The feature wall (photo by Fatema Sitabkhan)
Since opening their doors in 2018,
Plus 82 MiMi has gained a cult following for giving their customers with a delicious Korean fried chicken fix. After taking a hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
Plus 82 MiMi has returned stronger with a menu that incorporates authentic Korean flavours to add to their colourful meals that delight in presentation and the overall tapas experience, in addition to offering customers with a modern twist on the cultural meals to appeal to the Western context.
Walk into the quaint little space and you will find the open-space dining area bursting with natural light across the board. A feature wall on the right is illuminated in the highly Instagrammable neon light that has become a signature logo to address the customer visits to one of the best hidden culinary gems on Sturt Street. With intimate and social style tables that are decked across the space,
Plus 82 MiMi aims to replicate their namesake with a desire for customers to have a good experience and a good meal. Plenty of lush greenery complements the rustic / monochromatic overlay to add an inviting and cozy vibe and makes customers feel like they are at a friend's place.
Open space (photo by Fatema Sitabkhan)
The menu is packed with a bunch of intriguing menu items, all of which will leave you drooling with anticipation. The boarding pass is an added touch that excites the customers for the incoming feast and almost gives us our fix for travelling, which we have not had the luxury to do over the past year. Before indulging in their meals, however, make sure you take advantage of their enticing Soju tasting board, which is a must-have and has a delicious selection of fruity drinks that are bound to give you a buzz.
Table setting (photo by Fatema Sitabkhan)
On this particular visit, there were four of us who caught up for an after-work dinner and drinks situation and boy did we not hold back!
Kicking things off, we had the
Soju cured salmon ($23), which comes with fennel and orange salad & Chogochujang sauce. The salmon was quite fresh but had a stronger fishier taste than I am usually accustomed to. This is a fairly expensive dish for the portion size, but it delivered in its overall presentation and offered itself as a brilliant dish to prepare the palate for the rest of the dishes.
Cured salmon (photo by Fatema Sitabkhan)
Next up, we had the
Japchae ($15), which comes with stir-fried sweet potato noodles with Shimeji, King oyster mushrooms, carrot, capsicum, and onion. This is a fantastic dish that would serve well as a winter warmer, although we were pleasantly surprised by the subtle spiciness that exuberated with each slurp and bite. The sweet potato noodles had me wondering how I was going to go with the texture, but by the end of it, I was officially sold. Combined with the slightly chargrilled veggies, this made for a hearty dish.
Japchae (photo by Fatema Sitabkhan)
We were then given the star of the menu - the
Korean fried chicken ($32). Opting for the Yuzu Garlic Soy and Sweet Chilli sauces, it was pretty obvious that this was the collective favourite of the table, from our abilities to devour a handful in less than 15 minutes. This was also my first time trying authentic Korean fried chicken and now I can totally see what the hype is all about. It's comfort food for the soul and particularly enjoyable whilst socialising with friends on a busy night prior to a long weekend!
Korean fried chicken (photo by Fatema Sitabkhan)
While we were pretty stuffed by this point, we couldn't resist the
white chocolate panna cotta that comes with yuzu chocolate sauce, orange compote and raspberry sorbet. As someone with a big sweet tooth, I found the sweetness from the panna cotta to complement the bitterness from the sorbet rather effortlessly.
White chocolate panna cotta (photo by Fatema Sitabkhan)
Overall, the welcoming ambience and the excellent customer service made this dining experience a truly wholesome one. The food and drinks are unmatched, the space is highly Instagrammable, and your tummy will thank you later for treating it to authentic Korean cuisine with a fresh and modern twist attached to it. Personally, I can't believe it's taken me this long to visit this restaurant but I can assure you that it is 100% worth it.
Plus 82 MiMi is located at 50 Sturt Street in the Adelaide CBD. Follow them on social media (Facebook and Instagram) to keep updated with their menu changes and opening hours.
