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Categories: Grocery, Ethnic Food [Edit]
2370 Telegraph Ave
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How can anyone NOT like Koreana Plaza?
It's open until midnight, they have REALLY GOOD snacks for like 59 cents or something once you walk in, cheap fruits and veggies, they even make good snacks and food (I really like the Korean pancakes that have red bean in them or something like that.) They also have mochi which I LOVE. You just can't go wrong with Koreana Plaza.
When I first moved to the bay area from texas i lived down the street from koreana plaza. On my first journey to find a grocery store, i failed to find a safeway but stumbled upon koreana plaza. for months all my groceries was korean foods and even korean toilet paper. fast forward 2 years, i STILL love koreana plaze. easily the best korean supermarket ive ever been to (next to H Mart in Irvine). when i was a party animal, id buy the HUGE bottles of soju for 12$ that'd get a group of 5 drunk. premade foods and premarinated meats are prime. i really have zero complaints. even the staff is friendly and i even think i have enough vip points to buy a toaster next door! (weird concept, but i can dig it). parking is hit and miss but they usually have someone out there directing traffic... if there wasnt itd lose a star (korenas in a TINY parking lot is a no no).
mmmm makes me want to go now and buy some kimchi tofu. :)
Yes , this is as good as it gets. There is a majority of Korean items but you can find a good variety of more asian items as well. It's a lot easier than finding parking in chinatown , down on the other side of town. Cool rhyme. Anyways, I also love the fact that there's ready to go food as well. I like to grab something to eat while i'm shopping , so I don't go overboard grabbing everything I would LIKE to eat. I'd try to go on the weekdays if possible. The parking lot can get a little hectic sometimes during the weekend.
This is the best Korean market I think in the city. They have the best deals because they are huge!! Thirty eggs for a dollar anyone?? Ridiculous! Yeah I'm gonna eat hard boiled eggs or scrambled eggs for like a month but it still cost me a buck!! Their meat section is pretty good for all your diy Korean BBQ needs. Check out the little section next to the frozen foods where they sell Korean sweets for cheap!
I quickly stopped here on the way to the East Bay DYL on a whim, hoping they'd have my elusive Korean coffee (Maxim) and by gum, they did! And not only one different kind, but about 4..in all sizes! Maxim coffee comes in little tubes that you mix with 4 oz hot water. The coffee, cream and sugar are in the tube. :)
They also had a million different kinds of mochi ice cream, but alas, I had to pass. I'm coming back here next time packing my cooler.
The checkout gal gave me free popcorn with instructions in hangul (the Korean letters)! Will I burn it? Most definitely! I do not speak that language, so I don't know how long to cook the microwave popcorn!!
The parking lot is crazy but I'll be back. Maybe I can BART it?
Koreana Plaza is quite possibly the best grocery store for miles. Go there for the produce and be sure to grab a package of fresh sushi up front (if they haven't already sold out for the day).
dinner inspiration always hits during a visit to koreana plaza. i have an overactive taste imagination, and i was drooling when looking at their deli section.
the bulgogi and kalbi that come raw and marinated in a plastic box...i cooked some last night and it is hands-down the best bulgogi i've had. thats right, i said it. and i love korean bbq on telegraph. BEST KALBI. a delicious sweet savory marinade. don't overcook it!
the little veggies, fresh and pickled in the containers are also so good. a really varied little produce section with lots of asian vegetables (some chinese kinds of choy, but there's mizuna, shiso, lots of great stuff).
i'm eating the bulgogi now, and i had to stop to yelp the place. damn this meal is delicious.
Koreana, where have you been all my life??
After finding parking relatively quickly thanks to a parking director man we walked in to Korean-food heaven. Seriously, I could here the angels sing as the doors swooshed open to let us in!!
As we turned towards the left we started at the deli with a mass assortment of already made ready-to-eat foods including my beloved Jap Chae. As a non-Korean Asian I've always been amazed by the glass-noodle dish but, alas, do not have the secret recipe to make them like they do at Korean restaurants!! Blah! Good thing that until some kind-hearted Korean cook takes pity on me and shares the recipe I will be able to buy the noodles here in bulk at Koreana =)
Continuing down on the leftmost aisle we found Kalbi already marinated and ready to cook! Again, as a non-Korean I have no idea what the hell they put in that marinade that makes it so damn amazing. Again, Koreana saves the day =)
As we slowly meandered up and down the aisles we found more and more goodies including: frozen sea bass at an affordable price, green bean crisps which are my fave, tons and tons of shrimp chips which are the bf's fave, fresh fresh fresh fish in the back and packs of Korean dumplings which don't stink up your breath like Chinese ones.
