Korean Restaurants in Melbourne
There are many Koreans in Melbourne. I love that because that means that there are many Korean restaurants in town. Paired with the supreme quality of beef, pork and other produce that we have here in Melbourne, the quality of some of the Korean restaurants in Melbourne can even compete with the those in South Korea.
In terms of the price range, I have categorised them into:
1. Cheap – $30 for 2 people not including drinks
2. Moderate – $50 for 2 people not including drinks
3. Expensive – $80 for 2 people not including drinks
4. Splurge – $100 for 2 people not including drinks
Suga
Address: 269 Huntingdale Rd, Chadstone VIC 3148
Price range: Moderate
Suga specialises in pork hock and home-made bean products. Anything here that’s made of soy is incredibly nice. If you love collagen and fall-off-the-bone tender pork pieces, get the spicy pork hock. I wouldn’t recommend the budae jiggae (army stew) or fried chicken here because you can get better ones elsewhere.
Mumchan
Address: 1B Triholm Ave, Laverton VIC 3028
Price range: Moderate
Hands-down the best Korean fried chicken is at Mumchan. It’s a little bit of a drive but if you are located at the west side of town, you have to come to this little gem!! The specialises in side dishes and you can get literally HUNDREDS of them! The variety is out of this world. The best thing is, you can even buy some pre-packaged Korean side dishes before going home. Order the pork ribs stew as well. They also do really tender Jokbal (braised pork)!
NOTICE: There’s two Mumchan outlets in Melbourne – CBD and Laverton. Thing is the one in the CBD is much, much smaller and you can’t dine in – you can only buy the side dishes. I strongly recommend going to the one in Laverton. I like the open kitchen concept and the owner is incredibly friendly!!!
Busan
Address: 179 Queen St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Price range: Moderate
The thing about Korean restaurants in Melbourne is that they are pretty specialised in what they do. Busan, a no-brainer, specialises in food from Busan. So that means kimchi that’s slightly more sour and spicy, more seafood and more hearty dishes. Food from Busan is incredibly flavourful and this place has done them right.
Joomak
Address: Basement, 407/409 Swanston St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Price range: Cheap – Moderate
Craving for homemade Korean soju or maekgolli? Come to Joomak! Despite being on the sweeter side, the mango soju and the peach maekgolli here are to die for. It’s a very cosy Korean bar that also serves bar food/ dinner. Note that the seating here is a little tight so you might have to wait.
Mipung
Address: 2-6 Market St, Nunawading VIC 3131
Price range: 36.90 AUD per person for all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ
There are many Korean BBQ places in Melbourne but this place stands out because they actually serves good cuts of beef and pork! Ribeye, sirloin, beef brisket, pork tenderloin and many other meaty indulgence that you think of! There are pre marinated pork and beef, seafood and other goodies like fried chicken too!
Mahndoo
Address: 365 La Trobe St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Price range: Expensive
Mahndoo specialises in korean-styled dumplings amongst many other things. It’s one of the few Korean fine dining establishments. Mahndoo offers amazing service and ambience, which adds some brownies points to the dining experience. Get the pork shank or the rib stew. Kimchi pancake here is god darn crispy.
Gami
Address: Many outlets
Price range: Cheap – moderate
After trying out Korean fried chicken from many other places, I have to say that Gami doesn’t seem to taste that nice anymore. But, it’s still worth a mention here because it can take large bookings and food comes out super quick. Besides, there are many outlet as well so you can easily satisfy your cravings real quick! The pan-fried, glazed korean rice cake is worth an honorary mention – get it if not you’re gonna regret.
CJ Lunch Bar
Address: 391 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Price range: Cheap
Probably the only cheap Korean restaurant that I included in here. The thing about Korean food is that it’s not cheap. CJ lunch bar kind of defies all odds and offer big portion of food with student-like price. Get the cheese chicken bulgogi or the soondobu jiggae (silky tofu stew) – you’ll soon realise that this place is a true gem for students.
Guhng
Address: 19 McKillop St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Price range: Moderate
I come to Guhng when I am craving for a good plate of spicy tteokbokki. I don’t know what magic they put in here but the tteokbooki here is much better than those I had elsewhere. There are also more vegetarian options here as compared to other places. You can also opt for Korean BBQ here. Alternative to Korean BBQ here is Changgo (but I don’t like it as much because my clothes will just smell like Korean BBQ whereas Mipung and Guhng have much, MUCH better ventilation).
Dosirock
Address: 1/280 King St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Price range: Moderate
Dosirock is famous for its pork belly, hocks and different varieties of pancakes. The corn thing that’s topped with cheese is also to die for. The combination plate of hock and belly is enough to feed two people. It’s also one of the few places that offer dakhanmari (whole chicken noodle soup) but it’s not as impressive as the one I had in Seoul. Check out what’s the 3 Korean food that you have to try during you trip to Korea!
What? There's more???
I hope that you enjoy this list and didn’t drool as much as I did.
If you want a more comprehensive travel guide to Melbourne, check out my complete Melbourne Travel Guide.
Thinking about moving to Melbourne? Make sure you give my “Cost of Living in Melbourne” a good read.
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Born and raised in Malaysia, Aaron is a medical student who desperately preaches about “Travelling doesn’t have to be expensive” – well, he has a full-on blog about it. When he is free, he checks for the cheapest airfare that would get him out of Australia. Aaron indulges in local cuisine so much that he has to lose some weight before and after he goes travelling. Read more about him here!
