Choi’s Oriental Market

This place is AMAZING. This place serves ACTUAL korean food. The seasoning is ON point, the galbi reminds me of home, the food, the soup reminds me of food back in not only LA korean food but food in Koreaaaaaaaa. Not only is the food amazing but the service is amazing as well. They have an open kitchen so you can watch them cooking and its EVIDENT that they usr FRESH food. Almost everything is from scratch. And when i mean almost just the noodles arent made themselves which is like almost every other restaurant. The waiter named John and the two grandparent-​like owners made me feel like they were my own family. They are so sweet and nice and so hardworking. They are the epitome of authentic, super friendly asian people. For people who aren’t used to the asian culture, they might seem as a bit aggressive but they’re just friendly people who want others to feel comfortable. Also, mad props to them for building their own restaurant inside a market themselves. (yes they built it themselves).
They also have a renovated menu but I forgot to take a picture of it. But just to tell you guys, they’re still improving even though it’s already really good! And the cool and amazing thing is they opened the restaurant up this year! and it’s already really good! wow!
Furthermore, despite the fact that the place has a restaurant AND a market, an aesthetically well built wall in the middle prevents any distractions for people who are eating or shopping. It seems like two separate places!
Talking about the market…
Despite its small size, their market has a variety of korean goods such as sauces, seaweed, and even other asian food goods as well! (you guys probably can see what I mean through the pictures in Unilocal). Not only that, but they also have instant korean food which is perfect for college kids or anyone who craves korean food (especially in a place thats hard to get) but don’t have the time to make them themselves at home. They even have instant ramen noodles (even the notorious spicy fire chicken noodles everyone posts on youtube as a challenge which are actually hard to find in even normal places and especially a less asian culture-​like place such as santa barbara). They are not far behind the major korean markets in LA but actually have the popular things other korean markets have as well.
This place is just filled with a positive atmosphere and I would definitely come back again. I just love it!!!

I love their food. I eat it and crave it more. The spicy is such a good spicy and she doesn’t go easy.

I can’t say enough good things about this place. My roommates and I eat here all the time. We’ve had almost everything on the menu with the exception of the kimchi stew and the seasonal dishes. This place has delicious food and wonderful people, the couple who owns this place is so sweet. I’m seriously going to miss this place when I graduate!

Great food, great people. The only korean store with a decent selection. Food is authentically awesome and the variety in the menu is good for the adventurous palate.
Timing is especially important. Sometimes it is very busy, but others, not at all. They close at 730 so try to be there before 720 if you want to ensure the kitchen can make your order and get it to you in a timely manner or call beforehand to see what it’s like or to order ahead!
Overall this is a great mom and pop shop with a market and small restaurant right here in Goleta! Bring on the gochujjang!

This little hole in the wall is the place to go to curb my cravings for Korean food in between those LA visits. I came here with family and we got the bulgogi and jjajangmyun. The bulgogi was sweet, stir fried with some cabbages and onions so the cost can stay under $ 20. Jjajangmyun was comforting with a thick savory bean sauce and little cubes of pork. In accordance with tradition, the half a dozen banchan had free refills. Recently, I came here for lunch by myself and got the spicy pork box lunch. The pork had a nice wok hei, came with a side of daikon pork broth and three banchan: fishcake, cucumber, and seaweed. The guy who brought me the lunch asked if I wanted anything else. I asked for some napa cabbage kimchi and he happily obliged. He told me that they stopped putting napa in the box because most people let it go to waste. Tsk, tsk, Santa Barbarians. The napa was a little too mature for my taste. A few minutes later, he brought me one of the finest banchan I ever had. It consisted of strips of raw squid marinated in a sweet and spicy sauce and fragrant sesame oil. Of course, I asked for seconds and sopped up all the sauce with rice. There were hardly anyone in the restaurant during lunch hour and the owners were the most kind and accommodating people. Give it a go and keep an open mind.

I couldn’t find a Korean restaurant in Santa Barbara and my friend recommended this place. The Ddeokbokki was amazing I totally will recommend this place to my other friends!

