11 Exceptional Korean Restaurants to Try in Miami (2024)

Amanda Julca/Official Press Photo

Kimchi and bulgogi might just become your go-to comfort meal

by Juliana Accioly Updated Apr 14, 2023, 9:00am EDT

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| Amanda Julca/Official Press Photo

Gabose is regularly filled with chefs feasting on big spreads of Korean barbecue on their days off. This Sunrise staple has been a favorite amongst those in the know for years, offering up a diverse list of Korean gabose (appetizers) such as fresh oysters lightly floured and pan-fried in egg wash or beef short rib tartare, made here with Asian pear, raw egg yolk, and pine nuts. There are also grill-in-the-table options and a myriad of ricedishes, soups, stews, and excellent air-fried short rib and beef jerky accompanied by nearly a dozen bowls of banchan served with every entree.

• Open in Google Maps
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This oceanfront restaurant inside the Conrad Fort Lauderdale spotlights executive chef Taek Lee’s Asian heritage with Japanese-Korean specialties. The culinary journey begins with dishes like seabags croquettes with spicy honey aioli, progressing into hearty entrees of short rib jabche with sweet potato noodles and wagyu bulgogi with mushroom. Takato’s co*cktails also capture the fusion spirit of the restaurant with options like the Mezcal Mai Tai infused with candied Papaya infused Mezcal and mixed with amaretto and pineapple.

• Open in Google Maps

At this Asian-Latin restaurant in the heart of Fort Lauderdale, a dish of typically Korean beef barbecue and kimchi fried rice comes with mushrooms, shallots, and white cheese. In contrast, Korean steak is paired with chimichurri, jasmine rice, and maduros. The must-try Korean barbecue bulgogi is served with kimchi apples and Korean gochujang sauce. Sleek without being imposing, Casa Sensei makes the meal even more memorable with a picturesque canal-side patio with live music and gondola dinner tours.

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A frills-free spot in North Miami Beach, Korean Kitchen dishes the essentials for a flavorful Korean feast: rice cakes in spicy sauce, Korean corn dogs (mozzarella and fish cake on a stick), and various bibimbap, noodles, scallion pancakes, and bulgogi sandwiches. Feeling adventurous? Order a bowl of silkworm larvae soup, a Korean delicacy with a unique umami hit. The restaurant delivers all that and traditional Milkis yogurt soda.

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Diners can order high-end dishes like steak tartare, “steak and eggs,” or even caviar service at this Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse. But the best deal is the Butcher’s Feast — a chef’s selection of four cuts of meat, accompanied by egg souffle, two stews, rice, and other Korean sides, priced at $68 per person. Hardcore carnivores can opt for the “Grand Tour” 10-course steak omakase with wine pairings or pick from an a la carte selection of prime meat choice grilled barbecue-style on tableside smokeless grills. Cote’s award-winning beverage program offers hard-to-find vintages, large format bottles, and co*cktails inspired by the Magic City.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

Mijin Lee’s restaurant in the Edgewater neighborhood offers a solid, affordable menu of her family recipes. Focus on the bulgogi, the several fried rice entrees, and (spicy or not) sweet potato, wheat, or egg noodle bowls. For vegetarian or vegan options, fill up with hearty dishes like vegetable japchae (stir-fried glass noodles and vegetables) and vegan jjajangmyeon (noodles in black bean sauce) made with black bean paste. Pair the dishes with kimchi that Lee learned how to make by hand in her South Korean home’s backyard. Wash it all down in Korean style with sake, soju, or the sparkling Icing white grape makgeolli (milky, off-white, and lightly sparkling rice wine).

