Korean Adventures @ Yami Yami (LaTrobe)

200 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, VIC

9654 4460

12pm - 9:30pm Everyday

Another Yami Yami post, but this time it's the Latrobe / Melbourne Central edition. 

Compared to the Lonsdale St Yami Yami, this store features different dishes that aren't seen in their sister store. Though both stores have their own specialty / exclusive items.

Beef Japchae

In terms of quantity, Yami Yami La Trobe beats a lot of other Korean joints by far, the flavour is on par with many other places I've been too which is a good thing as I have yet to try a japchae which I actually dislike.

(7/10)

Seafood & Spring Onion Pancake

Tasted too "flour-y"?, I didn't like the seafood and spring onion pancake as much, the overall flavour wasn't that great and was disappointing in general.

(4/10)

Deep Fried Chicken w/ Spicy Rice Cake & Cheese

This is a specialty at this store, I've ordered almost every time I come here with my friends as it's the 'must have' dish when it comes to sharing and I highly recommend it. It's a combination of fried chicken and spicy rice cake (Ddeokbeokki), and you simply can't go wrong with that. 

A warning though, if you can't deal with spicy food, then this isn't for you. The spiciness level can vary depending on your visit, but most of the times I've had it, it was extremely spicy but so delicious. 

(7/10)

Kimchi Pancake

Definitely the better pancake if I were to compare it to the seafood and spring onion one. the kimchi flavour is delicious and works amazingly well when you dip it in the soy sauce.

Unfortunately from experience, the kimchi pancake can vary in quality sometime, with one time I went, the pancake was dripping in oil and tasted bad. But from what I've seen, they've maintained their consistency.

(7/10)

Food - 6 / 10

Ambiance - 7 / 10

Service - 7 / 10

Total FoOodie Points - 20 / 30

 

Korean Adventures @ Uncle Jung's

 360 Elizabeth st, Melbourne VIC

9654 3428

Mon - Thu: 5pm - 11pm

Fri - Sat: 12pm - 11pm

Sun - 10am - 11pm

A new Korean takeaway establishment Uncle Jung's, which has just opened up recently, it serves up Korean fusion food such as burgers and tacos but with a Korean twist. 

After walking past this place a few times I decided to give it a try, from what I could tell, they also own the bar which is directly above this store and serves up alcohol and bar food just like any other bar would.

 Galbi Burger Combo ($10.50)

The Galbi Burger was pretty small, the size of my palm if I were to be precise. I hoped that the flavour would make up for the lack of size but it was pretty ordinary. Nothing really special about the Galbi burger.

(5/10)

The combo came with chips & drinks, the we were offered 3 different types of flavours with the chips that were (Ordinary, Chilli & Rosemary). The chilli flavour was chosen for this, and I absolutely loved the chips. Crispy, golden and the chilli salt added a great flavour to it.

(7.5/10)

2-Fried Chicken Combo (Fries + Drink) ($10)

The fried chicken was crispy and succulent, though I was disappointed because the pieces I received were pretty much mostly bones and lacked actual meat itself. But I would definitely come back as the chicken was pretty good

(7.5/10)

The Rosemary chips were pretty disappointing in portion, I wasn't able to tell between the ordinary flavour and Rosemary besides the tiny specks of Rosemary on the chips itself. There was a lot more on the bottom of the basket but I felt that it could've been served or done better. Either way the accompanying chilli mayo sauce matched really well with them.

(7/10)

Food - 6.5 / 10

Ambiance - 6 / 10

Service - 8 / 10

Total FoOodie Points - 20.5 / 30

 

Korean Adventures @ Sam Sam Chicken & Beer

209 Swanston Street, CBD, Melbourne

Phone N/A

Opening Hours N/A

(Will be updated soon)

There's a good number of Korean Fried Chicken restaurants opening around Melbourne, and Sam Sam has became one of my favourites since their doors have opened. 

Unlike most 'KFC' Restaurants where they primarily sell fried chicken and a few other dishes, Sam Sam serves just as much classic Korean dishes that work well by itself or alongside the chicken.

