EM Deli Catering

This Korean grocery store may be small in size but carries a decent selection of Asian products. It also has a good amount of ready-to-eat foods available. A dining table at the front bay window affords great street views!

Incredible friendly staff with everything you could possibly want here. Food staples, salty snacks, sweet desserts, spices, hot and ready food. Thank you for all the delicious snacks!!!

Personally, I was initially most interested in EM Deli and Catering for getting ingredients for preparing Korean food. I am a newby learning how to cook Korean food, and EM Deli has so much available in their small well-organiser space. Their store is sparkly clean, and everything is easy to find. There On the left, when entering their store are small containers of ready to eat single servings of delicious dishes that they have prepared. Personally, I got seaweed salad, and squid salad—both were absolutely fresh and delicious! Besides a refrigerated case  that included some important veggies, sauces, and tofu for preparing your own dishes., They also have frozen commercially packaged food for using later. They have dried goods like rice, soy sauce, noodles, and seaweed. They also have lots of Korean cuts of meat, and can get you fresh fish from San Francisco. If you just want to get what they have already prepared, you can go down to actually see what they have. You can order online. We had a small dinner party of four and got carry out. When it was brought home, we ate it so quickly that i forgot to take pictures.

Great selection of Korean hot food, bonchons, snacks, frozen treats, staples and more. Found some of my bonchon favorites that are hard to find now like raw seasoned crab. Prices are higher but that’s expected given its location but it’s well worth the convenience and delicious food.

The fresh Kimchi here is amazing!!! My girlfriend and I made a quick stop in here to grab some quick groceries for dinner but wow... We should have gotten the big kimchi tub because the mid size container we bought was gone within 3 or 4 days. This little market is so cute and I love the fact that they have steamed buns ready to go at the counter like the Korean convenience stores I visited in Seoul did. I really enjoyed my curry bun and the beef kimbap. This market is such a great spot, and I look forward to trying more of the prepared items from here as well as just picking up the odd grocery item.

I love this place. Everyone who works here is so kind and friendly, the food is great, and the selection of Korean groceries is exactly what I need. Amazing store. Thank you!!

The kimchi was a little too bitter for me and not as spicy as I like it. That said, it's a very nice small store.

Glad to have found this small Korean deli in downtown Montclair. The tteobokki and meat jun were yummy and reasonably priced.

Love this place so much. The family is so delightful, as are all the employees, and they have a great selection of reasonably priced Asian groceries. The grab and go meals are delicious and portions are enough to feed two with a side.

Parking is limited , coined parking. I believe this is Family owned. There is pre-made food, my son loves the bbq pork bun. There's also fresh sliced meat but it's kinda pricey but nice options, limited selection but fresh vegetables at great prices. Lots of Korean frozen goodies, snacks and ramen. Great place for kids to hang out. There's a small round table to sit, and some seats in the sides to eat your snacks. Overall, I enjoy coming here and I'm glad there's a location like that here.

This review is on behalf of my mother and the rest of our family. EM Deli & Catering made meal boxes for a large family event that we hosted; we ordered about 80 lunch boxes. This is what my mom wanted to say: "The rice was dry. The spinach and the japchae tasted and smelled like they were going bad. Also some of the food, like the spicy pork, spilled all over the place so it made a huge mess all over the other meals and on people's plates and clothes. The mung bean sprouts had zero taste and were bland." We had to take some of the meal boxes home from the event and by the next day, all of the food smelled pretty rancid. I think their boxes may be good for a small outing or immediate consumption, but maybe not for a big catered event and definitely be wary of the packaging/your clothes if you want to get the spicy pork.