All in all one helluva grocery trip. I will DEFINITELY be back for Kalbi and Jap Chae - finished it all within one weekend! We're gonna be broke...somebody share the recipe please!!
This place is great and cheap. Unbeatable prices on high-quality meat and fish. Last night I got a package of fish trimmings for $2.76 and a tube of soft tofu for $1.19. Good, fast place for cheap takeout, too.
I was hankering for Korean food when I got off of 580, and lo and behold I found myself in "koreatown" and saw Koreana Plaza right off of Telegraph. I thought I just go in and see if they had any bento boxes to go, and what did I find - they had everything! I spent $55 in there when I only meant to spent $10. OMG! I was bombarded with so many kim chi choices and those side dishes, and the beef...Gee, I can just go on and on. The cooked food is amazing, the uncooked food is cheap and the produce is great. Plus, they have a whole section devoted to just fish cakes of all sizes and shapes. Great place to shop. Lucky I found it by accident. I'm glad I don't have to go to Ranch anymore since it's so far from me.
I love this place. I mean REALLY love this place. There are some Asian staples I canNOT live without. Enoki mushrooms (two packages for a buck), Tofu (firm, soft, silken or medium/regular), roasted nori packs, pre-packaged rice, dumplings of EVERY size, shape and stuffing. Not to mention all the different pan chan, noodles, etc. This place is just AWESOME!
I love that there are security guards around late at night patrolling the parking lot.
Just DO NOT, under ANY circumstance, buy the UNI. It is GOD AWFUL!!! You will get sick to your stomach. In fact, I'm certain the folks at DRUNKEN FISH buy their UNI from here. There. I said it.
Its clean, smells good, and they have beef kim bap for $4. In Sacramento the beef kim bap is $3. Sucks to live in the bay.
I love love love pusan market. they have an excellent selection of fresh ban chan, meats, junk food and even higher end alcohol. inside they have a little bakery and a video rental section. they have a houseware extension next door. they carry the best containers, I love my lock lock containers. its the closest large korean market to me and I love stopping by after dinner for a box of melona bar. only thing about this place is that they have odd hours, sometimes they're open late and sometimes they close early.
I still love to get all my produce here. The beef has been of a lower and lower quality recently. Granted it's still really cheap, my $6 / lbs ribeye steak last night was tougher than shoe leather when cooked medium. I can't even eat the cheap strip steaks anymore. But damn, the produce is so cheap and fresh. Really good kim chi and daegee bulgogi from their deli too.
This is where I typically buy all my groceries. I regularly buy and cook their dae jee buigogi (bbq… Read more »
I love this place. It used to be Pusan Plaza when I went to college at Cal. But I don't care about the name change. It's still a really big Korean grocery store. It's a little bit expensive, but they have a good selection of everything. Plus, they offer banchan in small containers like the deli at Whole Foods. I got crazy and spent $120. But it was worth it. If I was going home to San Jose, I would probably shop at some of the Korean grocery stores on El Camino Real. But Koreana Plaza is a lot more convenient and I think it's bigger than the Korean markets on Geary. I think it's worth the drive on weekends.
This is an absolute must for people who love to cook unadulterated Asian food with authentic spices and ingredients. Yes, they have the largest Kimchi selection in the western world and enough Gochu-Jang to kill a small horse, but they also have a huge selection of Chinese, Japanese and Thai ingredients, making it the one stop Asiophile shop.
Also notable (to a vegetarian like myself) is their amazingly cheap selection of fresh produce. It's mostly not organic, but if you want to make a feast on a budget, don't overlook Koreana Plaza.
Across the parking lot from the grocery store is a cooking and house supply shop. They stock everything from LG appliances to the best wok in Oaktown, from kitschy baby-print shower curtains to a wireless water boiler that has been going strong for six years now. Worth the 20 foot walk, I promise.
One of ma fav grocery store. They got pretty good ground beef n ice cream =)
Not pricey n clean.
Since I've moved to Lake Meritt, Koreana Plaza has been my favorite "go-to" Asian grocery store. First of all, I love Korean food and when I don't feel like marinating my own meats, Koreana's premarinated meats are just divine and inexpensive. My favorite is actually the marinated chicken and bulgogi. All of the sides are also packaged fresh by them and available for an average of $3.00 per item.
I also love purchasing fresh chicken and meats here, specially for the thin sliced cuts for homemade pho and other soups! I can also come here to buy uni at $4.99 per tray verses the $7.00 I usually pay at other Japanese markets. They have fresh lobsters and crabs too! For about 2 weeks before New Year's, the were selling fresh lobsters at $5.99/lb and fresh crabs at $2.99/lb!!!