• Open in Google Maps

Jennifer and Michele Kaminski’s virtual Korean outpost is known for its comforting bibimbap, the national staple made with rice and an array of toppings that the two sisters learned to make from their mother, Chom “Sunny” Kaminski. Made with protein options ranging from bulgogi to miso cod, the customizable rice bowls also pack flavors of spicy potato, sesame spinach, marinated mung bean sprouts, and gochujang. They are crowned with a heart-shaped fried egg. James Beard award-winning chef Allen Susser collaborates as a consultant. As a bonus,2 Korean Girls items come in pink and white Instagram-worthy packaging, made from recyclable and/or compostable materials.

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Situated in an unassuming South Beach strip mall with blacked-out windows and no distinctive signage, this Asian-inspired gastropub showcases the do-it-yourself method of table-side grilling, served with varieties of necessary bachan like kimchi, brussels sprouts, and stone pot rice. As its name implies, Drunken Dragon places equal importance on its drink program: Pair the food with concoctions like the Ship-Faced, a mix of tropical fruits and Stoli Vodka, Bombay Gin, and soju (Korea’s popular, slightly sweet distilled spirit) for a win-win situation. Drunken Dragon also serves some of the best Korean fried chicken in town.

• Book with OpenTable
• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

Choose from 10 varieties of Korean barbecue and cook it at the table at this family-owned spot, or go for one of the flavorful hot pots or many soup options. Pork belly and squid variations of bokkeum (Korean stir-fry) don’t disappoint and the spicy Korean chicken wings come as they should, flaming hot.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

Chef Eileen Andrade’s restaurant in West Kendall is known for Korean specialties like the “KFC,” Korean fried chicken with spicy gochujang, iterations of Korean-style Brussel sprouts, barbecue ribs, and japchae (stir-fried potato noodles) tossed with vaca frita, and sweet sriracha pork ribs. In the mood for more familiar comfort food? Kick back with a glass of ice-cold Hite Korean lager, and enjoy the short rib double patty burger, served with Korean barbecue mayo.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

Kimchi and hot beef pots are cooked at the table in this minimalist space serving up big helpings of thrilling pan-Asian food. The Korean-style short rib is marinated in garlic soy sauce and grilled, and the Korean tofu stew blends sausage and pork belly with a poached egg. Don’t miss the bubble tea — a mouth-cooling foil to spicy food.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

Gabose is regularly filled with chefs feasting on big spreads of Korean barbecue on their days off. This Sunrise staple has been a favorite amongst those in the know for years, offering up a diverse list of Korean gabose (appetizers) such as fresh oysters lightly floured and pan-fried in egg wash or beef short rib tartare, made here with Asian pear, raw egg yolk, and pine nuts. There are also grill-in-the-table options and a myriad of ricedishes, soups, stews, and excellent air-fried short rib and beef jerky accompanied by nearly a dozen bowls of banchan served with every entree.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

This oceanfront restaurant inside the Conrad Fort Lauderdale spotlights executive chef Taek Lee’s Asian heritage with Japanese-Korean specialties. The culinary journey begins with dishes like seabags croquettes with spicy honey aioli, progressing into hearty entrees of short rib jabche with sweet potato noodles and wagyu bulgogi with mushroom. Takato’s co*cktails also capture the fusion spirit of the restaurant with options like the Mezcal Mai Tai infused with candied Papaya infused Mezcal and mixed with amaretto and pineapple.

• Open in Google Maps

At this Asian-Latin restaurant in the heart of Fort Lauderdale, a dish of typically Korean beef barbecue and kimchi fried rice comes with mushrooms, shallots, and white cheese. In contrast, Korean steak is paired with chimichurri, jasmine rice, and maduros. The must-try Korean barbecue bulgogi is served with kimchi apples and Korean gochujang sauce. Sleek without being imposing, Casa Sensei makes the meal even more memorable with a picturesque canal-side patio with live music and gondola dinner tours.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

A frills-free spot in North Miami Beach, Korean Kitchen dishes the essentials for a flavorful Korean feast: rice cakes in spicy sauce, Korean corn dogs (mozzarella and fish cake on a stick), and various bibimbap, noodles, scallion pancakes, and bulgogi sandwiches. Feeling adventurous? Order a bowl of silkworm larvae soup, a Korean delicacy with a unique umami hit. The restaurant delivers all that and traditional Milkis yogurt soda.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