Stopped by two days in a row bc I was here for two other appts yesterday and today and I love how convenient this shop is. The shopkeepers are all super friendly also which makes me want to support their business. The store is always stocked well. Today I picked up a variety of frozen goods to try to feel my family when we have a tight 30 min turnaround time for dinner during weeknights including a frozen tonkatsu pork cutlet, frozen salted mackerel fish, frozen bulgogi rice balls, and frozen udon you can drop into miso soup. I also got these cheesecakes my kids love for breakfast tomorrow. It's a one stop shop bc I can grab lunch for dine in or to go here too. Or dinner to go. And they catered my daughter's birthday party this spring and I still have friends who ask me for the contact info for their gim bap from the party now.

This deli is located in downtown Montclair Village, and it has lots of snacks and deli food to choose from. We tried the meat jun and spicy rice cakes, and both were yummy and reasonably priced.

Love this place. Their food is good and big portions. Very friendly people. I love the kimchi fried rice, spicy pork bowl, japche, and their buns.

I honestly love stopping by here anytime I'm in Oakland. Lots of variety of drinks, snacks, and ready-to-eat food - great for picnics or when you're in need of a quick meal. It's easy to go overboard here and end up leaving with stuff that'll last you the whole week. Perfect for students or people like me who just don't have the time/energy to cook :) Pro-tip: visit on a Sunday and you'll also be able to check out the Montclair Farmers Market that happens on the same street

Absolutely adore this place. They have excellent banchan (much better than hmart - this is more like what my Korean grandma would make). But what really stands out for me is the fresh kimchi (geotjeori)!! This is something I've been unable to find in the Bay Area. I have not found any good ones at the Korean groceries until this one. The owners are also so sweet and kind!

I miss working in downtown Oakland and being able to stop by their storefront on 14th Street. Montclair is out of the way, but I would still drive to support their business. They have great cuts of meat for KBBQ and other dishes, along with an amazing selection of banchan that you don't normally see even in places like Koreana Plaza in Oakland. Last December, my then fiance and I stopped by to try their kimbap because we were thinking of offering that along with lumpia during cocktail hour at our wedding. EM Deli's beef and burdock kimbap is absolutely delicious and we emailed them to see if they would be able to fulfill an order of three trays (approximately 675 pieces). They were able to fulfill the order and even delivered directly to our venue in Alameda for an additional fee. The ordering process was so easy and they offer quite a large selection of items. The lumpia we ordered was meant to represent my Filipino-American heritage while the kimbap represented my now husband's Korean-American heritage. After our wedding, my brothers and a number of other guests expressed how much they liked the kimbap, even above the lumpia, haha. Do yourself a favor and order from EM Deli! I know I will be reaching out to them for future catering needs, too.

I catered rice bowls for a work meeting but most people didn't finish their bowls. =( I wonder whether it's worth to try out their bibimbab...

It's still very nice to have this local grocer around. Realistically though, the prices are a bit higher here than at some other Asian markets. For example I bought a package of fresh noodles from their refrigerated section (the same kind I buy often at other Asian markets - photo attached - and by the way these specific ones are great, slightly chewy, noodles), and a package of their kimbap ($8-9) from their deli section. There was no price tag for the noodles, and my total was $20 including $1-2 tip. So not sure if the noodles were around $9 (I didn't think much about it at first and opted to not get a receipt), but at various other Asian markets the noodles are usually around $5. Also, the male staff person is not that friendly. The ladies are great.

Came across this place after the nearby restaurants were closed that Sunday afternoon when we were getting a late lunch. YUM! My heart skipped a beat looking at the variety of dishes offered. We definitely got too much food for 2 adults but it was so affordable. I'm getting 3 work lunches out of the leftovers! We got a beef bento box, kimchi fried rice, Japchae, a combo California roll/inari, mini pork bun for kiddo. Yummy Korean food!

I am no expert, but I thought this place way great. Was on a walk and just happened to stumble inside and was awed at what I found. Its a small sized market but has so much to choose from from good, packaged, treats, pastries, and packaged meals and bento boxes! They even have a table or two where you can sit inside and eat I got the japchae and it was for a good price, good portion a little sweet but I would recommend.

I couldn't be more excited about EM. It's a true wonderland of premade food, chips, drinks, candy, produce and any ingredient for Asian cuisine you could imagine. I really enjoyed the pork buns and the jap chae. I can't wait to return again!

