KoJa Kitchen

Interesting place to come visit. Korean and Japanese inspired cuisine, delicious and packed with flavor. They offer foods like spam masubi, rice bowls tacos, etc. What I came for was their version of a hamburger. Packed with protein and condensed between two light fried garlic buns, a different type of carb and equally delicious. This restaurant sits in a very busy area, college town, so it can be hectic getting here, but there’s street parking and parking garages. The wait here wasn’t long at all, and the restaurant itself was clean and the staff helpful. If there are lines or if you would rather order from a screen, they offer that here as well. To go orders are offered here as well.

One of the most convenient takeout locations in Berkeley. They serve some sort of Asian fusion. Service is fast and prices are reasonable. If you order online sometimes they will get your order wrong.

Grabbed a quick lunch here and the koja was delicious - I got the galbi short rib one. The rice patties were crunchy on the outside and nice and chewy on the inside. A little more veg or pickle would have been nice as it was basically just galbi and rice. But overall really tasty rice burger

Today 7/25/24 my family and I came in to eat. This was our first time, but we will never return. Your staff Alan Tsai needs customer service training. He and the other cook put wings in our umami fries and instead of apologizing and remaking the order Alan and your other staff decided to say we did it and laugh at us. They never apologized, or even offer to remake the food. Also, we placed our order before at least 5-6 people in line (who all order in-person). We received our food after all those people and when address Alan Tsai explained we order wings, mind you everyone order wings after us. It's an unfortunate situation because the food was good, but your staff had lost us as customers. We would have returned, but now we will be letting others know about the service we received so they will not be treated terribly.

Close to Cal campus and really good food. I ordered the short rib bowl and the ribs were very tender and the sauce was good. I also ordered the loaded fries and they were tasty too. Would go again and try other things.

Great food in a college town. Open seating... Some tables needed to be cleaned but we managed.

Quick service! Friendly staff! Great flavors! This was my first time here and I️ didn’t know what to expect. They have a bunch of awards on their door and so I️ knew we had to take a look. The menu looks delicious and the food did not disappoint. I️ ordered KoJa short rib and braised pork short rib with their signature fries. Everything packed a yummy punch of flavors. If you want to try Korean but don’t want to be taken back by the new flavors then come here! The only thing I️ would recommend is that you ask your fries to come out fresh. The toppings were hot but the fries underneath seemed a bit cold. Non the less this was a great lunch stop :)

Fantastic as always. I've been to multiple Koja Kitchen locations, and have been enjoying it since they only had one single truck. It's always perfect every time, and this time was no different.

Tasty little spot offering fusion food. I got the kamikaze fries: beef, all the trimmings, added a fried egg and extra sauce. The fries were full of flavor and presentation was bomb. Check it out!

I like KoJa, but my kid LOOOOOVES KoJa. It is the go-to every time we are downtown or Inner Richmond. Occasionally messy, these bites and bowls always deliver great flavor. If you don't like messy fingers or you just got your nails did, go for the bowl option. Tofu, Chicken and Pork are always consistent. Beef is inconsistently fatty, hence the -1 star. Trim the fat of beef and it's five stars.

I've had Koja Kitchen a few times at their Cupertino location, and it's good if you're craving Asian fusion. I always order the same thing, which is the Korean short rib bowl. Since my work was expensing lunch I also ordered the Kamikaze fries. The short rib bowl comes with furikake seasoned rice and spring mix. The short rib is tender but is on the sweet side. The seasoned rice helps balance out the sweetness. The Kamikaze fries are waffle fries with minced Korean BBQ beef, kimchi, Japanese mayo, red sauce, and green onions. The fries are good, but they are heavy. The beef and sauce on the fries are very sweet. So there is a lot of sweetness going on having a rice bowl and fries. I would recommend getting the fries to share with a group.

For the price you can't really complain. I got the chicken with their rice. I have to say that the chicken could have used a bit more seasoning. I'm only saying this since some of the pieces of chicken had the perfect amount of seasoning and others did not. It came with a side of Kimchi which tasted like it was overly fermented. Ambience is nice and clean. To go service is easy and quick.

One line review: Decent but grade incomplete. This is Korean-inspired fast food and has to be judged on that basis. But for what it is, it is decent. Fair portions at good prices is a baseline for me for fast food. Value is paramount, and the value here is decent. The tacos were tasty, and so that gives it a little bump in my opinion. I would have given this 3.5 stars if that had been an option. The inside of the restaurant is non-descript, and the service was adequate. I parked around the corner at a meter, though one might be able to find free parking if one knows where to look (I don't anymore). The reason the grade is incomplete was that I did not actually order the koja -- a kind of Korean sandwich using rice patties for the bread -- a ridiculous oversight on my part. I really need to do that before I give this place a final grace, but so far, so good. Bottom line: I would eat here again when near campus.

