Image: Bornga Australia
Bornga’s newest venue was spotted by keen Adelaide fans back in April before the spot had even opened, not that the glowing sign hid its identity well.
It may also be because Korean BBQ has become a bit of a big thing here in South Australia, so when the news hit, nobody was disappointed. Bornga originally hails from South Korea and currently has venues all over the nation, from Haymarket and Rhodes in Sydney to Melbourne and Brisbane CBDs.
For Bornga Adelaide owner Lili, this project has been three years in the making with no stone left unturned finding the perfect location and a month of staff training.
“Since we moved to Australia, my husband studied cookery at TAFE, commercial cookery,” she said. “So since then, we’ve been working in hospitality.”
“But opening Bornga was always our dream.”
Images: Parco Lee
“I remember a few years ago, I tried numerous times to call Bornga head office in Korea, trying to open a franchise.”
Unfortunately Lili wasn’t able to get a hold of anybody, up until about three years ago, and that’s when the process started.
“After they checked three locations, they chose here in Chinatown, this location,” Lili said.
“It’s been a long journey from deciding, signing the franchise agreement, until we started, because lots of things needed to be done.”
Because of Bornga’s high levels of quality, the staff also had professional training for about a month from Korean Bornga trained chefs. The experience centres on traditional Korean barbecue cooked over charcoal, with grilled meats wrapped in lettuce with ssamjang and shared alongside banchan, stews, noodles and other Korean dishes.
“A lot of places do Korean barbecue, even in Adelaide, but Bornga’s concept is that we have to provide a higher standard of customer service and meal quality.”
Image: Nhii Hoang
Like we said back in April, Bornga is best known for its woo-samgyup, a specialty dish made from thinly sliced beef brisket, lightly marinated and usually grilled then wrapped in lettuce with ssamjang.
Beyond its signature barbecue, Bornga menu has a broad mix of classic Korean dishes that make the experience a bit more diverse. The official Bornga menu is split into categories including barbecue, traditional dishes, stews and hot pots, rice and noodle dishes, and side dishes, which gives us a good idea about what to expect at the Adelaide venue.
Bornga Adelaide is under different owners than that of it’s other Australian counterparts so you won’t find the Adelaide venue on the official Bornga social accounts.
Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are highly recommended, as the team has been under the pump since opening due to the amount of interest coming through the doors.
Where: 17 Field St, Adelaide
When: Monday closed, Tues-Fri 5-10pm, Sat-Sun 11.30am-2pm and 5-10pm.
To make a reservation at Bornga, click here.
