Korean restaurant Chae

Owner and chef Jung Chae came up with an idea one day, allowing customers to book up to six people at her small apartment, where she would cook five Korean dishes family-style with real food. seasonal menu. Since her restaurant was born, Chae has faced so many reservations that she has to make a reservation list for customers, and the next space on the list will be available. ready in 1 month. So what created this extremely good effect? Of course it's food.

The balcony at her house hangs a lot of corn and soybeans to give customers the feeling of being in a familiar village, while her kitchen and small dining room are spaces to receive guests. hers. Here, fried vegetables are thinly sliced ​​including potato, lotus root, carrot, and beetroot and topped with a layer of deep-fried seaweed. You are also served with Jung Chae's very own fermented watermelon makgeolli, or a slightly pungent but very sweet rice wine that goes perfectly with a deep-fried snack. This is a less greasy and more nutritious alternative to beer and chips, helping you get your meal off to a good start.

Jung Chae is a woman of few words, and she moves around her small kitchen quietly and gently. Her dishes are neatly arranged and the dining experience here is quite simple, but very sophisticated and attractive. They shine from everything like the way she "works" in her casual uniform and apron, not flashy, but incredibly effective in her own way.

Sesame oil and soy sauce are sourced from Chae's mother's farm in Korea. You will likely enjoy the dish with glass noodles interwoven with enoki, shimeji, emperor oysters and wood ear, next to the lightly grilled wagyu beef pieces, still a little pink. The smoky flavor of the dish is perfectly balanced with Chae's nutritious sesame oil and premium soy sauce when served. You can also try Yeongeun bap (lotus root rice) with three different types of red rice and accompanied by a broth of beef ribs cooked with galangal served hot with green onions and a pinch of salt to enhance the flavor of the dish. . Side dishes include homemade kimchi, pickled cucumbers, perilla leaves, and kelp. The crispiness and acidity of the pickles combine harmoniously with each delicious, hot piece of rice is also an experience you really should try.

At the end of the meal, Chae will serve you bae sook jin, a hot, hollow-boiled pear stuffed with jujube, shredded ginger, walnuts, and fermented rice syrup. When the dish is served it is quite hot, so be patient and enjoy its taste after it has cooled. This is an interesting and very rare experience in Melbourne that you should try at least once in your life.

Opening hours: Tuesday-Wednesday 12:30 - 14:30 ; Friday, 19:00 -21:00; Saturday-Sunday 12:30 - 14:30

Web: www.chae.com.au