For food lovers, those who enjoy the pleasure of discovering new cuisines, new dishes, and recipes from here and there. We have prepared a guide of five scenarios in the form of Korean restaurants in Madrid that will conquer your palate and your stomach. If you are eager to embark on a trip to the easternmost area of Asia, you can not miss these five emblems of Korean food in Madrid. Take note, book your favorite table, and you have a date in the best Korean restaurants in Madrid, enjoy!
LUKE: the most personal bet of the inimitable Luke Jang
The Korean restaurant in Madrid LUKE responds to the acclaimed gastronomic proposal of Luke Jang, the inimitable Korean chef. The project of the young Korean chef, whose passion for gastronomy has led him to specialize in different cuisines of the world, is already a hallmark in the capital. With a sophisticated design and eclectic touches, LUKE is divided into two distinct spaces aimed at a premium public. La Barra, an informal street food style area, and La Cocina Abierta, where you can taste signature cuisine. LUKE presents two gastronomic proposals for every moment: the 8-course tasting menu, with the product as the protagonist, and LUKE à la carte, the chef’s more casual version.
The top floor of LUKE offers an informal space to enjoy a selection of Korean tapas served at the bar à la carte. Among them is the Korean Gilda served with Balfegó red tuna, sesame, piparra, shiitake, pickled lotus, and kimchi, or the tuna Kimbap, a Korean temaki with crispy grilled nori, Korean rice, and chili caviar. Meanwhile, the first floor of LUKE is dedicated to the tasting menu, where the dishes are finalized in full view of the customer. This menu is composed of twelve plates with the product as the protagonist and wrapped by Korean and Spanish gastronomic influences, which are revealed through mixtures of flavors and textures that reach a balance on the palate. The brand new promise of Korean cuisine touches the sky of Madrid by consolidating itself as one of the authentic ‘places to eat.’
Seoul: straight to the heart of the palate from the Korean capital
Korean haute cuisine in Madrid is served at number 25 Ronda de Segovia street in Seoul. Embark on a gastronomic journey to the heart of the palate in one of the Korean restaurants in Madrid with the best reputation since its opening. Here flavor and tradition go hand in hand to offer diners a unique experience with unmistakable memories of East Asia. Its small, cozy place, where the enjoyment of authentic Korean cuisine is assured, will become one of your favorite foodie sanctuaries. Here the products are prepared directly at your table on the grill, so it is undoubtedly one of the places where you can enjoy Korean barbecue in Madrid.
Among the specialties of this Korean restaurant in Madrid, we can find the bibimbap, the typical dumplings, sweet potato noodles, and of course, the meat on the unique barbecue tables. Let yourself be surprised by its honest cuisine, simplicity, and delicacy in elaborating its dishes; you will not regret it!
Dimibang: traditional Korean cuisine and respect for the final product
Dimibang is a Korean cookbook written in the 17th century, during the Joseon dynasty. Its author Jang, a noblewoman, wrote it using Korean calligraphy. It is the first cookbook written by a woman in all of East Asia and is therefore considered a manuscript of great importance and reference in Korean cuisine. And it is also the name that welcomes one of the gastronomic temples where you can enjoy the best Korean cuisine in Madrid. In Dimibang, they cook top-quality fresh products seasoned with the most distinguished spices to offer the authentic flavors of Korea in the capital.
Among its specialties is the best Korean barbecue in Madrid, where you can cook each of the products you want to your taste. In Korean culture, you can not miss the soups or their delicious dolsot bibimbap served in a hot stone bowl. Also, the famous chapter is made of noodles with sweet potato and is one of their star dishes. Are you also looking forward to trying it?
Izakaya Han: a traditional tavern with Korean and Japanese overtones
Emilia, Han, and their professional team welcome us to a traditional tavern with Korean and Japanese touches. This is undoubtedly one of Madrid’s quintessential Korean restaurants in the neighborhood of Chueca. Izakaya Han aims to transport you to the Asian culture through its exquisite and tasty dishes. Therefore, to make you feel part of the journey, the decoration of the restaurant combines the sophistication of its bright dining room with the anime drawings that adorn every one of its walls. A professional, distinguished, and passionate team makes Izakaya Han’s cuisine a gastronomic temple.
According to its founders, “we want to transmit our passion for Asian gastronomy through a series of unique dishes and flavors, prepared following the oriental tradition with the freshest products.” Please choose from the Korean and Japanese options on their menu. Or, if you prefer, you can also enjoy the two daily menu options offered: Bento or Dosirak. Don’t miss the tuna tartar with avocado, the chef’s special sashimi, the sundubu Jjigae, or the yukhoe.
Yakiniku Rikyu: open yourself to new flavors
Japan and Korea converge in an unprecedented space: Yakiniku Rikyu. A restaurant specializing in grills where you finish your meal when you feel like it, enjoying a unique experience at the table. In Yakiniku, Rikyu reigns the delicacy of authentic wagyu beef and other dishes such as starters, soups, and stone-grilled rice. Another concept of traditional Japanese cuisine breathes the influence of Korean immigration in many of its words. To enter Yakiniku Rikyu is to open your palate to a world of flavors and sensations never before seen in our city.
Yakiniku means “self-burning meat or grilling.” It is a technique brought by Korean immigrants who arrived in Japan in the early 1950s, enriching the local cuisine. The Japanese adopted the method, elevating the dining experience by incorporating delicate cuts of unsurpassed wagyu beef and other top-quality local produce. At Yakiniku Rikyu, all tables have a grill in the center where diners cook the meat and other products to their liking, as is done in both countries. Enjoy a Korean barbecue in Madrid with Japanese essence, a real experience!
