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13.5/20

Ondo

Updated ,first published

Yukhoe (raw beef) with seaweed, sprouts.
1 / 12Yukhoe (raw beef) with seaweed, sprouts.Bonnie Savage
Inside Ondo.
2 / 12Inside Ondo.Supplied
Yukhwe kimbap (sesame-seaweed cracker with perilla seed oil aioli, yukhwe and grilled kimchi tossed in kim jangajji).
3 / 12Yukhwe kimbap (sesame-seaweed cracker with perilla seed oil aioli, yukhwe and grilled kimchi tossed in kim jangajji).Supplied
Gadongmyeon (buckwheat noodles  with vegetables in a soy-based sauce).
4 / 12Gadongmyeon (buckwheat noodles with vegetables in a soy-based sauce). Supplied
Soy-braised wombok, potato and chilli.
5 / 12Soy-braised wombok, potato and chilli.Bonnie Savage
The exterior.
6 / 12The exterior.Supplied
Yukhoe (raw beef) with seaweed wrapping.
7 / 12Yukhoe (raw beef) with seaweed wrapping.Bonnie Savage
Outside the Little Lonsdale Street restaurant.
8 / 12Outside the Little Lonsdale Street restaurant.Simon Schluter
Saeseonjjim (fish dish).
9 / 12Saeseonjjim (fish dish). Simon Schluter
Dig into noodle dishes like makguksu.
10 / 12Dig into noodle dishes like makguksu.Simon Schluter
Manduguk (dumpling soup).
11 / 12Manduguk (dumpling soup).Simon Schluter
Black sesame latte.
12 / 12Black sesame latte.Paul Jeffers
13.5/20

Ondo

Korean$

Thoughtful meals backed by gentle service.

Rare beef is usually a special occasion order, but at Ondo it’s the signature move. Silk-textured raw wagyu is tossed with warm rice and punchy perilla leaf in yukhoe bibimbap that hits every textural note: soft, chewy, crisp. It’s among a handful of vital Korean dishes made with care at this relaxed daytime spot.

Windows open to the street when it’s warm; a wood-clad rear section offers shelter the rest of the year. Service is as casual as you’d want at breakfast or lunch, but always informed. Bright makgeolli, the lightly sparkling rice wine, is an ideal companion for a brothy bowl of somyeon noodles.

Delicate steamed barramundi comes with an array of banchan, including sweet-spicy dried squid. While the menu is brief, there’s enough depth in every dish to keep diners talking well past the final spoonful of rice.

Good to know: Make it a breakfast date with a bowl of shredded chicken congee and a black sesame latte.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.

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