Kimchi Fried Rice is my favorite. They also have good JapChae (potato noodles). Great portions. A large assortment of snacks, noodles, unique beverages, and prepared foods. Jenny and the gentlemen who own the Mt.Clair place are always there working firsthand and they are seriously some of the nicest people! Sunday visits are fun because the road is blocked off for the farmers market so you can sit somewhere outside if you find a spot.

We love this little market, the prepared food is so good, you'll end up craving it. We love the steamed buns, and we've also really enjoyed the hot bento lunches and kimchi.

So- full disclosure- I'm reviewing take out food from here as my wife brought it to me- I didn't (yet) visit the deli myself. But- after years of eating and enjoying Korean food, I can say without a doubt the kimchi here is the best I've eaten hands down. Just their regular kimchi, they offer numerous varieties. I also tried their green onion kimchi, and while it was good, I didn't love it as much as the plain ol kimchi. I definitely will be visiting and eating through the menu soon so I can update my review. But you gotta try their kimchi!

What a gem of a place and how amazing to be able to get my Korean fix in Montclair instead of venturing to downtown Oakland. The staff and owner are friendly and the premade food fresh and delicious. Ranging from rice bowls, kimbap, spicy rice cakes and a huge array of banchan. They even have the spicy raw marinated crab which is impressive and the homemade kimchi is wonderful too. I'm so glad they opened in this neighborhood!

Delicious hot food! The services was pretty fast I didn't wait long in line! I'm curious about the friend chicken and can't wait to try it. The place is a bit small but a lot of options to look at and buy! I will definitely come again!

Personally, I was initially most interested in EM Deli and Catering for getting ingredients for preparing Korean food. I am a newby learning how to cook Korean food, and EM Deli has so much available in their small well-organiser space.  Their store is sparkly clean, and everything is easy to find. There On the left, when entering their store are small containers of ready to eat single servings of delicious dishes that they have prepared. Personally, I got seaweed salad, and squid salad--both were absolutely fresh and delicious!  Besides a refrigerated case  that included some important veggies, sauces, and tofu for preparing your own dishes., They also have frozen commercially packaged food for using later. They have dried goods like rice, soy sauce, noodles, and seaweed. They also have lots of Korean cuts of meat, and can get you fresh fish from San Francisco. If you just want to get what they have already prepared, you can go down to actually see what they have. You can order online. We had a small dinner party of four and got carry out. When it was brought home, we ate it so quickly that i forgot to take pictures.

Excellent sushi and service is fabulous. Chop chai is yummy. Located in beautiful Montclair.

I used to go EM Deli at their previous location in Downtown Oakland/Chinatown when there were on 14th Street but I liked their move to Montclair because I live there. Their staff are friendly and while they don't have all the items like a full Korean Supermarket, they have quite a few things including snacks, sauces, a deli section of butchered meats (both marinated and non-marinated) and different prepared foods including kimchi fried rice, fried chicken, etc. and prepared meals. The quality of the meat is pretty good, I normally get the non-marinated because it's slightly cheaper than the marinated. It's convenient for cooking to have the sliced packs of meat ready to go which might be a little pricier than getting a big steak or roast @ Safeway, but the quality makes up for the price in my opinion. They have what you need to do the whole Korean BBQ thing from your own home, check them out.

The staff here is phenomenal and all of the food we've tried has been excellent. I particularly love their kimbap and japchae. My dad got a spicy chicken bowl the last time we were there and I think it might be one of my regulars now. While the ambiance is that of a grocery or bodega, everything in the store is thoughtful. Service wise, I've been in a few times close to closing and the cashier has added items they won't be able to sell to my bag. Everyone is super nice and this is a great spot in Montclair

Still love this place so much. Bento boxes are still my fav. They pack so much great stuff in - terrific rice, noodles, meat, crispy tofu, veggies, sauce, wonton and what ever that cool egg thing was. I have to remeber to come here for the wide range of pantry items I sometimes struggle to find at the local grocery chain stores (noodles, sauces, edamame). And the person behind the counter was a gem.

