Mabasa - Sydney

Mabasa is a hidden gem on the quieter section of Balmain’s dining strip, serving up contemporary Korean cuisine in a rather unexpected location. We were given the tip by a friend of ours who recently moved into the area and found ourselves here for a Sunday dinner that did not disappoint. It was quite a different experience to have Korean food in a quiet, neighbourhood restaurant setting in contrast to the usual bustling environment of Korean joints in the city or elsewhere in the suburbs where they’re more common, but the flavours here are no less authentic and thankfully, they still have side dishes on offer to keep you interested between dishes.

Mabasa is a modern Korean restaurant, similar to Danjee. Highlights were the samgyetang: a whole baby chicken cooked in a clear, nutritious broth with ginseng; the soondubu jiggae: soft beancurd with seafood in a fiery-looking-but-not-really soup; seafood jeon: a puffy seafood pancake with crispy edges; lastly, the sweet hoddeok pancake for dessert, drizzled with honey and sprinkled with sunflower seeds. The mandu, the spicy braised chicken, the fried chicken and the bibimbap were alright though not particularly memorable. Service was decent but we thought the lady owner was a bit pushy, trying to upsell us on extra dishes we didn't want or ask for. It was really quiet on a Saturday night so atmosphere was a bit lacking. On the flip side, it's excellent for large groups. But overall, a nice place for Korean food in Balmain.

Design of the restaurant is very average but do not allow this design demotivate you to try their awesome food. We tried Bulgogi for 2 people. They cook it at your table which is so amazing. Portion is generous and the food is so yummy.Potato croquettes are also awesome and worth to try. It doesn 't seem like an unhealty fried 'anything ' which has a same taste everywhere, you really feel the flavour of potato. Customer service is also pretty good!

Really like this place with its infused Korean food. The dishes look spicy, but they are actually not. Rice cake is my favourite, recommended to try. booking is not essential here, at least we did not have any issue finding a seat for lunch on Sunday.

Amazing homely place yet with all the professionalism of a fine dining place without the high prices. Highlight is an amazingly elaborate menu with specials of the day extra. Flavours are great and a friendly staff who don't even know how good and popular they are... Best bit... They just serve u professionally and warmly.