Wanted some Korean fusion and KoJa hit the spot! A little on the pricier side but large potions there is enough food for 2 people. Tried the chicken bowl, and steak bowl with fries. The chicken bowl was moist and flavorful with good kimchi and fluffy rice. I paid for it to be topped with a perfectly runny egg. It's worth it to pay for the egg. The beef bowl came with their famous fries and my daughter loved them. Again, very large potions and the food tastes great. If your looking for a quick meal it's worth it to try it out.

On the pricier side for sure-- around $17 for Kami kaze fries and a chicken burger but their flavors hit right! I loved the crispiness of the kami kaze fries with the sauce and the beef bits on top, it was delicious! The chicken sandwich was a chicken sandwich with "Asian" sauces which put a nice spin on it for me! Would I order it again-- if Koja was the ONLY place open, but it was good to check out!

Great tasting food while we visited the bay for a concert. Delicious. The service was a little dry, my partner would have questions or ask for something and the girl was really short with him.

Koja has been in the area for a few years now and while it was okay when I first tried it, I've had a much better experience now with new management and their menu. They're known for their koja which is a bun made of crispy rice with your choice of protein in the middle. Their short rib is delicious, but more of a trendy type of food that eating once will satisfy. I was actually more blown away by their fried chicken sandwich which has a regular bun, but great fixings and seasonings that make it stand out. I also got ahi tuna poke which I wouldn't expect from this place, but it was fine compared to everything else. They also have great fries which they load up on sauce, toppings, and meat depending which one you get. The service is always straightforward here and they manage a ton of order from various apps. You can dine-in here and it's a casual atmosphere, but I find it better to get food to-go and eat somewhere nearby. Would recommend them to a friend who wants some tasty food with Asian flair

Really Koja ? I've have ate at Koja couple of times especially the one in Alameda never had a problem with the food but today y'all got some nerves giving my son burnt chicken seriously? It was hard , dry I would not even serve that to anyone how embarrassing my son He always gets the crispy chicken bowl but dang after today not anymore very disappointing especially when you're hungry and can't eat the food you're been waiting to eat ..

The food in the trucks is the best. My times visiting the brick and mortars has been all over the place. Usually, the result is disappointment. The store is nice an clean and the people seem cool, but the food is kinda meh... But I came here and I don't know why. It could be my propensity for punishment. That being said, ordering was a breeze. I got what I wanted and it was good. Ordering was done at a kiosk or by the person at the counter. I ordered with her and my food came. I don't know if I'll be back because this could've been a one off. But, I'm glad that I didn't waste my time.

Guess it is a hit or miss here and i got a miss. The young lady who took my order was very nice so at least they had that. Ordered kamakazie fries too Go. Started eating them otw driving home. Mind you it'd been 3-4 minutes since I received my order. Fries cold and dry, meat was all gristle and cold like the fries with dry color too it. You know when you make steak then leave it out, it gets darker with that dry skin around it !!!!!way too much red sauce not enough creamy sauce. Just completely horrible...

3.5/5 My friend and I got the Bulgogi combo bowl with Cal fries and a drink and it wasn't bad. The fries were definitely a highlight and came with special sauces (spicy mayo, shoyu and something nutty?). Their bowls were okay, but their beef was pretty dry and there wasn't too much meat. However the general portion was large and I saved this for a second meal! Pro tip: order in Snackpass for a 15% off discount your first order!

Food: great. The umami fries was amazing. Beef Koja was good and teriyaki bowl was so filling with half rice and half salad Drink: I love their banana milk with whipped cream. It was so good Atmosphere: was not busy since the it was raining but I image it would be busy since it locates on Telegraph, a busy street. Service: good. The wait is reasonable

Here's a review for Koja Kitchen: Koja Kitchen has come a long way from its lunch truck days, now boasting multiple store locations. During my recent visit to one of their establishments, I was impressed by the fast service and delicious food. The rice had a delightful crunchiness to it, complementing the juicy beef perfectly. The spice levels were just right, adding an extra dimension to the overall taste experience. Koja Kitchen continues to deliver quality and flavor, making it a must-visit for anyone craving a satisfying meal.

