Chae vs Rōnin: Melbourne's Two Korean Degustations
Ask for the best Korean fine dining in Melbourne and Chae is the first answer, and the right one: Jung Eun Chae’s fermentation led degustation, first in a Brunswick apartment and now in Cockatoo, is a two hat restaurant with a waiting list measured in months. Rōnin is the other Korean table in the conversation, with a different format and a far easier door.
Rōnin is a ten seat Korean omakase at 445 Little Collins St in the CBD: about ten courses decided on the day by Chef Liam Lee, A$195 per guest paid at booking, Wednesday to Saturday from 6pm, dinner only, no dietary alterations, no BYO.
Fermentation at Both Tables
Chae builds its menu on house made jang and traditional Korean fermentation, served to a handful of guests at the kitchen counter with a garden tour, per Good Food and Melbourne Food and Wine coverage. Rōnin also runs on jang and ferments made in house, but as a ten course omakase at a city counter with charcoal doing the cooking. The seasoning philosophy is shared; the night is not.
A Lottery Versus the 20th
Chae releases bookings a month at a time, has around 24 seats a week, and reports from 2022 say seats sold out in minutes; Time Out describes the process as a lottery. Rōnin releases a full month of ten seat sittings on the 20th at 8pm via OpenTable, and midweek seats stay open for weeks.
The Hills or the City
Chae is at 33 Mountain Road, Cockatoo, about an hour from the CBD; its published price from 2022 reopening coverage was around A$95 and will have changed. Rōnin is on Little Collins Street at A$195. Korean fine dining in Melbourne places both.
A Fair Summary
If you can get a Chae booking, take it. If you want Korean cooking at a counter in the city this month, Rōnin is open four nights a week. The Korean omakase page.
Common Questions
Is Rōnin related to Chae?
No. Two independent restaurants. Both cook Korean food built on fermentation; Chae is a degustation in Cockatoo, Rōnin an omakase counter in the CBD.
Which is easier to book?
Rōnin. Seats open on the 20th of each month and midweek sittings stay available. Chae’s monthly releases are reported to sell out within minutes.
How do I book Rōnin?
Seats for the next month open on the 20th of each month at 8pm on OpenTable. Payment is taken at booking. Modify or cancel for a full refund up to 48 hours before.
Book a Seat
445 Little Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Wed to Sat, 6pm to 11pm (dinner only)
0401 721 491 | info@roninomakase.com