Overview
In the high-stakes game of crispy bird, you might argue that Korean-style fried chicken rules the roost. Which means local chicken fiends are really winning this month, with the launch of the first Aussie store from much-loved Korean brand Guljak Topokki Chicken.
Just a couple of weeks after fellow international chicken stars Bonchon landed Down Under with a new restaurant in Craigieburn, Guljak Topokki has also made its Aussie debut, opening its latest outpost in Emporium.
Taking the group's stable to nine, the restaurant is out to deliver Melburnians an authentic taste of Korean street food culture. Chicken is one of the main events here, with the menu featuring variations like sweet chilli, kanpung (spicy garlic) and soy nurungji (Korean scorched rice) alongside a classic OG crispy number.
Sharing the spotlight however, is a range of soup topokki — the traditional Korean dish of spicy rice cakes. Here, you can try it in a swag of different ways, from a sausage soup creation to a topokki paired with charcoal bulgogi. You can also customise the heat of these babies to suit your style, with the spice levels topping out at 'hot spicy', aptly labelled 'for spicy mania'.
But if you're a sucker for sides, your favourite part of all this will be the dedicated self-serve 'banchan' station, heaving with a spread of classic Korean side dishes. We're talking seaweed-wrapped noodle bites, rice balls, fried shrimp, hot chips and soondae (a type of blood sausage).
A bunch of combination sets let you sample from both offerings at once. And of course, there are plenty of crisp brews and fun-looking canned Korean bevs with which to wash it all down.
Find Guljak Topokki Chicken at 08/287 Lonsdale St, Melbourne CBD. It's open 11am–7pm Sunday to Wednesday, and from 11am–9pm Thursday and Friday.