Hotteok is a ubiquitous street snack in Korea. Despite the growth of the Korean diaspora in Australia, the chewy fried pancakes were virtually non-existent in Melbourne until 2026. Then came Gamja Hotteok.

The shop is takeaway-focused, with just a handful of seats and a pared-back feel akin to a neighbourhood fish’n’chip shop. The dough is made with potato starch and fresh potato, rather than the traditional fermented wheat flour. Owner Sangsoo Kim, a former fine-dining chef, chose potato for its stability and resistance to over-proofing in Melbourne’s variable temperatures.

After resting, the dough is filled with either Gamja’s original or bulgogi filling, then pressed onto a hotplate and deep-fried to order. Hotteok is typically a sweet snack and, here, the original is made with brown sugar and a pinch of pepitas and sunflower seeds – a nod to Busan-style hotteok.

Fermentation, a cornerstone of Korean cuisine, comes into play with the house-made drinks inspired by cheong (a traditional Korean preparation of fruit preserved with sugar). The drink starts with naturally fermented vinegar made from apple and pear juice. It’s then blended with fresh cold-pressed apple juice, pear juice and plum cheong to soften the acidity and round out the flavour.