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Time Out Melbourne never writes starred reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills for reviews so that readers can trust our critique.
Goodness, I love salt. It’s the backbone of any dish and has rescued more than a few of my, ahem, less palatable home cooking fiascos. Cremorne’s newest lunch spot, Sogumm (which means salt in Korean), understands salt as structure, not a late-stage cover – as I once relied on in my twenties – but the quiet beginning of flavour.
Near the corner of Swan and Church Streets, Sogumm is a gentle reminder of the power of Korean classics: bibimbap, housemade kimchi, skewers, ssam. (You can read more about Melbourne's best Korean food here). Think unpretentious dishes executed with remarkable finesse. Open from 11am to 3pm daily (bar Tuesdays), it proves that restraint is not absence, but confidence.
Owners and chefs Changhoon Kim and Suhyun Kim first crossed paths at Baegyangsa in South Korea, where they trained in fermentation under renowned Buddhist nun Jeong Kwan. The influence of Korean temple cuisine lingers in their tightly edited menu, which celebrates produce and seasonality.
The vibe
Swan Street can feel commercially loud, but Sogumm offers a delicious contrast.
The space is warm and relaxed, with timber accents, bright natural light and an open kitchen counter. I’m the first customer to arrive on a bright Wednesday morning, and there’s a stillness here I don’t usually associate with this intersection.
I’ve walked past on Saturdays when a line snakes down the street; today’s quiet feels like a small privilege.
Service is friendly and assured, with each dish arriving accompanied by a brief explanation, a touch of polish delivered without pretension.
The food
On my visit, the menu consisted of two one-biters, two smaller dishes, four bowls and two larger plates.
It’s incredibly difficult to choose. Under the guise of whetting my appetite (really just to try more), I begin with the pa-dak sanjeok: a Korean wine-yeast-marinated chicken thigh skewer wrapped in a delicate leek leaf and brushed with lime gangang. It’s juicy and savoury, the leek adding subtle crunch and sweetness. This is the moment I realise I’ve stumbled across the real deal.
The hobak-saeu jeon, their potato pancake, is an immediate order. Crisp outside and almost gooey within, the delicate flavours of potato and zucchini shine. It reads as simple, though I suspect it’s anything but. There’s no flour or cornstarch, yet its structure is flawless. A subtle acidic dipping sauce sits alongside, lifting rather than overpowering.
This is the ethos at Sogumm. Flavours don’t shout; they reveal. Seasoning doesn’t mask but draws out what’s already there.
The Wagyu yukhoe bibimbap arrives with raw beef, glossed in egg yolk, atop a crunchy mix of radish, nashi pear, lettuce and rice. Fragrant with sesame oil, each bite is texturally distinct and beautifully balanced between acidity, sweetness and richness. As I eat, I imagine my health bar quietly refilling. Satisfying, nourishing and utterly compelling.
After an embarrassingly long deliberation, I finish with the lotus leaf bossam. Bundarra Farm Berkshire pork belly is gently steamed in lotus leaf and served with aged kimchi, salad and anchovy ssamjang. The leaf imparts delicate earthiness, rendering the fatty pork surprisingly light. Wrapped in sour kimchi and dipped into the salty, addictive ssamjang, it’s so delicious I have to pause, hands briefly covering my face.
The finesse is undeniable. The technique belongs to fine dining, but the flavours are pared back to their purest expression.
The drinks
The drinks list is similarly restrained.
The Wild Berry Fizz is genuinely refreshing. Too often, fruit sodas feel like fizzy water with bits of fruit floating aimlessly within. This one tastes considered, thirst-quenching with an addictive berry tang that pulls you back sip after sip.
The Sikhye, a house rice punch, is glorious: custardy, nutty and silky without the heaviness that can accompany lactose-based drinks.
There are also sodas, sparkling water and, following their recent liquor licence approval, Asahi beer.
Changhoon Kim and Suhyun Kim have spoken of their hopes to one day open for dinner service. They have no interest in serving soju or mainstream Korean beers. A tightly curated Melbourne wine bar-style list alongside this food would feel like a natural evolution. But I digress.
Time Out tip:
Visit as close to 11am as you can to enjoy the space, watching the chefs and the sereness.
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