When Korean cuisine is mentioned, most people tend to think of all-can-eat barbecue feasts, but there’s a vast range of Korean specialities out there beyond KBBQ – and we adore digging into each and every one.

Here are Foodie’s must-visit Korean restaurants in Hong Kong, where we favour when we’re craving everything from kimchi and cold noodles to fried chicken and spicy stews.

Hong Kong’s top Korean restaurants

Mosu Hong Kong

Mosu best Korean restaurants in Hong Kong

An offshoot of three-starred Mosu in Seoul, Mosu Hong Kong at M+ art museum is overseen by executive chef Sung Anh and newly appointed head chef Jeong Jin Hwan, known as Bruno. The tranquil, minimalist space with its verdant garden views is complemented by a fine-dining tasting menu (HKD2,180 pp) where seasonal ingredients play starring roles. Chef Bruno has also introduced a long-awaited degustation lunch menu (HKD1,180 pp) and “lite” lunch menu (HKD680 pp), which are our recommendations for sampling elevated Korean flavours at a fraction of the price. The pine-nut custard (Korean-style chawanmushi) and cast-iron pot rice are lunchtime highlights – light, clean, and elegant.

Mosu Hong Kong, 3/F, M+ Tower, West Kowloon Cultural District, 38 Museum Drive, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2398 0291, book here


BUSAN NIGHT

BUSAN NIGHT best Korean restaurants in Hong Kong
Photo credit: Instagram/@busan_inhk

The hip new kid on the Korean block, BUSAN NIGHT takes us on a journey to this seaside city in Korea, where soju and makgeolli are enjoyed at lively pubs around town. On the food side, seafood is a given, featured in dishes like boneless seafood stew (HKD588), where abalone, shrimp, squid, clams, and octopus are sauced with vinegar and wasabi soy, and green onion seafood pancake (HKD178) – one of the best versions of this Korean staple in town. If you want to show off, order the gigantic 50cm rolled omelette (HKD258) with pork, perilla, kimchi, cheese, and teriyaki sauce.

BUSAN NIGHT, G/F, 28–30 Staunton Street, Soho, Central, 6657 1905, book here 


GALBI TOWN

GALBI TOWN best Korean restaurants in Hong Kong
Photo credit: Instagram/@galbitownhk

Another new addition to the Korean scene in Hong Kong, GALBI TOWN has quickly become the talk of the town for its regular deliveries of premium Hanwoo beef imported directly from Korea. Diners can select from a variety of top cuts on the touchscreen menu, grilled tableside by the very capable staff. Our Hanwoo rib-eye (HKD340) came with a QR code providing information on its quality, grade, date of birth, date of slaughter, slaughter house, and packing house – quite an impressive provenance. We highly recommend the wang galbi (HKD320) short rib marinated in cherry-blossom honey, which is robustly savoury with a hint of floral sweetness. For an at-home KBBQ spread, GALBI TOWN also sells frozen pre-packaged meat for takeaway.

GALBI TOWN, 1/F, Grand Centre, 8 Humphreys Ave, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2750 6001, book here


Hansik Goo

Hansik Goo best Korean restaurants in Hong Kong

Michelin-starred Hansik Goo comes to us from Mingoo Kang, the chef-owner of Seoul’s two-starred Mingles. The progressive eatery elevates Korean cuisine, and chef Seung Hun Park, who helms the kitchen on the daily, showcases a dinner tasting menu (HKD1,480 pp) where traditional dishes are upgraded and modernised. On the more casual side, dinner add-ons include Korean staples of prawn and scallion pancake pajeon (HKD208) and some of the most succulent, crunchy Korean fried chicken (HKD118/3pcs; HKD188/5pcs) we’ve ever tasted, drizzled in a zesty, syrupy yuzu-garlic sauce.

Hansik Goo, 1/F, The Wellington, 198 Wellington Street, Central, 2798 8768, book here


Jeonpo Meat Shop

Jeonpo Meat Shop best Korean restaurants in Hong Kong
Photo credit: Instagram/@jeonpo_meatshop

According to our Korean mates, dining at Jeonpo Meat Shop feels like being instantly transported to Seoul with the eatery’s authentically lively ambience. Pork is the go-to protein at this KBBQ spot; we can’t get enough of the samgyepsal (grilled pork belly) with a side of the naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles), which are as authentic as it gets. We also love that Jeonpo offers a wide variety of banchan (the kimchi comes both raw and fried) and that the staff themselves are straight off the boat. If you’re a Parasite fan, be sure to order the chapaguri.

Jeonpo Meat Shop, multiple locations across Hong Kong


obp.

