For more than 27 years, Sunmi from Sunmi’s Sushi has been serving hungry Market diners authentic Korean dishes and street food inspired by the tastes of her homeland. From her popular rice bowls topped with veggies, marinated meat and egg to green pancakes topped with special sauce, Sunmi’s menu has something for everyone. She shares her top dishes as part of Your lunchbreak, sorted.
When former Olympic volleyball player Sunmi came to Adelaide in 1982, she had no intention of starting an eatery in the Adelaide Central Market.
Sunmi came to Australia to coach South Australian volleyballers, however, she never shied away from giving her peers a taste of her homeland, Korea.
“The players said they could always smell garlic on me, so I invited all the players and coaches to my home before training and games where we ate together so everyone had the same smell,” she says.
“Everyone there would tell me that my food was really good and that I should open a restaurant, so we had an opportunity to come to the Market in 1995.”
Sunmi is known around the Adelaide Central Market for her traditional Korean food she makes using fresh produce, which includes green pancakes topped with special sauce, bibimbap, noodle dishes, fried sushi and more.
Sunmi's top dish is her Bibimbap — comforting rice bowl topped with veggies, marinated meat and egg inspired by the taxi drivers from home, who need quick, delicious food on the go.
The Market veteran says you can simply ask for the “taxi driver” meal, and she knows exactly what to make.
She makes your bowl, your way, and caters to people with vegetarian, vegan and gluten free diets.
Sunmi says just mix everything up into one delicious mess and dig in.
“People just get the bibimbap then just mix and go (back to work) … it is quick,” Sunmi says.
“Our hot pot is also very popular and while you eat it the food sizzles in the stone pot.”
Her shop still stands in the same location she opened all those years ago and says keeping her food simple and authentic means a good time.