KAOKAO Grill

Casual vibe but really excellent food. We got the chicken set and the brisket noodles, which were both delicious. The combination of American-style barbecue with Asian elements works well, and the barbecue was grilled nicely and properly smoky

Cute little restaurant. We ordered cucumber salad, bbq chicken set and bbq char siu set. Everything tastes so good. Very very high food quality. A lot of flavors. The spicy and numbing cucumber salad is the BEST I have had in the US. Not exaggerating. It’s counter service and they have discounts for cash. Staff is very friendly. Great neighborhood restaurant for everyday eats. Would come back again when we are in Berkeley next time.

The food is spectacular for a small local place. There are so few items on the menu that each one has been perfected. They recently added noodle dishes and so far we’ve tried three of them . The noodles have great chew and lots of flavor. The grilled meats are so smoky, tender and flavorful. This is my favorite place on College Ave and I really wish other people would discover it. One note: it takes a while (not a long time) to get the food. It’s casual so it feels like the food should be out faster, but it’s got restaurant pacing. It’s not fast casual. It takes a reasonable amount of time to make food that good.

Let me preface this by saying the food is Absolutely Delicious, the pork was tender and sweet and flavorful while crispy on the edges. The rice and the cucumber salad pair very well with it. I'm leaving 4 stars because the menus that I found online suggest severe price inflation (the pork was 12$ during soft opening, 16ish less than a year ago, and now it is 21 + tax and tip = 25 to 30$. We had no idea of the price increase before walking in so we were surprised at the large price difference. My partner and I ended up ordering only one bowl to share. The portion sizes are perfect for one person but definitely not for two (this makes sense). I think that the food is worth the money!! It's delicious and takes a massive amount of time and effort to make. Probably some of the best pork I've ever had. But my experience could have been made better if there was better price transparency online.

Amazing flavors and technique served in a sweet, if straightforward, restaurant seating area. We had the pork dish with rice and cucumber, which has a complex preparation and a sweet, salty, crunchy taste. We also had the eggplant salad; incredibly good. My partner had the noodles and brisket dish which he loved; brisket disappeared pretty fast and he said he liked the springy, chewy noodles.

We went a little late and they were out of their popular chicken dishes so we defaulted to the pork. The ‘char siew’ pork was very well done - tender, juicy with a nice shiny glaze on the outside. The cold cucumber salad was also good but could have used a little bit more marinading time.

Mouth-watering smoked charsiu pork and South Asian-flavored chicken. Generous portions, nice accompaniments for each, delicious house soda. I will definitely visit regularly. Their flavor profiles are so fresh, attention-grabbing, and savory.

Other than the wait being a tad long, food is good. (Char Sui bowl, recc ordering a cucumber salad to cut through the sweet and grease.)

I grew up in Singapore, where food is everything--and I'm fussy about it. So when I say KAOKAO Grill in Berkeley is the real deal, I mean it. The char siu pork here is unlike any char siu you've ever had--if you think you've had good char siu before, think again. This one's smoked low and slow over apple and cherry wood, layered with deep Asian flavors, and it's absolutely unforgettable. The chef is a true master--not just with meats, but with vegetables too. My family is split: half meat-eaters, half vegetarians, and this is one of the rare places that satisfies everyone. We keep coming back for dishes like the perfectly seasoned wok-tossed green beans, cold eggplant salad, and peanut noodles loaded with crunch from carrots, cucumber, and actual peanuts. I rarely eat at Chinese restaurants in the Bay Area--most of them, especially in wealthier neighborhoods, are cringey and catered to unadventurous palates. But this? This is the kind of place that makes me believe again. I've already warned the chef: if he ever thinks of closing down because the masses would rather order teriyaki chicken or beef with broccoli, he better give me plenty of notice.

Small portions, slow service, somewhat bland food. Fairly standard price for college but still felt a bit much. Honestly, it was mostly the portions that brings it down for me. There could have been a bit more pasta in my dish or rice in others. I should not be paying more than 20 and leaving still hungry. I do enjoy the small room and atmosphere.

