[TAKE-AWAY FOOD]
As restrictions has slightly lifted, I met up with a friend for take-away lunch. We decided to go to Fitzroy area as we hadn’t been there for a very long time but didn’t know what to eat. We parked the car and randomly walked up Smith street to explore and also gave us a chance to get a bit of exercise and catch up. We finally spotted Goon BBQ which had quite a lot of people standing outside (waiting for their orders). We thought to give it a try. It was surprisingly really good. We were impressed, servings were generous and price was very reasonable.
🔆LOCATION🔆
Goon BBQ is situated on Smith Street between Otter Street and St David Street closer to Johnston street end.
The premise is quite small and seats up to around 30 people, however due to COVID-19 restrictions, they only allow 2 people inside at a time to order take-away.
Customers have to wait outside for their order.
🔆SERVICE🔆
As there were quite a number of people that were in front of us that had ordered their take away, we were advised it would be 15 minutes. We took this opportunity to walk around the vicinity. We returned after 15 minutes and our order was ready, very punctual. Staff was friendly and courteous.
🔆MENU/PRICE🔆
Their lunch take away menu was really reasonably priced.
We ordered:
Chicken Mayo $9.50
(fried boneless chicken, rice, homemade sauce, salad, kimchi, radish, mayo)
Tuna Mayo, $9.50
(tuna, rice, homemade sauce, salad, kimchi, radish, mayo, shredded seaweed)
🔆VERDICT🔆
The fried chicken was really tender and flavourful. There were a lot of chicken pieces making it good value for money and very generous portion size. The rice was very fluffy and soft and the added accompaniment of kimchi and radish was good balance. Overall tasty and filling.
Picked up takeaway - spicy pork bulgogi and chicken mixed (from from chefs recommendations) - both fantastic! Food travelled well (15mins by foot home) - chicken still crispy, veg fresh and rice perfectly cooked. Been meaning to try this neighbourhood spot for a while.. glad I finally did. Will definitely be back again for takeaway and for dine-in when it reopens.
I was hungry and in Collingwood when I decided to try Goon BBQ again as I haven’t been here for a while.
The service was great, friendly and welcoming which is always nice.
I had a chicken mayo bowl. The boneless chicken pieces were big, juicy and tender! They were soo delicious!
In the bowl was some rice, home made sauce, salad, kimchi, radish and mayo. This dish was absolutely delicious although there was too much sauce for me but it was still very good.
This place is definitely worth a visit!
First of all. The waiter is an absolute gem. He's so damn nice, it honestly makes the experience so much better. The worst part of zomato gold is that we were told we weren't allowed to order any meat which is ridiculous for a KBBQ joint. Like what's the point then?? The majority of the cuts of meat were the same prices as the mains so it honestly makes no difference. We ended up ordering a set and a few mains and some sides. The food overall was decent. The meat was frozen which is a surprise. The sides are nice. Would recommend the fried chicken, the soup and pork belly. The corn cheese was a let down. Super small in serving size. Even the salad was better. The decor is super quirky with lots to look at. Overall, would recommend. Great place to go with friends and the serving staff are so nice.
The Wandering Reviewer
+5
Wasn't expecting much but this place was crazy good for lunch with a $9.50 Lunch Cup Rice Express offer advertised on a banner out the front. That caught my eye and have been back twice since. Staff were great in helping me choose on my second visit as I had so many meals that looked appetising. My favourite is pop chicken. My friend had the mandoo dumplings and again - very tasty. This place is kinda quirky with interesting music from my past (1980's) and decor that is endearing. Kid-friendly, in fact, I watched the staff being so sweet to a table that had 4 kids under 10. Wheelchair friendly.
Authentic Korean food and Wonderful host. Highly recommend the place for a evening with few close friends. Very reasonably priced quality food.
Excellent BBQ with a huge array of very tasty sides. The bean stew and cheese corn were standouts. The lunch specials are great value. The new spicy seafood ramen is warm and yummy on a cool night. Friendly, welcoming service, great music and vibes. A new fave!
We were invited to come for dinner to the newly opened Goon Korean BBQ restaurant which is located at 270 Smith Street, Collingwood. A great location for this buzzing, genuine Korean restaurant serving amazing authentic Korean food in an exceptional dining atmosphere.
Walking in, we were immediately impressed with the decor and ambience of the cosy 32 seat dining area. There is also a functional courtyard area. We were told that the owners had completely renovated the restaurant and you could tell that they had put a lot of thought and effort into making it look very stylish and elegant. This attention to detail shows through again with their ability to make their customer’s feel 100% satisfied.
There’s also a major focus on home-made and healthy ingredients. One of the owners – Danny, explained to us that they produce everything in-house which makes it all the more impressive and admirable.
We ordered the Beef Set for two people which came with Popcorn Chicken, Mixed Green Salad, Corn Cheese, a steam egg, Bean Soup, Kimchi and Rice. Both the marinated Beef La Galbi and the sliced beef belly were delectable. My companion was gluten-intolerant and we were very appreciative of the precautions they took to cater to his needs. They made sure that the marinated beef was placed on the BBQ, after the sliced beef belly.
We totally demolished the popcorn chicken which was just simply delicious and the corn cheese, the bean soup and the kimchi were all very tasty, generous and brilliant accompaniments to the BBQ .