Obp. best Korean restaurants in Hong Kong
Photo credit: Instagram/@obp.hk

Its moniker stands for “Old Bailey Pocha”, and obp. refers to itself as a sool-jip, or casual Korean watering hole where the drinks are plentiful and the accompanying bites are flavourful and filling enough to soak up all that soju and makgeolli. Our must-orders when we’re vibing at obp. include the Wagyu beef tartare (HKD190) with aged soy, pear, dashi jelly, and quail egg, boneless fried chicken (HKD150), kimchi pancake (HKD150), and army stew (HKD370).

obp., LG/F, 3–5 Old Bailey Street, Soho, Central (no bookings)


Born Ga

Born Ga best Korean restaurants in Hong Kong
Photo credit: Instagram/@852japjapjap

Born Ga is a mainstay of Tsim Sha Tsui’s Korean dining landscape. The service may be brusque, but we think the restaurant offers up amongst the best ganjang-gejang (raw soy-sauce-marinated crab) in town, served with a bowl of seaweed rice to achieve an umami flavour explosion. The stellar crab is in addition to excellent KBBQ (the grilled freshwater eel is a standout), yukhoe (raw seasoned beef), haemul-pajeon (seafood pancake), and shockingly red kimchi-jjigae (pork, tofu, and kimchi stew). It’s worth noting that the staff never seem to answer the phone, so if you want to avoid a long queue for a table, weekend lunchtime is your best bet.

Born Ga, 1/F, Eastern Flower Centre, 22–24 Cameron Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2367 1087


KAYA Korean Restaurant

KAYA best Korean restaurants in Hong Kong
Photo credit: Instagram/@kaya_korean_restaurant_hk

KAYA presents a more upscale KBBQ experience, showcasing a selection of barbecue sets – from A Set (HKD768 for 2) all the way up to K Set (HKD2,880 for 6) – that are quite fairly priced considering the quality of ingredients. KAYA also features commendable stews and hotpots for sharing; we’re partial to both the hearty budae-jjigae (HKD420 for 2), a comforting medley of luncheon meat, sausage, cheese, and instant noodles otherwise known as Korean army stew, and the lighter hamool-jungol (HKD498 for 2), or spicy seafood hotpot. If you’re heading to KAYA for lunch, the dolsot bibimbap lunch set (HKD99), served in a sizzling stone pot, is a great choice.

KAYA Korean Restaurant, 9/F, Soundwill Plaza II – Midtown, 1–29 Tang Lung Street, Causeway Bay, 2838 9550, book here


MOYO

MOYO best Korean restaurants in Hong Kong
Photo credit: Instagram/@moyohk

Korea meets Italy at MOYO, a casual space that’s ideal for intimate gatherings. On the fusion front, we like the indulgent carbonara rice cakes (HKD188) and burrata and figs (HKD168) dressed with a tangy balsamic-soy dressing. Moving to the more traditional Korean dishes, the house kimchi (HKD78) – white cabbage, spicy cabbage, cucumber, and bok choy – MOYO bossam (HKD158/HKD238), and Korean fried chicken (HKD148/HKD208) are authentic crowd-pleasers. MOYO’s soju selection is very impressive too, especially the sought-after peach and grapefruit flavours.

MOYO, G/F, 36 Aberdeen Street, Central, 2858 2777, book here


Maru Korean Restaurant & Pub

Maru best Korean restaurants in Hong Kong
Photo credit: website/Google Maps

Just down the block from BUSAN NIGHT (see above), Maru is a no-frills eatery serving up tried-and-true Korean favourites to the tune of catchy Kpop hits. Some of our must-orders here include the soft tofu stew (HKD128), braised beef (HKD288), hot stone bibimbap (HKD118/HKD128), and black bean paste noodles (HKD120), aka jjajangmyeon. The flavours are spot on at Maru and wouldn’t be out of place at a neighbourhood joint in Seoul. Maru offers an impressive range of Korean beverages too, from fresh soju to tonic flavoured with black tea.

Maru Korean Restaurant & Pub, G/F, 48 Staunton Street, Soho, Central, 2559 5288


Kyung Yang Katsu

Kyung Yang Katsu best Korean restauarnts in Hong Kong
Photo credit: Instagram/@kykatsu

Kyung Yang Katsu, with dozens of branches in South Korea, is another contender in Soho, this time specialising in Korean-style tonkatsu, or deep-fried pork cutlet. You should head here if you’re ravenous, with free refills of the set meals’ accompanying shaved cabbage, cold noodles, rice, and sauces adding to Kyung Yang Katsu’s appeal. The drool-worthy cheese katsu (HKD188) is the headliner, starring premium pork loin stuffed with a boatload of cheesy goodness for the ultimate cheese pull.   

Kyung Yang Katsu, G/F, 59 Elgin Street, Soho, Central 


Yeon Nam Dong

Yeon Nam Dong best Korean restaurants in Hong Kong
Photo credit: website/Google Maps

A contemporary Korean newcomer to Sai Ying Pun, Yeon Nam Dong is a Korean-run spot that’s generating a lot of buzz in the ‘hood, with the cosy decor seemingly tailor-made for the ‘gram. There’s a Western slant to several of the most popular dishes here, such as the cheese potato pancake (HKD148) with Parmesan and truffle mayo and kimchi cheese arancini (HKD98). On the traditional, meaty side, the bossam (HKD230) and soy-marinated beef short rib (HKD548) are standouts.

Yeom Nam Dong, 46C High Street, Sai Ying Pun, 6175 9330, book here

Stephanie Pliakas is the Digital Editor of Foodie. From Michelin-starred fine-dining to the local comfort-food eats dished out at cha chaan tengs, she has immersed herself in the city’s ever-changing food scene since making Hong Kong her home more than a decade ago. When Stephanie is not devouring something delicious, she’s cooking and baking up a storm at home (whilst listening to true crime podcasts).

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