The char siu was textually wonderful -- sticky, a little hard and crunchy from char, and fatty. Flavor good as well, though I wish they'd index less into 5 spice and more into sichuan peppercorn. Comes with some salty cucumber pickles that weren't too vinegary so complemented well. The yogurt marinated chicken was textually good as well, really tender, but flavor profile was not as interesting to me. Chili oil + peanut sauce noodle was an interesting combo. I'll come back here and probably just get the char siu. To me, it was that good and earned them 5 stars by itself.

I'd give more stars if I could. The char siu (pork) combination dish blew my mind. Very simple dish-- just pork, rice and some pickled cucumbers. But everything was made perfectly. Cleaned my bowl.

Finally stopped in and had the most amazing dinner. Value here is A+++! We started with the marinated cucumbers, spicy and refreshing. I could have eaten 3 plates. The eggplant, such a luxurious texture and mouth feel. I could have eaten 3 plates again! The sauces on both shared plates were fantastic. The star of the show was the char sui, and WOW some of the most amazing rich, sticky, sweet flavors. The pickles with it -perfect. How is there not a line out the door?! Server was super nice and attentive. This is an order at the counter place. Very excited for the next time they offer Peking duck. I will ABSOLUTELY be ordering

The menu here is fairly small, but they recently added several noodle soups that I think are worth trying. We got the kaokao char siu and beef brisket noodle soup, and they were so flavorful! the food does take relatively long to prepare, but the employees are kind, and I definitely recommend checking out this spot!

this is the ONLy char siu i like!! flavors and textures are perfect and consistent every time. i also love the chickpea curry. it's so good that i could eat it without rice. love this place... never change

The menu is limited but the food was outstanding. We had the pork char sui and the Kaokao chicken. There was enough food that we could have ordered one of them and a side salad. The 5 spice flavor added to the chickpea curry which accompanied the chicken. The pork was crispy on the outside and tender and juicy in. The accompanying pickled cucumber salad was sweet and crisp. I have never seen cucumber sliced so thinly. The restruant itself is tiny. We ate upstairs. It was a little warmer than downstairs but not crowded. The decor is nonexistent. The service was good. You order at a small stand and they bring the food to you. The staff was polite. If you are in the Elmwood district looking for somewhere to get a good meal this is the place.

My partner and I were in the area visiting a plant store and happened to walk by this place on our way home. It smelled amazing, so we decided to try it out! It's a small place; there was only one woman working there when we arrived (she took our order and also prepared the food). We were also the only people there. There are a handful of tables inside, as well as a lofted area with more tables above the kitchen. We ordered a KaoKao sandwich to split. It was really tasty, with crispy caramelized meat that is smoked in-house, according to signs on the window. This seems like a really unpretentious place that is low key excellent. I'd love to go back and try more menu items in the future!

The SF Chronicle article https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/fikscue-barbecue-bbq-alameda-18637563.php begins as follows: "The West Coast has emerged as a special breeding ground for new growth in American barbecue, with many enterprising chefs incorporating flavors from their respective heritages to great effect. Here, KaoKao Grill in Berkeley uses wood smoke to tweak Chinese char siu...." Reading it made me want to visit College Avenue as soon as possible. I tried ordering takeout over the weekend, but the possible pickup times kept receding whenever I revisited the website. I concluded that the good move would be to visit the brick and mortar shop at noon in the middle of the week. This plan worked well: I was able to step right up to the register and order a bowl of char siu for consumption on the premises. The cash price for my lunch came out to $23.50, including tax and a very modest tip; if you pay with a credit card, you'll be charged a bit more because of the card companies' processing fees. Waiting for my meal, I quickly understood the receding pickup times -- dishes take long to prepare in part because the meat needs to be reheated in their oven. I had plenty of time to look around the interior; the place is very minimally furnished and seems kind of grungy. There are tables upstairs, but I wanted to stay down on the ground to watch the action. The most natural places to sit seemed to be the front window alcoves, but the alcove I chose had a big bunch of flies, who had made the same decision as me. Moving to the center of the dining area, I left the flies behind. After about 20 minutes, my meal was ready. Served in an attractive bowl, it consisted of a bed of rice, a hefty portion of heavily smoked pork and quite a large number of thin pickle slices. Though I loved all the tastes, I was quite relieved that I wouldn't be due for my annual cholesterol check for another 51 weeks. The meat was very rich (ok, fatty), and also both salty and sweet. (The glaze on top of the barbecue had a sugary crunch to it.) Water is available -- you'll need it! Overall, I loved my Kao lunch. If I lived or worked in this area, I'd come by regularly, though perhaps not super frequently. Once per month would arguably be perfect.

