Korean Restaurants are Flourishing in Mexico City

The enticing aromas of Korean barbecue blend with the vibrant scents of Mexican street food in Zona Rosa, a lively district in Mexico City. This fusion reflects the long-standing cultural mix in the bustling corridors of Paseo de la Reforma and Avenida Insurgentes, which define Pequeño Seúl (Little Seoul). Since the 1980s, this area has been home to numerous Korean immigrants, who have established small restaurants serving traditional dishes to a mix of middle-aged Koreans and some Chinese and Mexican patrons from Juárez. With menus written in Korean and Spanish and cozy spaces adorned with metal or wooden tables, tile flooring, and soju posters, these establishments have been a staple in the neighborhood for decades.

Over the past decade, the essence of Korean cuisine has begun to seep beyond Pequeño Seúl. With the rise of K-pop and Korean films gaining traction among young people, products like Korean aloe vera drinks and instant ramen have started appearing in mainstream supermarkets. Additionally, new restaurants are introducing a variety of Korean culinary styles in neighborhoods such as Roma, Polanco, and Condesa.

Young Korean Mexican entrepreneurs, some of whom migrated from South Korea years ago with their families, along with Korean Americans from diverse culinary backgrounds, are at the helm of these restaurants. They draw inspiration from dining trends that have gained popularity in South Korea, New York, and Los Angeles, but are creating something uniquely their own by blending Seoul's flavors with Mexican ingredients, telling a story that reflects the rich experiences found in Mexico City.

Tucked away on a serene, tree-lined street in Condesa, Jowong might easily be mistaken for one of the chic cafes in the neighborhood. Opened in late 2023, the space features whitewashed walls, mint-green seating, and sleek wooden furniture, none of which immediately reveal the culinary delights awaiting diners.

'Our goal is to encapsulate Korean flavors and dishes inspired by what Mexico City offers us,' explains Marifer Millan, one of five co-founders who share personal ties to Korea and a wealth of experience from esteemed New York establishments such as Atoboy, Atomix, Cosme, Locanda Verde, and Eleven Madison Park. 'The Mexican influence comes naturally, as there’s a wealth of inspiration from the region's rich food culture that seamlessly intertwines with ours.'

The menu beautifully fuses elements from both cultures. The crispy Korean fried chicken is served with gochujang and grilled pineapple, creating a sweet, savory, and spicy harmony reminiscent of taco al pastor. The esquites crujientes combine aged cotija cheese and sweet, smoky corn, merging Mexican esquites with Korean corn cheese. Cold noodles naengmyeon are paired with aguachile, a shrimp ceviche. Other dishes take more creative liberties: Mackerel, a Korean staple, is gently braised with leeks and radish, while the Masquirilla cocktail—a mix of sake, white vermouth, coconut, and lemon—playfully references modern Korean skincare routines.

The dishes blend seamlessly, partly because, as Mexico City food blogger Anais Martinez notes, the two cuisines share many common traits.

“Both cuisines embrace a casual approach to sharing and lack of side plates,” she explains. “Mexicans also tend to enjoy spiciness.” These shared characteristics have allowed Korean cuisine to expand beyond its traditional audience in recent years.

Millan attributes the evolution of Korean food to groups like Hand Hospitality in New York and establishments like Baroo in LA. While Jowong benefits from the Korean American influence, Millan insists that the Korean food renaissance in the U.S. does not solely define the culinary scene in Mexico City.

“The majority of the newer Korean Mytouries are locally owned,” she notes.

The origins of Mexico’s Korean community date back to the early 20th century, when laborers came to work on the agave plantations of Yucatán, leaving behind economic hardship for the promise of stable pay. In 1990, the first significant wave of immigrants arrived in Tijuana, following companies like Samsung and LG that relocated their workforces. Anthropologist Sergio Gallardo García states that NAFTA facilitated the establishment of over 2,000 Korean businesses in Mexico.

The partners of these workers began cooking traditional homestyle Korean dishes — a variety of banchan, bibimbap, and bulgogi — for their neighbors, prompting more family members and other immigrants to join them, thus fostering a community with supportive businesses such as supermarkets and restaurants. The immigrant population truly flourished in the early 2000s, skyrocketing from around 3,500 to over 30,000 by 2021, including 13,000 in Mexico City.

“Zona Rosa became an attractive area for Korean families due to its central location near trade zones and lower property prices resulting from the earthquake damage in 1985,” Gallardo explains.

Joo Sung Lee and Keum Ja Kim arrived in the area in 1995 when Lee immigrated to work in textiles. They initially hosted dinners for fellow Koreans in their home, but their son Daniel encouraged them to open a restaurant. In 2007, Lee took over Na De Fo, a one-year-old barbecue spot in Pequeño Seúl, transforming it into a tribute to his wife, a talented home cook from Jecheon, South Korea.

“When Na De Fo first opened, it was designed for a Korean clientele,” Daniel explains. The restaurant had no exterior signage and an enclosed interior, providing privacy for Korean customers in Centro who were wary of the city’s escalating crime. While this approach initially worked, it ultimately hindered growth. Daniel saw the potential in the heavy foot traffic outside the restaurant. In 2013, he persuaded his father to redesign the space with visible signage, windows, and an open layout, alongside a new Spanish menu, making it more welcoming to non-Korean visitors. Within a year, the restaurant’s sales doubled.