Sam Sam Whole Boneless Chicken (Half & Half) (650g) ($33)

Half original, half soy garlic w/ spring onion. Boneless chicken fillet 

The original and soy garlic w/ spring onion flavours are definitely my favourite. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the chicken is just as good as every other top 'KFC' specialty stores in Melbourne. Accompanied by wedges, thousand island coleslaw and cubed radish, it's a must try dish.

(7/10)

 Kimchi Fries ($15)

Sam Sam  seasoned chips topped with caramelised kimchi, crispy pork belly, slice of lemon, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and spring onion

. Full of toppings, crispy and golden fries, it's simply the perfect dish when eating fried chicken.

(7.5/10)

 Sizzling Spicy Chicken Bulgogi w/ Cheese ($19)

Marinated chicken with mixed vegetables in spicy korean chilli paste sauce with cheese.

Slightly disappointed by the amount of chicken on this dish, it's majority vegetables and only 1/3 of meat on the plate. The chicken bulgogi with cheese was pretty good but for the portion and price, you can definitely find better elsewhere.

(6/10)

 Sam Sam Chicken Wings (Original 12pc) ($15)

Combination of chicken wings & drumsticks

Crispy, succulent & golden, the chicken wings impressed me just as much as the original boneless chicken did. Though I was surprised that it was a mix of drumsticks & wings, so a bit of false advertisement there, but not a problem for me.

(7/10)

Food - 7/10

Ambiance - 6/10

Service - 8/10

Total FoOodie Points - 21/30

Korean Adventures @ Chick-in

620 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC

9973 6244

      12:00pm - 10:00pm Mon - Thur

12:00pm - 12:00am Fri - Sat

Closed on Sunday

With Korean fried chicken being a local favourite in Melbourne, it's no suprise that stores which specialize in Korean style fried chicken are popping all over the CBD. But Chick-in has been going strong since opening in 2013 and have maintained a strong customer base with their mouth-watering fried chicken and other classic dishes. 

Coming in for lunch I decided to try out their lunch menu.

Signature Kimchi Fries ($17)

Braised chicken, kimchi, mixed cheese sour cream, tomato & pepper on potato chips

Generous in portion and toppings, the kimchi fries was the star of the meal, the fries were crispy, all of the toppings just mixed incredibly well. I've tried kimchi fries from various Korean fried chicken joints such as Sam Sam and NeNe Chicken, and the kimchi fries at Chick-in was definitely my favourite. Though a tad high on the price, it's a must try dish.

(8/10)

Gang Jung (Soy) ($12)

Boneless crispy chicken breast & thigh with potato wedge & rice cake

To be honest, the chicken at Chick-in is quite average compared to other Korean joints around Melbourne. It isn't bad, it's crispy and the sauce was nice but it's definitely lacking something for me to want to come back and get it again.

(6/10)

Chick-In Plate ($15)

Gang jung, pork bulgogi, dumpling salad, kimchi, rice & miso soup

The 'Lunch Set' of Chick-in, consisting of  the whole soup, salad, main, rice and side dishes. It's worth for the price. The rice works really well with any of the other dishes in the set. Though the dumpling salad was quite bland, it's a comforting meal.

(6.5/10)

Avocado & Salmon Bibimap ($12)

Avocado rice and greens with soy sauce

A friend had gotten this, a very healthy dish from the appearance, it was strong in nutritional value but lacked in the taste department. Though this depends on personal taste, i wasn't a fan of the avocado as it overwhelmed the dish.

(5/10)

Food - 6.4/10

Ambiance - 8/10

Service - 7/10

Total FoOodie Points - 21.4/30

KBBQ Adventures @ Changgo

70 Little Latrobe St, Melbourne VIC

0449 247 355

5:30pm - 1:00am Everyday

Korean barbecue, sizzling meat, the aroma of freshly grilled pork and beef and the various soups and dishes that are being delivered to each table. It's no wonder these are one of my favourite types of places to eat at, and Changgo is no exception.

As one of the most popular Korean BBQ businesses in the Melbourne CBD, they maintain their popularity with their cheap price, generous servings and satisfactory quality of meat.