Diners can order high-end dishes like steak tartare, “steak and eggs,” or even caviar service at this Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse. But the best deal is the Butcher’s Feast — a chef’s selection of four cuts of meat, accompanied by egg souffle, two stews, rice, and other Korean sides, priced at $68 per person. Hardcore carnivores can opt for the “Grand Tour” 10-course steak omakase with wine pairings or pick from an a la carte selection of prime meat choice grilled barbecue-style on tableside smokeless grills. Cote’s award-winning beverage program offers hard-to-find vintages, large format bottles, and co*cktails inspired by the Magic City.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

Mijin Lee’s restaurant in the Edgewater neighborhood offers a solid, affordable menu of her family recipes. Focus on the bulgogi, the several fried rice entrees, and (spicy or not) sweet potato, wheat, or egg noodle bowls. For vegetarian or vegan options, fill up with hearty dishes like vegetable japchae (stir-fried glass noodles and vegetables) and vegan jjajangmyeon (noodles in black bean sauce) made with black bean paste. Pair the dishes with kimchi that Lee learned how to make by hand in her South Korean home’s backyard. Wash it all down in Korean style with sake, soju, or the sparkling Icing white grape makgeolli (milky, off-white, and lightly sparkling rice wine).

• Open in Google Maps

Jennifer and Michele Kaminski’s virtual Korean outpost is known for its comforting bibimbap, the national staple made with rice and an array of toppings that the two sisters learned to make from their mother, Chom “Sunny” Kaminski. Made with protein options ranging from bulgogi to miso cod, the customizable rice bowls also pack flavors of spicy potato, sesame spinach, marinated mung bean sprouts, and gochujang. They are crowned with a heart-shaped fried egg. James Beard award-winning chef Allen Susser collaborates as a consultant. As a bonus,2 Korean Girls items come in pink and white Instagram-worthy packaging, made from recyclable and/or compostable materials.

• Open in Google Maps

Situated in an unassuming South Beach strip mall with blacked-out windows and no distinctive signage, this Asian-inspired gastropub showcases the do-it-yourself method of table-side grilling, served with varieties of necessary bachan like kimchi, brussels sprouts, and stone pot rice. As its name implies, Drunken Dragon places equal importance on its drink program: Pair the food with concoctions like the Ship-Faced, a mix of tropical fruits and Stoli Vodka, Bombay Gin, and soju (Korea’s popular, slightly sweet distilled spirit) for a win-win situation. Drunken Dragon also serves some of the best Korean fried chicken in town.

• Book with OpenTable
• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

Choose from 10 varieties of Korean barbecue and cook it at the table at this family-owned spot, or go for one of the flavorful hot pots or many soup options. Pork belly and squid variations of bokkeum (Korean stir-fry) don’t disappoint and the spicy Korean chicken wings come as they should, flaming hot.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

Chef Eileen Andrade’s restaurant in West Kendall is known for Korean specialties like the “KFC,” Korean fried chicken with spicy gochujang, iterations of Korean-style Brussel sprouts, barbecue ribs, and japchae (stir-fried potato noodles) tossed with vaca frita, and sweet sriracha pork ribs. In the mood for more familiar comfort food? Kick back with a glass of ice-cold Hite Korean lager, and enjoy the short rib double patty burger, served with Korean barbecue mayo.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

Kimchi and hot beef pots are cooked at the table in this minimalist space serving up big helpings of thrilling pan-Asian food. The Korean-style short rib is marinated in garlic soy sauce and grilled, and the Korean tofu stew blends sausage and pork belly with a poached egg. Don’t miss the bubble tea — a mouth-cooling foil to spicy food.

• Open in Google Maps
• Foursquare

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