Kalbi ‘n Things

So sad that this place closed. The food was out of this world! Contact your fans here when you reopen – which I hope you do soon! Best wishes and thanks for the amazing contribution to the local food scene.

Happy to report everything is back to normal again and the ship is run the way it’s supposed to be! Thanks, ladies of Kalbi n Things. :)

Got the Bulgogi fries, chicken bowl and Bulgogi burrito. Definitely a place that falls under the «don’t judge a book by its cover» category. I’m from L.A., so I’m used to good, quality food and so far the east bay fails to impress. Until now. In L.A. We’ve got the Kogi Truck, which has the same concept, but it’s just alright. Though Kogi truck was first to fuse Korean and Mexican style food, this little joint blows it out of the water. Definitely a must try and definite satisfaction guaranteed. The only failure is that it lacks a friendly environment and the customer service is how should say, whack, but the food makes up for it.

What a surprise!!! This place is right around the corner from my house and I’ve been tempted to try it (because I love Korean food), but got mediocre reviews from a family member. Well, sometimes you just have to see for yourself — and it was worth it!
We ordered a couple of Korean burritos (bulgogi and spicy chicken), a spicy pork roll, and seafood pancake. The kimchi rice in the burrito was perfect and great the next day too! The roll was pretty good, I’m sure I’ve had better, but still good. And the seafood pancake compared to those that I have had in Seoul, Korea. Tasty!!!
Our to-​go order was ready fast and hot, and service was friendly and inviting. All in all, a great, inexpensive and tasty Korean «fast food» joint.
I highly recommend this place!
P. S. I haven’t had their lunch specials, but the pics look pretty good!

I was really excited to try this place out, but it was just meh. When we got there it was incredibly hot, they had the door open and a fan running too hot to eat there. We asked the person working their a few questions and they could not answer them, they kept calling to the back asking who ever was there. Ended up getting a fried tofu bowl and a kimchi bowl, they were just okay. The spoon full of tofu that came in the order was not seasoned, just little fried tofu bites that tasted like oil. I had to pour the sauce all over it to make it taste better. The kimchi bowl was not very spicy and not robust. All in all it was okay, felt like something I could easily make at home. I may try it again but not sure.

Whenever you want it on the go, this is the spot right here! The sauce for the Bulgogi Fries are good the only thing is that don’t give a lot of meat but I always order when I’m here. And they give you a discount if you follow them on instagram. Food is good if you don’t want to wait just call ahead.

Firstly, I’m very happy a Korean BBQ place popped up in the area. After the demise of Korea House, the nearest Korean food to the far-​east Concord area would be a drive to the Park & Shop, downtown Walnut Creek, or Pleasant Hill. Though that’s not far, sometimes the distance makes you opt for a different dining option.
The best part of this restaurant is the dining experience. The restaurant is new, and the staff working there try hard to make you a repeat customer. Everyone there is very friendly, and works hard to make you feel welcome and comfortable with the menu options.
The menu is nice, featuring some traditional options as well as some unique eats you can’t find anywhere else. The BBQ is tasty, with reasonable portions for the price. The meat is tasty and flavorful. I’m a fan of the spicy pork, but the other options are just as tasty. With respect to the unique items, on multiple occasions they’ve provided me with a free sample of their bulgogi fries. If you’re not afraid of the mayo, it’s really tasty. I can’t personally vouch for it, but the burritos are apparently pretty tasty as well.
Overall a great experience, and worth the try!

Second time eating here and I love it! I forgot what I got the first time since it was a while ago but I DO remember those good ass bulgogi fries! Tonight I ordered the bulgogi bowl with white rice. definitely a 2 thumbs up from me and chicken roll, also super delicious! I loved every bite of my dinner tonight and I can’t wait to try more off the menu!

It’s very rare that I find playful takes on traditional foods in this particular area, but Kalbi N’ Things is a definite hole in the wall.
I’ve only ever ordered their burritos and bulgogi fries. But each time I order them, it’s a hit or miss. On the plus side, the burritos are huge and filling for less than $ 10…but that might just be because the kimchi fried rice over powers whatever meat you choose to get. I did say hit or miss because there were a few instances where my burrito was made with an equal distribution of meat and rice, but it’s never consistent.
The idea for the menu is fun and creative. The bulgogi and spicy pork are very tasty if you get enough, but it’s lacking something. I just don’t know what.
I frequent this spot a lot, however, so my rating could change in the future if the experience changes for me!