wow, this place is such a hidden gem!! the char siu is smoked in-house & each bite is a flavor explosion - it's served with cucumbers & rice that balance out the richness of the meat! the eggplant salad is a delicious appetizer, and the chickpea curry & drunken noodles are also solid dishes! you won't regret it if you come here - just make sure to get the char siu

Loved the pork with the sauce. Place is small with a small menu selection. Owners are nice. Place is a little on the dark side but overall I was pleased

I've had this spot bookmarked for a while now, so I was excited to try it since the ratings were high. I was surprised that only one customer was inside the entire restaurant when we walked in. We ordered two items - Kaokao Chicken and Kaokao Char Siu. The price on the menu for the Char Siu was $18 but it rang up as $21, so when we asked about it, he said their price changed. I think it is important for businesses to make corrections on their menu, especially when they plan on increasing the prices, so customers are not surprised when they get the bill. Both dishes were very pricey for the amount of food that you get. The char siu wasn't flavorful and tasted burnt. I was surprised when the chicken was mixed with curry sauce and tzatziki. I wasn't expecting that combination so it threw me off a bit. The chicken was also just ok.

Friendly, unpretentious, delicious. We ordered four dishes- chat did set, friend string beans, chickpea curry and eggplant salad. I was surprised to find the chickpea curry on the menu and that turned out to be my favorite of the four dishes. Charsiu ( bbq pork) didn't have that bright red food coloring. Perfect balance of tenderness and amount of fat. String beans were excellent- we watched the owner stir-fried it. Eggplant was spicy and flavorful. Definitely coming back.

Came here again on a Wednesday afternoon and the restaurant was almost empty. Service here is amazing, and the workers at the front are super personable and accommodating. Unfortunately, they were completely out of the chicken that I had last time, but I'm honestly glad because I got to try their Char Siu bowl. The menu here is still limited to basically two main dishes, but the simplicity is justified by how consistently good every component is. We ordered the eggplant salad and char siu bowl with extra meat. The cold eggplant salad is dressed in a slightly spicy sesame chili oil, 5/5 as always. The char siu is crusted in a sweet savory glaze, sitting on top of a hearty bowl of rice and curry sauce. So so comforting and satisfying.

Lowkey restaurant tucked away in a peaceful street in South Berkeley. Prices are great and the menu is short but for good reason. Kaokao excels in what they offer: the chicken with chickpea curry and charsiu bbq pork. Both dishes were flavorful and well plated. Surprisingly complements each other well - the char siu sauce especially was amazing. The restaurant is nothing fancy. You order and pay at the register first and then the food comes out relatively slowly during peak hours. Worth the wait and you can get ice cream at Humphrey Slocombe across the street after for dessert!

First off I wanted to try this place for a while now . I read about them in an article of best bbq in the bay area . Finally was in the area and went outta the way to get there because the location where they are is always traffic and a lot of bikers and pedestrians. But I digress I got the char sui pork plate and added a side of pork . It was nearly 40 dollars and the portions you actually get aren't very generous for the price. I know great food sometimes can get pretty pricey but for the food I received was some of the driest and shriveled pork I've ever had . The rice was very well cooked but it's rice and enjoyed the cucumber but also it wasn't very much . So I had to go back to Berkeley again the next day so I brought the stuff that wasn't even edible like dog jerky or something similar. And I can say that he replaced the pork that I brought him back but it also was a very small portion and even after speaking with him and assured me I would get a nice piece it was underwhelming to say the least . And no rice or cucumber even though they didn't have too it would have been nice seeing that I did have to come back and it's a 20 minute drive even when you get into Berkeley. For the two times that I have gone I can get better quality char sui without the drive and also expect to wait 15-20 minutes for something that's not really that great . I didn't eat there but the bathroom was very clean . But the dining room and the stairs look like they've seen better days . I really wanted to try the chicken but after these two experiences and combined with the fact they are pretty far into Berkeley it's really not worth the drive or wait .

