At Sáng, spicy, sweet and fermented flavours are combined with truckloads of texture and a refined touch, expanding the definition of Korean dining in Australia.
At Sáng By Mabasa, each dish honours tradition but is firmly rooted in the here and now.
Sáng by Mabasa proves that the best things come in small packages. This petite 24-seat restaurant in Surry Hills may seem inconspicuous, but its food most certainly isn’t. Led by self-taught chefs and husband and wife duo Seung-kee Son and Jin-sun Son, with their son Kenny Yong-soo Son and his wife Youmee Jeon running the front of house, Sáng is a celebration of Korean cuisine – specifically the Korean notion of “son-mat”, which translates to “hand taste”. Striking the perfect balance between comforting and cool, each dish honours tradition but is firmly rooted in the here and now. There’s yassam – refreshingly delicate wraps made with pickled white radish, cucumber and nashi pear; nokdu jeon – a golden mung bean pancake; and yangnyeom KFC – audibly crisp Korean fried chicken. Not to mention standard-setting bibimbap and jjigae, alongside playful lunch specials that change daily. Spicy, sweet and fermented flavours combine with truckloads of texture and a refined touch in a bid to expand the definition of Korean dining in Australia.
This review was made independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide’s reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way.
Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide 2022
Our guide gives a yearly snapshot of the best restaurants to eat at right now. The best-rated restaurants, as judged by the reviewers’ first-hand experience, form our national Top 80.
