The new local gem bringing Korean food to King Street
Fresh to Newcastle’s food scene, Dama Dream’s King Street storefront has only been open a month, but already, the Korean eatery is buzzing with customers and the takeaway window is nearly sold out after the lunch rush.
There’s a reason this new-kid-on-the-block is drawing a crowd: the food here is fresh, bold, and a thoughtful adaptation of traditional dishes, a testament to a family legacy built on heritage and hard work.
Dama Dream owner Alice Choi
Cooking has always been a family affair for Dama Dream owner Alice Choi. Now, she and her family are excited to share their authentic Korean dishes with the Hunter.
Alice’s mother first brought her Korean cooking expertise to Newcastle more than a decade ago, passing down traditional techniques while Alice built her own experience in Australian cuisine and hospitality at the Junction Hotel. Over time, the family noticed a gap in Newcastle’s food scene for convenient, healthy Korean takeaway, sparking the idea for Dama Dream.
The menu stays true to its Korean roots while thoughtfully balancing Australian preferences. What Alice and her family are most excited to share with Novocastrians are Korean staples such as bibimbap and kimbap.
Their passion is evident in every dish: sauces are made from scratch, ingredients are prepared fresh daily, and authentic Korean produce is sourced from Sydney, no small feat, but a true labour of love for their customers.
Even the branding reflects this care. Dama Dream’s logo features a smiling kimbap that’s hard not to love, paired with a name that holds deeper meaning. “Dama” translates to “made with heart,” a fitting reflection of the family’s mission to share heartfelt, authentic Korean cooking with the Hunter community.
What they’re DisHhing up: Fresh Korean food in Newcastle
Dama Dream is on a mission to make casual, picnic-style Korean comfort food a go-to for busy Novocastrians. The menu celebrates the balance, health, and seasonality of Korean cuisine, centred around rice, fermented foods, and varied side dishes, perfectly packaged into an easy takeaway meal.
The dishes lean toward nutritious, low-fat cooking, with preparation including trimming excess fat from meats. But don’t mistake “healthy” for lacking flavour; each dish delivers a harmonious balance of the five core tastes: salty, spicy, sweet, sour, and bitter. These flavours are brought to life through staple ingredients like kimchi, chilli flakes, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil.
Rooted in fermented, earthy, and aromatic elements, Korean cuisine offers a depth of flavour that’s distinct in its own right. If you’re after food that tastes incredible and leaves you feeling good, Dama Dream delivers.
Our must-tries from the kitchen:
Bibimbap: A Korean favourite translating to “mixed rice with meat and vegetables,” this dish is a vibrant medley of flavours and textures. Starting with a bed of rice topped with beef, seaweed flakes, zucchini, shiitake mushrooms, bean sprouts and carrots, finished with a sunny-side-up egg and their signature bibimbap sauce that ties everything together. A must-order staple!
Kimbap: A popular Korean grab-and-go snack that may resemble sushi, but differs in flavour and preparation. Wrapped in dried seaweed, the rice is seasoned with sesame oil and salt, giving it a nutty, savoury profile rather than the tangy bite of sushi. Our pick: the spicy pork kimbap, filled with omelette, perilla leaf, pickled radish, burdock root, cucumber, carrot, and fish cake. Sliced into perfectly satisfying bite-sized pieces.
Spicy Pork Rice Bowl: A generous serving of Korea’s signature spicy BBQ pork, paired with rice and homemade Korean coleslaw, and topped with fresh green onions. The pork is juicy, tender, and packed with flavour.
Japchae: A colourful and comforting noodle dish featuring chewy stir-fried glass noodles tossed with beef, mushrooms, onion, carrot, capsicum, and spinach, all coated in a lightly sweet, sesame-forward dressing. Clean, fresh, and deeply satisfying.
Kimchi: Housemade fermented cabbage that delivers bold, complex flavour. Expect a punchy mix of spicy, sour, and salty notes, balanced with garlic and a satisfying crunch, delicious and great for gut health.
What’s next for Dama Dream?
The family is focused on growing their new storefront, with hopes of expanding across the Hunter in the future. Their goal is simple: to share their love for healthy, traditional Korean food with Newcastle.
Stay in the loop with their fortnightly rotating specials by following them on Instagram, and order pick up or delivery online.
The rundown
→ A grab-n-go take on traditional Korean food
→ Fresh, bold, savoury flavours with a touch of spice
→ Your healthy takeaway lunch or dinner option $$
→ Vegetarian options
→ The bibimbap offers a beautiful tastebud tango of flavours, while the spicy pork, whether in the Kimbap and rice bowl, hits the perfect balance of juiciness and heat!
The DisHh features are booked anonymously and paid independently by HUNTERhunter. A restaurant cannot pay to be featured in The DisHh.
