The best Korean restaurants in Melbourne

What is it? A micro-restaurant from Korean-born chef Jung Eun Chae, shining a spotlight on classic Korean fermentation techniques and nourishing, healthful and home-style recipes.

Why we love it: It had a very humble beginning, first launching in 2019 from Chae's one-bedroom Brunswick apartment. Today, the multi-award-winning restaurant operates in peaceful Cockatoo, with aspiring diners having to enter an actual lottery to nab one of its six coveted seats. Chae's beautiful food is a fine example of how simplicity and respect for time-honoured traditions are the keys to good cooking.

Time Out tip: Don't give up if you're struggling to get a spot at the table. It can take a fair while before your name is plucked from the pile of hopeful diners!

What is it? This intimate 20-seater is the perfect CBD spot for quality Korean dishes. Run by a lovely husband-and-wife team, the restaurant offers the popular babsang (a Korean set menu) with your choice of proteins and a scrumptious Basque cheesecake. 

Why we love it: You also get an assortment of banchan, such as fried cauliflower with spicy mayo, tteokkochi, kimchi and fresh fruit, plus rice and salad. On the drinks front, take your pick from a range of Korean sodas, soju drinks and fresh juices. All in all, it's a balanced meal from one of Melbourne's more quality-oriented Korean offerings, and you can taste the love and attention to detail in every dish. 

Time Out tip: Diner of Franklin accepts walk-ins only, so be sure to get in nice and early!

What is it? A minimalist mid-sized Korean restaurant from former Nobu chef Doowon Lee.

Why we love it: Where Korean comfort food (as delicious as it may be) can often fall on the heavier side, what with all its greasy fried chicken and oily sauces, Sot feels different: fresh, clean and perfectly balanced. This is Korean cuisine at its more refined, and we want more, please – from the generous meal sets to that sot gab and the beef tartare. 

Time Out tip: Feeling happily lonely? We rate this as one of Melbourne's top spots to dine solo.

What is it? 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.

Why we love it: 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.

Time Out tip: Check out the second Chinatown location on your next late night out (it closes at 2am on weekends). 

What is it? Since 2010, Joomak has been satisfying our cravings for Korean food with its authentic kimchi pancakes, hot pots, dakbal (spicy chicken feet) and its legendary bestseller – the fat cheese egg roll with fish roe.

Why we love it: Many Korean folks dine out at this cosy establishment into the wee hours (always a good sign), and the service and food quality is always consistent. It's a reliable city destination for group feasts, celebrations and intimate culinary adventures alike. 

Time Out tip: The food is best washed down with the restaurant's selection of soju and makgeolli drinks. 

What is it? When a 20-seater restaurant in the heart of suburbia that only offers five dishes, with no bookings, no website and no advertising is never with an empty seat, you know it has to be good.

Why we love it: Mr Lee’s Foods is well worth the trip to Ringwood East if you’re a fan of pork; all dishes are derived from this succulent meat. The upshot is you get interesting insights into the economical traditions of Korean dining and an innately cultural nose-to-tail philosophy. 

Time Out tip: Feeling confused or out of your depth? Just experiment with the seasonings and bring along a fellow adventurer; you're bound to find the Mr Lee's delicacy that makes you go back for more.

What is it? A lively Korean-style tapas-inspired restaurant with small and large share plates, an excellent drinks list and good vibes all 'round. 

Why we love it: Steven Ryu (chef) and SJ Min (venue manager) aren’t simply jumping on the Korean food bandwagon. They’re dishing up flavours from home with their own personal twist. For example, fat slices of salmon come cured in premium soju on top of pickled cucumber, dotted with a sweet-spicy gochujang and brightened with a yuja (citrus) vinaigrette – and that's just for starters.

Time Out tip: What’s Korean feasting without fried chicken? Jan Chi’s comes in a generous serve of both wings and drumsticks, and fried in an impossibly crisp batter that keeps its crunch long after it has been rolled in a sweet and spicy sauce aptly named ‘Yum Yum’.

What is it? An upscale Korean-Australian diner from inventive chef Mika Chae (the cousin of Jung Eun Chae – yes, that Chae), inspired by provenance and a fresh market-to-table approach. 

Why we love it: Doju has captured an underserved market for formal, Korean-inspired dining in the CBD – and that’s worth celebrating. It doesn't belong to the barbecue kings, the comfort eateries, the microdiners or the street food pocha-style joints; it's carved out a category entirely of its own.

Time Out tip: If you must only choose one dish, turn your sights to the LA galbi, Doju’s spin on the popular Korean-American short rib dish. Here, MS9 beef is layered with savoury and fermented toppings like horseradish, shiitake, doenjang (Korean soybean paste) and chive kimchi.

What is it? A casual Korean restaurant in West Melbourne, offering comfort food and a relaxed atmosphere.

Why we love it: The secret's out. This once low-key Korean restaurant overrun by displaced students wanting a taste of home is now being infiltrated by locals. Blame the internet. Blame Instagram. Blame Facebook. They’ve hit social media pretty aggressively and now everyone is lining up for all the banchan (side dishes) they can handle. Hansang means ‘table full of food’ in Korean, and that’s exactly what you get.  

Time Out tip: Planning a date night? Try the Hansang set for two.

What is it? A lively all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue restaurant has enlivened the District Docklands, delighting curious visitors with its enormous buffet of spicy and savoury flavour-packed dishes and cook-your-own ingredients.

Why we love it: Spearheaded by a team of master chefs with more than 20 years of traditional Korean culinary experience, a dinner at Seoul Garden is the next best thing to hopping on a plane to the South Korean capital itself. 

Time Out tip: It's all-you-can-eat here so you might want to skip lunch (or bring along a very hungry friend!)

What is it? A casual Korean eatery in the CBD that gets particularly busy around lunchtimes.

Why we love it: This is one of the few places that offers yukgaejang in Melbourne, a hearty, spicy crimson soup filled with slow-cooked, shredded beef, glass noodles and spring onions, served with red rice and kimchi. It's well worth trying along with the venue's Korean fried chicken, bulgogi and bibimbap.

Time Out tip: Looking for a lighter protein option? Try the soft tofu salad ($23.90) 

What is it? South Korean chef Paik Jong-won is a man who needs no introduction in the K-food scene. He leads a Korean food empire, with more than 2,000 restaurants, 5 million YouTube subscribers and several TV shows under his belt. Melburnians have already been treated to a taste of Korean barbecue at Paik's BBQ, but now punters can slurp up saucy and comforting Korean noodle dishes at Paik's Noodle. 

Why we love it: The menu, which features dishes priced as low as $13.50, highlights fermented Korean flavours and Paik's famed sauces. Yum!

Time Out tip: Seeking out a fancy-fied Korean noodle? We love the modern take on tteokbokki at Supernormal.