Spoon Korean Bistro — Restaurant in Berkeley

Nice outdoor dining area, but not really a nice neighborhood to dine al fresco....lots of traffic, trucks...oh well can't help that. Outdoor patio is better than no patio. I'd choose indoor to dine.

Service was excellent. Staff always coming around to see if you have enough banchan, need something else, served us 4 little extra dishes of fishcake Banchan without the stink-eye (as other Korean restaurants would give you), which was my kid's main course. Friendly people too.

The spicy seafood/tofu stew was some of the best I've ever had. Pure flavor. If there were just a couple clams thrown in there then the stew would definitely qualify as best ever (a suggestion)

Child's bibimbap bowl was adult sized, and a steal at $11.

Spicy chicken was fantastic and generous sized, sizzling hot out of the kitchen.

The deepfried noodles wrapped in seaweed with a breading was very good, but possibly not so much food for your money as the other three dishes above.

All in all, this place is better than other Korean restaurants, and cheaper too. We will definitely be back when in Berkeley. No doubt the food is a solid 5stars, and service with a smile is also a plus. Out the door for $90, meal for three, and we were served a feast, including appetizers! So much food we took some...

Had a solid lunch here, not super authentic Korean but satisfying and a deal nonetheless.

I ordered a beef bbq combo, which for $11 came with bulgogi, rice, salad, broccoli, and egg soup. The order came out quickly and cooked and it was a good quantity of food. The salad had some Asian style dressing, the rice had a little bit of furikake on top, and the bulgogi and broccoli banchan had a little bit of sesame seeds on top.

The food quality was decent, although the bulgogi was slightly plain and a little cold. The banchan and sides were standard. The egg soup came out a bit later and was rough rather than the velvety texture that I prefer, and wasn't salted enough.

It was a good stop to grab something quick before going into the heart of Berkeley. It has a very casual cafe ambiance with seating inside and outside. There's only a few parking spots and a lot risk towing by a private company. If I'm in a rush for Korean I might stop by, but would opt for more authentic places before...

We have been going here many times over the years and have seen what to appeared to be multiple turnover of owners. The current owners have produced some great food and service, beyond that of their predecessors. Prices are reasonable for the quantity and quality.

The menu contains some Korean staple dishes as well as some street-like dishes/appetizers and should have something for everyone. The haemul pajeon 해물파전 is the best I have had outside Korea. It's cooked perfectly (not over/under fried like so many other places) and has the right amount of seafood and veggies inside.

Their decent patio (asides from the the noisy adjacent Ashby Ave) has been an essential destination throughout the pandemic. The only criticism I would have is that it would be nice to have a few more Banchan 반찬 (side dishes) with the meal, but that is very minor as the ones they do have are generally great and the meal portions are generous and don't require...