Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Squid Game is the biggest trending show on Netflix worldwide. The Korean show has boomed in popularity in a tremendously short amount of time, and has had a multitude of people going beyond their comfort zone by watching a show in a different language - and it’s so worth it. Having personally binge-watched the show, my interest in Korean culture was piqued, and I felt inspired to engage with the unique culture through my favorite thing to do: eat. Atlanta, an international hub for restaurants, is a city that you must eat your way through, so pull your friends away from the TV to check out one of these 3 highly recommended and delicious Korean restaurants in Atlanta.
1. D92
D92 is located near Decatur Square, and prides itself on holding the title of “Atlanta’s Best KBBQ” (Korean Barbeque). One of my fellow Spoonies, Sofia Lim, highly recommended D92 not only for their BBQ, but also for their reasonably priced bento boxes. Some of the best dishes include their cheese corn, scrambled egg, and the Korean soy sauce chicken. The best part of D92? They have an all-you-can-eat option.
One of the advantages of D92 is that Decatur Square is a lively area with many outdoor seating restaurants, as well as a decent amount of bars to quench your thirst after a delicious and filling meal.
2. Char Korean Bar & Grill
Char Korean Bar & Grill is located in the extremely fun neighborhood of Inman Park. Usually packed and popping, Inman Park is a great area for young people to eat, drink, walk around, and enjoy the chaos of the street packed with restaurants. Char has both indoor and outdoor seating - I recommend the outdoor seating! - and you are given a menu of meats and vegetables to choose from, as well as your own personal barbecue on your table. My personal favorite mix is to grill the garlic marinated shrimp, with a side of seasonal mushrooms and sweet potato noodles.
3. Salaryman
When asking some of my friends about any top Korean restaurants in Atlanta, I was surprised to get such an excited response - “YOU NEED TO GO TO SALARYMAN.” In the wise words of our Senior Editor, Jane Parven: “The perfect place for a feast with friends, Salaryman offers insane Korean and Japanese small plates and drinks to match. Whether you choose the fried eggplant or Brussels, the takoyaki octopus dumplings, or go big with the bibimbap, make sure you wash it all down with the Lychee Aperol Spritz or the unmatched Japanese Old Fashioned. Can’t miss.” Sounds like a must-go to me!
Atlanta is too great of a food city to not eat your way through your time here. As I am a senior and my time at Emory is slowly coming to an end, I can proudly say that the best way I have found to discover the city is to make your first stop at a new restaurant, and then explore the neighborhood that it is in.
If there is one thing that the booming popularity of Squid Game has taught me, it is that you’ll never know what great things the world has to offer until you go out of your comfort zone and experience all the food, culture, and wonders that you possibly can.