Gabose is a spot that is regularly filled with chefs feasting on big spreads of Korean barbecue on their days off. This Sunrise Korean staple has been a favorite amongst those in the know for years, offering up dishes like boneless beef short rib and marinated spicy sliced chicken cooked at the table along with nearly a dozen bowls of banchan served with every entree.

This oceanfront restaurant inside the Conrad Fort Lauderdale spotlights executive chef Taek Lee’s Asian heritage with Japanese-Korean specialties includes dishes like bokki (rice cakes) with wild mixed mushrooms, grilled Korean short rib, and “angry” chicken with garlic, ginger, and gochujang (sweet and spice chili paste). There are also bao filled with duck and shiitake, and short rib used in both japchae (Korean stir-fried noodles) and a kimchi taco with aioli fried rice.

At this Asian-Latin restaurant in the heart of Fort Lauderdale, a dish of typically Korean beef barbecue and kimchi fried rice comes with mushrooms, shallots, and white cheese, while Korean steak is paired with chimichurri, jasmine rice, and maduros. The must-try Korean barbecue bulgogi is served with kimchi apples and Korean gochujang sauce. Sleek without being imposing, Casa Sensei makes the meal even more memorable with a picturesque canal-side patio with live music and gondola dinner tours.

Guests can order high-end dishes like steak tartare, “steak and eggs,” or even caviar service at this Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse, but the best deal is the Butcher’s Feast — a chef’s selection of four cuts of meat, accompanied by egg souffle, two stews, rice, and other Korean sides, priced at $58 per person. The menu also includes prime meat choices, each grilled barbecue-style on tableside smokeless grills, and a 10-course steak omakase at $165 per person to pair with wine. Cote’s award-winning beverage program offers hard-to-find vintages, large format bottles, and cocktails inspired by the Magic City. 

Mijin Lee’s restaurant in the Edgewater neighborhood offers a solid, affordable menu of her family recipes. Focus on the bulgogi, the several fried rice entrees, and (spicy or not) sweet potato, wheat, or egg noodle bowls. For vegetarian or vegan options, fill up with hearty dishes like vegetable japchae, and vegan jajangmyeon made with black bean paste. Pair the dishes with kimchi that Lee learned how to make by hand in her South Korean home’s backyard. Wash it all down in Korean style with sake, soju, or the sparkling Icing white grape makgeolli.

A meal at this Korean street-style restaurant in Wynwood involves beef bulgogi, beef brisket, and short ribs. When it comes to specialities, kimchi pancakes, steamed egg, and popcorn chicken also deserve attention and are perfect for a meal before a night of bar-hopping. Pro tip: When the menu says spicy, they mean it. 

Bulgogi is one of Korea’s most popular dishes, traditionally made with beef (‘bul’ means fire and ‘gogi’ means meat). It is the star of this Doral eatery, served in many well-priced variations by chef Mi Yeong Kim and her husband, Hee Gyu Kang. Diners also come in throughout the day for modern Korean dishes that are true to traditional Korean tastes, such as seafood and kimchi pancakes, mandu (Korean dumplings), bibimbap, as well as ramen and stews. For additional flavor, have the selections with Korean wine or Korean iced coffee. 

Situated in an unassuming South Beach strip mall with blacked-out windows and no distinctive signage, this Asian-inspired gastropub showcases the do-it-yourself method of table-side grilling, served with varieties of necessary bachan like kimchi, brussels sprouts, and compressed watermelon. As its name implies, Drunken Dragon places equal importance on its drink program: Pair the food with concoctions like the Ship-Faced, a mix of tropical fruits and Stoli Vodka, Bombay Gin, and soju (Korea’s popular, slightly-sweet distilled spirit) for a win-win situation.Drunken Dragon also serves some of the best Korean fried chicken in town.

The “KFC,” or Korean fried chicken with spicy gochujang and boniato bread at chef Eileen Andrade’s restaurant in West Kendall is not to be missed. As well as her iterations of Korean-style Brussel sprouts, barbecue ribs, japchae (stir-fried potato noodles) with vaca frita, and sweet sriracha pork ribs. In the mood for more familiar comfort food? Kick back with a glass of ice-cold Hite Korean lager, and enjoy the short rib double patty burger, served with Korean barbecue mayo. 

Jennifer and Michele Kaminski’s delivery and takeout pop-up restaurant is known for its comforting bibimbap, the beloved national staple of rice with an array of toppings that the two sisters learned how to make from their mother, Chom “Sunny” Kaminski. Made with protein options ranging from bulgogi to miso cod, the customizable rice bowls also pack flavors of spicy potato, sesame spinach, marinated mung bean sprouts, and gochujang, and are crowned with a heart-shaped fried egg. James Beard award-winning chef Allen Susser collaborates as a consultant and as a bonus, 2 Korean Girls items come in pink and white Instagram-worthy packaging, made from recyclable and/or compostable materials.

Kimchi and beef hot pots are cooked at the table in this minimalist space serving up big helpings of thrilling pan-Asian food. Korean-style short rib is marinated in garlic soy sauce and grilled, and Korean tofu stew blends sausage and pork belly with a poached egg. Don’t miss the bubble tea — a mouth-cooling foil to the spicy food.