We also ordered a Beef Bulgogi dish which literally means “Fire Meat”, thin slices of marinated beef stir fried and served with rice and a Grapefruit Soju which is traditional Korean alcohol. The Bulgogi was sensational, melt in your mouth tender and succulent and an ample serve. The drink was refreshing and tangy.
Overall, it’s hard to find fault with our visit to Goon’s. The atmosphere, the food, the service and the whole experience was magnificent. Don’t be a goon and checkout Goon’s as soon as you can!
This week I was very lucky to be invited to experience my very first Korean BBQ, at Goon BBQ! My husband and I arrived at the venue soon after an epic Melbourne downpour had nearly flooded the place! We would never have known that if we weren’t told though, as the restaurant owners immediately greeted us when we walked in and seemed cool, calm and collected!
The owners are a married couple, but it was Danny who talked us through the menu, and was absolutely full of information about Korean BBQ! The restaurant has only been open about 4 months, and there was a large renovation performed by the couple prior to this. The vibe in the restaurant is a highlight – it is decorated and set up like an authentic Korean village. And the 70’s music playing in the background is the best!
There is a real focus on the best ingredients and producing everything in house, including the garnishes such as the pickled radish and kimchi. We started our meal with our first try of Cass beer, the go-to in Korea. It was great! Tasty and light; as Danny said, tastes like Pure Blonde. We ordered the Beef & Pork BBQ Set for 2 – and loved it. We thought it was great value, and my husband and I were both very satisfied. The set comes with sliced belly, pork belly, and marinated beef galbi. Danny cooked it for us on our own little bbq and it was just such a fun experience to watch and chat while the meat cooked. Along with the meat, the set includes pop chicken, mixed green salad, corn cheese, steamed egg, bean soup, rice, kimchi and pickled radish. I absolutely demolished the pop chicken – husband had to fight me for it!
We thoroughly enjoyed our meal, and will be keen to come back with a group of friends to enjoy this interactive and fun dining experience.
A great experience and very good quality of meats for what you pay for. We had a lot of food and enjoyed every single thing. A special thanks to Mini (Kim) for serving us. The only things I have to point out are 1 - The ventilation upstairs is not that great, so don’t wash your hair before the meal; 2) The seafood & chives pancake was a tad small - we ordered it to share but in the end due to the size we only had a tiny piece each.
Side dishes were given generously and we particularly liked the steamed egg and salad. The soy powder went well with pork belly and balanced out the fattiness perfectly.
Great food. Great vibes. The team and fantastic welcoming and fun. Love this little spot on smith street. Generous servings and great sides not to mention the awesome Soju!! A great place to come for a fun time and great food/service.
Had soooo much fun at this place and what a great experience! i came to dinner quite bias against Korean bbq. Never like the concept of paying premium to cook my own meal. After dining at goon bbq my mind was quickly changed ! The staff came out and cooked the food for us ! The selection was so full of flavour, fresh and very generous in portions. The place is decorated in such an authentic way, It was like spending a night in Korea. The highlight were the staff. Amazing service and so attentive and polite. I have already booked another table here next week. Highly recommended !!!!!! Very affordable as well :)
Wow, great environment, super tatsy food, nice staffs.
We had Bibimbaps, one with beef and the other one with tofu.
They both were tatsy and nice.
Inside the restaurant is quite beautiful and cosy.
The only downside of this restaurant is the price of foods which was quite expensive.
ORDERED:
🐮🐷 BEEF & PORK SET (2 people) ($88.00)
- Marinated beef la galbi
- Pork Belly
- Sliced beef belly
- 7 side dishes (pop chicken, corn cheese, bean soup, kimchi & sliced radish, salad, steam egg, rice)
🥘 ARMY STEW (2 people): Table cooking stew with slice pork belly, tofu, spam, veggies, bean and kimchi
We spent $33.58pp here, between the 4 of us.
REVIEW:
Guys. DO NOT listen to their 2pp guidance.
After consuming Goon's beef & pork belly set, the 4 of us were satiated and wanted to shoot ourselves for ordering the army stew as well.
Goon BBQ are generous, and if you wanted to err on the side of caution you're better off getting a smaller soup as opposed to committing to a full army stew.
Goon also don't seem to be "traditional" korean, because their also offered slices of pineapple in the meat and there was a variety of bbq sauces (soy powder) that added a bit of interest and intrigue for us. They also don't use coal, but your regular gas heat and there's no ventilation. Be prepared to smell like KBBQ!
The service was friendly, and it seems like there's enough space to hold a big group downstairs. There's cute little trinkets around the restaurant to catch your eye - it's well designed to add an element of fun to the environment.
Goon BBQ is great if you want a casual bbq. However my favourite is still Mansae in the CBD!
Staff are very welcoming, food is top quality! Lovely little place with attractive music and an authentic Korean taste, 10/10
This review is a little late. We celebrated the end of our 3 weeks holiday in Mel at this restaurant in May. Have to give it a 5 star rating for the hospitality and quality of food. We have a 2 year old with us, staff go out of their way to make sure that we are comfortable. They move us upstairs so that it’s more spacious and safer for the infant. Generous serving and lots of extras. Highly recommended. We will be back whenever we visit Melbourne again.
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