Super quaint hole-in-the-wall spot, came here on a Sunday around noon, and was surprised to find it empty! You order and pay at the front and then find your own spot. Not a huge selection of options so we went with what seemed to be the staples--KaoKao Chicken ($20) and KaoKao Char Siu ($24.5), and seated ourselves upstairs. There were quite a few flies buzzing around, so do wish they had some sort of mild bug control. The decor also was incredibly minimal; definitely didn't feel much in the way of charming atmosphere. Once the food arrived, though, I was blown away! The service brought it up pretty quickly, and both the Chicken and Char Siu were well-presented, and well portioned. The Chicken came with a chickpea curry and white rice, and was cooked perfectly with a nice smokey flavor, and the Char Siu was melt-in-your mouth, and crispy on the outside. Definitely one of the best Char Siu I've had in the US. It came with cucumbers and rice as well. Splitting the meal between two relatively hungry people, we still had enough to take home leftovers. Overall, great spot, super underrated, and well worth a visit!

I'm there every few weeks. The food is the highlight Always bringing new friends to try

This tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurant knows how to put out the food! My friend, who lives within walking distance of Kaokao Grill, suggested we have a light meal here and I'm glad she suggested it! We shared two dishes, the cold cucumber salad ($8.25) and the char siu bowl ($21.32) and it was plenty of food for us with even a bit left over. Both dishes were delicious. The cucumber salad was refreshing and nicely seasoned and the char siu in the bowl was great, especially the slightly charred areas that were a bit crunchy. The bowl came with rice and pickled cucumbers, but the cucumbers were not like the cucumber salad, so you won't go wrong ordering the salad *and* getting cucumbers with your dish. Yes, the prices seem a bit high, but in today's market, it's to be expected.

This place is astonishingly great. Such love and care goes into every dish on the purposefully limited menu, allowing each to rise to perfection. The young owner was there and cooking every time we went. Can't decide whether the grilled chicken or har shu pork is my favorite. Two people should buy one of each and share. The humble surroundings -- you order at the kitchen counter and they bring you the food -- belies what is truly a gem of the Bay Area dining scene.

I really like Kaokao Grill. Their menu is small, but they excel in what they do. The food is really high quality. They have two entree options: Kaokao Chicken and Kaokao Char Siu ($15.85 each). I personally love the chicken, which is nicely spiced and has a great smoky flavor. It's served over rice with a delicious chickpea curry---I think the curry is even worth ordering on its own as a side. The Char Siu (and the breakfast sandwich) are also good, but in my opinion the chicken is the dish to get here. They also have some vegetable side dishes; I preferred the eggplant salad to the cold cucumber salad, but the cucumber can be good to complement the meat entrees. I definitely recommend checking them out. For the quality (and portions) of their food, I think their prices are a steal, especially for Berkeley. There's a limited amount seating inside, and you order at the counter. They're also great for takeout: the food is packed carefully and travels well.

KaoKao Grill opened where Trattoria La Siciliana was. Little decor upgrade besides a large banner on the left side. Small dining area downstairs along with an entire floor upstairs. Doors' "light my Fire" playing in background. Offerings: smoked meats, vegetables, finger food. Drill: order at counter, pay, food brought to table. Paying ca$h = no sales tax charged. Char Siu (pork, 17) with rice & pickled cucumbers. -"brined with Sichuan spices, smoked over Cherry wood". -didn't taste the spices, just sugar & salt. Charred outer surface of Char Siu . Inner meat had a juiciness similar to marbling in cooking steaks medium rare. -smoked char Siu is layered with fat and lean pork. Smoking melts fat, tenderizes pork, gives it unique Unami taste seldom experienced.. *traditional char siu seldom has fat. Marinating sauces/spices Cantonese. Fats Mostly liquefied/dripped off the hanging meat. **the marbling cools off. Didn't travel well. Exterior tastes dry. Marbling turns to solidified fat. Not tasty as fresh from the grill. Needs to be reheated... -best eaten asap while in eatery. Take out not advisable. Curry with chickpeas (8) -never seen this version when young since our house never had chickpeas. Typical curry + chickpeas. -tasted good, traveled well. Usually eaten with rice Take outs: -Kao Kao owner is son of a Chinatown noodle eatery. I mentioned I liked the food there. -owner here then asked me sign on wall downstairs. I wrote: "Victor G. Approved".

