Christchurch guide
The best Korean food in Christchurch
Korean has quietly become one of Christchurch's strongest cuisines. This is grill-your-own BBQ with the extractor fans and the banchan, the Korean fried-chicken boom that's taken over the takeaway strips, and the homestyle rooms doing bibimbap, soft tofu and pork-bone soup — often with a karaoke room built in for after.
14 of them across the city — thickest along the Riccarton student strip, through the central city and its precincts (the Arts Centre, Little High), and out to Addington, Bishopdale and Papanui. Sit-down BBQ, all-you-can-eat, quick fried chicken and homestyle stews alike.
The BBQ and buffet spots are made for a group and get busy on weekends — worth booking, especially if you want one of the karaoke rooms. The fried chicken is the late-night move: order more than you think, and share it.
Venue data checked weekly · Updated September 2026
The picks
- 01Monster Chicken Hagley · Restaurant · Riccarton
Korean fried chicken from the Christchurch outfit that pioneered it here back in 2013 — homemade sauces, properly crunchy, still independent.
- 02GOGI KOREAN BBQ & KARAOKE · Restaurant · Central City
Tableside Korean BBQ where you grill your own, with a karaoke room and 20,000-odd songs once you're fed.
- 03The Chicken - Korean Fried Chicken · Takeaway · Central City
Korean fried chicken in the central city — double-fried and extra-crunchy, plain or sauced.
- 04Eden Alley Korean Restaurant and Café · Restaurant · Riccarton
A Korean restaurant-cafe in Riccarton — bibimbap, BBQ, stews and Korean cafe sweets.
- 05MukBang Korean BBQ Buffet & Karaoke · Restaurant · Riccarton
All-you-can-eat Korean BBQ in Riccarton, with karaoke once you're done grilling.
- 06The ₩on · Restaurant · Addington
An authentic Korean bar and restaurant on Lincoln Road, Addington — bold, traditional plates alongside soju mixes and makgeolli cocktails from the in-house…
- 07Crispy Chicken · Takeaway · Riccarton
Korean-style fried chicken on Riccarton Road — light, crisp and tossed in flavours from cheesy 'Prinkle' to fiery Buldak.
- 08Yang's Fried Chicken (YFC) · Restaurant · Riccarton
Korean fried chicken on Riccarton Road, made to order with house sauces — soy garlic, sweet chilli and the like, no frozen shortcuts.
- 09Jiggle korean cuisine and barbeque · Restaurant · Riccarton
Korean BBQ on Riccarton Road where you grill premium cuts at the table — marinated pork ribs, the signature feast for two or four, plus stone-pot bibimbap and…
- 10Ye-chon Korean Restaurant · Restaurant · Ilam
A proper Korean BBQ room on Riccarton Road — grill your own marbled beef, pork and seafood on the gas plate built into the table, banchan and sides included.
+ 4 more on the map below ↓
Keep exploring
Common questions
- What's the best Korean food in Christchurch?
- A few to start with: Monster Chicken Hagley, GOGI KOREAN BBQ & KARAOKE, The Chicken - Korean Fried Chicken, Eden Alley Korean Restaurant and Café, MukBang Korean BBQ Buffet & Karaoke. The city's spoilt now — grill-your-own Korean BBQ, a deep run of Korean fried chicken, and homestyle rooms doing bibimbap, stews and soft tofu, with a couple that pair dinner with a karaoke room.
- Where do you go for Korean BBQ in Christchurch?
- Gogi on Hereford Street grills tableside and has a karaoke room for after, Jiggle does the same out on the Riccarton strip, and MukBang in Riccarton runs an all-you-can-eat cook-your-own buffet — all three are built for a group.
- Where's the best Korean fried chicken?
- Monster Chicken pioneered it in Christchurch back in 2013 and still does it properly; Yang's and Crispy Chicken on Riccarton Road fry to order with house sauces; and Seoul Mate in Papanui pairs the chicken with Korean corn dogs.
- Anywhere for a Korean night out?
- Gogi and MukBang both put a karaoke room next to the grill, and The ₩on in Addington leans into the drinking side with soju mixes and makgeolli alongside the food.