On my way home from work, I decided to get Bulgogi and Kalbi for dinner. First time here ever. Didn’t need rice or veggies, only meat. Discovered the place doesn’t do any ala carte main dishes.
Lady cashier gave a lecture in a high voice how all their dishes come with sides. She kept insisting I should get the sides too.
When I stood my ground of no rice, she said she’ll see but she’s not the owner.
I felt rattled by her impatience, but I told her it’s my 1^st ever time here. Lady cashier became a bit kinder this time and mentioned that she’ll ask to put more meat.
I came home not too excited about the bbq anymore. I brought the meat home to my family dinner. The Kalbi and Bulgogi is moist and delicious and hit my korean BBQ craving. But the experience was unsettling and disturbing.
Do you want 1^st time customers to come back? Treat them with respect and accommodate their needs with kindness.
Don’t scold them. Not good public relations. Customer is always right.
I think I’ll find and recommend another korean BBQ place. I don’t want to be yelled at again. Review is not just for the food but the experience.

Overall, this is a decent, fast, quick-​style Korean restaurant serving up some tasty eats. But, decent is all it is. There is a LOT of potential for this place to be great, but perhaps it needs a bit more time to establish itself.
I had ordered their Deep Fried Tofu Bowl, which was surprisingly tasty for a normal bibimbap dish. It came in a large bowl (which made it look like a smaller serving than it actually was) with 3 sides and a bottle of Sriracha. I was happily pleased with this meal and became surprisingly very filled. For about $ 9, it was decent though I wouldn’t think the price should be that high. For $ 9, I’d expect a gourmet authentic Korean dish, though this fast-​style restaurant delivered a decent eat that would fare better at lower, more affordable prices.
My brother and I shared the Bulgogi Fries, and although they were delicious, GOODNESS was it a disappointment. First off, the thick-​cut fries were deliciously crispy and tasty. The sauce they put on it was heavenly. The extra little veggies were tasteful and not overwhelming. And the bulgogi was… Well, basically nonexistent! First off, the very reason people order Bulgogi Fries instead of normal fries is FOR THE BULGOGI. And the bulgogi came in little shreds that could have been almost unnoticeable on the dish. The size was decent and it was filling and the sauce was SO yummy, but there was just not enough bulgogi. I feel if they added a buttload of more bulgogi to make it real «Bulgogi Fries,» they would have a winning, stellar dish that people could probably come back for. That was my only vice.
This place definitely has a lot of potential, and their seemingly «cheap» dinnerware and cutlery (makes sense for starting up) kind of makes the food less glamourous than it could be. The dishes are tasty overall, but with better preparation/​more upscale dinnerware (that doesn’t feel so cheap) and accurate pricing, this place can really stand-​out.

I really wanted to love this place… But after trying it for the first time, I thought it was just OK. We ordered a little bit of everything.
Fish tacos — nice and fresh. Had a great sauce to it. Definitely would get this again.
Japchae with beef bulgogi — super yummy! Beef was cooked nicely and noodles have the right flavor and texture. Definitely one of the better japchae I’ve had.
Seafood tofu soup — it was good. I’ve had better but it was good nonetheless. Prefer mine a little spicier with an egg cracked in before it’s served. No egg in this one :(
Seafood pancake — decent. Didn’t have much seafood in it. It was just ok to me.
Last but not least: spicy chicken burrito. Very good, but I wish the ratio of the chicken to rice was better. Mine had way too much rice and not enough chicken. Had a good flavor to it though!
Overall, I would come here again if I was in the area but wouldn’t drive out of my way to come here. It’s more of a quick Korean fusion type place… So don’t come here expecting to get a fully authentic Korean meal.

Good, quick Korean fast food.
It’s a counter service establishment. You order at the register and they bring the food to your table.
We ordered the bulgogi beef rice bowl, the soon tofu, japchea, the seafood pancake, and a bulgogi burrito. I ordered the bulgogi burrito and I have to say I was disappointed. The bulgogi was on the sweet side which was really sad because I enjoyed the rest of the contents of the burrito. I think the spicy pork would have been a better option for the burrito. The seafood pancake, japchea, and soon tofu were all ok. The rice bowl was a favorite and it even came with banchan on the side.
Overall, it’s pretty good Korean food that comes out fast. I would come back and try the fries or get the spicy pork burrito instead of the bulgogi. The receipt had a coupon for free bulgogi fries and I look forward to using that coupon!

I love Korean food and Korean fusion, so my boyfriend took me here. Ordered bulgogi fries, grilled chicken roll, spicy chicken tacos, and spicy pork burrito.
The fries were actually wedges, which is fine by me. The sauce and toppings were all good flavors, but there was not as much meat as expected. The grilled chicken roll was fresh and delicious. The spicy chicken tacos had a good heat and the pico was amazing! The spicy pork burrito was okay. The rice was a little bit too creamy for my liking and I wish there was more freshness/​more lettuce.
Staff is friendly. Service was quick. Prices are fair. Flavor profiles are okay overall.