And oh, this is where I like to stock up on my Aloe Water... $2.50/bottle =)
I found the fro-yo mochi balls here!!!! $3.
A Korean market that is open till late. I used to go here (when it was called Pusan) for seaweed,… Read more »
This place is totally rock and roll. The lines are never very long at the checkout, and I'm always bowled away by how cheap my purchase total is compared to when I shop at Safeway. They carry a nice assortment of noodles, tofu and frozen stuff, as well as a truly impressive wall o' kimchi. Their produce and fish are hit or miss, sometimes a little old but usually suprisingly fresh and SHOCKINGLY cheap!
This place and Korean restaurants really make me wonder if Korea is more tidy and clean than Singapore. It's so freaking clean and bright in there. I love it.
They have a great selection of soba sauces and seaweed- and their food in the deli section that I have tried has all been good. Today I got the mung bean thing that I thought was rice cake-jelly. It came with a really tasty sesame-chili type sauce.
i love coming here. warning-don't buy the fruit here. most of it is previously frozen. their pre-marinated meats and selection of side dishes are the best in the bay area. stock up!
I love this place! I go here all the time with my friends to get little snacks and what not. We go here so much that the security and Carlos, I think that's his name, knows us. This is where I get all my Korean ingredients and snacks. The snacks are sooo cheap! They have a section for snacks that are only 59 cents! Well...before it used to be 50 cents but they jacked up the price by 9 cents. It doesn't sound much but it adds up...BUMMER! It's okay...it's still cheaper compared to most places.
So what's the best product here? PEPPERO! I mean...it's exactly like Pocky...tastes like pocky...looks like pocky but it's just the name that's different. They also sell the real brand pocky but it's like 2-3 bucks a box compared to peppero for 59 cents. Who would be dumb enough to go for the real thing when the generic is exactly the same? My friends and I would get cases of this stuff...literally! And for my one friend who loves it sooo much she finishes it all within 2 weeks. Mind you...a case is about 30 boxes or so..
I haven't been here in a while because it's a little out of the way from where I'm at but I do not mind driving here to get the necessities that I need and best of all my favorite Korean restaurant is close by!
One thing I find weird is that they're store name is Korean Plaza..but everyone calls it Pusan Market. Which confused me...I guess I'll stick to calling it Pusan Market.
I'm always so clueless when I go into this store, but everyone is so very helpful to me--even though I'm not their typical patron. I fell in love with Korean food when I was in high school, and Koreana Plaza allows me to continue my love affair.
What a fun place to go! It was like a trip to another country. One of the things I especially love to do when traveling is visit foreign grocery stores...
I went to Koreana on a sunny Saturday afternoon and the area didn't have the feel of a "bad neighborhood" at all (as people some mentioned below). I got a parking place right away and inside the store felt totally comfortable, not at all out of place even though I was one of the only non-Asian faces in the place. (However, plenty of people around me were conversing in English.)
When people here on Yelp said the place was small, I thought it would be like a lot of stores in Chinatown, but it was actually much more of a brightly lit, modern supermarket than I expected, and didn't seem small to me at all. And the choices were enormous.
The prices are out of this world. I got yellow and orange peppers, enoki mushrooms, sweet potatoes, kabocha squash, oranges, asparagus, miso, soy sauce, and wasabi all at 1/3 to a 1/2 the price of elsewhere--even less than the Berkeley Bowl. And there are lots of things I can't find easily elsewhere, like fresh and canned mackerel, brown sweet rice, roast seaweed, and hundreds of sauces.
They were all out of melon bars--which were raved about by lots of people here on Yelp--and as I approached the freezer case a young woman was wailing, "No more melon bars?! We came all the way here just for those!" A minute later I heard a man ask a store worker for melon bars, to be told they were all out. (They did have Melona banana bars, but I didn't buy any.) So melon bars are obviously extremely popular, and I intend to look for them next time I go.
OMGOMGOMG -- fresh, JUST MADE kimchee buns (wang mandoo) and hottuk here!! Silly cheap prices too. Oakland just keeps getting better and better for me!
picture of hottuk:
http://www.soompi.com/...
They remodeled and the shelves look sturdy enough to host a kindergarten full of sugar fueled tots. I like that there's a little deli section in the front that makes things like kim bap and marinated veg for bi bim bap. The meat/deli section is also extensive with things like 5 different varieties of house made kimchi, marinated squid, marinated raw oysters (do you eat them raw or do you cook them like bulgogi, grilled?), marinated raw other stuff, pickles. Like a right proper deli of Korean comfort foods and panchan. The produce is rotating and they occasionally have specials like 20lbs of apples for $4.