Decent Korean place, though I’ve heard more Chinese than I want to. I do believe Chinese population is supporting Korean economy haha… They have really good, authentic-​looking korean groceries. One thing I would say, however, that their Doenjiang Jjgae was very very salty. Granted I’ve not had it elsewhere but as a human being (and a frequent Korean food eater), that was too salty for my taste. I am fearful to trying their salty (jajiang) noodle…

I visited the store in search of some fresh vegetables and snacks. The vegetables are not on display, but if you ask the staff, they will get some for you from the fridge between the kitchen and the shop area. They have a variety of Asian groceries. I saw more Japanese and Korean products than other ones. Price is reasonable. It seems like a mom and dad shop, everyone was very friendly and helpful! I hope to eat there sometime, the food smells amazing.

There’s a great selection of hard to find Korean groceries here and the food is amazing. It’s seriously like being let into your Korean friend’s house for dinner. There’s homemade quality but amazing taste. Come here and try it!

Found this place via Unilocal (craving korean bbq) and oh my gosh am I happy that I did! Best Korean BBQ in town. Their spicy pork dish is the absolute best. I ordered for pick up. The man that was working the cash register was beyond friendly and nice which means I’ll definitely be back. He also said that they have everything that you could possibly need there to make your own legit ramen! I am looking forward to visiting again. Prices are very fair as well. I will probably be a regular here.

While I’ve been to the market before, this was my first time going to Choi’s Restaurant since it opened recently. After lacking a good Korean restaurant for a long time (with the exception of Korean-​style burritos at Kogilicious/​I Love Seoul, RIP), I’m happy to say that now Choi’s Restaurant is here to fill that gap!
I ordered the spicy pork and rice. The meat and vegetables were flavored just right. Everything was so tender and juicy! Also, the service here is great; everyone is very nice!
I can’t wait to come back here and try all of their dishes!

I ordered the Ja Jung noodles #4. It took about a 15 – 20 min wait but it was worth it. The black sauce was so savory and flavorful. It matched well with the noodles and veggies. Very much authentic Korean food. ⁵⁄₅ for the quality of the food. However, $ 10 for a bowl was a bit much. I would’ve guessed $ 8 for the bowl.
I will definitely come back to try the other Korean dishes.

This place has authentic Korean food. A real mom and pops shop! The dynamic duo have won themselves a customer fo life! Please support them as Korean food seems to be scarce in the Santa Barbara area! I even got a chance to witness the first family photo while I was there!
I will be back!

The new restaurant is great, and I look forward to them expanding their menu. So happy to find authentic Korean food in Santa Barbara. Owners are super friendly.

«O-​word» aside, this place is legit. Selection in the market section is not as extensive as your Ktown super duper markets, but having access to certain Korean staples in an area historically bereft of anything authentically Asian is a sweet find. But this review isn’t really about the market.
They serve Korean dishes that rival anything you’ll find in Koreatown! Seriously.
We ordered the kalbi, which wasn’t overly sweet or too salty. The daegi bulgogi (spicy pork) that was stirfried with cabbage. Not too spicy. Next time, we plan on asking for it to be spicier. And the kimchi jigae (spicy kimchi and tofu soup) that was actually really really good. And that’s coming from me, not a huge fan of the dish to begin with. My girl was craving that. The banchan was a little hit and miss, though. The kimchi was nice and ripe. The egg was tasty. But the other banchan was a little too salty. Must up their banchan game. Maybe add some kongnamul, oi kimchi, kaldoogi, etc.
The couple that owns the place are super nice and attentive. And they obviously are serving what they make at home. Hopefully, they can keep serving what they would eat themselves and not change they’re recipes to attract the less knowledgable palates in Goleta. Please don’t ask them to make stuff sweeter or saltier. Or ask for soy sauce. Get that stuff at Whole Foods.