So the wedding happened. They were on time, set up in rapid time and were off before the wedding party arrived which was an extremely short window. The highlight was the short ribs. Oh my god. If you get catering from them, this is the one. Everything was delicious but if I ever use them, I hope it's just a pan of rice and just trays and trays of the beef. The wedding was great and in no small part due to the food.

One stop shop for all your Korean cuisine needs. Cute market in Montclair that has a small selection of produce, frozen dumplings, soups, snacks, banchan, and bbq meats. They even have a deli with bento boxes, kimbap, japchae, and fried chicken. I've been at the deli a few times and enjoyed their japchae and kimbap for a quick lunch. While this market isn't as extensive as the one in downtown Oakland, I found it had all the essentials I needed if I'm ever in the mood for Korean food. Staff were friendly and were helpful with answering questions.

I absolutely love this place. I can get my imported Kit Kat fix without having to go downtown. They also have UCC coffee, Ramune soda, canned boba drips, lots of great snack options (including Turtle chips, my fave), steamed buns, kimbap, many hot food options, and so much more. The location is great as it's close to other places often on my list of errands. The store is always clean and tidy and the staff is super friendly and helpful.

Great service. Clean space with all the basic condiments, ramen, snacks and rice. Cold-case prepared foods had nice variety. Freezer nicely stocked.

This place is great! I come down here once every week for stuff and it's always a pleasure being in there. The snacks and food are all very unique and the ambience makes me really feel like I'm in Japan. Which is really saying something because (and this is the only small negative thing about this place) the store is very small! The staff is also VERY friendly and heartwarming!

Cute little Korean grocery store with hot food ready to eat as well! They have little of everything, so make sure to stop by and take a look! I always get their pork belly here, the price and quality meets my needs so whoever wants to try kbbq at home, you know where to go ;) Service is always friendly and nice!

If you aren't careful you will totally miss this spot! I've been saying forever that I want somewhere to find quick grab and go savory snacks and meals, this is it! Also my daughter is SO picky when it comes to food, she got the steamed buns and loved them. Also I got the noodles and kimchi fried rice which was amazing! Everyone who works there is super nice too! You will be seeing me here regularly :)

The japchae noodles were chewy, well seasoned and had lots of green onions. I would purchase this item again if I didn't want to go to a restaurant and wait for it. The tteokbokki was delicious! It was the right consistency and the sauce had the right amount of spicy; with bits of cabbage, peppers, fish cake.. I would definitely come back for this. As for the fried chicken with spicy sauce; it may have been good when it was first cooked. It tasted as if it had been sitting out for a while or could've been left over from the day before. I would not buy this item again.

EM Deli and Catering is great! I stopped by today to pick up a quick lunch on my way to work. Had a craving for Kimbap! Ended up wandering around the store for a little bit browsing - fought the urge to stock up on ramyeon, Turtle chips, banchan, drinks, and other snacks! EM has everything! I ended up buying japchae and kimbap - both were very tasty and hit the spot! I even have some leftovers to share with my husband. I have previously tried the bibimbap which was also very good! EM is located in the heart of Montclair. There is street parking and, if you happen to go during busier hours, parking can be a bit difficult. The staff is very friendly and helpful. They didn't have any kimbap out when I stopped by, but when I asked if they had any, he went to the back to check! The kimbap was in my hands in less than two minutes!

Divine Food! So convenient! Always fresh! So many choices! Huge variety of Groceries. REALLLLLY nice staff! Oh, and did I say great prices? Great prices.

I love this market for finding Asian staples for cooking at home. The grab and go bowls are wonderful especially for my kids for an after school snack. Prices are good, the store is exceptionally clean and organized and the woman who works there is so friendly and kind. A few weeks ago I was there with my 11 year old daughter and the woman gave my daughter an extra grab and go dish. How nice is that?!? I loved this market since its opening, so glad it's around and will continue to make it a part of my regular shopping.