There are more than enough types of powdered chili, of all different grades of mill. Same goes for dashi (beef broth granules) and other stocks. The snack section is good but I tend to stay away from that now because at one point I thought it was my mission in life to try all the rice crackers ever made in the world.
The parking can be a bit rough even though they have a lot. I recommend going in the late evening (like around 9pm) if you can stand that part of Oakland at night. If not, go in the EARLY morning.
A good variety of necessities for the asian kitchen. My parents and I sometimes go here after a visit to Chinatown for some produce and other goodies.
Once you enter, on the far left side you can find all the things you need to make a great korean meal in an open fridge filled with already marinated meats, seafood, cut veggies, kimchis, and dried fish. Alongside the open fridge is the meat deli where you can find all types of cuts for a good price. Then in the back corner is the shrine of kimchi. Containers of all sizes filled with this fermented cabbage concoction.
Everything in the store is at a fairly decent price, some things cheaper than in chinatown, and better quality. Some produce is sealed and preweighed which makes for a cleaner looking produce isle.
The kimbap (korean style sushi w/ meat and veggies) was great, and a bargain too. Two rolls (20 pieces) for $3.99!!! And they make it fresh right next to the display case. It looked so good, I couldn't wait till I got home so I started eating them on the freeway hahahaha.
They also make seafood kimbap, big meat dumplings, fish cakes, a kind of crab pancake, chicken wings, fried fish, and even a take-home bibimbop starter kit.
I'll definitely be back to stock up on some kimbap.
This place just gets better and better all the time. I've been going here for about 4 years and I have to say, over the last year this place has gotten serious and started stocking about double the amount of stuff they used to. They have a excellent selection of Korean products and a great sauce isle. I'm never disappointed with the sales and can quite often get a 8 pound bag of Oranges for $2.99. Great prices on fresh meats and chicken too! Tons of frozen fish and other frozen items, and recently they have been bulking up there fresh seafood section. They also run a mini housewares store you can access to the right of the parking lot. The place is clean and also sells many prepared or easy to make signature Korean dishes, as well as Korean susihi rolls, and just recently I've seen some japanese sushi poping up in the case!
I shop here every week. A whole case of home made pickles plus a whole other section for commercially made pickles are just waiting for you! Go-Sa-Lee, Kak-Tu-Gi, K'ong Na-Mul, O-Jing-Uh Bo-Kum, and my favorite of all favorites OH-E-KIM-CHIIIII!!!!!!!! (dies)
If you like meat make sure to buy their 4-dumpling pack at the hot bar (if there's any left, I almost fought for my dumplings one time.) There are many ingrediants available here for Korean, chinese, Japanese, Malaysian, Taiwanese cuisine. The fish area is a little fishy but I've never gotten sick. Japanese beer is only $6 for a 12 pack and you will find a 2 liter plastic jug of Hite Korean beer mixed in with the Pepsi. People might complain about the produce but they did a major overhaul and installed new fixtures plus a ton of ORGANIC produce now. Still better and cleaner than the Chinese markets I buy at sometimes and the only other place to get the region specific vegis in such good condition is at the Friday Downtown Farmers Market.
Love this place, although it always seems full, but I can always find parking in the back or near by streets. Great place to stack up on Melona Bars (when it's on sale, it's $2.99/box), kimchi, and other various snacks they have in the front for $0.50/pack.
Lots of cool stuff here. And, they open at 6am! Great for us early folks.
I give this place five stars because it satisfied all my Korean food and drink needs in college. For any poor college students, here's a tip... if you go late at night, they will sell their leftover ready-made foods at a steep discount.
Also, for anyone into Korean dramas, Pusan has a significant video library. I usually ran into people from campus renting videos whenever I went there to shop.
This grocery store makes me happy. I haven't found anything like it anywhere else. Brilliant video store and beauty shop. Well stocked.
The food is reasonably priced for import stuff. You can find everything here, from Aloe drink to Shik Hae, from panchan to gogi. You must try their chap chae and tempura, made fresh every day in the back kitchen. Wide selection of spices, gochu jang, rice, veggies etc. Cheap ass fish in the back and crab as well. If you're korean, this is the place to shop. Try the sweet buns at the bakery too.
Beware though, the Korean BBQ meats that are pre-marinated aren't your typical bbq (american tasting). They are fantastic and if you know how to do it right, you should have some ssamjang, rice and lettuce wraps waiting when it's done.
