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MELBOURNE | Bornga Melbourne is the Melbourne outpost of popular Korean based BBQ chain Bornga. They started in the Nonhyun-dong eatery alley of Gangnam, Seoul in 1993 and today have restaurants across Asia.
Bornga is popular for a variety of dishes, from their barbecue and stews through to crowd pleasing fried chicken and, or course, bibimbap. I visited on a Monday night expecting things to be relatively quiet, but even at the start of the week Bornga is heaving. All of the tables here fill up quickly, and there’s usually a short wait for a table – book ahead if you can.
Once seated, it’s clear to see that Bornga is all about sharing. a charcoal BBQ witha retractable exhaust vent graces the centre of each table, and dishes come out fast in easy to share portions. My friends and I opted for the signature Woo Samgyup. Thinly sliced marinated beef brisket with an assortment of banchan (sides). It’s all very tasty.
If you’ve not had Korean BBQ before the concept is simple. First you grab a large perilla leaf (it’s related to the mint family, but has quite a unique taste not really like mint) and place a lettuce leaf onto it. Then you pile on your beef, kimchi, raw garlic (yes raw), chilli, sauce, and anything else you like. The exact combo and proportions is up to you. Finally you wrap it all up into a convenient parcel and eat it. There’s lots of flavours and textures going on in each bite, and it all works wonderfully in unison.
If at first you think there aren’t enough sides for all of the meat on the table, never fear. It’s about saving space on your table. If you need any of the sides refilled you simply ask and more come out at no extra cost.
For things other than BBQ, try the kimchi pancake and the soondubu jjigae, a kimchi and soft tofu stew. Both are very tasty and will give you a bit of contrast to the BBQ you’re enjoying.
If you’re thirsty, there’s a very good selection of hot tea, Western and Korean soft drinks, beer, along with an assortment of soju and soju and other Korean alcohol based cocktails.
Bornga
1/178 Little Bourke Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia
Telephone: (03) 9995 0643
E-mail: n/a
Website
Open
Mon – Thu: 12:00pm to 3:00pm; 5:30pm to 10:30pm
Fri: 12:00pm to 3:00pm; 5:30pm to 11:00pm
Sun: 12:00pm to 3:00pm; 5:30pm to 10:00pm