The best Korean restaurants in Manchester

Meaning simply ‘hello’ in Korean, Annyeong is a fittingly welcoming city centre Korean BBQ restaurant, and one of the more up-market versions of the format we have in the city. Firstly, it’s located within the impressive, gothic-looking Old Half Moon Chambers, nestled in the historic Chapel Walks. When inside, the abundance of marble and moody lighting keeps elevated feel going. Menu-wise, you have a few different ways to play: order from the à la carte, choose a set menu, or take things into your own hands with the BBQ menu and select from meat, seafood and veggies to grill at your table. Don’t want the fun to end? There’s cocktails and karaoke at your table too.

Located out in Hulme near MMU’s Cambridge Halls, Azuma is easily missed, something which its loyal fans are grateful for. Step inside and you’re usually greeted by staff who’ll make you feel right at home, plonk you down and if you’re opting for Korean BBQ, give you a form to fill in. For about £24 per person you can order as much as you like, just tick the bits you fancy off the sheet and they’ll bring them over. Cook them yourself on your very own hotplate, and enjoy with some seriously cold bottles of beer. If you’re a bit trepidatious about diving into Korean BBQ for the first time, Azuma have made it mercifully fool-proof.

A favourite in Stockport for many years now, Baekdu are located just five minutes from the train station, in a quite frankly adorable red brick house. Their main offering is Korean BBQ that you can either cook right at your table, or, if you’re not feeling it the staff can take charge of the charcoals. There’s also soup dishes, noodle dishes and a plethora of tempting sides like kimchi pancakes and wok fried spicy pork. Hot pot fans are well-served too, for around £40 you can indulge in gallons of the stuff. Yet another gem in Stockport’s sparkling foodie crown.

Ban Di Bul is a cracking Korean BBQ and hot pot place that bridges a bit of a no man’s land between the Town Hall and Chinatown. Don’t let the location deter you though, because once you’re inside you’ll be treated to what is undoubtedly a superbly authentic Korean experience. Whether you’ve opted for BBQ or hot pot, choose from prepared platters of uncooked meat, seafood and vegetables and then get sizzling, using the plethora of many sauces, spices and sides that are provided. There’s also a lunch menu full of rice-based dishes if that’s more your thing.

However you feel about the changing face of Piccadilly Gardens in general, Bunsik is objectively a positive addition to its foodie offerings. It’s blue and yellow frontage – while not yet as iconic as that of a certain Swedish furniture megastore – is becoming an increasingly recognisable presence in some major UK cities, and the semi-permanent queues out of the door are testament to its allure. Inside you’ll find a super-slick operation turning out fried chicken in all its usual permutations, rice boxes and kimbap (a Korean version of sushi). The main attraction though is undoubtedly the corn dogs – crispy battered sausages, sometimes topped with potato and cheese, which deliver a satisfying, carby crunch.

Korean Fried Chicken is massive nowadays, and rightly so. Crispier and spicier than the typical US-style that we’ve become accustomed too scoffing over the last few decades, Korean FC is usually fried twice, creating a crunchier exterior. Chimaek (which is a portmanteau of the Korean words for ‘chicken’ and ‘beer’) offer up some absolutely brilliant KFC from their restaurant just off Oxford Road. Order wings, thighs, fillets or a sharing combo via one of their vast sci-fi screens, choose your sauces and sides and enjoy with a bottle (or tower) of cold Korean beer. Perfection, some might say.

eatGoody doesn’t really make a song and dance about itself, something which its loyal lunchtime diners are probably very thankful for. With extremely unforgiving opening hours (11am – 2.30pm on Tuesday to Friday), they know their audience, and their audience knows their Korean rice and noodle lunchboxes are worth making a special effort to get hold of. Build your own box topped with the likes of beef bulgogi, pork katsu or tofu tempura, add sides like fishcake soup or sticky soy potato cubes. Dine in the simple, cosy cafe or take away to demolish it in the park. Either way, you’ll unlock a wholly more joyful way to do lunch in the city centre.

A cute, contemporary Korean and Japanese kitchen on Didsbury’s Barlow Moor road. Inside is a haven of pink and green furnishings, cherry blossom and exposed lighting, but don’t be fooled by the Instagram-worthy design choices, the cooking here is nothing but authentic. Order from a menu of Korean Fried Chicken, soups, noodles and BBQ alongside sushi and dumplings too. The yukhoe (Korean beef tartare) is as visually stunning as it is delicious, and the cocktail menu is supplemented by a variety of sake and Soju – a refreshing rice-based spirit you can drink neat, if you dare.

A firm city centre favourite for years, Koreana is at the far end of King Street, just past San Carlo. They claim to be the first UK Korean restaurant outside of London, founded in 1985, which is quite a legacy. Descend the stairs into a basement of pure Korean delights like bibimbap, bulgogi and casserole. You’ll also find some more obscure dishes that you might not have encountered before, like nengmyun – a spicy, cold noodle soup. Be sure to try the budae jjigae, one of the first examples of Korean-American fusion cooking, which originated on US army bases. The stew has a spicy broth base and is packed with processed delights like sausages, spam, instant noodles and American cheese. You’ll have to trust us, and the Koreana team, on this one.

With glowing praise from top food critic Jay Rayner when he visited back in 2017, who suggested that the soup should be ‘offered on prescription’, Seoul Kimchi is a standout Korean offering among a strong field of contenders. You’ll find it on Upper Brook Street, opposite the entrance to an A&E and next door to a petrol station. The unassuming location adds to the feeling of discovering somewhere quite special – there are just a handful of tables and chairs, the place feels a little bit like a conservatory. Our advice: try as much as you possibly can – the bento, the sops and stews, the bibimbap. There’s even a handful of Japanese dishes thrown in for good measure. You’ll come away a total convert.