After coming to Kalbi n Things several times, I can safely say that it has been consistent in the food, service, and cleanliness. Although I am no connoisseur of Korean food, I think the bulgogi fries and the bulgogi burrito are the bomb. The burrito is a tortilla, wrapped around a whole ton of kimchi rice and bulgogi. The bulgogi is chunkier and sweeter than bulgogi I normally get elsewhere. The fries are nice, big, potato wedges served with corn, bulgogi, and I think thousand island sauce. Whatever the ingredients are, these fries are addicting! The portion of fries is a bit small, but one of the ladies that works there once gave my friends and me extra fries. :) it’s an awesome place to go when you’re craving a fast lunch a little out of the norm.

Now this was a quick and easy win! Arrived here at 8pm right before closing time (9pm). The place had about four sturdy tables made for parties of four. It was small overall. No fancy décor, but seemed simple and very clean. I was welcomed with a smile. I asked what was good, and as I gazed into the colored contacts of the cutie cashier; She threw out a bunch of suggestions that had my mouth just watering. Wanting to try everything!
I ordered the:
Bulgogi Burrito ($ 6.99)
~ This was one fat burrito! The beef was very tender and sooo savory with the kimchi fried rice. Add some of the pickled daikon and jalapenos condiments, and you’ll be in Mexican fusion heaven! Only wished for a even ratio of beef to rice.
Korean Fish Tacos (3 tacos for $ 7.99)
~ Oh boy, these were some tasty tacos! The battered fish did seem kinda small, but the flavorful sauce and freshness of the ingredients made up for it. So worth it! They warmed up the corn tortilla just right. It wasn’t dry and did not crumble, t’was perfect.
I also a Thai Iced milk tea ($ 3.50) with boba. Not the greatest, but ok. The carry various milk teas like jasmine, taro, and smoothies like honeydew as well.
Reasons why I’ll be back:
~ Service was quick.
~ The food was good eats for $ 20.
~ I need to take pics for Unilocal.I jumped the gun and scarfed the food down.
~ After paying, I was handed with my receipt a «Free Bulgogi Fries» coupon (with purchase of $ 30). Something I forgot to order.

Update on previous review: recently I came to get my favorite bulgogi burrito and I did notice that the quality of the food has changed. The burrito was mostly rice and not much meat, so I’m taking off a star. Hopefully they are not cutting back on the quality :(
First review: This place is like a Korean Mexican fusion, not completely Korean. It reminds me of K-​town in LA, its that good! Bulgogi burrito all the way for me! Hubby likes getting the chicken lunch special, a lot of food! My kid likes the glass noodles and pancakes. The prices are very reasonable, $ 7 for burrito, $ 9 for lunch special etc, lots of food! Oh yeah and hubby is Korean and says its really good. Try it if your a local! Place is tucked in a small plaza across from foodmax.

We ordered the Bulgogi burrito, Bulgogi fries, and japchae.
Bulgogi burrito: sooooo good! The meat was so juicy and Sweet. The amount of meat they put in the burrito was a lot too. Usually other places would give more rice or veggys but this place gives you a lot of meat!!! Def worth your money ! The burrito was huge too and def. would fill you up. Better than the food truck MoGOs in my opinion
Bulgogi fries: we ordered the wedge fries to be extra crispy, extra cheese and extra cilantro. Def did what we asked with no extra charge! It was really good. The portion was big too
Japchae: it was good! Not the best japchae I tried but still good.
Overall the food was amazing and the portions were big! Def worth the money
The ambience was very laid back, def a place to go to grub with friends or a quick lunch ! The service was good too!

Kalbi ‘n Things gets a tentative 3.5 stars from me until my next visit.
The restaurant is clean and neat, the employees were very pleasant and efficient, the prices seem to be reasonable, and the food that I ordered to go – spicy chicken roll — was fairly generous and a little above average but it did not exactly wow me. It just seemed that there was way more rice than the spicy chicken so the spiciness was tempered. I am willing to admit that this is to be expected in a roll so I admit that it is my fault that I did not get swept away.
The other items in their menu look intriguing so I will try them next time I stop by. I truly think they deserve a bump to 4 stars.

Did someone say Korean burrito in Concord?
Newly opened, clean establishment an a little old Asian lady working the counter.
Upon the many choices I see, I was drawn to try out their Bulgogi beef burrito and the Beef bulgogi fries. So in comparison to HRD’s burrito in SF, it is really close-​the difference between the two was the rice was a lil spicy which I love. My burrito had too much rice so I ate half of a half. The fries? crispy and pretty heavy but what do you expect? cheese, corn, beef, & fries? Obviously I have fat girl problems, but I love to eat.
That’s all folks.