Bree Street is arguably one of the pinnacles of foodie central for many diners, with trendy restaurants lined up one after the other, and is now home to Maru Korean Steakhouse.
Founded by the PAN Collection Hospitality Group, the same group behind beloved restaurants such as Hacienda Coastal Mexican, Scala, and Burger & Lobster, among others, Maru Korean Steakhouse seamlessly merges tradition with modernity, ensuring that authenticity is woven into every aspect of their offerings.
“We wanted to create a space where Cape Town diners could feel the pulse of Seoul, its flavours, its energy, its warmth, while still celebrating the best local ingredients and hospitality,” shares Paolo Carrara, Director at the PAN Collection Hospitality Group.
A concept fermented to perfection like kimchi
With an undeniable passion, love and admiration for Korean cuisine, the concept of Maru began with talented award-winning chef Rikku O’Donnchu.
As the lead consultancy chef on the project, Rikku provided some key insight into what led to the opening of Maru in an official interview with Time Out.
"My inspiration comes from Korea. I was first introduced to Korean cuisine in the United States in California, and later I travelled to Korea and saw it in its own environment, and I fell in love with it then. It is a very unique cuisine, very spicy and rooted within the asian-esque corner that we all love and know, umami and spice mixed together, what a combination," says Rikku.
This isn't the first dive into Korean cuisine for chef Rikku, having worked at Doshi, a fine-dining Korean-American restaurant based in Orlando, Florida, his passion for the East-Asian cuisine runs deep.
"I met the owners of the Pan Collection and got them to sample Korean cuisine, and they fell in love with it as well. We put our heads together and decided that we wanted to amalgamate this Korean fried chicken, chicken nugget caviar and Korean BBQ idea together, but elevated, very high-end dishes," adds Rikku.
They gochu-gang!
Maru, in Korean, can be used to refer to a gathering place or where people and the menu have been designed with this in mind, as a shared dining experience for guests to sip and savour together.
True to the roots of Korea and the popularity of the East Asians' most-loved fast food, Korean fried chicken takes centre stage alongside an upscale K-BBQ experience at Maru Korean Steakhouse.
With their meat offering spearheading the dining experience and menu at Maru, only the highest quality meat products are sourced. For the chicken, Better Chicken, which is free range and raised without hormones or antibiotics, is selected for a richer and more natural flavour.
When it comes to their Wagyu and other meat offerings, Angus beef features throughout, with the key thread being that all meat is of the highest quality, and only the best cuts are selected.
“The beef is really the star of the show, Aberdeen Angus. I think they get massaged and treated like royalty, resulting in happy cows, which are fat cows and result in tasty cows," Rikku shares.
The KBBQ section is a refined experience, while you may not be grilling the meat at your table, it is carefully prepared at a BBQ station visible to diners, immersing you in an elevated Korean dining experience. The KBBQ meat is served alongside traditional Banchan (Korean side dishes), including in-house kimchi, daikon radish, scallion spinach salad and more.
Time Out Insider Info: Maru hosts a happy hour from Monday to Sunday from 4pm to 5.30pm it is half price on selected bubbles by the glass, wine and beer on tap. Korean-style bar snacks will cost R95 each.
Led by Executive Chef Justin Barker, Maru's attention to detail and passion to exude authenticity can be seen throughout the menu and go beyond Korean fried chicken, from offering Kimchi Bibimbap (a dish that Kim Namjoon, leader of global sensation BTS and arguably the Father of K-pop, referred to in his most recent APEC CEO Summit speech comparing the many compositions of bibimbap to that of K-pop, yes ARMY I see you, I am you), spicy tteokbokki, which is chewy glutinous rice cakes in a sauce with a real kick that tickles all your tastebuds to savoury Doenjang stew, Korean mac and cheese and more.
Embodying the Taoist philosophy of Eum Yang, a concept highly adopted in Korea, the balancing of yin and yang coexisting, the food blends indulgence with wellness and can be seen in their Korean Fried Chicken paired with bubbly offering.
At the core of the restaurant is an ingredient-led journey, opting not to use any trans fats or seed oils throughout its menu, and after savouring some of the deep-fried dishes on offer, I can wholeheartedly report that this is true.
"All these elements come together to create a pure and refined product ingredient-led journey that you get at Maru," adds Rikku.
Meat-free diners are not left behind as the restaurant caters to both vegetarians and vegans.
The k-tail affair
Their cocktail offering is extensive, with select drinks featuring gochujang, a Korean red chilli fermented paste that features savoury, sweet and spicy notes. Other nods to the East Asian cuisine include Soju, which is a staple alcoholic beverage in Korea.
As a K-pop stan myself, the cocktail menu had me giggling and kicking my feet as I could tell that development into the drinks menu was well thought out with nods to popular K-pop groups' songs, such as Blood, Sweat and Tears by BTS, a drink that features tequila, gochujang, Korean spice, ruby star, Persian citrus with club soda.
Saja Boy fans, you aren't left behind as the dedicated Kpop inspired cocktail section features Strawberry Soda Pop (cue the music), Abby dancing nearly shirtless aside, this drink features strawberry infused vodka, ruby star grapefruit, korean strawberry, citrus soda, Persian lime and Chery boba (yes boba).
For those who would rather opt for an alcohol-free option, fear not, the mocktails menu shows up and out with three flavour-packed options, including the popular Fantastic Baby made with Barlett pear, blood orange soda, gochujang and subak hwachea and eureka lemon.
There is an extensive bubbly offering along with a curated selection of nine Soju flavours on offer (as a massive fan of Soju myself, my eyeballs widened at the sight of this).
Seoul's neon lights
The interiors strongly nod to the bustling heart of city life in the capital of South Korea, Seoul.
With bright red neon lights signage adorning the wall behind the KBBQ section, the low lighting, and the usage of dark tones, the dining setting aims to embrace you in Seoul City life.
Korean culture and cuisine are having a major moment. Whether you’re a K-pop fan, a devoted K-drama watcher, or simply love discovering new flavours, the Hallyu Wave has officially swept across South Africa, and there’s no denying it.
Need to know details:
Address: 107 Bree Street, Cape Town
Opening times: Monday to Sunday from 12pm to 22.30pm
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