Walk into any quality Korean BBQ restaurant in Australia and the unmistakable aroma of chargrilled protein will hit your nostrils almost instantly. The sound of top-grade beef sizzling on grills, sight of platefuls of haemulpajeon (seafood pancake), and soju caps littering the table all point to a great time.
A personal favourite of numerous BH staffers when it comes to foolproof group dining experiences, there’s really nothing better than sitting around a hot wire grill, flipping between a nice cut of galbi (beef short ribs), seafood, and various primo sides.
We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the best Korean BBQ joints in Sydney. Your next big Friday night sesh with the gang? Sorted.
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Jump To:
- Best Korean Barbecue In Sydney
- 789 Korean BBQ, Darling Square
- Seoul Ria, Haymarket
- 678 Kanghodong Baekjeong, Haymarket
- Yang San Park, Sydney CBD
- Jang Ta Bal, Strathfield
- MyungJang Obaltan, Sydney CBD
- Gyeong Bok Gung Korean, West Ryde
- Mapo Galbi, West Ryde
- Won Jo Korean BBQ, Strathfield
- KOGI Korean BBQ, Haymarket
- Danjee, Sydney CBD
- Bornga Korean BBQ Restaurant, Haymarket
- 14. Wagyu House, Croydon
- Maroo Korean Charcoal Restaurant, West Ryde
- Butchers Buffet, Haymarket
- Kangnam BBQ, Hornsby
- BBQ City Buffet, Bankstown
- K-Town Korean BBQ House, Neutral Bay
Best Korean Barbecue In Sydney
789 Korean BBQ, Darling Square
The same group behind one of Sydney’s most popular Korean BBQ restaurants, 678 Kanghodong Baekjeong, has opened a more modern extension in Darling Square simply titled 789. And while the lighter, more expensive interior may look overly ambitious at first, things are still very much the same across both venues.
That is, the team is steadfast in sourcing the best meat available. It’s all about quality here, so options like oyster blade and beef rib are absolute essentials. I did find the seafood pancake to be a bit too light and eggy, where it should be dense and crispy, but there’s not much I could find fault with on my visit.
The service is a step above what I’d usually expect at a Korean BBQ restaurant as well. There’s a higher staff-to-guest ratio, so I’d say go in expecting to be taken care of. They’ll even cook for you if you want, but that takes away all the fun.
Office workers in the area should also pay attention. Unlike the original, 789 also offers lunch bento boxes in case you don’t have time to sit there and grill your meats yourself.
Seoul Ria, Haymarket
Seoul-Ria is an all-rounder when it comes to comfort Korean food with the kitchen just as well known for its gluttonous melted cheese and ‘fire chicken’ platter as it is for premium cuts of raw meat. It’s probably the Korean BBQ I’ve visited the most in Sydney.
Along with 678 Korean BBQ (also on this list) Seoul-Ria is part of Chinatown’s thick density of quality Korean barbecue restaurants. Queues are expected, but there are so many seats packed into Seoul-Ria that the wait is rarely ever longer than 10-15 minutes.
678 Kanghodong Baekjeong, Haymarket
678 is one of Sydney’s only Korean BBQ restaurants that makes all its banchan in-house. Most of the meat here has a high marbling score and is sourced from some of Australia’s best producers such as Jack’s Creek, maintaining the focus on quality and consistency.
Although that’s about it. The downside with 678 is you won’t get that kind of extensive list as you would at Seoul-Ria. So it’s less about the Korean fried chicken here than it is about premium-grade cuts.
Yang San Park, Sydney CBD
Located on Sydney’s Dixon Street, this popular Korean BBQ restaurant is invariably one of the busiest restaurants in the area. That’s no surprise given the popularity is consistently met with a great selection offering some of the best cuts of delicious meat for the table plus a few Korean comfort dishes to truly show off how tempting this cuisine can be.
Jang Ta Bal, Strathfield
With three locations – Haymarket, Strathfield and Campsie – Jang Ta Bal is a success story amongst local Korean barbecue fans. Like many of the other Korean restaurants on this list, the experience here is a bit more upbeat and vibrant than your typical casual dining.
I’m a regular at the Strathfield venue and find it’s one of the better Korean BBQ spots in the area. And while some nearby alternatives may have bigger menus, this kitchen is pumping out much better quality meats.
MyungJang Obaltan, Sydney CBD
MyungJang Obaltan is an easy pick for Korean BBQ in the city. Every detail of the experience is perfect, from the immaculately clean grill plates to the delicious rounds of banchan.
Along with food like garlic butter king prawns and marinated bulgogi beef hot pots, grab raw meats to grill like pork belly, wagyu tenderloin, premium wagyu brisket and more. A great variety is why many would choose Obaltan over some of the other Korean BBQ joints nearby.
Gyeong Bok Gung Korean, West Ryde
There is a strong case for Gyeong Bok Gunk being the single best Korean BBQ restaurant in Sydney.
