Minari Korean Kitchen Stellenbosch — Restaurant in Stellenbosch Local Municipality

My Take on Minari Korean Kitchen

Nestled in the quiet backstreets of Simonsplein, my recent culinary adventure led me to Minari, a cozy Korean eatery that's been the talk of the town for the past few months. The charm of Minari lies not just in its location but in the vibrant ambiance that greets you as you step into its warmly lit interior, a testament to the thoughtful decoration that promises an authentic Korean dining experience.

The menu, a delightful array of Korean classics, was enough to pique my curiosity and appetite. Starting off with the dumplings, they were satisfactory, serving as a decent preamble to the main course. My choice of noodles, while competently prepared, left me yearning for a broth enriched with deeper flavors, a small letdown in an otherwise promising dish.

Despite these minor hiccups, the essence of Minari remains untouched. It stands as a beacon for those seeking to explore the rich tapestry of Korean cuisine in Stellenbosch. The restaurant, with its unique position as the sole Korean offering in the area, provides an intriguing option for both lunch and dinner, complete with street parking for a hassle-free visit.

In summary, Minari is a spot that resonates with the heart of Korean culinary tradition, albeit with room for refinement in certain dishes. Whether you're a fan of Asian cuisine or a curious first-timer, it's a place that warrants a visit, if not for the food, then for the experience of finding a piece of Korea in the heart of...

What a delicious find!! I have to start with the hostess because if it wasn't for her, we probably would've left. My wife and I arrived without a reservation, and they were fully booked. The hostess created some magic and was able to seat us.

We started off with the tteok bokki and the soy honey garlic kfc, and we were in absolute heaven. The wings were crispy, the tteok bokki had loads of flavorful heat 🥵 and we were loving it.

Next, we ordered the calamari rice bowl, and when I think about Korean flavors, this dish hits the nail on the head. It was so good that we were chopstick sword fighting in the bowl.

Next, we ordered the japchae and the creamy prawn ramyun. The sweet potato glass noodles from the japchae give the dish a whole other dimension from regular noodles. The beef, which is an add-on, has unbelievable flavor. And then the dish that really surprised me is the creamy prawn ramyun. The flavor level of the sauce and the heat level are perfectly balanced for my palate. The only criticism for this dish i would say is i wish the prawns were cooked in the sauce because when eaten separate, they didn't have much flavor, but the dish as a whole was delicious.

For atmosphere I would've scored a 5 but twice we had people come around the courtyard asking for money.

Overall we had a delightful experience and would...

Great atmosphere with very friendly and welcoming staff which I have appreciated a lot. As a Korean, it’s always pleasant to find a Korean restaurant outside of Korea, presented in a very professional way. We had various dishes including Jeyuk, Dduk Mandoo soup as well as Udon and few other small dishes. With the Dduk Mandoo soup, it came with a few pieces of rice cakes. One piece of rice cake seemed to be bitten. Clearly it had teeth marks. The manager came to us with a new piece of rice cake (pre-cooked) explaining that the rice cake may be torn off time to time hence the original oval shape may not be maintained. As our family likes the rice cake soup quite a lot, and we cook this quite frequently, we know how it shapes when it is torn off, but it was clearly not the case. We didn’t want anything extra but wanted to flag it to the staff. I think the manager responded well and did what she had to do. Korean cuisine requires a lot of preparation and the cooking process could be quite cumbersome with many ingredients. Hygiene aspect is critical. I just hope the restaurant management embraces this incidence to continue to monitor and elevate the hygiene standard and...