Daniel has expanded his family's culinary reach with his restaurant group, Grupo Midam. This group features Mytouries that cater to various audiences to 'share different stories of Korea,' he explains. Midam, the first Korean barbecue outside of Zona Rosa, caters to locals in Lomas de Chapultepec. Xeul is designed like a pojangmacha (Korean street pub), serving the Asian community in Polanco and offering norebangs (karaoke rooms) alongside a speakeasy vibe reminiscent of Seoul’s nightlife. Chingu, specializing in street food, targets expats and tourists in Roma Norte.

The elegant Kasína Café adopts a different approach, echoing modern fine dining and fusion concepts emerging in South Korea. It combines elements of European bistros with traditional Korean flavors, all set within a sleek, minimalist environment in Roma Norte.

Minae Seo, hailing from Daegu, South Korea, relocated to Mexico City, where her family has been in business for over 30 years. Initially, she envisioned a Japanese-style pastry shop in honor of her Japanese grandmother, but she launched Kasína in 2023 after noticing the rising popularity of Korean cuisine. While she aimed to keep the menu authentically Korean, she also incorporated some adjustments.

'Traditional Korean cuisine emphasizes serving a generous plate of food rather than focusing on intricate details or plating of each dish,' she notes. 'I wanted my menu to highlight smaller, fine dining-style portions, setting it apart from the larger servings typical in traditional restaurants.'

While the menu is inspired by her mother's recipes and her Korean-Japanese roots, featuring dishes like galbi udon (grilled beef short rib noodles), it also offers options like a fried chicken sandwich to help newcomers to Korean cuisine transition smoothly. The small plate format creates a curated dining experience that invites guests to explore. Unlike Korean restaurants with extensive menus that overwhelm diners, Seo structured hers into appetizers, mains, and desserts to simplify navigation for non-Koreans.

Adaptation is a central theme at Dooriban, another family-run restaurant located in a bustling Roma area filled with galleries, boutiques, and cafes. Founded in December 2021 by Ju Hee Park, affectionately called Mama Park, along with her daughters Jin Hee and Seo Ju, the restaurant originated from a home-based kimchi business started in April 2020. They partnered with Seo Ju’s school friend, Sofía Acuña, a former project director at Grupo Enrique Olvera, and Sofía’s wife Fernanda García.

“When we launched the kimchi business, 70 percent of our customers had never even heard of kimchi,” Ju Hee shares.

While Dooriban strives to welcome non-Koreans for business growth, its adaptations of Mexican ingredients and dishes reflect Ju Hee’s journey through both Korean and Mexican cultures. Although she never imagined she would settle in Mexico, she made it her home over 40 years ago when her husband began training the Mexican national taekwondo team.

“Kimchi Mama Park and Dooriban embody the journey of coming to Mexico City while trying to preserve a sense of home in a new environment,” Ju Hee reflects. “When we migrate, we bring our culture with us. We use the local ingredients but adapt them creatively to create a familiar atmosphere.” Despite her quest for South Korean elements, Ju Hee was eager to embrace her new surroundings. “My first memories of Mexico are in the local markets, discovering flavors I never knew existed. From that moment on, I carried a notebook, pen, and dictionary everywhere to document, inquire about, and savor everything,” she shares.

Dooriban showcases both sides of this experience, featuring Ju Hee’s cherished recipes for classic Korean dishes like bo ssam (pork belly wraps), beef bulgogi (grilled beef), fried chicken, and japchae (sweet potato noodles). The team also explores Mexican cuisine, incorporating kimchi into a michelada or using kkaennip (perilla leaves) and doenjang (fermented bean paste) in desserts.

As Korean restaurateurs expand their horizons, Gallardo has observed a transformation in Zona Rosa. Establishments now emulate Seoul's lively nightlife, adorned with vibrant neon lights and offering smaller, quicker versions of traditional Korean dishes.

“Previously, Korean dining involved sharing large plates, gathering with friends, and enjoying lengthy meals. Now, there are more quick-serve options, a change likely influenced by the [COVID-19] pandemic,” he notes. “Pochas — Korean pubs — are currently very popular, a trend that only emerged after 2017.”

While contemporary restaurants strive to engage new audiences and entice younger diners with fusion cuisine, it’s crucial not to overlook the older establishments. Millan emphasizes that venues like Jowong and others have thrived due to the foundational support of traditional restaurants and the long-standing community in Pequeño Seúl.

“We owe our opportunities to the countless dedicated restaurants that came before us, preserving the culture and introducing Mexico City to a variety of dishes and flavors,” she notes. “We honor and appreciate the path they have forged for us.”

Robyn Huang is a Canadian journalist residing in Mexico City, focusing on culture, gender issues, and travel. Matthew Reichel is a Canadian journalist and documentary photographer based in Mexico City, exploring the intersections of geopolitics, nature, and travel.