Totally forgot to take pictures of the presentation and amount of food but it was definitely worth the stop. If you are in the Berkeley College ave area definitely a must try! The service was on point. Met both the owners and both were super nice and helpful (must try the pork when I visit again) The layout is like a traditional hole in the wall with red on white decor. A second level above for dining. You can smell the grill from the outside so you know it's going down! As for portions I wish there was more but maybe I was just hungry that day. From my own perspective I got tasted of Indian meets Moroccan vibes. Again that's just me.

Pure comfort in a bowl! I had the char siu, which was well balanced with the pickled cucumbers. Just the right portion to satiate you. This place is pretty casual, and the staff is super friendly. The only thing was that it was quite loud inside (the smoker?) and I did leave with a lingering smoke smell. But all in all, it was still good and I would go back again!

Oh yes, this is good The pork is cooked perfectly. Some crispy parts, some melt in your mouth parts. The very limited menu is built around this and that's great Bowl: 10/10 Sandwich-- do you love breakfast sandwiches? Must try. The pork on it is perfecto. Bread is thin and crispy. American cheese? Eh. But it's still10/10.

If you love char siu you have to visit this spot in the Elmwood neighborhood of Berkeley. So rich and delicious! The pickled cucumbers help give the dish balance and serve as both an acid and palate cleanser to enjoy such a hearty meal. Staff are friendly and accommodating. The space is homey and perfect for a quiet weeknight meal!

I came to KaoKao for lunch. Delicious food! LOCATION: - Located on College in Elmwood - Free street parking SERVICE: - Order at the counter - There is self-serve water with cups on the first floor - There is seating on the main floor and up the stairs on the second floor FOOD: - KaoKao char siu: the char siu is tender, juicy, and meaty. YUM. I would come back to KaoKao solely for this dish. It comes with rice. - KaoKao chicken: tasty sauce CLEANLINESS: - There were flies on the second floor. Most likely from an open window and limited air flow on the second floor. :(

KAOKAO is the best no-frills restaurant I've ever been to. They now have fresh noodle dishes! The shrimp drunken noodles were perfectly cooked with the right level of char on the onions and noodles. The shrimp itself was good, and I like how they're not too salty. The dish as a whole was perfectly balanced in flavors and textures, but some might crave a tad more moisture to finish the dish and complement the firmness of the noodle. Ordered the chicken set again, and it was absolutely perfect--down to the rice texture, temperature of the chicken, and appearance.

The char siu bowl was absolutely mind-blowing! What an incredible find in the Berkeley Elmwood area that I will definitely be coming back to. The BBQ smokiness can be smelled around the entire block. My husband and I each ordered a char siu bowl (HUGE portion, by the way), and we savored every bite. The meat was tender, the sauce on the side had an authentic umami taste, and the fat of the pork and caramelized, saucy skin of the pork was to die for. We were incredibly impressed by the quality of the food. Service was fast and friendly, giving the impression of a home kitchen kind of restaurant. We were there for dinner on a weeknight, so I imagine our dishes came out quicker than usual and place wasn't too busy. The spicy cold eggplant was also supremely tasty and hit all of the authentic Chinese spices and flavor. I hope business booms at this location and the local Berkeley people can come back to experience some delicious Asian cuisine. Husband's review: "The best char siu I've had in California."

Two days later and still thinking about that char siu... I don't usually write reviews but the first bite was so memorable I had to share. Smoky, salty, sweet...dangerously good and I'm already planning my return visit. We got 1 char siu entree with extra meat ($8) and rice and it was enough for us 2. The cucumbers gave a nice tangy balance to the meat -- I would get the cucumber salad as a side next time because I wanted more of it. The staff were lovely too. So excited to try the chicken next time!

I want to give one million stars! This place was excellent, customer service was perfect, and the food was A M A Z I N G. We ordered the chicken, the sandwich, and the cucumber. It was all delicious, and I 100% recommend this place to anyone in the area. The portions are great, and the plating is beautiful.

