K-Yum: Where to go for a taste of Korea in Chiang Mai

These three delicious Korean restaurants in Chiang Mai are wildly popular with locals. Definitely worth checking out.

By | Thu 28 Jun 2012

Arirang restaurant has been running for twelve years. Apart from the standard Korean barbecue, two recommended dishes are Dol Sot Bi Bimbab, which is rice mixed with vegetables in a stone kettle, and Bulgogi, grilled marinated beef, chicken or pork. Most dishes are not too spicy. The traditional Korean flat metal chopsticks may require a bit of practice. We hear Her Royal Highness, Princess Ribha, a royal granddaughter, visits the restaurant regularly. Arirang is a good place to get a taste of traditional Korean food at a reasonable price.

Open Daily 11 a.m. – 10 p.m
Closed Sundays
348/350 Chiang Mai Land Village,
Chang Klan Road
053 275 759

Miso is an unpretentious restaurant on Nimmanhaemin Road. The decor is basic and modest, but the venue is clean, comfortable and affordable. Try the popular Korean traditional BBQ or order à la carte dishes. Miso offers a lunch time buffet from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. priced 119 baht, serving sushi, Korean stir fry, side dishes such as kimchi, braised tofu, bean sprout salad and much more. There is also an evening BBQ meat buffet from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., which includes beef, bacon, squid, shrimp and other meats like ox tongue and chuck eye steak, and unlimited side dishes for 339 baht. Miso does Soju for 200 baht a bottle, which is a great accompaniment to barbecued meats and spicy sauces.

Open Daily 8 a.m. 10 p.m.
9 Nimmanhaemin Road, Soi 7
053 894 989, 083 322 3990
www.misonehotel.com/koreanrestaurant.html

Jin Mi means delicious in Korean. Jin Mi’s signature dishes are its sliced pork brisket (moo saam chun in Thai; Bulgogi in Korean), a cut of pork with fat providing flavour and moisture, and thin-sliced barbecue pork (moo yaang in Thai), marinated pork coated with a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, and pepper; these are also the most popular dishes among Thai people, maybe because of the easily accessible grill on every table. Koreans prefer the beef and rib dishes like Korean barbecue short ribs (Galbi in Korean), marinated short ribs in a blended sauce of soy sauce, garlic, and sugar, and Pyongyang Onban, a mixed dish made up of beef, rice, mushrooms, glass noodles, Korean pancakes, and eggs. Side dishes include spicy Korean coleslaw, Korean braised tofu, bean sprout salad, and scallion salad to name a few.

Open Daily 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
(Sundays closed at 4 p.m.)
267/3-4 Chang Klan Road
053 273 282, 053 819 369

At Lum Lum the highlights are the funky Korean text wallpaper, the sunken seating and the extractor fans which lower right down to the BBQ to rid the restaurant of any lingering BBQ smoke. Lum Lum is popular with locals so best book in advance. You can eat do-it-yourself BBQs or set menus which are easy and have a good variety of dishes.

Open Daily 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Closed Tuesdays
206/5 M6, Fah Ham, Meechok Plaza
053 853 481