 Condiments & Side dishes

The set menus are the most popular here, so we decided to get the 'Pork Set' ($59.90). It comes with 8 different flavours of pork, vegetables, side dishes, soup to share and bowls of rice. These sets are pretty filling when shared between 2-3 people.

BBQ Vegetables for the Pork Set

The vegetables for the BBQ are delicious and pair really well with the meat. Pork belly wrapped in beansprouts and kimchi, a mouth-watering combination.

 8 Kinds Of Flavoured Pork

The pork belly itself is slightly disappointing in thickness as it's more thin than other restaurants in Melbourne. But the 8 different flavours is what makes this restaurant unique. From memory the flavours of the pork were

wine, herb, ginseng, garlic, curry, hot, miso, and plain

The standout flavours for me were the chilli & curry

(7/10)

 Fish Ball Soup

Generous in portion and variety, the fish ball soup has always been my favourite whenever i dined here. There's always enough to share and it tastes great

(7.5/10)

Food - 7/10

Ambiance - 8.5/10

Service - 7/10

Total FoOodie Points - 22.5/30

Korean Adventures @ Yami Yami (Lonsdale)

With numerous restaurants around Melbourne, Yami Yami has displayed their popularity with their growing customer base and recent expansions in the CBD. This isn't the first time i've dined here, as this was a regular for me.

Kimchi Fried Rice with Creamed Garlic Prawn ($16)

The combination or the kimchi fried rice and the cream sauce was a pleasing combination, though i was unable to taste any garlic in the prawns. Creamed sauce is definitely one of my favorites and Yami Yami did not disappoint.
(4/5)

Japchae ($12)

Korean style clear sweet potato noodles with beef, vegetables & mushroom

I was quite suprised when this came out, at first glance there was a generous portion of sweet potato noodles. Which was definitely a +1 for me, as most of the Korean restaurants i've been to have been quite stingy in terms or portion. There was no problem to the taste itself, not the best i've had, but it was very satisfying.

(3/5)

Chilli Chicken Karaage ($17)

The Kara-age was slightly disappointing, before the restaurant had a management change, i'd order this dish almost every time i came here. But now, it's nothing to rave about. The sauce is too overpowering and the chicken itself didn't have that crispy texture that a chicken kara-age should have.
(2/5)

Tender Chicken w/ Spring Onion ($30)

I was only just recently introduced to the fried chicken and spring onion combination, and i am saddened that i wasn't any sooner. Recently i've been in love with the spring onion and chicken combination and hoped that Yami Yami would deliver a great dish. The dish was great, but it wasn't amazing. I felt that it lacked a flavour punch but it definitely had the crispiness i desired.
(3/5)

Chuncheon Spicy Chicken (For 3) ($57)

 Extra / Cheese, Crystal Noodles, Ramen ($15)

The Lonsdale restaurants has a speciality dish called the Chuncheon Spicy Chicken. Consisting of spicy stir-fried chicken, vegetables, and rice cakes, with added extras of cheese and noodles. I found this to be the best combination. Though it does cost to get the extras, i highly recommend it as it enhances the flavour. If you're a fan of spicy, then you'll definitely love this dish.

(4/5)

Food - 7/10

Ambiance - 5/10

Service - 6/10

Total FoOodie Points - 18/30

Korean Adventures @ Darac

Located alongside the main RMIT building on A'Beckett Street, Darac is famous for their beautifully presented Budae Jigae, also known as Korean Army Strew. Upon entering you will be greeted with a funky interior (which sadly i could not grab photos of) and sweet service.

Beef Bibimbap ($15)

Assorted Vegetables, egg, beef in a hot stone pot with rice

Beautifully presented, the bibimbap had numerous types of vegetables which mixed well with the dish. One problem is that the egg was raw with was somewhat unappealing but otherwise an enjoyable dish.

(3/5)

Pork ShabuShabu Sausage Stew + Ramen (Medium)  ($32)

Korean Army Stew, variety of spicy sausage stew with mixed vegetables

Upon ordering you can see that almost every table has ordered the Korean Army Stew, so obviously for this visit i would get the same. The difference between the way Darac and other korean joints differs when it comes to their Army Stew is that Darac's presentation is amazing. Simple but perfect. The food itself tasted great, a must have on a cold winter evening. 