This place is hard to review. I'd probably put it at a 3.5. While the food was well prepared, the value is a bit off. The char siu was really good and flavorful, and this place is unique: they do char siu and chicken. The plate that rang in at $17+ was mostly rice. Along with a higher price point, the restaurant itself lacks ambiance or any decor. It's def more a quick eat or to-go joint. Not that trendier decor warrants a higher price point, but it helps. The char siu bowl had this beautifully charred sweet pork. It was fatty and delicious, but as highlighted not a lot of it, especially since the limited portion was also very fatty. It was on an ample bed of rice with a very small amount of gravy, accompanied by a limited amount of a delicious pickled cucumber salad. Gimme more gravy! They have a few options of sides for an additional cost, that if added on, would equal an expensive meal. Maybe offer a scoop of the side to offset all that rice and add more value? I left the meal full, but again, I was filled mostly on rice. Staff was super friendly.

Food: 5/5 - everything was SO GOOD!!! My friends and I came here for dinner and it's safe to say we were blown away. We got the cold cucumber salad, kaokao chicken, kaokao char siu, and the char siu sandwich. The chicken was so tender and paired perfectly with the flavorful curry sauce. The sweet glaze on the char siu was delicious too and it didn't feel too fatty and oily. Service: 5/5 - the people are super friendly! They checked in on us frequently and we also had a good chat with the owner! Ambiance: 3.5/5 - I think this is the only lacking area. In the upstairs seating area, it looked like there was still work being done, like unpainted areas etc. The lighting also made it feel a little dingy. TIP: I would recommend adding the $7 for extra meat! It's super worth it especially for the char siu!

This place is small inside and has only two entrees and some other small bites to choose from. Both of the entrees are quite tasty. The curry sauce they use on the chicken is a bit tangy and very rich. The meat is tender. The char sui is a little bit sweet but also really good. The prices are reasonable and it's a no frills type of place. There's a drink that they make that is also really refreshing. The only thing is, if you don't want to smell like BBQ, I recommend doing a to go order. They marinate the meat so it's really fresh tasting. The owner also comes by to see how you like the food which is a nice touch. Check it out if you're in the area or you are craving meat.

Came here for dinner over the recent atmospheric storm weekend situation. Don't let the modest look of this place deter you. The chicken was juicy, curry sauce delicious and flavorful, all in a healthy size portion. Made two meals out of one order. Friendly service too. Apparently they had a duck offering for the holiday, sadly missed out on it. Pros: No nonsense spot with delicious chicken and rice comfort food. Cons: Kinda hard to park here at times, I recommend walking or taking a ride share.

Beautiful food with a casual vibe! Been wanting to try this place for a long time and decided to go with a friend. We ordered both main dishes (charsiu & chicken) so we could try a little of both. Also got the eggplant salad because it looked flavorful, and the looks were not deceiving. Everything was really tasty and though I'm usually not a fan of dressed up cuisine, this restaurant really delivered with flavor AND presentation. This is a sit down restaurant, but you order at the counter first with really nice cashiers. The service was quick and the staff was super helpful answering all our questions + gave recommendations. The portions may look small but this was enough to have leftovers between 2 hungry people. They have 2 floors of seating. I'll definitely be back for more!

Had the char siu pork and beef brisket noodles with a friend. Food was good, meat well cooked and noodles chewy. There is an upstairs for additional seating. Looks like made to order and small crew so does take time as others have noted. Price is on the higher side but somewhat expected for the area I think.

It's been rare to come across a place that has affordable prices but has exquisite taste. Kao Kao grill is one of those places! Their menu is not big but they do it right for the options they have. We got the chicken and the char siu platter which come at $12 a dish and wow - insanely good! The char, the crisp, the flavor, Oo just everything was so good and I can't wait to be back. I want to try their $5 char siu sandwich next time and all their amazing sides. I hear the eggplant dish is good. Tip: they have spoons and forks readily available but if you want to eat with chopsticks, you just have to ask!

