Korean Fine Dining in Melbourne
Korean fine dining in Melbourne has a short list of names, and most of them cook from a menu. Rōnin takes the other route: a ten seat counter in the CBD where Chef Liam Lee decides about ten courses on the day and plates each one in front of you. The cooking is Korean. The service is omakase.
This page is for people searching for a Korean restaurant that treats the cuisine the way the city’s best tasting rooms treat theirs. If you want a bowl of jjigae and a plate of fried chicken, there are good rooms for that and this is not one of them.
Korean Technique, Australian Produce
Fermentation and jang carry the seasoning. Charcoal carries the heat. Banchan and pickles are made in house rather than bought in. Produce is Australian, including, as Melbourne Food and Wine Festival reported, Korean vegetables grown for the counter on a private farm near Melbourne. The result sits closer to a Seoul hanjeongsik, the formal multi-course meal, than to a barbecue table.
How the Korean omakase works course by course and why banchan matters go deeper.
Liam Lee
Seoul training at Gyungbokgung Hanjungsik, then Melbourne kitchens at Nomad, Firebird and Studio Amaro, then Rōnin from 2026. Broadsheet covered the change under the headline that a former Nomad chef was bringing Korean flair to the counter. The chef page has the longer version.
Why a Counter and Not a Dining Room
Ten seats facing one chef means the cooking is never out of sight and nothing waits under a pass. It also means the room is small enough to book out for a group and quiet enough for two people who want to talk. Why only ten seats explains the choice.
What the Press Has Said
Broadsheet, Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, Concrete Playground and Sitchu have all written about the counter since the Korean relaunch. The coverage is collected on the press page.
Price, Hours and Booking
A$195 per guest, paid at booking. Wednesday to Saturday from 6pm, dinner only. Seats open on the 20th of each month at 8pm via OpenTable. No dietary alterations, no BYO.
Common Questions
Is Rōnin a Korean barbecue restaurant?
No. There is no table grill and no ordering. It is a ten seat omakase counter where the chef cooks a fixed sequence of Korean courses.
How long is the sitting?
About two hours for roughly ten courses, starting from 6pm.
Do you serve Korean drinks?
Korean whisky has appeared at the counter, as Broadsheet noted. Ask on the night what is being poured. BYO is not available.
How much is dinner?
A$195 per guest for about ten courses, paid when you book.
Book a Seat
445 Little Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Wed to Sat, 6pm to 11pm (dinner only)
0401 721 491 | info@roninomakase.com