Kimchi is making a name for itself in many popular restaurants around the country – and not only traditional Korean ones. Made with fermented cabbage, this spicy side dish has a mouth-watering salty and sour taste that marries brilliantly with all kinds savoury delights. It inspires such devotion that special fridges have been designed to most effectively store its different variations and preparations. There are over 180 different varieties, but the kimchi most commonly found in South Africa contains napa cabbage fermented in brine with spring onions, chilli, spices, ginger, chopped radish, garlic and fish sauce.

Want to try it for yourself? We’ve hunted down five restaurants from around the country that serve lip-smacking dishes with kimchi.

Café Jiran (North Beach, Durban)

This modern North Beach favourite serves up a fiery starter of luscious pulled pork and kimchi served with green onion and a chilli sauce for R50.

Lefty’s Dive Bar (city bowl, Cape Town)

At this inner-city dive bar, diners can tuck in to a tangy kimchi burger served with pickles, red onion, white cheddar and a portion of salty fries. This dish goes for R75.

Lefty’s Kimchi Burger. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.

The Grazing Room (Dunkeld West, Johannesburg)

Chef Marthinus Ferreira serves plates of innovative tapas at this more casual sister restaurant to DW Eleven-13. Try the springbok tataki for R80, which comprises dukkah-crusted springbok loin with kimchi, misoyaki, radish and cucumber spaghetti.

The Pot Luck Club (Woodstock, Cape Town)

Nestled in the ‘salty’ section on the made-for-sharing menu is the smoked pork belly with kimchi, apple and a sesame mayo.Unlike the traditional method, their kimchi is made from carrots, spring onions, apples and daikon radish (R90).

Smoked pork belly with kimchi apple and sesame mayo at The Pot Luck Club. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.

Tjing Tjing Torii (City Bowl, Cape Town)

This cool spot situated between Dear Me and Tjing Tjing Rooftop Bar serves up modern Asian fare. Order the pork atsui dog, which is a pork, miso and ginger sausage in a roll with kimchi, kewpie mayo and nori (R50).

A Pork Atsui Dog from Tjing Tjing Torii. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.