Seoul celebrity chef Jong-won Paik has set a 10-store goal for his brands to expand into Australia. There are more than 2000 stores worldwide, and Paik’s Noodle and Paik’s Bibim launched here early this year.

Now the business that serves up fermented Korean flavours and Chinese-style meals is ready to ramp up its presence in Australia.

The first expansion of Paik’s Noodle is a further two restaurants in Melbourne in January and February 2023. Two more outlets are scheduled to open in Brisbane in July, and Sydney in November.

Paik’s Noodle features an open plan kitchen with dishes priced from $11 to $30 and a selection of Korean drinks.

Paik’s Bibim offers both vegan and vegetarian menu options. It specialises in ‘Bibimbap Bowls’, a favourite Korean bowl of sautéed vegetables, protein, a mix of soy sauce, chilli, and sugar, and toasted sesame seeds.

The next stores will open in August in Melbourne and then in Sydney December 2023.

Paik’s Pan is gearing up to launch in Australia next year and will unveil its first store in Melbourne in January. A second store will open in the Victorian capital in December 2023.

Paik’s Pan offers an entirely different menu and cooking methods to its sibling venues. It focuses on championing unsung Korean dishes and offers cook-at the-table service.

Paik’s Pan expects to be the first restaurant of its kind in Melbourne with a signature focus on Dakgalbi – the popular Korean iteration of a spicy chicken stir-fry.

The story was originally published on Franchise Executives.