Oh Deer Korean Fusion

The Verdict

You probably think you know exactly what Korean food is ‘supposed to be’. After all, Melbourne has experienced a rise in Korean barbeque joints in recent times. But we’ve found a Korean diner that stands head and shoulders above the rest, especially on the flavour front.

Oh Deer is tucked down the end of Tivoli arcade, in the heart of the CBD. You can expect to be greeted with a seriously extensive menu of dishes that you probably weren’t expecting.

There are a few mouth-watering stand outs, which include the Korean pork belly wrap; a perfect morsel of pork belly wrapped in nori, the beef tartare with egg and deer sauce (a house made favourite) and the Oh Deer mini burgers which come with three filling options which feature soft shell crab, beef or salmon.

Deep fried boneless chicken takes things a step further with three options available–cheese, teriyaki and strawberry. Yes, your read that correctly, turns out that strawberry glazed chicken is all kinds of finger lickin’.

We absolutely LOVE it when theatre meets food, and this is exactly what happens when you order Oh Deer’s molten cheese with pork ribs. The cheese is melted right before your very eyes. No surprises that it’s a crowd favourite.

There are plenty of cocktails on offer, making Oh Deer the perfect place to grab a meal or start a night out. We’re completely smitten with the test-tube cocktails–12 flavours (some alcoholic, some not), all ready for you to create a cocktail with you favourite combos. We’re no bartenders, but these were next-level delicious.

Oh Deer really wanted to challenge the way we think about Korean food and a fusion of all the best bits, with some added pizzazz thrown in for good measure has resulted in a menu of creative Korean tapas.

Image credit: Michelle Jarni for The Urban List