Soju cocktail? So good! Veggies, fresh kimchi, rice ovaletts, special dark chocolate Poki & fresh beef sushi were a favorite. My fiance & I went here to shop for our Christmas Eve dinner and were so impressed it became an instant favorite.. I love checkin out the crazy clam's in the tanks in the back ; )
I just went back this weekend and scored a huge bag of Kiwi for $2!
The marinated fish and meats are killer on the BBQ!
I'm starting to accumulate a lot of favorites here on Yelp and yes, the Koreana Plaza is my favorite Korean market in the bay area. Why?
1. Cleaner and much more organized than the others.
2. Bigger store with better selection.
3. Produce baby!... (persimmons, mandarin oranges, korean watermelons, korean pears, etc...)
4. Pre-marinated meat is off the hook!!! Bul gogi, kalbi, pork, everything is already marinated and ready to go. Just take them home and throw them on the grill or the frying pan and your set.
5. Cute little bakery with tasty little snacks.
6. Pre-made kim bab (sushi rolls) are the bomb and fresh too.
7. Their kim chi is always fresh.
8. Mexican employees who speak fluent Korean. Seriously?! Dang Paco, you speak better Korean than me and I'm Korean.
9. An army of cashiers who are always ready to ring you up.
Being a frequent shopper, I've noticed that they usually have some great sales out in front of the store, or located throughout the isles. Often times the sale items are reduced in price because of the impending expiration date, but if this isn't an issue for you then you got yourself some cheap prices.
They also have a frequent buyers card that gathers point for free goodies. It's like a korean supermarket version of Dave and busters: the more money you spend, the more points you gather, the better the prizes you can redeem in the adjacent building next door. It's worth having since its free if you're a frequent shopper here and score some free dishware.
My soul food is defined by kimchi, ban chan (side dishes) and any number of amazingly spicy korean… Read more »
koreana plaza has evolved from being korean centric to being a pan asian market. . before it carried only korean products. now it also carries chinese goods. (note: most korean products are now being made, caught in china now). this makes marketing sense since chinese/vietnamese shoppers way outnumber korean shoppers.(in oaktown).
the dried ramen section section seem pricey. .99-1.19. sapporo ramen (.69) can be bought cheaper in chitown(.49)
i usually check out the aisles and see what's on sale. my usual suspects: alcohol, frozen, dried and fresh noodles and now the deli section and the banchan offerings.
sampled
-boiled squid & hot pepper paste (5.99/lb): nice and fresh boiled squid , hot pepper sauce. fantastic!
-hite beer (640ml 1.54, reg. 2.29): the "coors" of korea. more full bodied than coors or bud.. has a hint of stella.
-seju (1.99, reg. 2.99?) some rice wine fermented with corn starch, herbs, and wheat flour. has a nasty bite. will wait for soju to go on sale next.
panchan:
-nice economical snack/meal. an alternative to restaurants.
food and booze under $10! soju at a korean eatery costs $8 minimum, at markets $2.99-$3.99.
-not all items are cheap here. some produce, etc. costs more.
-some seafood, fresh & frozen, are a good buy.
koreana is the cornerstone of a blossoming koreatown in this part of oaktown. the produce department… Read more »
I'm not at all a Korean food expert, but I *am* an expert at being a cheapass. Especially if you're in the area anyway, this store is worth checking out for your Asian cooking needs.
Not everything is cheap. As always, pre-fab stuff is going to be more expensive than raw ingredients. And milk is like a dollar more than it should be (though it's nice that with produce, meat, fish, nonperishables, booze, and random staples like milk all under one roof, one-stop shopping becomes a possbility.) There are, however, some fantastic deals to be had, especially if you keep your eyes peeled for sales.
Like I said, I'm not a Korean food pro (though I'm about to try and make some kimchee with cabbage I just bought here) but I was able to restock my kitchen with all the Japanese cooking staples I gave away in LA before I moved up here. Mi-so happy! *Gong Show gong* Sorry.
I am grateful for Koreana Plaza. This place is close to our apartment, and it makes my mom happy every time she visits me from Korea. Of course, she can't stop comparing prices between the US and Korea, but it makes her feel relieved that her daughter has access to proper Korean ingredients.
Prices are hit or miss. Some things are cheap and others are not. The parking lot is a bit crowded, but there always seems to be a spot available.
Oakland, CA
Category: Grocery
Neighborhood: Rockridge
Category: Fruits & Veggies
Oakland, CA
Category: Cosmetics & Beauty Supply
Berkeley, CA
Category: Seafood Markets
Neighborhood: Outer Richmond
Category: Grocery
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