Exploring Eastwood North Sydney Koreatown

Last Saturday, I found myself in Eastwood, the third largest Asian-populated neighbourhood in Sydney (also known as North Sydney‘s K-town), for a food tour with Jik.

It was interesting to learn that there is more than one Koreatown in Sydney. And that Eastwood is equally known for being both Chinatown and Koreatown, depending on which train exit you take. Also, the development of Koreatown happened only in the past two decades. A local told us that she could only recall one or two Asian grocery stores and a handful of Korean restaurants when she lived in Eastwood many years ago.

Now, we were greeted with endless rows of Korean shops and restaurants right after we exited the train station (I guess we took the K-town exit by luck).

S-Mart Eastwood’s Prolific K-town Supermarket

In Melbourne, visiting an Asian grocery store is a regular weekend errand in our household as I need to stock up on Indonesian chilli (bird-eye, paste, sauce, dipping, etc), cooking paste and instant noodles. But I have never been to a specific Korean Supermarket in Australia before, and it was truly a cultural delight.

We legit spent too much time in the Korean supermarket, exploring and ooh-aah-ing over many things, such as a fridge full of different brands of kimchi. There were rows and rows of beauty products and other knicks and knacks.

But my favourite non-food item in the supermarket was the dinnerware. Specifically the ceramic pot, which seems to be a niche in Korean food culture. I could imagine sipping the imaginary soup I made during winter from it. I contemplated bringing it back to Melbourne but was not sure whether I could fit it into my almost full carry-on. Jik then offered to get it for me if I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Jik, I can’t stop thinking about it!

Meanwhile, when I saw Tteokbokki I couldn’t resist. I got a packet of it with two packets of spicy sauce to go with it though I am thinking of doing a cooking experiment with it and Indian spicy paste.

Oh, Jik and I also got matching Jipsin (Korean guest slippers) because, well why not??

A stop-by at S-Mart is a must when you visit Eastwood. You can get almost everything and anything in Asian supermarkets here. There are also plenty of Korean snacks and drinks to try.

Chasing Korean Beauty in Eastwood

Jik told me she plans to return to Eastwood soon to get a haircut. Having lived in Singapore and gone through multiple failed Asian-style haircuts, I am not sure whether it’s a good idea. Nevertheless, it’s obvious skincare, and haircare shops are plenty in Eastwood. So maybe it’s worth trying, at least once, after all.

Another reason to visit Eastwood is to refresh your wardrobe. Many Korean clothes stores are worth checking out here, especially if you are into classic staples, muted evergreen colours and clean style. I made an impromptu purchase of a beautifully made blue coat when I saw it on the display window and was told by the friendly seller that it was at a 50% discount.

Eastwood is the IT neighbourhood of North Sydney, so much so – as I usually do when I am travelling, I told Jik that I could see myself buying a property and living here. In my mind, my parallel life in Eastwood would be filled with Korean cooking classes, a fridge fully stocked with different flavours of Soju, and drunken night strolls after a hearty Korean bbq.

Meanwhile, I hope this article about Eastwood (and the other one about Cabramatta) helps highlight the fact that there is so much more to Sydney beyond the iconic Opera House and its beautiful beaches. There are different pockets of cultures and immigrant food to immerse yourself in one of the most multicultural cities in the world.

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