I was a little disappointed after having shopped at their previous location in downtown Oakland. The most frustrating was that a large majority of their grocery items did not have prices so I was not inclined to buy much. I bought the premade deli spicy chicken pieces $9.99, jap chae bowl $7.99, and beef kim bap $8.99 (one roll) to try. All were just ok. My mom bought the chicken bento for $18 but said it lacked flavor and substance. I probably won't go back unless I'm in the area and craving kim bap.

We catered EM for our wedding and they delievered to Sacramento! And ALL my guests said that the food was delish! My korean family & my korean friends all said that this is THE BEST. They also provided chaffing dishes & delivery & plates and to go boxes and wow goly! This place is worth your money. I want to cater from them everytime we host a big event! They made the process so much easier and once our wedding was done the food was all gone! The people kept wanting more! I would recommend - and I am telling all my friends to cater from them. They are the best!

3.5 stars overall but rounding up. Cute grocery store and take out spot for Korean food. We stopped by around 1pm on a Saturday, and it was busy but not crowded at the time. They have all the basics, such as rice, noodles, ice cream, drinks (even alcohol), so perfect for a one stop shop. They also have a good selection available for take out food- some dishes are pre-made and kept in a warmer, and some are in their refrigerated section. I ended up trying: -Spicy Pork Rice Bowl (Served w/Kimchi, Miso Soup, $9.99, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=VabTOIkkt9Ag657dLdLmGg&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg): The pork had good heat to it, and this was a substantial rice bowl. I didn't drink the miso soup, but their kimchi was solid. -Japchae ($6.99, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=F1mHsmocCzmQmbpw-6xrLA&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg): This was a GIANT bowl of japchae, and they pack it to the brim. We felt like we ate a good amount but it didn't seem like we made much of a dent in the bowl. Their japchae was flavorful and cooked well- recommended! -Samanco Strawberry Vanilla Ice Cream ($6.99, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=ojGZeoLXw6080ukQBY0i4Q&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg): Yum- I liked the combination of strawberry jam and vanilla ice cream, and it's a bonus that the ice cream is neatly enclosed in the fish shaped wafer shell. Their staff was really friendly and helpful, and all were wearing masks correctly. Hand sanitizer is available. I would come back for Korean groceries if in the area, and pick up more food (such as their kimbap!). Parking may be tough in this area- metered parking spots were available, but there are a lot of restaurants/shops on this street and it can get busy.

Wow I'm so pleasantly surprised to find a Korean eatery and convenience store in this area! Learn from me though - don't order online and instead go straight there to pick up hot food. That's what the owners so kindly told me when I arrived. Because of the fees they have to pay takeout/delivery apps, they raise the price of all their food there. I paid $11.99 for a bulgogi and rice bowl, which was $8.99 in store. All of their items are really well priced if you pick up and go. And they have a great range of Korean mains and appetizers. In addition to our chicken and pork rice bowls, I got a Korean omelette dish and kimchi pancakes! The bowls were decent! I could tell the bulgogi had been sitting out awhile so it was a little dry. The chicken was better though. The appetizers were nothing spectacular, but were affordable and appeased my Korean food craving. I feel like I'd be here all the time trying different specialty items if I lived nearby. Definitely check this spot out!

My favorite place to get anything Korean related! They have the best kimchi I've ever had and that includes any restaurant I've been to.

