Korean barbecue

One simply cannot talk about Korean cuisine without mentioning barbecue. Unlike many Korean restaurants abroad, grills in Korea are more hyper-focused, often specialising in just one type of meat or a specific cut.

At Jowu in Gangnam, it’s all about perfectly grilled premium aged Hanwoo (“Korean beef”), which has less marbling than the Japanese Wagyu but packs a stronger flavour. Also not to be missed are outstanding dishes like uni and beef sushi, and a beef and scallion rice pot. Beef connoisseurs queue up for hours for Mongtan’s udae galbi – large bone-in beef ribs that are marinated and smoked over a charcoal and straw fire then grilled on a hot plate.

If pork is more your jam, head to Jamsugyo Jip (14, Eonju-ro 152-gil, Gangnam-gu) for its signature naengsam (a type of frozen pork belly). The concept is simple – pork belly slices are grilled alongside kimchi, and the meal is rounded out with fried rice cooked using the residual pork fat. For a barbecue experience that won’t break the bank, Doma is the place to be. Besides grilled meat, try the doenjang jjigae, a soybean paste and pork stew.