Finally got to try Koja kitchen and it did not disappoint! I got the signature musubi which was stuffed with avocado and a little messy to eat but delicious. I also got the bbq rice bowl that came with salad and kimchi. This was actually a ton of food for only like 11 bucks and also delicious. There were so many fun things on the menu I still gotta come back and try the chicken wings and loaded fries!

My friends ordered take out from this place yesterday and also got me a kamikaze fries. Oooph. Delicious and a little spicy. It comes in a small container but packed sky high so for me, it was dinner. My friends split a fries and then ordered a couple of bowls but had leftovers. I would do this again! Enjoy!

Fast food level food. And for me too gga and sometimes too oily; I think it's the fries are a weird substitute for white rice. But I just LOVE the fries fusion. The fusion is great.

Ordered a chicken crispy rice burger for pickup; thought it was alright but not amazing. While the rice burger is an interesting concept, taste wise it didn't do much to me--it was just hard and crunchy and didn't taste like much. The chicken was tender, but the sauce just tasted kind of like sugary soy sauce.

Today 7/25/24 my family and I came in to eat. This was our first time, but we will never return. Your staff Alan Tsai needs customer service training. He and the other cook put wings in our umami fries and instead of apologizing and remaking the order Alan and your other staff decided to say we did it and laugh at us. They never apologized, or even offer to remake the food. Also, we placed our order before at least 5-6 people in line (who all order in-person). We received our food after all those people and when address Alan Tsai explained we order wings, mind you everyone order wings after us. It's an unfortunate situation because the food was good, but your staff had lost us as customers. We would have returned, but now we will be letting others know about the service we received so they will not be treated terribly.

Ordered Koja Kitchen for catering my office earlier this week and boy was it a success. We ordered their bowls and their sandwiches and all of it was a huge hit. Their portions are super generous for the price, too. I was able to save half of my bowl for dinner that same night. They also took the time to label everything with our names on each order along with menu item name to top it off. That little extra detail made a huge difference and was extremely appreciated! I highly recommend this restaurant if you're craving some good, hearty food :)

Great place to get quick food that's filling and flavorful. I ordered the Korean buffalo wings and Umami fries and they both were super good. Ordered for pick up to bring back to my dorm and the order was done within 15 minutes. I was shocked at how fast it came out but the food was super fresh. The wings were crisp and a great size. Nice flavor in the sauce. The fries were the star for me! The pork was so good and the sauces really complement the entire dish. I was super full after eating this. If you're around UC Berkeley and need something fast and tasty, definitely stop here.

Today I went to the Berkeley location and my mom found a chicken wing in the umami fries. I showed Alan Tsai and the cashier the fries both told me I put the chicken in the fries, and that they do not cook the chicken with the fries. Instead of fixing the problem Alan and cashier began to laugh in my face. I asked them if the mistake was funny and the cashier said she smiles at all customers, Alan continued to laugh. My mom asked for a refund, but Alan had to be convinced again that that was the right thing to do. I've led shifts in customer service and this was the wrong way to do it. We will not be returning. They told us they could not print a receipt and asked us to take picture instead. The employees name is on the pictured receipt and it says Berkeley. Don't take my review down again

Koja Kitchen teases a Korean & Japanese menu but with a twist. I ordered the short rib bowl, crispy chicken bowl and soy/garlic wings. Placed online via their website with an eta pick up ready of 15 minutes. My order was ready on time when I walked in and I loved that they have the to-go orders resting on a large hot plate. That little touch goes a long with keeping the food hot, esp when you're fighting for parking or running behind. With 2 entrees and a side of wings, my bag felt like 10lbs lol. I quickly unboxed everything at home and took a quick snapshot before diving in. Everything was so delicious but I'd say my favorite was the crispy chicken bowl. Such great texture and flavor. The short ribs were super tender, but a little sweeter on the marinade side that I dig...just a personal preference. The soy garlic wings were impressive both in size and flavor for the price...could easily order that for a meal. The side of rice and green portions with each bowl is quite generous, easy to split into two meals or share with someone. I'll be back!

I ordered both a teriyaki zen koja and kamikaze fries for pickup for lunch, which were ready in a timely manner. The teriyaki zen koja contains a portobello mushroom patty (apparently contains soy too based on the menu info) and crispy rice replaces the usual bread of the burger. I thought it was decent, it is savory and can be a nice change from the typical if you prefer rice over bread but want your food to be handheld. I like the fries a lot better though, as they are waffle fries and the meat, sauce, and green onions make it more juicy-tasting.

