The Local Spot I Visit For The Best Korean Comfort Food In Miami

Before becoming a full-time writer, I traveled the world teaching English in different places. That's how I found myself in Seoul, South Korea, working with elementary students, exploring the peninsula, and stuffing my face with as much local food as possible. Even years after leaving Korea, food is still the thing that I miss the most about the country. 

Korean cuisine is all about contrast. Meals often combine a wonderfully complex mix of different textures, flavor profiles, and temperatures. They are often large, and typically consist of a main dish with a variety of complementary banchan (side dishes). Flavors tend to be deep, earthy, spicy, and fermented. From my perspective, Korean gastronomy is one of the best in the world.

When I came back to live in Miami, one of my main missions was to find good Korean restaurants. My go-to is Kimbop, a small spot in Kendall that specializes in Korean comfort food. Run by chef Park Uri, the restaurant takes me back to days in Korea when I wanted something tasty that would warm my soul. Kimbop doesn't try to be fancy; it instead focuses on serving simple and authentic Korean cuisine. Yet it also pays attention to details. For example, it uses metal chopsticks instead of wooden ones. This may not seem significant, but it changes the flavor enough that it's one of my primary measures of a quality Korean restaurant. More importantly, Kimbop satisfies my cravings when Seoul nostalgia hits me.

Choosing what to order at Kimbop is always difficult, because I typically want everything. My workaround is to get several dishes so I can eat more than one type of food. The menu includes many Korean staple foods like tteok-bokki (spicy rice cakes), jeon (savory pancakes), ramyeon (instant noodles), and kimbap (stuffed seaweed rolls). They're all delicious, and can be eaten on their own or paired together for a decadent comfort food bash.

When I'm in the mood for something a bit lighter, I get a bibimbap, which is a rice bowl mixed with vegetables, meats, and gochujang (red pepper paste). However, if I want to indulge in greasy goodness, the crispy fried chicken is my go-to order. I strongly believe that Korean fried chicken is the best in the world. The double hand-battered technique used to make it results in a thin yet perfectly crispy crust that is glazed with spicy or sweet-and-salty sauces. Additionally, Kimbop also has full meals that include a main dish and several banchan and appetizers. While I've actually never ordered these, they look tasty and filling. 

Because alcohol is a big part of the Korean comfort food experience, I like pairing my order with either plain soju (a distilled rice liquor) or beer. The restaurant also offers fruity cocktails that aren't very traditional, but pair well with Miami's colorful vibe. 

Kimbop's menu only includes a tiny portion of Korea's varied cuisine. Korean Kitchen in North Miami Beach is a great alternative if you're looking for a similarly informal vibe but want more stew options. The budae jiggae, or Korean army base stew, is a popular option to get here, since it's hard to find elsewhere in the city.

Choong Man Chicken is another spot in North Miami Beach. It specializes in amazing Korean fried chicken, which it offers in many flavors. The restaurant doesn't serve alcohol, so it's not possible to recreate the typical chimaek (chicken and beer) experience that you'd have at fried chicken places in Korea. Still, it's absolutely satisfying.

For the fanciest Korean food in Miami, make a reservation at Cote. This one Michelin-star restaurant serves elevated Korean BBQ that uses premium cuts of meat. Its wine list and craft cocktails are also impressive. If the regular menu is a bit out of your price range, you can visit during happy hour from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. for drinks and bites under $10.

Though these are all good options, Kimbop's excellent comfort food keeps me coming back. I've brought many friends unfamiliar with Korean food to the restaurant, and they've in turn brought their friends. When an eatery's reputation successfully spreads through word of mouth, you know the food is something else.