Korean Food in Milan - Ginmi

Milan is one of the most cosmopolitan and international cities in Italy. Walking around you will find people with different backgrounds and cultures. But one thing that's definitely lacking is the number of ethnic restaurants around. There are some Chinese and Japanese restaurants sprinkled around but anything else is pretty scarce.

This definitely takes some getting used to for me, coming from diversity-rich California, where one can find Greek, Mexican, Thai or Vietnamese food around almost any corner.  I sure miss having such a variety of food choices.

So when my friend V suggested we go try out a Korean place in Milan, I was excited. The last time I'd eaten anything non-Italian was probably months ago when I broke out my stash of Maggi Mee instant noodles (yum!).

Jinmi is conveniently located just a 5 minute walk from the Piola, Loreto and the Lima Metro stations. As we stepped through the door, I caught of whiff coming from the kitchen and immediately I knew it was going to be good. I had been to enough Korean restaurants to know how the real thing was supposed to smell like.

At lunch, in addition to the ala carte items, they also offer a lunch menu that ranges between 11-13 euro, which includes a main dish, a bottle of water and the cover charge (coperto). It's definitely an affordable choice if new to Korean food or want to try a new dish.  

We couldn't decide, so we decided to share our orders.  The kim chi jigae stew came bubbling hot, and was accompanied by a bowl of rice.  It was good and tasty, and not as spicy as it looks. 

 The spicy bbq pork bento box came with rice, and a soup on the side.  The meat was tender and juicy, and deliciously marinated.
 

Both were served with a selection of Korean banchan side dishes.  There was the ubiquitous kim chi or preserved cabbage, pickled cucumbers, spinach, and a side salad.  Not the largest selection ever, but they graciously offered refills.

It was past 2pm when we arrived so it was rather quiet.  Two out of the three other tables were Korean diners, and the two waiters were also Korean.   It took me this long to find an authentic Korean restaurant in Milan, thanks to V. I'll definitely be back to try more dishes.


Ginmi 
Via Paisiello 7, Milano
Tel: 02-29516394
Closed Sundays