Koryo Sushi - Oakland

It's been quite a few years since I ate at Koryo Jajang. Last time I was here was the night before my buddy's wife gave birth to their first born. She joked that their spicy jjampong induced her into early labor! I was picking up some soondae at a restaurant in the same plaza on 08/16/2021 when I decided to get some noodles here as well. It was around lunchtime when I walked up. Several groups were having their meals at the tables set up outdoors. The entrance was blocked off by a table. The interior appeared clean. One of the owners promptly greeted me. After a quick scan of the menu, I ordered three items Jjampong $11.95, regular spiciness), Ja Jang Myun $9.95), and Fried Dumplings $10.95). I was told it would be ready in 15 minutes. My order was ready at the promised time. Everything was packaged nicely and securely. The fried dumplings half kimchi/half pork) were good. They were deep fried to golden perfection and the fillings were delicious. The jjampong had a decent amount of seafood shrimp, mussels, and squid) and various vegetables. The noodles were on the soft side. The broth was spicy but not overwhelming. The sauce of the Ja Jang Myun was made of chunjang, pork, and vegetables. It was thick and savory, but could use more meat in it. Portions were very generous. We had a lot of leftovers. This is a decent spot to satisfy your noodle craving. Still 4 stars. BONUS MATERIAL: Private parking lot with limited spots. Major credit cards accepted.

Can you guys please change your hours? I'm here Wednesday at 730pm and you guys are closed. Other than that this place is dope as hell

This Korean waitress was super rude and demanded a higher tip. The black bean noodles, jampong and dumplings tasted disgusting that I couldn't finish it and look few bites. I had better Korean Chinese food and this place is a joke. All of the food tasted bland and all of the foods didn't have flavor. Super dull.

I've been coming to Koryo Jajang for well over a decade now, and I'm STILL an avid fan. Prices increased, my palate's changed, but the one thing that remained the same is Koryo Jajang's delicious flavor. I recommend the Jengban Jajang, which (unlike traditional jajangmyun) is stir-fried, so the wok imparts an incredible smoky flavor to the noodles. The tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) is also a must. It's still fairly light and not TOO artery-clogging despite the fact that it's deep-fried. The service is also great, and you get free barley tea with your order. 5/5!!

What happened to this place? Used to come here all the time when I was a grad student in the 2000s. Might have been called a different name but of the 2-3 jjajang places in Oakland, this was the best. The gan jjajang used some kind of thick yellow noodle. Weird. Is it the supply chain disruption of 2021? The sauce had unusually large pieces of meat which was a pleasant surprise but I'm used to playing Where's Waldo with the meat in 99% of legit jjajang places. Disappointed. Will try again in the future to see if they've retained the tang su yook flavor. And the jjampong, which was never that great here in the first place.