Everything was delicious, well prepared and plentiful. I went in planning to just buy a Kimbap for my husband who works around the corner at Highwire Coffee. He said his coworkers go there often during lunch and bring back a Kimbap for him. So, of course, I took the opportunity to check out the store while I was in the area. I was pleasantly surprised with their wide selection of banchan. I wanted to buy them all! I chose the sweet radish. So perfectly seasoned. Then I saw the Kimbap and got the Beef one, yummy! I walked around and enjoyed seeing many snacks and frozen dumplings. I stopped and picked up a package of Hot tofu soup to make for dinner. Loved that they sold a half head of napa cabbage without having to buy a whole 3-5 pound one like in other grocery stores. So put that in my cart too! When I headed to the register, the nice lady named Jenny was very friendly. I told her that it was my first time in her store and that I really liked all the choices of prepared foods. She was so kind to gift me a package of Japchae as it was my first time in her store. I was so happy and grateful. I told her that I will definitely be back soon and that I lived in another town but that my husband works close by. By the way, the Japchae was the best I've ever tasted EVER!! Even better than at restaurants. Can't wait to come back to try more foods and support this local business. Thank you, Jenny, for making me a loyal customer!

Great family take out Korean restaurant in Montclair. Ample parking outside on a Saturday afternoon. They have tons of snacks and drinks along with hot meal dishes. Everything is neatly packed and so fresh! We got the kimbap sushi and a variety bento box to share along with a strawberry milk. Each meal comes with a free miso soup. The restaurant is super clean and pristine. I'll need to check out their ramen packs. I've never seen a bigger variety elsewhere.

I like coming here for my hotpot and know needs! They have a great selection of bon chan as well as seasonings and sauces! There's also all the thinly sliced meat and refrigerated meal kits. They also have all my favorite instant noodles that you can only get at Asian grocery markets. There's also a hot food bar for the nights I am hungry for a bento box because I'm indecisive and want a little bit of everything. The staff is always so nice and helpful! Sometimes when I'm unsure on the bon Chan or dipping sauce to go with the meat I'm buying, they give suggestions and it's has always been a great pairing.

I stroll by this place often. Yesterday I decided to give it a try because I Love Korean food and culture. You can get pre made food. It's all individually packaged. Very clean and neat. There's lots of variety of pre made kimchi, pickles and marinated veggies. You can also get marinated Korean bbq meat to take home and grill yourself. What a great and delicious dinner idea! I got the marinated chicken thighs and beef short ribs. I Threw them on my BBQ and in 30 minutes we had a huge Korean bbq feast. It's was so so good. Marinated to perfection. So delicious and easy. They also have a ton of PPE masks and gloves. Lots of hand sanitizers and disinfectant wipes in case you were looking for some.

Our go-to spot for delicious rice bowls, bibimbap, and more. Staff and service is great. So glad to have discovered EM Deli!

On Monday night, I made Momofuku's Bo Ssam (which is absolutely incredible, and you should consider making it right away) and the only thing missing was kimchi. I'd considered braving KP (the grocery store FKA: Koreana Plaza) on Telegraph but every day I can avoid precarious parking, crowds and donning a mask to face the masses is a good day in my book. On Tuesday afternoon, the leftover bo ssam was calling out for kimchi. EM Deli & Catering answered the call. I pulled right into a spot on La Salle. There were no lines and the place was spotless. I found a treasure trove of Asian foodstuffs including genmaicha tea (so toasty and comforting!), sweet rice flour (butter mochi anyone?), and all manner of kimchi and banchan! EM Deli & Catering is basically the stuff of my dreams. I plan on being a regular (and can't wait to try one of their lunch boxes!).

Great little place, well stock, clean, and bright. I came here to look for ground red pepper and ended up walking away with loads of snacks, bean paste, kimbap, and radish kimchi. It was pretty late so in terms of hot foods, not a huge selection but pictures more than made up for it. I need to come back to try the hot deli foods. Its nice to know what other hot foods that they have. The cashier was super friendly and engaging, definitely coming back for my Korean cravings and also to try their hot foods.

Veggie bibimbap and Spicy Pork bowl were great! Perfect to bring to the nearby park:) Store was crowded and everyone was very nice. There is limited parking in the area and no bathroom for customers.

This is a great little Korean take out and grocery in Montclair village. My go to is their Bibimbap sushi style rolls. Also handy for Asian condiments. Super friendly staff!