Milan’s Korean BBQ staple near Chinatown — solid, unpretentious, worth the smoke in your hair.
Intro
Korean food in Milan has been slowly carving out its space, and My Kimchi on Viale Montello has been holding it down in the Sempione-Chinatown corridor for years. It sits in one of the more interesting pockets of the city — close enough to Paolo Sarpi to feel connected to the broader Asian dining scene, yet doing its own thing entirely. This is not a trendy fusion experiment. It is a Korean restaurant that commits to being a Korean restaurant, and there is something quietly respectable about that.
The menu covers the full range: grilled meats at the table, bibimbap, tteokbokki, kimbap, japchae, mandu, hotpot — the kind of breadth that signals a kitchen trying to represent a cuisine rather than cherry-pick its most Instagrammable moments. Soju flows in both classic and fruit varieties, and there is Korean beer if you prefer to keep it simple.
The vibe
Walk in and you get a space that is clean, functional, and genuinely welcoming without trying too hard. Multiple rooms, tables with and without built-in grills, and an aquarium that adds a slightly unexpected decorative note. The atmosphere leans casual and a bit lively — this is the kind of place where groups come to cook together, which means the noise level rises with the evening. Do not come here expecting a quiet dinner for two.
The staff is cordial, even if the language barrier can occasionally slow things down. What matters is that the energy is warm and the pace is reasonable. It feels closer to a neighbourhood restaurant than a destination spot, which is exactly what this part of Milan benefits from.
The food
The Korean BBQ is the main event and the thing most people come back for. Marinated beef and pork belly at the table grill are consistently good — the marinades do the work, the meats cook quickly, and the experience of eating something you grilled yourself in a restaurant setting is as enjoyable as it always is. The banchan — small side dishes that arrive to keep you company — are a nice touch, though the kimchi itself has received mixed notes: house-made, which is a genuine plus, but storage and oxidation can occasionally dull the crunch.
Beyond the grill, tteokbokki arrives properly spicy and chewy, and the haemul pajeon (seafood and spring onion pancake) gets consistent praise for size and flavour. The bibimbap and kimbap are fine, though less consistent — these feel more like menu filler than kitchen strengths. Fried chicken divides opinions. Pricing lands in the €20–30 per person range, reasonable for the experience, especially if you lean into the grill format.
The verdict
My Kimchi is a reliable Korean restaurant in Milan for anyone craving a casual, flavorful meal near Chinatown and Porta Volta. What it offers is an honest, accessible entry point into Korean dining — communal, grilled, slightly chaotic, and fun — without inflated prices or overstyled plating. The grill-at-the-table format genuinely works for groups, the soju situation is sorted, and the kitchen handles the classics competently enough to warrant a return.
If you are already well-travelled through Korean cuisine, some execution gaps will register. If you are newer to it, this is a solid introduction that does not water anything down. Come with a group, get a grill table, order the marinated beef and the seafood pancake, and let the evening sort itself out.
My Kimchi
📍address: Viale Montello 9, Milano
🌐 instagram: @my_kimchi_
Have you tried My Kimchi yet? Let us know your opinion, and do not forget to bookmark chinatownmilano.it for more Korean spots around the city and follow us on social media @chinatownmilano.it .
