Gaja

Gaja brings a cheeky twist to Korean comfort food in the heart of Ponsonby. Cosy, chill, and effortlessly cool, it champions tapas-style sharing and those joyous, over-ordered tables where every plate earns its place. Bold flavours lead the way, with a menu that winks at tradition while nudging it somewhere playful and new.

Begin with light, clever openers: Silky Silky Tofu lounging in K-soy vinaigrette, crisp oi cucumber with ssamjang and masago, or charred broccoli glossed in garlic-almond butter-soy glaze. Then turn up the dial. Mandu dumplings arrive pan-fried, pork and chive beneath chilli oil and peanut sauce; crispy eggplant in gangjeong glaze with lemon yoghurt is a quiet show-stealer. Tteokbokki channels Seoul’s street spirit, a spicy-sweet gochujang hug, while Nom Nom Nom fried chicken flirts with buldak mayo.

The heroes stride in with swagger. The Pork Belly is the signature, lacquered and deeply moreish, while Cheese Snow Chicken delivers pure theatre. Carb lovers can double down with kimchi fried rice, bacon and furikake beneath a ready-to-burst fried egg, or dive into Thick Noods tangled in sweet-savoury black bean sauce.

House-infused soju and Korean-inspired cocktails set the tone, with mocktails and local beers for an easy-going sip. Walk-ins are welcome, though weekends are lively. Rally the table, book ahead, and bring an appetite—at Gaja, too much is just enough.