By Tiaan Booyens
Minari Korean Kitchen Stellenbosch has virtually been fully booked since opening its doors in the quaint Simonsplein courtyard off Plein Street on Friday, 7 April. This family-owned Korean restaurant, which is the trendy, younger-brother company to the Minari in Simon’s Town, was brought to the Eikestad by the same team behind the popular Fool’s Gold Social Bar. The intimate, yet definitively elegant restaurant space puts a spotlight on quality, traditional Korean cuisine.
“I’m Korean, so that’s my heritage,” said Dane Hong, owner of Fool’s Gold and Minari. “And I think Korean food and Korean culture is kind of trendy at the moment.” Minari not only manages to hop on the trend, but to run way ahead of it. This Korean restaurant is the first of its kind in Stellenbosch, which according to managing director Shaun Harrison, will give Minari the edge in the town’s competitive dining scene.
“We had a kitchen at Fool’s Gold, which did a couple of Korean-inspired, fusion dishes,” Said Harrison. “But we realised that Fool’s Gold was very much a different type of establishment.” To streamline both the kitchen and the social bar, Minari graduated from Fool’s Gold to its own entire restaurant – a first for these longtime friends and collaborators.
Our town’s brand new Minari isn’t a franchised version of the family business, because it has a whole different vibe to it, according to Hong, but it boasts some of their menu items. Minari serves dishes like Shin Ramyun: Korea’s favourite noodle dish consisting of a spicy broth with ramen noodles, thin beef strips, a boiled egg, mushrooms, carrots and spring onion. It also happens to be my new favourite; I guarantee you it will leave you feeling well-fed and warm like you’ve just finished a hearty holiday meal.
“It’s been manic, as you can see,” said Harry Acker, restaurant manager, delightedly referring to customers on the waiting list relaxing on sofas outside the restaurant. I was barely able to squeeze myself and our photographer in at a table for two during their debut over Easter weekend, which Acker had expected to be slower since many people were away. “We knew that there was a bit of a following for this already, and we’ve been seeing the socials side of it blow up.”
“I’m loving it! I thrive in this industry, I love the chaos,” said Acker who has managed a restaurant at Neptune’s Lodge & Beach Bar in Inhambane, Mozambique for a season, and is eager to take the helm of Minari’s kitchen. “Korean food takes a lot of time to prep. The cooking side of it is actually quite quick.”
Diving into their deliciously packed menu is like getting a taste of South Korea. You’ll find dishes like Kimchi Mandu, steamed or deep-fried (also adaptable with veggies or pork and a vegan option), Dakkochi (sweet soy marinated chicken skewers with charred spring onion and peppers), Bulgogi (thinly sliced beef strip marinated in a gochujang-based sauce, stir-fried with vegetables and served with fried rice) among many other traditional dishes. The great food paired with the high-end, yet cosy atmosphere is sure to become a local favourite.
“Our main thing is definitely the food; we want to bring Korean food to the Stellenbosch market. Especially from Dane, you don’t get more authentic,” said Harrison. “Dane and his family are Korean, they make this food every day. I live with Dane, he makes it at home. This is as true as it gets.”
The team feels confident that Minari’s family-owned Korean kitchen will fit fantastically into this student town. “We thought about translating that to Stellenbosch, and the audience that’s received us has been amazing, so we’re very stoked,” said Acker.
