The best Korean eateries to check out in Melbourne’s Koreatown, Kimchi Lane

Famed for its hot take on contemporary Korean food culture and its legendary kimchi masterclasses with the restaurant's matriarch, Seven Star Pocha is your go-to for all your fave Korean classics. These comfort K-food dishes (and vibes) are so authentic you'll feel like you've stumbled into a proper Seoul eatery. Make a night of it with hotpot, noodles, barbecue, army stew and plenty of butter beers to wash it all down. Check out the Kimchi Lane location on your next late-night out (it closes at 3.30am on weekends). 

Gilgeori toast, translated literally to 'street toast', is a popular South Korean night market snack made with egg omelette, cheese and cabbage loaded between soft white bread. Seoul Toast Bong in Koreatown does several variations of the sandwich with your choice of filling, plus heartier varieties stuffed with beef bulgogi or Korean fried chicken – and they start at just $12. There’s also other cheap eat classics like tteokbokki rice cakes, crisp fried seaweed rolls filled with springy japchae noodles, Korean fried chicken and ramyeon (Korean ramen).

Gami's been making the rounds on Melbourne’s best fried chicken lists for a few years now and it deserves all the attention. Go half-and-half on the seasonings: original, sweet chilli, soy garlic and spicy. If you're looking for maximum crunch, go for the original fried chicken. The batter is not too thick, seasoned just so, and hits the spot when consumed with the wonderfully crisp house beer – the Gun Bae Pale Ale that's locally brewed especially for Gami. The sticky soy garlic marinade is a crowd favourite and nails the balance of sweet soy with a savoury, garlicky edge. 

At Jang Gun, the portions are colossal, but the prices aren’t. Head there with family and friends for a feast at a great price. It’s one of Kimchi Lane’s most popular restaurants, and a line snaking out the door isn’t uncommon so play it safe and book your table in advance if you can. It’s a cosy old-school atmosphere with classic Korean street eats like fried chicken. There’s also plenty of winter warmers like the altang (fish roe soup) and the budae-jjigae – also called army stew, which is like a big hot pot of spicy broth, noodles, sausage and cheese.

South Korean chef Paik Jong-won leads a Korean food empire, with more than 2,000 restaurants, 5 million YouTube subscribers and several TV shows under his belt. The menu of his noodle joint, which features just a handful of dishes priced as low as $13.50, highlights fermented Korean flavours and Paik's famed sauces. The noodles are handmade in-house daily, immediately obvious from the springy and almost meaty bite and mouthfeel. Get them coated in stir-fried vegetables, seafood and oyster sauce (the bokkeum jjamppong) or with stir-fried pork, black bean sauce and vegetables (jajang-myeon).

Reckon you can handle the heat? Have a go at Dong Dae Moon’s silbi kimchi: it’s an *extra* spicy version of the fermented cabbage side. For the more delicate palates, you can’t go past chunky slices of Kimbap – colourful fillings rolled tight with rice and seaweed or the crisp little slices of kimchi pancake (minus the mega silbi heat). You’ll want to stick around for the dessert specialty: bingsu. It’s a shaved ice treat usually topped with sweetened condensed milk and fresh fruit, but there’s some adventurous options here too like the coffee flavour topped with Biscoff crumbs.