Sot is a chic 80-seat Korean restaurant by ex-Nobu chef Doowon Lee. Picture crisp white walls, blond timber furniture and a soothing minimalist soundtrack. Lee wanted to capture the vibe of a “soulful warmth of a Korean home in Melbourne”.

The chef’s culinary adventure began in Seoul, where he staged (interned) at the Shilla Hotel’s Michelin-starred La Yeon. In 2013 he moved to Melbourne and dived into Nobu before working at Firebird.

His menu has included inventive spins on Korean classics, including Korean-style beef tartare (yukhoe), spicy ceviche in chilled gochujang broth (mule) and panna cotta sweetened with sujeonggwa (cinnamon punch).

But the real show-stopper is sot bab. The dish is served in a steel pot filled with butter rice and topped with market fish, grilled galbi (ribs) or chicken and sauteed wild mushrooms. Go the bansang (meal set) option to add soft-boiled marinated eggs, house-made kimchi, soup of the day and more.

The globe-spanning wine list features burgundy blanc de blancs, Marlborough pinot gris and Marche lacrima. And of course there are Korean beers including Cass or Terra, plus a selection of soju and makgeolli if you want to drink like Koreans do.