K-food queen Linda Lee, who has already created On the Bab in Paris and a host of Korean addresses in the UK, is back in the capital with a new Korean restaurant, MariMari. Just a stone's throw from Rue Saint-Anne, the district of Asian restaurants, the street-food counter features kimbaps, the famous Korean maki.
For the uninitiated, kimbap consists of a thin layer of rice, cooked vegetables and other ingredients, wrapped in a sheet of dried seaweed and cut into bite-sized slices. The seaweed(kim in Korean) and rice(bap) give the dish its lilting name.
The flagship dish of Korean street food, kimbap is eaten with your fingers on the street! It's even a symbol of childhood for Koreans, who learn to roll them from an early age. MariMari' s new Korean restaurant, with its sleek design and open kitchen, offers several kimbap recipes, accompanied by kimchi and a small broth.
Traditional version (with egg, carrot, radish, spinach and Alsatian sausage; 14€), vegetarian version (12€) for those concerned, kimchi version (14€), bulgogi version (with beef, Korean fish cake, lettuce, egg and radish; 14€) to mix two flagship dishes of Korean cuisine, or spicy version (with shrimp fritters and spicy mayo sauce; 15€), there's something for every taste and desire.
For our part, we loved the tuna egg mayonnaise kimbap (14€), super-fresh and soaked, with onion, gherkin, carrots, radish and arugula for crunch. On the sides, MariMari offers another Korean street-food classic: tteokbokki (15€) in a spicy sauce (not too spicy, I promise!), with extra fish cakes (+2€) bursting with sauce. A little delight.
It's also possible to indulge in vegetable-based fried dishes (15€) or poultry dishes, such as the famousKorean-style fried chicken (15€ for 10 pieces). Lunch formulas cost between €16 and €18, depending on the dish chosen - kimbap, ramen, toppoki or fried chicken.
To finish on a high note, MariMari offers a small range of Korean desserts, such as egg bread, a waffle filled with red bean purée, matcha parfait (10€), and mochi (4€).
Location
MariMari
23 Rue d'Antin
75002 Paris 2
Official website
www.instagram.com