Warra Warra

Tivoli Arcade Shop 19 & 20
235-251 Bourke St
Melbourne, VIC 3000
http://warrawarrakitchen.com.au/

Warra Warra is a neat little Korean restaurant located in a small strip of eateries not many know about, tucked away in the pockets of the city. Enter Tivoli Arcade from Bourke St, go to the end, make a sharp right, and there you’ll find the laid-back little place, quietly bustling in its steady popularity.

Sunflower Seeds

Instead of the side dishes, a.k.a. banchan, you would normally expect to see at any Korean restaurant, we were treated to a dish of roasted and salted sunflower seeds upon sitting down.

Beef Topokki ($17.5)

I don’t always get enough to eat when I’m at work, and today was one of those days, so the starchy goodness of the Beef Topokki ($17.5) appealed massively. The tubes of sticky rice cake soaked up all the sweet and slightly spicy soy, and were tossed through with crunchy veggies, fish cakes, and sliced beef. It’s a flavoursome and fun dish to eat, generous in portion size, and as Chris put it, has a good deal of everything in it. It makes an easy one bowl meal on its own, but is equally good with rice and complimentary sides of kimchi and pickled onions.

Kimchi Stew ($14.7)

I noticed that we always end up ordering the same few dishes at Korean restaurants – a bulgogi-styled dish for Chris, and a spicy stew for me. So the Kimchi Stew ($14.7) should come as no surprise as it sputtered our way to our table with a side of rice.

Kimchi Stew ($14.7)

Though the pot appeared to be quite small, it was chock full with kimchi, tofu, and a satisfying amount of pork. The stew was hearty and spicy, and the ideal way to warm up from the inside out.

The mildness of Warra Warra makes for a relaxing change from the brusque bustle you’ll find at most Korean restaurants. And the smiling, helpful staff are definitely a step (or ten) up as well. Though I can’t quite put my finger on what exactly does it, Warra Warra gives off a faintly quirky vibe that sets it apart from the crowd. This is definitely one restaurant where there’s more to it than what meets the eye.

Rating: 14/20 – now hungry at 11:38pm.
This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit.