Cape Town restaurants serving authentic tastes of South Korea

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Cape Town, the city that keeps on giving, is an avid foodie’s dream. With a multitude of flavours to choose from, why not discover the sweet and spicy jewels of the East?

Grab your chingus and head down to these culinary gems for a true taste of South Korea:

 

Gogi

It’s all about grill-it-yourself here at Gogi Korean BBQ in Newlands. The place where your Korean pop culture fantasies can come to life.

If by sheer chance you’ve seen even a snippet of any Korean Drama, eight times out of ten it would look something like this: A team dinner, a celebration of some sort among a group of close friends, or a best friend duo soon to become lovers.

And where might these classic K-drama scenes be set? At a grill-it-yourself style BBQ restaurant, of course.

Plenty of meat, plenty of soju. It’s simply the authentic South Korean way of life.

• Location: 1 Dean Street, Newlands
• Operating hours: Tuesday to Thursday 12 pm to 9 pm | Friday and Saturday 12 pm to 11 pm | Sunday 12 pm to 9 pm

 

Korea Market

The ultimate one-stop shop for K-drama fans dreaming to taste the tteokbokki, mandu, corndog or Korean fried chicken they’ve seen on the latest episode. The best part is that it’s halaal too

With the popularity of Korean pop culture rising steadily in Cape Town, it simply makes sense that Korea Market has become a local hotspot given its large variety of Asian goods in the supermarket section.

• Location: first floor, St Peter Square 423 Main Road, Observatory
• Operating hours: Monday to Saturday 9.30 am to 5.30 pm | Sunday 10 am to 4 pm

Korean Kitchen

In the heart of Stadium on Main lies one of the first Korean cuisine establishments to stock authentic Korean pop culture ‘merch’ and host events too.

Korean Kitchen’s truly authentic Korean food experience is imbued with the heart of Seoul.

After your meal is done and you’ve had a few drops of Korean liquid courage (soju, obviously), make your way to the noraebang (karaoke) rooms and live out your best K-pop idol fantasies with an extensive selection of both Korean and English songs.

• Location: Stadium on Main, 103 Main Road, Claremont
• Operating hours: Monday to Saturday 11 am to 7.30 pm | Sunday 11 am to 7 pm

ALSO SEE: Kanéla Café: Your local brunch spot and hangout

Kanéla Café: Your local brunch spot and hangout

Written by Tauhira Ajam for Cape {town} Etc.

Feature image: Unsplash