Really love that this place exists in the SB/​Goleta area. I love the fact that there’s also a food court style area where the owners of the place make homemade Korean dishes. I would highly recommend the Jja Jjang Myun– black bean noodle dish. So delicious and it’s the best I’ve had in California. The owners are so nice and they always make me feel very accommodated. Also, it’s absolutely wonderful that this place has primarily Korean products!
Also, there have been complaints about the place being overpriced. A couple of things:
1) Where are you going to find inexpensive Asian products in Santa Barbara? Dare you to try and prove me wrong.
2) It’s a family owned shop– you cannot blame them for setting prices like that. If you think it’s too expensive, spend the money on gas to go to LA.
3) I don’t think people realize how hard the owners work. It’s only usually the husband and wife. I’ve never seen anyone else, so cut them some slack. They are wonderful people, and I appreciate the «mom n pop» store.

Finally, Choi’s Restaurant’s doors are open and boy is it a long time coming. SB hasn’t had an actual Korean restaurant before, and no, that horrid place on upper state does NOT count.
Choi’s isn’t a Korean BBQ place, you know, with the grills built into the table, but instead more of a fast food style restaurant. With dishes like spicy pork, Bibimbap, and Bulgogi the fare is standard with little surprise as to what you are getting. The prices are well within reason, especially given Santa Barbara.
The market itself is nice for when you absolutely need Korean spices or sauces, but in general the market is a little marked up from what you would find in other cities.
All and all, I will be coming back here, frequently, and I hope Choi’s continues to grow and offer more dishes (like Sundubu or BBQ squid!!)

Choi’s kitchen is relatively new, but I’m confident that it’ll be my go-​to spot for months to come. My girlfriend and I frequent Koreatown in LA, so we’re familiar with Korean food and came in with high expectations.
We ordered the yuk gae jang (#2, spicy beef soup) and ja jang myun (#4, black bean noodle) at the front register and sat down at one of the few tables in the back. The owners mentioned that they’ll be getting a some more tables soon. We saw a lot of people ordering to go, so that’s always an option when you come. The food came out in less than 10 minutes. Here’s a breakdown of the dishes:
#2 The yuk gae jang was really good and was legitimately spicy, unlike other places in Santa Barbara where «spicy» doesn’t actually mean «spicy». In the broth was a bunch of bean sprouts, noodles, and shredded beef. It came with a side of multigrain rice and kimchi.
#4 The noodles in the ja jang myun were nice and chewy. The sauce had good flavor, without being overpowering or bland. It came with a side of pickled radish.
The service was solid. There’s just the elderly man and woman running the kitchen (on top of running the store), but they were still attentive with checking in on how our meal tasted.
Overall, the experience was great, and it’s nice to finally be able to eat quality Korean food in Santa Barbara without making the long drive into LA.

I heard about Choi’s opening a kitchen back in early fall and have been excited for the day to come
I came here Saturday night around 6:25 pm (during its first week of opening) and it felt pretty busy since the place is so small. They had no menu in sight, but they told us what they had available. I ordered bibimbap and my friend ordered a chicken teriyaki bowl. The orders are to-go…though they had some table space but it was all taken.
The bibimbap was great; I enjoyed the flavor way more than the bibimbap at Café International. It came with all the essential veggies, rice, and fried egg. The order also came with a side of yook soo, if I remember the name correctly (beef broth). Overall the food felt very traditional and homemade. The cook is great, she seemed flustered but I am glad they had a good turnout!
I am going to come back and try more of the food. I asked and she confirmed there is kimbap, there is also jajangmyeon, spicy pork, short rib, and possibly more. This place has great potential and I am excited to see how it goes for them! I would just say they really need to finalize a menu and have it somewhere. This is especially important if you have customers who are not familiar with some korean dishes. It also would be great if this turned into a sit down restaurant in the future… mostly because I love banchan haha.
Tldr; New spot for authentic Korean food. Check it out!

If you guys are craving legit Korean food, Choi’s now has a kitchen in the back. They make Gimbap, Bibimbap, tofu soup, bulgogi lunch boxes and more. I have literally prayed for years for something like this to happen in Santa Barbara.
They may not be the best market, but I don’t even care because the food reminds me of L.A. and none of this teriyaki bowl, orange chicken shit that Santa Barbara passes off as asian food. You already know this place keeps it real when they barely speak english and don’t even try to. Check it out.