Kore Maru — Restaurant in Ümraniye

We had a very pleasant lunch at this small shop and cafe 🍽️ . Everyone was very kind and service was quick. No other customer was there at the time so it was nice and quiet.

🍜 We tried the “rabokki” (ramen and rice cake) covered with a tangy spicy red sauce and topped with melted cheese. The rice cake could be more chewy but still it tastes great.

🍚 We also ordered the classic bim bim bap, and it was fantastic. The key is in its simplicity: bean sprouts 🌱 , carrots 🥕 , mushrooms 🍄‍🟫 , a perfect fried egg 🍳 , and topped with sesame seeds and a literal spoon of gochujang, or red spicy 🌶️ paste. I was surprised how good it tasted and reminded me of the Korean food at home. It also comes with a tofu miso soup 🥣 with some zucchini and green onions, also good!

🍗 Finally we ordered a small bowl of Korean fried chicken. They are packaged to go but the nice waitresses warmed it up for us and put it on a plate. It was not crispy as it usually is, but nevertheless the flavor was super! Sweet, spicy, and umami all in one juicy bite.

🛒 From the pantry we bought coconut milk and quality sesame oil. We were very happy about the sesame oil bc at Carrefour all they have is the soy bean and sesame blend. I hope they add quality soy sauce in the future like Kikkoman or Korean meat marinades.

Overall it’s a cute and versatile little store that provides you a great, homey authentic Korean taste. The shop has just enough of the Asian staples to make the typical Asian dishes at...

This small store/cafe, located far on the Asian side of Istanbul, offers a limited selection of Korean staples and a few other Asian ingredients. While they have freshly made items like rice cakes, homemade kimchi, and a few Asian baked goods, the variety is rather basic. I bought sesame oil, rice cakes, fish cakes, japchae noodles, doenjang soybean paste, frozen mandu, and azuki bean buns. The place feels more like a small market combined with a fast-food cafe, offering a simple Korean street food menu with items like kimbab, bibimbap, ramen, and tteokbokki. I had “sausage kimbap” it was freshly made and delicious. It’s not a full Korean restaurant, but more of a quick-stop for light meals and groceries.

Keep in mind, it's 10-15 minute walk from the nearest metro station, Ihlamurkuyu, and is tucked away deep inside a residential neighborhood—quite a trek if you're coming from the European...

Price: $$ Taste: ^^^ Transportation: “Better wear my walking shoes” 10 mins walk away from the Ihlamurkuyu subway station. The only korean cafe in this neighbourhood and likely in the entire Umraniye region. The market restocks often with fresh produce, meat, dumplings and of course kimchi coming in periodically. The cafe that was built later on has a small menu but is a must-try. Quick, easy and yummy korean comfort food such as tteokbokki, ramdon and gimbap. If it is not the red hot broth of the food, then it is the jolly welcome of the market/cafe’s owner Ms Lale that will warm you right up even in the dead of the crisp winter...