(4/5)

Spicy Pork Bulgogi w/ Rice ($15)

Stir-fried thinly sliced pork belly with sweet chilli sauce

The spicy pork bulgogi was generous in portion but sadly the pork felt a bit dry and the flavour was lacking. When combined with rice it was a good combination but did not meet my expectations.

(2.5/5)

Spicy Rice Cake ($17) (Non-Spicy)

Slice rice cake with vegetables and spicy sauce with boiled egg and fried dumpling

We ordered the Spicy Rice Cake, but we had one person on our table who could not handle spice at all so we opt for the non-spicy / soy version. Overall it was okay, i prefer the spicy version alot more. Its great for those who can't handle spicy as it still has the same ingredients such as egg, fishcake, and dumpling.

(2/5) 

Food - 7.5/10

Ambiance - 7/10

Service - 6.5/10
Total FoOodie Points- 21/30 

Korean Adventures @ Gami Chicken

One of the renowned Korean Fried Chicken restaurants that every chicken lover knows is Gami Chicken! with 3 stores located around Melbourne CBD, theres a reason why each of these stores always seem to be packed.

Corn Cheese ($9.8)

Seasoned loose corn covered with seared cheese and sprinkled parsley served on a sizzling plate

A must have when eatting at any Korean fried chicken restaurant, corn smothered in melted cheese, what else could you want?. The corn cheese here is a lot better compared to other (KFC) joints so make sure to grab one of these if you ever come here.

(4/5)

Kimchi Pancake ($14)

Pan-fried Korean traditional pickled cabbage and vegetables in Korean pancake batter 

These were pretty good, a lot of kimchi (+1) though a bit inconsistent, crispy on the outside but soggy towards the middle which resulted in the pancake falling apart. 

(3/5)

Gami Original Whole Chicken ($32)

The star of night, the original whole chicken was beautiful. The skin was really crispy and the meat itself was very tender, not dry at all. I prefer my chicken this way as i feel that the sauces are a bit overpowering and decrease the crispiness which i love.

(3.5/5)

Gami Boneless Whole Chicken w/ Sweet Chilli Sauce ($34)

The sweet chilli sauce was a good compliment to the chicken. It was flavoursome and gave a kick when you first bite into it. Though the flavour may get a bit too much as you keep eatting, but its still overall very enjoyable and a must try for all.

(3/5)

Food - 7/10

Ambiance - 7/10

Service - 6/10
Total FoOodie Points- 20/30 

K-BBQ Adventures @ Mrs Kim's Grill

Theres a reason why Mrs Kim's Grill is known as one of the best Korean BBQs Melbourne has to offer. From the fresh meat right from their butcher store to its affordable sets and funky interior (which i forgot to get a photo of). Kim's Grill, located in Carnegie, is one of the top Korean BBQs in Melbourne.

Table of Delicious Goodies.

We decided to go for the 'Moo Set' & the 'Oink Set' which pretty much meant beef & pork set. Each set gives you the selection of meat, a choice of 3 different entrees, soup of the day, butter veggie parcel and 2 rice.

Seaweed Soup & Butter Veggie Parcel

Seaweed soup was good, not outstanding, a pleaser when mixed with rice. The Butter Veggie Parcel consisted of numerous vegetables such as corn, potato, carrots & broccoli, topped with cheese. It was cooked on the grill so the combination of melted cheese and vegetables was appealing.

(2.5/5) - (3.3/5)

Spring Onion mix & Smoked Salmon and Onion Mix

Spring onion mix was complimentary alongside the kimchi and onion. We had a choice of 2 entrees, we opted for the Smoked Salmon and Onion Mix & Assorted Vegetables which i didnt get a solo shot of but you can see it in the main photo (lettuce wrapping). The Smoked Salmon was really good, refreshing and full of flavour. But asides from that i wasn't fond of the onion mix.

(3.5/5)

Chilli & Soy Pork Belly 

Tender and full of flavour, the Chilli & Soy Pork Belly did not disappoint. I preferred the chilli pork belly more because i'm a spice lover when it comes to food, definitely one of the nicest pork bellies  i have ever tasted in my Korean BBQ experience.

