of the place with a very helpful and varied way to order bibimbaps. I’d definitely recommend the sizzling works. $ 2 dollars more and you get it in a steaming bowl with crispy rice at the bottom. Also, you might as well get the purple rice (aka mixed grains), since it’s healthier and makes you feel better for not getting the dreaded, empty calorie white rice. There’s a bunch of meats to choose from – some a little more expensive than others – but I stuck with the spicy pork. It definitely helped add more flavor to the bowl so I ended up not needing any of the chili sauce they provide you with.
Overall, I had a great meal at this place – food coma and all. It was a bit pricey, even for the bowls, but I’d definitely come back again just for them.

YUM! Want bibimbap (aka mixed grain)? This is where you need to go… now!
For $ 12, you can get a BIBIMBAP — white rice topped with all the veggies and a sunny side up egg. But for $ 2 more ($ 14), you can get a DOLSOT (aka the sizzling works) which is essentially the same thing but served in a hot stone bowl!
Go with the purple rice! It was my first time trying purple rice (which is about 6 different types of rice grains mixed up all together) and it was delicious! There’s a little more texture/​taste to the purple rice. The hot stone bowl makes the rice crispier and hot while you’re eating it.
Also — it comes with soup and unlimited sides! More sides? Yes, please!
Service is great here! Food comes fast. They came to refill our water many times and also asked us if we wanted any more sides — they nicely complement the entrée.
Will definitely come back here to try some of their other dishes! Looks like the ramen stew is also a hit!

Wow. Very tasty and authentic Korean dishes — like a home cooked meal. Helps you get by between visits home.
Whenever I get a chance I try to stop by for my usual — the hot stone bowl (dolsot) with purple rice, bbq pork, thinly sliced beef, and all the veggies. The banchan is always fresh and they’re not stingy with the portions. When your food is ready, there’s always been a nice Korean lady who brings the hot food out.
They have a good Unilocal special on drinks. The service is outstanding and they tag-​team the tables so that you’re never without attention from a server.
Can’t wait to come here more often!

Really good Korean food.
My oh my, how pleasantly surprised I was with this place. The food is reminiscent of my grandmother’s cooking and that’s saying a lot. I’ve been to more than enough Korean places in my lifetime to know the good from the bad. I’ve also grown up in a Korean household eating my grandmother’s and mom’s cooking to know what good Korean food is.
Between my bf and me, we got the chicken wings, dolsot bibimbap and tofu stew. The wings were really crispy and had a yummy sweet and sour sauce glazed over them. The bibimbap had all the right flavors… especially the bulgogi and pork. They had a really nice smokiness to them that added a little more depth in flavor. The tofu stew was amazing. It was jam packed with flavor.
I’m so glad we stumbled upon this place and even happier it’s relatively close to my new home.
We’ll definitely be coming back!