Koja Kitchen — Restaurant in San Francisco

I have low expectations to food court dining options, so I wasn't expecting much.

I ordered the Koja Beef "burger" and kamikaze fries. The rice bun was crispy, there was good portion of meat and it was juicy. The pineapple ring added just a touch of sweetness to the burger. The fries were covered in BBQ Korean beef and smothered with a little hot sauce and Japanese mayo. Very different kind of burger--served between rice buns and not bread buns. It was about $10 for my burger, it seemed a little small, but the rice buns was satisfying and there was sufficient amount of meat and eating the burger together with the fries was very filling.

The food exceeded my expectations. The burgers may be small in size, but BIG in flavor! I definitely will come back.

Francesco R. San Francisco, CA 3812 11/16/2022 I ordered vegetarian food and I wasn't sure if it was vegetarian or not.

it would be better if there is a way to be sure if the food I ordered doesn't have meat.

Irene H.Elite 2022 San Francisco, CA 466129307 10/15/2022 1 photo Honestly, probably one of the better options you'll find in Westfield's food court!

I had the original Koja burger. It's funny cause they have this giant sign talking about all the different layers of the burger, but when you get it, it's not very thick at all haha. the whole thing is pretty small, but the flavor is on point! the meat is succulent and juicy. I'd order it again!

Original Koja Burger

Audrey P.Elite 2022 Monterey, CA 42051677 10/30/2022 2 photos1 check-in They were busy and with such great food, I understand, but it also meant prompt service suffered. Worth the wait. Braised pork taco (as a snack) hits the spot. Good value. Well done!

Exterior

Braised Pork Taco

Nadav M.Elite 2022 Alameda, CA 984833119 7/7/2022 7 photos I love this place a lot. Love the flavour and the seasoning added to their food. I tried it in Alameda and Berkeley in the past and that's how I know of this place. This is located in the Food emporium of Westfield mall next to Bloomingdales.

Service at this location was not it. I ordered through the app so I can pick up my food during my lunch hour. When I get there, there is no one on sight. I had to wait for a moment and decided to yell out a form 'Excuse me?' and nothing. I say hello again in a deeper voice and an individual peaks out of the back and then suddenly hides; not very professional for a business I thought. The attitude and approach was not pleasant when I was given my items, which really affects my experience.

Food was marvellous. The chicken bowl was on point. Rice is sufficient. Seasoning in the chicken was thorough and had a nice consistency. Salad and kimchi were not overpowering. My special spam misubi was tasty with the sauce and crispy bacon on top. The spam was soft. Overall I love this place and was inspired for my cooking which says a lot in terms of flavour and one of the reason why I love Korean cooking so much.

MUNI buses 7, 9, 9R, 14, 14R, L bus, 45, 30,...

I remember fondly the nicely Krist outside texture of the rice patties with Bulgogi beef in the middle with fresh lettuce, so I figured why not? It was close to where I work.

I ordered online and went in to pick it up, no problem. It did seem a little depressing because it looked like the inside was not ready for customer use fully. There were some tables where people were sitting but right at the front door felt like there were chairs up ended and set up for to go orders. The dark interior for a lunchtime venue seems a little bit heavy.

But I was happy that I was going to get my Koja burger. I sat at the tables by the side of the front of the restaurant and had my lunch. It was a little disappointing as the rice patties were not crispy on the outside and were more mushy on the inside. The bulgogi was OK but a little bit flavorless and wet. I also would've liked to have had a little bit more lettuce. I'm not sure but I thought usually there's sesame seeds sprinkled in the burger. It didn't seem like it.

Still it was filling and I left. It wasn't until five minutes later I realized I forgot to bring my purse that I left behind at the table in front of the restaurant. I called immediately and the girl in front ran out and confirmed that she had my purse. I returned, grateful that she acted quickly. Luckily it was around 2 PM so it wasn't busy.

I think the Covid downturn of restaurant participation has affected quite a number of restaurants. Given that people are starting to return to eat out, I would recommend KoJa kitchen here kind of spruce it up a bit to keep it attractive for customers to return. I'll come back just to check out if it's improved.

Vanni C.Elite 2022 Hayward, CA 40279728 5/25/2022 3 photos Can't go wrong with Karmazin fries I asked for them crispy and they were cooked perfect I would only ask for more sauce because I like my fries wet but they were bomb I've previously only gone to their emeryville location .. alameda did not disappoint

Kassi T. Alameda, CA 814 10/13/2022 The service is good, the workers nice, the place is clean. When Koja opened, their food was great...for a couple of times. As the years progressed, the quality of the food sadly started going down hill; others say it's a hit or miss. Today, I ordered 1 original, 2 short rib bowls, and 1 waffle fries, they forgot the fries! The meats are overcooked, the rice are old rice where it's hard and dry. I was looking forward to trying the fries, I paid for it too, and THEY FORGOT THE FRIES! Should have remembered to check if all our orders were in the bag.

Business owner information Chris L.

Business Manager

10/13/2022

Hi Kassi. I’m so sorry you for your experience. I’ll send you a DM to see how we can fix this.

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Carol B. Castro Valley, CA 0263 10/22/2022 3 photos Don't bother. Tables for outside seating were dirty from prior users and there was trash and food on the ground. Inside overflowing trash stunk up the...

This Korean-Japanese (or KoJa) restaurant makes great fries, uncommon burgers, and refreshing drinks.

I ordered a Mint Mango Lemonade, a Short Rib KoJa, a Beef Taco, and the Kamikaze Fries for pickup through Doordash. The total after tax was about $30. The "KoJa," a rice bun burger, was delicious, but the rice was kind of hard outside from being fried. The short rib was tender, juicy, and really good. The taco was also really good and came with a little lemon wedge. The fries were my favorite out of everything; they were packed with flavor, still crispy under the toppings, and just spicy enough for me. The lemonade was more sour than I expected and I didn't really like it, but was definitely an interesting drink.

Overall, I think the food here is great and the prices are reasonable.

On a different visit, I ordered the Crispy Chicken Bowl and the fried chicken was burnt. On yet another visit, I had their Kamikaze Fries and they were as good...