Head into West Ryde to find Gyeong Bok Gung; it’s well worth the trip out of Sydney CBD. Restaurant staff bring out around 12 different types of banchan to the table, ranging from kimchi, a bean dish, and pickled shallots, to sweet potato noodles and pickled cucumber and other staples.
Gyeon Bok Gung has one of the more generous banchan offerings of any Korean BBQ in Sydney, and that’s even before the platters of delicious meats start coming through, which for the adventurous will usually include a few off-centre cuts along with essentials like ox tongue and exceptionally marbled beef.
Mapo Galbi, West Ryde
Another notch in the belt for West Ryde. Mapo Galbi may be smaller than most other Korean BBQ restaurants, but the space is so energetic and popular that it feels much larger than any of the other competitors nearby.
Won Jo Korean BBQ, Strathfield
Strathfield and West Ryde are forever in competition when it comes to the best Korean BBQ restaurants outside of Sydney CBD. Most Korean BBQ fans would say West Ryde has this in the bag easily, and if it wasn’t for Wo Jo Korean BBQ I’d be inclined to agree.
Just a short walk from Strathfield Station, Won Jo Korean BBQ offers plenty of value, mostly found in the $175 Set A with 5 premium cuts of meat served with a hot pot (of your choice), seafood pancake, sweet potato noodle beef salad and a jug of soft drink.
KOGI Korean BBQ, Haymarket
Found within Market City, KOGI is one of the more contemporary and accessible Korean BBQ restaurants in Sydney you can subscribe to. For starters, it’s one of the few Sydney Korean BBQ restaurants that actually has its own dedicated website as opposed to a neglected Instagram page.
Along with the requisite steamed rice, noodles and slightly spicy kimchi, grab some top-quality beef ribs, bulgogi and marinated pork if you want the standard meal sitting on your table ready for you to cook, charcoal and taste.
Danjee, Sydney CBD
Danjee is a bit more premium when it comes to authentic KBBQ food. As such, the prices are a bit higher but the quality is there to justify the hike, from duck and octopus to classic beef and pork cuts. Just make sure to always keep the banchan rolling out, since Danjee is quite well-known for its delicious side dishes.
Bornga Korean BBQ Restaurant, Haymarket
The atmosphere and service of Bornga is loud, exciting and incredibly addictive for group dining. The thinly sliced beef loin is a signature for the studious kitchen so make sure you’re ordering some of that alongside high-marbled cuts of wagyu and pork.
14. Wagyu House, Croydon
If you find yourself looking for Korean BBQ in Croydon there really is only one smart choice: Wagyu House. Many from all over Sydney come here for the all-you-can-eat buffet and barbecue, taking a lot of choice anxiety out of the equation and giving you two full hours to grill, sizzle and dip for just under $40.
That’s a bargain by any measure. So while you might not get the top cuts as you would at some of these other Korean BBQ restaurants, you’ll definitely be left satisfied.
Maroo Korean Charcoal Restaurant, West Ryde
Korean rice paper rolls at Maroo Korean Charcoal Restaurant are almost just as popular as the very generous $60 combo, which nets you ox tongue, skirt steak, soy-marinated pork neck, a small octopus and some mussels.
Just don’t fill up on the banchan here. Maroo’s kitchen is quite generous when it comes to these Korean start dishes, so it’s easy to get carried away before the meat even arrives.
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Butchers Buffet, Haymarket
As the name suggests, the concept of Butchers Buffet is similar to that of Wagyu House. Although it seems this business, which has three locations in Sydney, Strathfield, Haymarket and Eastwood, has an even larger range of great quality meats to choose from alongside a buffet packed with salads, banchan, noodles and plenty of different sauces.
Kangnam BBQ, Hornsby
It’s all about that pork belly served with matured kimchi for a brilliant pop of sour and spicy fat. That’s the most popular order over at Kangnam BBQ, which otherwise plays very much like your typical Korean BBQ restaurant: reliably high in energy and immensely satisfying.
BBQ City Buffet, Bankstown
You’re going to want to head all the way out of Bankstown for BBQ City Buffet, which is often referred to as the best Korean BBQ restaurant in Western Sydney. While you do have some other great options further in Cabramatta like Ilchea Korean BBQ Buffet, it’s hard to go any further than this joint right here.
Why? Generosity. BBQ City Buffet is reasonably priced, and almost always packed with energy and you won’t walk away feeling like you’ve been short-changed. Plus, you can go to watch a film at nearby Skyline Drive In Bankstown afterwards.
K-Town Korean BBQ House, Neutral Bay
A lot of Korean BBQ joints over the bridge aren’t as good as what you’d find elsewhere in Sydney but K-Town Korean BBQ House is an easy exception. Young Street in Neutral Bay has almost all of North Sydney’s best casual Asian restaurants, so of course the strip’s resident KBBQ needs to be held to a high standard.
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