The Real Korean Restaurant fires up for grand opening in Mackay
A couple is bringing authentic Korean food to a Queensland town, the young owners excited to share their cuisine from bulgogi barbeque to bibimbap. SEE THE FOOD.
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If you think you need to fly to Korea to try authentic ssam barbeque, fried chicken, or bibimbap, think again.
Co-owners Lena Kang (30) and Ribel Goh (33) said they were excited to share their favourite foods with Mackay at the grand opening for The Real Korean Restaurant on Wednesday.
The new restaurant comes just weeks after Korean dessert store WalWal Mackay opened a kiosk at Parkside, ushering in a new era for Korean food fans.
The couple have taken over the hole in the wall formerly occupied by Flavours of Vietnam at 176 Victoria St, whose owner Mina Dang was a key supporter for the young entrepreneurs.
Though together for nine years, both worked at Parkside’s Wara Sushi since moving to Mackay in 2021 with Ribel serving as sous chef and Lena as manager.
Ribel has worked in kitchens across Australia and Korea for over a decade, including fine dining restaurant Attica in Melbourne as well as 86 and Sage in Canberra.
Lena said they had been “dreaming” of opening a restaurant and running their own business for some years.
“When we moved to Mackay, we felt like we didn’t have much choice in various kinds of restaurants ... and there’s no Korean restaurants, of course,” she said.
“We thought, oh, maybe we can show Mackay people what Korean food is like (and) introduce authentic Korean food.
“So that’s why we put the name as ‘The Real Korean Restaurant’.”
From more traditional recipes like kimchi stew to Korean soul food treats like fried chicken, Lena said there was a variety of meat-based dishes to more healthy vegetable dishes like rice bowl bibimbap.
Imported brands of beer and Korean liquor like soju, as well as non-alcoholic drinks, are also available for thirsty patrons.
The pair said they were “very grateful” for the Mackay community’s help, from a Wara Sushi regular helping collect a supply shipment to Mina Dang’s advice with council approvals.
“(Mina) was looking for someone to take over this space (and) it was really hard to find (a venue with) a kitchen,” Lena said of how it came together.
“She was really glad to introduce everything to us and then explain every single thing.
“We’ve been getting so many help from people and we’re really great that feel grateful.”
The Real Korean Restaurant is celebrating its grand opening with a 20% discount for the first week on all food, and the pair hinted at further discounts and events planned for customers in the future.
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