Korean Superette

Korean Superette

This Korean sit-down restaurant doubles as a Korean market. The walls are lined with packaged Korean snacks, cooking ingredients essential to Korean cuisine, and lots and lots of noodles, especially ramen. They also have a wall lined with refrigerators stocked with kimchi, frozen dumplings, and other items. Plus, there are some beautiful non-food items made in a Korean style that would make cool gifts or decorations. As you eat, you can admire the selection; it’s hard to leave empty-handed because it’s hard to find such a wide assortment of Korean products elsewhere in Berkeley.

The eating area, which doubles as a market, is a cozy place to eat. It’s bright and clean looking, with walls lined with fascinating Korean goods and a glass window separating the indoor eating area from the outdoor one, which is a small patio with some greenery that butts up to a few buildings on the other side. The seating is comfortable, and the tables are carefully spaced apart. It’s as if time here moves more slowly as you savor your dishes.

It’s a lovely place to sit and admire the market’s selection. But the main attraction is the food prepared in the small kitchen that you pass on the way to the seating. As you walk past it, you catch a glimpse of the constant hubbub of this kitchen. The recipes here are complex and require a lot of steps, so you’ll see the chefs rushing around, clanking multiple pans and using a gas stove. The smell is heavenly, so much so that you will read the menu with great anticipation.

The menu offers a variety of udon and ramen options, all mouthwatering and flavorful. But I was drawn to the Dupp Bop with bulgogi beef because I wanted something distinctly Korean. The other members of my party also bypassed the noodles for something that sounded more traditionally Korean, as this place is famous for its Korean dishes; they picked the Doshi-Roc (bento box), with spicy pork belly, spicy pork, and Spanish mackerel. None of us were disappointed by the bold Korean flavor that seasoned the meats. The white rice that came as part of each dish was also very appealing, and the kimchi and fish cakes they brought to the table for us to share were so delicious we purchased some kimchi from the market on the way out.

There’s also a children’s menu, which makes this a very fun place to bring youngsters. The adult portions are large and hearty, but the children’s meals are smaller and portioned especially for the younger audience. The eating area is full of people of all ages, particularly families. Adults and children alike enjoy these delicious dishes, which are created to give the Bay Area a taste of home-cooked Korean goodness. Although the ramen, udon, and miso soup have a slight Japanese flair, I will assure you that what you are about to taste is proudly and uniquely Korean cuisine.

This restaurant serves premium Korean dishes only with great service. The dishes are complex and sophisticated, made with authentic Korean ingredients. Thus, the prices are a bit higher than those of your average restaurant in the area, with the dishes costing from around $20 to $25 before tax, but I find the prices to be justified given the quality of the food and eating experience.

Believe me when I tell you that this restaurant is a unique gem and one of Berkeley’s finest. It has carefully mastered the art of making something as interesting and exotic as authentic Korean cuisine taste homey and comforting to its Bay Area patrons of all ages. It has cornered the market not just on Korean exports and dishes, but also on meals so flavorful, textured, and sometimes even spicy that you will dream of them, obsess over them, and soon want to come back for more.