(4/5)

Marinated Galbi Beef Ribs & Skirt Steak

For a restaurant that sources its meat from their own butcher store, you can't go wrong with beef. As expected, i was not disappointed, i loved the Galbi Beef Ribs & the Skirt Steak. Tender and flavoursome, these were definitely the highlight of the night. The pork was really good but the beef was so much better.

(4,5/5)

Overall, very satisfying meal, now i understand why this place has so much hype. Fresh meat from their butcher shop, affordable prices and great service. I would definitely come back here again

Food - 7.5/10

Ambiance - 7/10

Service - 7/10
Total FoOodie Points- 21.5/30 

 

Korean Adventures @ Suda

The destination today is Suda! Its been a month since i last blogged, been really busy because of uni but i finally have time :) The I came here last month with my partner for a dinner date and i saw a lot of good reviews on this place on Zomato so i decided to give it a try.

Left: Minty Plum Iced Tea ($4)  
Right: Homemade Yuzu Orange Iced Tea ($4)

We started off with drinks, 'Plum Iced Tea' and 'Homemade Yuzu Orange Iced Tea'. They both tasted nice and light, though they lacked a bit in flavour but it was enjoyable.

(3/5)

Tteok & Haloumi ($11)

Crispy rice cake & Grilled Haloumi, Plum Honey, Seeds

The restaurant focuses on tapas style dishes so we decided to order a lot because we thought it would've been small servings. The first dish was the 'Tteok & Haloumi'. I definitely loved the Haloumi which is some sort of cheese. It was grilled and had a nice flavour. Tteok was average, but had a nice kick because of the plum honey.

(4/5)

K-Popcorn Chicken ($10)

Korean style crispy chicken, peanut, spring onion, sweet chilli

The next dish was the K-Popcorn Chicken. These came out hot and tasted great! crispy and flavourful, the sweet chilli sauce worked really well with the chicken.

(4/5)

Soy Chicken Wings ($11)

Soy onion sauce, Crispy chicken wings, cabbage salad

We were only halfway through our order and i was already starting to feel quite full. The struggle game began but i fought on :). The next dish was the 'Soy Chicken Wings', the dish was visually appealing, though i noticed that most of the dishes including the ones i had before were actually prepared really well in terms of presentation, which is definitely a +1 in my books. The wings were more flavourful and enjoyable than the 'K-Popcorn Chicken' as long as you don't mind messy hands :) it was one of my favorite dishes of the night

(4.5/5)

Chicken Pot Pie ($12)

Spicy Korean chicken, Mozzarella, sweet potato, puff pastry

The next dish was the 'Chicken Pot Pie', to be honest i had no idea what to expect when i ordered this because it sounded so unique. It came out on a board with a bowl, it was really unique, it was called a pie because they used the pie pastry as a lid for the bowl. Under the bowl there was spicy chicken, cheese & sweet potato. The taste was average, not as good as most 'Chicken & Cheese' that Korean restaurants serve.

(3/5)

Classic tteokbokki ($14)

soft rice cake, fish cake in spicy soup

The 'Classic Tteokbbokki' was one of the disappointing dishes of the night. The rice cake was nice and soft but it wasn't anything special and lacked in flavour.

(2.5/5)

Perilla Seeds Cream Pasta w/ Bulgogi ($18)

perilla seeds, creamy sauce, mushroom, flat-bread, bulgogi

Finally, we reached the last dish of the night. It was the 'Perilla Seeds Cream Pasta w/ Bulgogi'. I completely forgot to take a photo when it was served so i started mixing it straight away. Then i realised, so i took a photo anyway. The pasta was quite nice, though the perilla seeds were overpowering because there was so much. It was one of those dishes that was delightful at first but as you eat more it gets a bit too much.

(3.5/5)

I definitely left the restaurant bloated and in a food coma. Didn't move for 15 minutes so i could rest, Overall the food was nice and enjoyable, the large range of dishes let us taste most of the specialty dishes in the restaurant. I will definitely come back one day, the service was fantastic and the interior was funky and casual.

Food - 7/10

Ambiance - 7/10

Service - 7/10
Total FoOodie Points- 21/ 30