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Restaurant

Bapuri

349 Keilor Rd, Essendon VIC 3040, Australia

Recommended by 79 people

Updated

Find Bapuri

349 Keilor Rd, Essendon VIC 3040, Australia

Directions ↗
+61 3 9379 7621
HoursMonday: Closed Tuesday: 12:00 – 3:00 PM, 5:00 – 9:00 PM Wednesday: 12:00 – 3:00 PM, 5:00 – 9:00 PM Thursday: 12:00 – 3:00 PM, 5:00 – 9:00 PM Friday: 12:00 – 3:00 PM, 5:00 – 9:00 PM Saturday: 5:00 – 9:00 PM Sunday: Closed

*Opening hours may differ during holidays.

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About Bapuri

Essendon’s Bapuri trades tabletop barbecue smoke for soulful Korean comfort, serving slow-simmered stews and herbal braised pork hock. Regulars skip the CBD treks for the house jokbal—tender, chewy, and clean-tasting without a hint of gamey heaviness. The kitchen leans into true home-style cooking, bubbling hot pots of beef bulgogi and army stew alongside crisp-shelled fried chicken draped in creamy onion mayo or sweet heat. House-made kimchi and balanced gochujang sauces tie each spread together, rounded out by crunchy banchan like seasoned fish cakes and marinated white seaweed.

  • Specialty Jokbal: Slow-braised herbal pork hock served tender and chewy with zero gamey aroma.
  • Homestyle Hot Pots & Stews: A comforting focus on individual bowls, bubbling army stews, and shareable hot pots over DIY grill smoke.
  • Crispy Korean Fried Chicken: Golden, shatteringly crisp chicken that holds its crunch whether eaten hot at the table or unpacked at home.
RestaurantKoreanRestaurant

What's On at Bapuri

Upcoming events, special menus and other reasons to plan a visit.

No events or specials listed right now.

Why Choose Bapuri

Why Essendon diners rely on Bapuri for authentic homestyle Korean cooking, comforting hot pots, and braised specialties

  • Meticulously Braised, Clean Jokbal

    Bapuri prepares traditional herbal braised pork hock with balanced tenderness and chewiness, completely avoiding the gamey odour common in pork trotters.

    The jokbal is incredibly tender and chewy with zero smell!!

    Jaeeun Lee

  • Scratch-Made Kimchi and Sauces

    Traditional stews and bibimbap feature fermented house-made kimchi and seasoned gochujang sauces rather than commercial premade bulk pastes.

    Homemade kimchi showed how bapuri took cooking and preparing the food seriously and carefully.

    Juhyun Kim

  • Nourishing Ajumma-Style Home Cooking

    Guests experience the genuine care, rich flavors, and comforting warmth of dishes reminiscent of an ajumma's home kitchen rather than a commercial eatery.

    every dish tastes like it was cooked by an ajumma in the kitchen, full of care and authenticity.

    Biri N

  • Destination Flavors Close to Home

    Local diners enjoy specialty-grade traditional Korean dishes in Essendon without needing to travel to the central business district.

    The crunch on the fried chicken is just amazing, it will put a lot of CBD places to shame.

    Saravanan Lokanathan

  • Warm, Cozy Family Atmosphere

    Bapuri offers an intimate, relaxed dining space that serves as a cozy local nook away from high-noise commercial dining strips.

    The atmosphere of this small family restaurant is warm and cozy, perfect for enjoying a meal with friends.

    Mengjiao Gao

  • Simmering Homestyle Hot Pots and Stews

    Steaming army stew, spicy chicken hotpot, and simmering comfort meals provide a shared communal centerpiece distinct from smoky barbecue grills.

    last night we had the spicy chicken hotpot and it was just gorgeous.

    Jennifer Walsh

Beloved homestyle Korean signatures and braised specialties

  • Jokbal

    The best jokbal I’ve ever had! It was perfectly braised, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture and incredibly rich flavor that paired beautifully with the wine.

    Ava Song

  • Korean Fried Chicken

    Korean Fried Chicken was well fried with yummy sauces. They were also very crispy outside but really juicy and soft inside.

    Juhyun Kim

  • Bibimbap

    The bibimbap tastes super fresh, with each ingredient well-balanced and flavorful.

    Jaeeun Lee

  • Army Stew

    the army stew delicious

    Jennifer Walsh

Other favorites

Appetizers, sides, and sweet bites to complement your meal

  • Corn Cheese

    Corn cheese (🤤)

    Bridget Hoadley (Fig)

  • Pork Dumplings

    pork dumpling.

    Rach

  • Seafood Pancake

    The seafood pancake was great

    Rach

  • Honey Rice Cake

    Honey Rice cake are so good, perfect have them with the rice

    Lee Yu Xuan

Before you head over

Practical advice on timing, ordering, and takeout at Bapuri

  • Timing: Arrive Early During Peak Hours

    The restaurant is an intimate neighbourhood space that gets busy during evening service, so plan an early arrival to secure seating without a wait.

  • Ordering: Share Hot Pots for Two Diners

    When dining as a pair, sharing a hot pot such as army stew or beef bulgogi offers balanced portions and comes served with white rice.

  • Takeaway: Keep Fried Chicken Sauce on the Side

    To maintain maximum exterior crispness for takeout or delivery, request your fried chicken sauces on the side so the batter stays crunchy.

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