Imone
When we talk about typical preparations of Korean cuisine we mean many things. From the fermented to the marinades there is a large kaleidoscope of typical dishes, with related cooking. Among these stands out the Korean barbeque, now famous all over the world thanks to the K-dramas, in which it is omnipresent. In Via Emilio Cornalia 16, the Imone restaurant specializes in this type of cooking. And the meat is really very good.
Now in Milan, Korean cuisine is increasingly trendy. You can safely talk about historic places, restaurants on the scene for years and that today are a real point of reference for lovers of the genre.
Imone, initially opened in the China Town area and moved to the Central area a few years ago, not only offers excellent authentic Korean traditional dishes but, as mentioned, it is a restaurant specializing in barbecue cooking. When you enter this place, you feel right in South Korea: the essential and minimalist environment presents the typical aesthetic standards of the Seoul premises today. The tables are equipped with a carbon plate that is prepared at the moment and above it there is the suction hood that prevents unpleasant odors. Just like in Korea, you feel pampered by the staff while enjoying the excellent comfort food: under the name of the restaurant is the word “aunt’s house”. It is no coincidence, in fact, that the clientele is almost exclusively Korean, as is the chef: during dinner she has also dealt with customers, a sign that here the quality of both food and service is serious.
The menu is a faithful cast of the South Korean tradition. The absence of sweets is immediately striking: in Korea it is not customary to consume dessert after a meal. We start with delicious banchan (small dishes often referred to as “side dishes”), among which kimchi and a gyeran mari (frittered omelette) among the best ever tried to stand out is particularly vivid. The appetizers, all typical, include jeon — savory fritters (of kimchi, seafood, potatoes), mandu (steamed or grilled) and egg shell. Obviously the bibimbap is present, as well as the kimbap and the bulgoghi (the meat melts in the mouth!). Then there are both cold soups for the summer season (Korean noodles in cold broth) and hot ones (of kimchi, miso and the famous very spicy with gochujang, tofu, mandu) and noodles (ramyon, in broth with vegetables or in spicy sauce). On reservation it is also possible to order the spicy braised chicken. Sauteed dishes include tofu and kimchi, japchae, squids with spicy sauce and ddukbukki. Then the parenthesis of the succulent barbeque opens up: you can opt for the pork belly or the boston butt, the squid and pork belly with the spicy sauce or, on request, the pork belly boiled in aromatic broth with side dishes. Everything is accompanied by fresh lettuce leaves, sesame oil, gochujang and fresh garlic to taste. All the dishes are well presented, decidedly abundant and there is no lack of large quantities of vegetables. As for drinking, you can order Korean beer, soju, makgeolli, grape juice, aloe vera juice and barley tea.
© Cookingwiththehamster
📍 Via Emilio Cornalia 16, Milan 📞 02 8278 6824 💰 $$