Leega KoreanBBQ

Regional Victoria is not overrun with Korean barbecue, and this Gheringhap Street room made the case first, the city's original charcoal grill house and still its benchmark. The distinction is the fuel: everything cooks over actual coal fires rather than gas, which is what gives the meat its low, smoky edge. The signature is galbi, black angus short rib marinated in soy, garlic and a house blend, laid over the coals to caramelise at the table. Cuts come in from specialist suppliers in Melbourne and Sydney, and each grilling station carries its own extraction fan, so the smoke flavours the beef and not the coat you arrived in. Beyond the grill the kitchen keeps the Korean staples honest, savoury pancakes, spicy soups, the banchan that fill the table before the meat lands. The setting is central Geelong and the mood is convivial rather than refined, a place built for sharing across a hot plate with a group. Weekends book out, which tells its own story in a regional city where a serious char-grill was once a drive to Melbourne away. Order the galbi, let it colour slowly, and taste why the coals were worth the trouble.