Kim’s Korean BBQ

When Janice and Kevin Kim first started selling Korean barbecue bowls at Marrickville Markets, they weren't hospitality veterans testing a side project. The couple had just returned from a 14-month lap around Australia, welcomed their first child and decided to trade corporate careers for something entirely their own.

But what began as a weekend market stall quickly found a regular audience, and after months of selling out, Kim's Korean Deli has secured a permanent home on Burton Street in Darlinghurst—bringing their signature "K-BBQ in a bowl" concept to a shopfront opposite the National Art School.

The menu centres on a simple formula: pick your base, choose your protein and let the family recipes do the rest. Pork belly, chicken and Wagyu are marinated for two days before being flame-grilled, while crispy tofu offers a vegetarian alternative. Everything is built around house-made kimchi, fresh seasonal vegetables and dressings designed specifically for each bowl.

Kevin's father, Chang Sub Kim, oversees much of the food preparation, with recipes drawn from decades of Korean home cooking. The kimchi is made in-house multiple times a week, while drinks include seasonal fruit sodas made from scratch, with flavours changing throughout the year.

Breakfast brings a shorter offering of Korean-inspired jaffles, including a bulgogi cheese toastie and a kimchi-spiked ham and cheese version, alongside coffee from Ona. At lunch, the Wagyu bulgogi bowl has emerged as an early favourite, balancing sweet, savoury and smoky flavours with crisp salads and house dressings.

The venue itself is intentionally simple: an open kitchen, a handful of outdoor tables and a steady stream of locals stopping by for takeaway lunches. But it's the sense of family that gives the space its identity. On any given day, you'll likely find multiple generations of the Kims working side by side, turning a market stall success story into one of Darlinghurst's most popular lunch stops.

Image credit: Kim's Korean Deli | Instagram