The food to this place was REALLY good, it was my first timer ordering at this place & i was not disappointed, the portions for the price was great, i got the Chicken bowl, house Strawberry mango mint lemonade ( which was VERY flavorful ) I will admit it was on the borderline " too sugary side " but personally I enjoyed it! Followed up with the Ahi tuna bowl, which was also very delicious and packed. The Korean Buffalo wings were crispy but not dry, it was a nice balance! If you are looking for something delicious to kill your hunger but not make you super full. This is the place to try! The Food came out extremely quick, and the service was good!

Decent prices for flavorful food!! Umami fries were great! Waffle fries with come kind of coconut sauces and pork. Would totally order it again! The kamakazi fried looked great too!!!!

Delicious food, quick service, convenient ordering. My family and I were thrilled with the flavors and texture of the meal. Great job

This place might be better if you are getting their meat options. I tried the fries and tacos with their vegetarian protein option and they were meh. The waffle fries were perfectly crispy and the sauces they use were super flavorful. The green onion gave them a much needed touch of freshness which I appreciated. The tacos were served on corn tortillas (they could've been warmed up a bit more) with lettuce and sauce. The veggie protein option is where this went from being a good meal to a meh meal. The texture and after taste is not the best. It is grey and mushy. My stomach wasn't feeling so well afterwards which is the reason I give a lower review. I would suggest trying some of their other options and steering away from the veggie one!

This is my favorite place to eat in Berkeley. I've dined here 10x in the fall and 10x this spring. Thanks for your all terrific service and friendly workers

I ordered delivery from them for the first time yesterday. Got the Korean-buffalo wings, the ahi tuna bowl and two spam musubi. The spam musubi were delicious. The problem was that they were supposed to come with tamago and avocado. All I got was the spam on rice with the Nori and Unagi sauce. That is a pretty darn big omission. The whole reason I ordered them was because they had these interesting extras. Nevertheless, they were very, very good. But I cannot overlook the carelessness, so deducted one star. The wings were very good, flavor-wise. The only problem is that they were crammed into a very small clamshell, and more or less steamed while they were on the way to my house. So they had no texture by the time they got here. Delivery is never kind with this kind of thing, but had they not been crammed into such a tiny container, they would've been much better. I didn't deduct stars for this. I deducted a second star for the ahi tuna bowl. There was lots and lots of spring mix, and it was good. The rice was in a scoop, and extremely gummy. The tuna was on the dry side and lacked flavor. It seemed waterlogged, too. The fact that the hot food was packed right on top of the salad meant that it didn't stay cold, and all the heat certainly didn't help the contents. There was some seaweed in there, a little. And a small amount of imitation crab salad. It looks like more than it is because it's spread in a thin layer over the lettuce. The dressing lacked brightness. The amount of tuna was acceptable, but given that it just wasn't very good meant that I wasn't exactly looking for more. I always make allowances for delivery, but they should not have packed the poke with the two hot items. I will try them again, and update my review.

I waited almost a whole year after moving to Berkeley to try this place. I'm so glad they are open again. I know many businesses had a rough go at it with everything going on. Happy to support a tasty spot like Koja. Fun fusion with great flavor combos. I appreciate they have spam musubi, because I'm hooked on that stuff. Until next time. Cheers!

Love this place so much! Whenever I don't have time to cook Korean, and we are in a super rush, we grab Koja! For a family of four, we get two Kalbi (short rib) bowls with extra kimchi, one kamikaze fries, one soy garlic wings (we like the spicer ones, but got this one for the kids), and two spam masubi (for the kids). Other locations don't have masubi, so I was happy to see they have it thYou can order take out quickly through their "tap to order" machine on the left inside the restaurant.

It's very good. The tables are not super clean but the food is excellent for a chain. The service was fast.

Good food, nice flavors. Hours tend to vary, which has been frustrating over the years, but the food's good enough to put up with it. Recommended.

KoJa Kitchen has really made a name for themselves over the years. In addition to their food trucks that regularly show up at food truck parks, there are now quite a few brick-and-mortar locations where you can get their delicious rice "hamburgers". If you've stopped by the food truck, the menu here is identical. I personally go for the Korean BBQ short rib KoJa and the kamikaze fries. If this is your first time at KoJa, my biggest tip is to eat the KoJa right away, as the juicy meat inside will quickly soak through the crispy rice patty and make it a mess to eat. The kamikaze fries are some of the best topped-fries I've had. Waffles fries are the optimal shaped fries when it comes to scooping up all the toppings for each bite. The beef is a bit on the salty side, but the lightly seasoned waffle fries balances it out nicely. Telegraph has a ton of food options, but I'd recommend stopping by KoJa if you're looking for a quick tasty bite.

