Migak

3 Eskay Rd
Oakleigh South, VIC 3167
https://www.migak.com.au

I don’t miss all that much about Sydney, but one thing I do heartily wish I had back was Myeongdong, the most amazing Korean restaurant located a mere 10-minute walk down the road from where I was staying, and serves up a dozen banchan with every meal. Migak however, makes the separation easier to bear, with its compact menu of home-styled cooking, and a wide array of take-home dishes. The only downside is that you can only dine in for lunch over a 3-hour window during the week. But being able to order catering-sized boxes of Korean fried chicken and galbi? Myeongdong never had that.

Rating: 13/20 – lovely little local.
To-order: sundubu. the marinated prawns/crab also looked amazing.

The Pork Ssam Bap ($35) is its own little lunchtime buffet, the stir-fried gochujang pork ready to be wrapped in fresh lettuce leaves with nutty house-made ssamjang and marinated bits and bobs. I especially enjoyed the tangy, aromatic mountain garlic leaf pickle, which is definitely not something you get every day.

But my favourite was the amazing Sundubu ($29). This seafood and tofu stew had a great depth of flavour, and just enough spice to give it warmth without overwhelming the delicate seafood. And the portion size was excellent too, the pot brimming with prawns, mussels, and squid, as well as two enormous pieces of wobbly tofu. It is the perfect comfort food for the cooler days.