Came here for lunch and ordered the char siu with cucumber salad. The char siu was delicious, tender, juicy, and had a nice smokey aroma. Paired with the chickpea curry it was a delicious blend of umami. The cold cucumber salad had a delicious chili sauce to pair with it. Not too spicy and a delicious savory finish to it. One of our favorite takes on the famous cold dish. Sadly the chicken was not ready when we went there that day, so we'll have to come back and try that dish. However, given how tasty the other dishes were, I'm definitely coming back!

Everything was delicious. The noodles, the eggplant and cucumber salads, the pork belly. Everything. They even made a special off menu lemonade for my toddler. Only downside is that the seating area upstairs has some peeling paint and water stains. It could really use a touch up. But, you came here for the food, not the ambiance. And that food was excellent.

Two energetic young entrepreneurs ,Tony and Randy ,with tasty Asian fusion recipes make for one winning combination! The newcomer in Berkeley is all about grill. In fact Kao Kao actually means grill in Chinese . And they marinate and grill their chicken and pork to perfection. Make sure you order their two staple salads cucumber ( spicy but worth it!) and eggplant .The place thrives on takeout but has an upstairs and downstairs area for dine it too.

Stumbled upon this place while walking on College Ave and the smell of the char siu (bbq pork) really attracted me to investigate. First off, the staff members were really friendly and the place has a decent amount of seating since they have two floors. I tried their kaokao sandwich, which had their char siu and it was basically a breakfast sandwich with char siu. It wasn't bad but the cheese was a bit overpowering. Next, I tried their bbq chicken with some type of tomato curry, chickpeas, and yogurt. You can definitely tell that the chicken is not only bbq on the grill but also marinated in some type of bbq sauce. The sauce was really tomatoey but I really enjoyed it together with the rice and chicken in one bite. I don't think I would get full off one plate of the chicken order and one order is about $15.

Mediocre at best char siu, flavor is passable but the texture and quality of meat is subpar for the price.

This place seriously blew my mind - I wish I could give this over 5 stars! Based on the pictures of the food, I had been expecting a nice / fancy restaurant and so was a bit confused when I stepped in and saw it was an order at the counter / fast casual spot with $15 entrees. The food was truly spectacular - I knew right from the cucumber salad appetizer that we were in for a good time :) The char siu and chicken entrees were both incredible - presented artfully / like fine dining and OMG such high quality / delicious / unique food. And at such cheap prices!! Also the service was very attentive despite it being an order at the counter spot. I cannot recommend this spot enough!

Small menu but the food was great. We got both the chicken plate and the pork bowl. The chicken plate had some sort of curry with yogurt sauce which I was not expecting. The chicken was super tender, falling off the bone. The pork bowl was delicious. The pork was also super tender and the flavor was just amazing. Sweet and salty and umami, everything I want in a pork bowl. Service: you order at a counter and receive a number to place at your table. It did not take that long for the food to come out but since I was hungry it probably felt like a long time. The place is small. There is an upstairs for more seating but very small maybe about 10 tables.

The grill was soooo good, I dont even know to explain ittttt. I 100% recommend it ., The costumer service was also very good. Huge Shoutout to Justin your the man my guy :)

Really good char sui, its like a cross between Hawaiian Kalua pork, and Chinese char sui. Had a good ratio of fat/meat, and the seasonings added flavor without overpowering the flavor of the bbq. The chickpea they put on the rice is really tasty too. Appreciate the thinly sliced cucumber, was refreshing to cut through the heaviness of the pork. The sandwich was ok, but I felt like it really needed sauce, otherwise it was a bit dry. Maybe if they had a runny sunny side up egg in there? It's pretty small, but its only about $6. I put a few cucumber and chickpea curry into it and it was awesome. I found free street parking about 2 blocks down. Parking seemed pretty tough in this area. Food took 17 minutes from when I ordered, I was the only person inside. I was there at noon on a Friday, no other customers inside, seemed like most people calling orders in for pickup, which I recommend to beat the wait.

Was looking around the Bay for the best bbq and didn't know I'd find it at a small and lowkey place like this! The char siu pork is out of this world and the eggplant side dish is addiction-worthy. (But you really can't go wrong with anything on the menu.) The staff are super kind and took time to chat with us after we ate. I'll be back as often as possible!