Food was average at best. Service was slow (with mistakes made in the order) even though the place had just opened and was empty.

Koja Kitchen is a great place for a quick meal, as they have good food and pretty fast service. The inside is not too big and only holds a few tables, but at least during the times that I've been there the wait usually hasn't been too long for me to order and get my food. The service there is also pretty good, as the people working at the register have always been very helpful and friendly. For the food, I have tried the beef koja along with the kamikaze fries. The beef in the koja burger is well-done, with some savory sauces that really give it a nice taste. Koja is also pretty well-known for their rice bun alternatives, which gives a crunch that complements the saucy meat that's in between the rice. The Kamikaze fries are also delicious, as the sauces added to the crispy fries give it a bit of a kick. Overall, I would definitely recommend checking this place out since the food here is great!

After being closed through , today i walked by and they are OPEN with a couple new items. I went with the original Short Rib Koja, delicious as usual. Please come and support. they are really gonna give it a try to keep thier doors open but need patron support, especially after UCB academic semester ends.

I'm so happy this place opened back up!! Koja is great for some quick and delicious food. While I've had the signature koja sandwich and rice bowls at other locations, I've actually not had them at this one. However, I did get to try the umami fries which were absolutely amazing! It has the miso coconut pork on top along with a variety of sauces and toppings which made it so good. I forgot what the kamikaze fries tasted like so can't compare which is better, but will definitely get those again sometime. Prices are a bit high but nothing unreasonable especially compared to some other restaurants nearby. Definitely a go-to spot!

The service was horrible. They messed up my sisters order, and then laughed the entire time. It just really seemed like they did not want us in there. I will not be returning.

Both the short rib Koja and the miso pork are superb every single time, and I've had each of them 8-10 times. Kamakazi fries are also excellent every time. I crave Koja as much as any place I can think of. Those rice cakes are totally special!! Love 'em.

I went here during GBO and came back a few times since. I really like their Kamikaze. Staff is friendly. I like their Kamikaze fries.

This was my first time at Koja Kitchen and I definitely won't be going back :( I ordered the Crispy Chicken Burger combo, and the food was made super quick, but the taste just wasn't my style unfortunately. When I went to pick up the food, the workers were really kind, and I'm sure their other menu items are good. The interior was really nice as well, and great for a quick bite if you wanna grab lunch during a break. Onto the food. The fries themselves had some spicy red and mayo type sauce, barely had any salt, and were quite tasteless. Not to mention the absurd amount of fries that were the "butt" of the potato. The sandwich itself was quite big, but the buns were soggy and drenched with grease/oil. The chicken was cooked beautifully however, but the combo of the soggy buns and oily chicken gave the burger a "gasoline"-y taste that I couldn't get rid of after the first bite. I was just quite disappointed, and maybe my experience would've been different if I dined in but ‍

Pre-COVID: I absolutely love this place. You can get something really quick and the food always comes in 5 minutes. The staff is very kind and efficient and not once have I gotten food that's less than stellar. I come here all the time when I only have an hour in between classes for lunch. My go to is the beef bowl, which is filled with quality white rice, lots of beef, and vegetables with a delicious red sauce drizzled on top. The serving size is just the right amount and I never feel sick or nauseous afterwards, which has been the case at other restaurants that had too much grease.

Came here years ago and it was ok. Had it now and it was awful. The rice patties were drenched with cheap, flavorless oil, -short rib was tough, -flavor was so flat and needed something with acid; kimchi, sriracha, pickled cucumbers... Boring, chewy, grease bomb. And with being almost $12, it was so tiny and such a rip off. Only table available was filthy, covered in oil and sauce- inside was loud and stuffy. Embarrassed I brought a gluten free visitor here

I have been hear a couple of times. There's a lot of seating with usually people chatting all the time. The service is great and the staff is so friendly. The food here has been solid. There chicken is my favorite though a lot of their dishes have been great. Honestly, you can't go wrong here!

Miss this place!! This was one of my favorite meals to get besides the garlic wings and kimchi fries!

Great reasonable priced food. I got the kamikaze fries and chicken bowl for $18 total. Easily enough food for 2 people, and struggled to finish it myself. I recommend the kamikaze fries