The unique, sweet, salty, funky, fermented flavours of Korean food have made it popular all over the world, and that is equally true in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which both boast some very popular Korean restaurants. One such restaurant in Dubai is Koryo Korean BBQ, which focuses on the simple pleasure of Korean barbecue, but also offers a wide range of typical Korean dishes. It should be noted, though, that this isn't Korean barbecue in the true sense of the word - you don't barbecue your own meats, instead everything is cooked in-house and served to you after you order at the counter.
Koryo has a second location in the BarJuman complex, but where better to have a flagship restaurant than the Mall of the Emirates - the huge Al Barsha mall that boasts over 630 retail outlets, over 100 restaurants and cafés, 80 luxury stores and 250 flagship stores over its four floors.
Among that huge list of restaurants, Koryo is the only one that does authentic Korean barbecue and for that alone it's worth a visit. The menu is packed full with typical Korean fare, from entrees like beef bulgogi, dak galbi (marinated chicken), Korean fried chicken and spicy squid, to bibimbap, japchae, tteokbokki, and kimchi jigae (kimchi stew).
There are plenty of banchan sides too - seasoned spinach, glazed sweet potato, and a range of kimchis (cucumber, napa cabbage, and radish).
Koryo Korean BBQ also does a few Korean pancakes, not only the classic kimchi pancake, but also a seafood pancake, scallion pancake and a crispy potato pancake, which all make excellent additions to your main meal. If you want to try a bit of everything, go for one of Koryo's combo boxes, which combine a selection of mains and sides with a helping of jasmine rice - the perfect lunch if you've been walking around the mall for hours.