So, here’s the thing. I like soju. And I love Korean BBQ. Somehow, when those two things are combined in just the right way in just the right spot, with the right people, I end up sitting at my laptop the next day trying to remember what exactly happened and how to pull any kind of detail out of my foggy, hungover brain.
Bare with me, will you, as I start to ramble out a semi-coherent experience of Goon.
There are a lot of Korean BBQ places in Melbourne. Goon is not just one of them. Location, Collingwood. Goon BBQ is one of those places that you walk in and you just feel like you’ll have a great time. There’s an atmosphere here. Filled with welcoming smiles from friendly staff, and the smell of meat wafting through the air, Goon is a place best shared. It’s a place where you can meet your neighbours. Cheers to the group sitting next to you. Experience authentic Korean with authentic people. Joke around with friends, laugh with the staff – and laugh we did – loudly, too, and let your hair down. No time for the timid here.
Goon isn’t about subtlety, nuance, delicate features and fancy cuisine. It’s fun, pure unadulterated, fun.
It’s strange. You get the feeling that someone threw a tarp up in the backyard and popped some chairs and tables underneath it. The main restaurant is a mix of wood-clad exteriors – some bamboo, some reclaimed – open windows and looking like it’s straight out of downtown Soel. It’s one of the reasons Goon is so damn popular. Why to me, it’s one of Melbourne’s best Korean BBQ places.
From memory, vague that it is, we had the Wagyu Set, with corn cheese, kimchi (of course), and a bunch more sides. I also ordered the Spicy Pork Bulgogi, something I often do when drinking Soju (original, unflavoured, because how can anyone drink anything else)?
The food came out quickly. Drinks flow, cheers, jokes, conversations, someone got up and made a speech about something or rather, a few staff members joined in, along with the people from the table next to ours, more meat wafted across my now red face, my stomach felt the toasty warmth of the spicy Bulgogi, another bottle, maybe the fourth, no fifth? and on and on.
By the end of the night, we were bid farewell with the same loving smiles that greeted us, and off we went, to pass out in our respective homes.
Goon BBQ is an authentic, heart-warming, truly friendly experience had best with friends. I’m sure there’s more I can say about it. Some fancy words for the decor, or pretentious explanations of the cuisine and the culture it comes from, but it just wouldn’t be right. Goon deserves better than that. It deserves your smiling hungry faces walking in, sitting down, and having fun.
Address
270 Smith Street, Collingwood, 3066
Website
Phone
0422881622
Opening Hours
LUNCH Mon – Sun: 11:30am – 2:30pm
DINNER Sun – Thurs: 5:30pm – 10:00pm
DINNER Fri & Sat: 5:30pm – 11:00pm
