Il Mee

Went into town for the Auckland Lantern festival, but the crowd was too much so we opted for somewhere to eat, and we chose this place and we were really happy with our choice! We even walked up and down along the restaurants looking at their menus and what it was like inside and still, Il Mee was the place to be for us. They had a good vegetarian menu (for those like myself) and it wasn’t bustling, but it wasn’t too quiet for us either. Kimchi everything!!! (as to be expected) and paid $ 5 corkage for a $ 10 bottle of pinot noir as their liquor selection was on the pricey side. Our total bill was only $ 29!!!
Definitely recommend for those who want the real deal korean meal :)

Not too busy, authentic Korean food. I had the tofu soup and it was pretty much all tofu, but the spices were there. My wife ordered the bulgogi meat and it was pretty good. we thought it’d taste different or be a different meat flavor, but its the same as you would expect at a korean restaurant in Los Angeles or Seoul.
the waitress is ridiculously tall. i dont think i’ve seen a korean girl that tall before. i thought she was wearing heels, but then i checked and she just had flats!

Queen Street has plenty of little Korean restaurants to choose from — but Il Mee is definitely top dog. Interior is a bit old and stiff, but it adds character.
I’ve been visiting this place on my lunch breaks for 2+ years now. It’s the dream if you like intense flavour, spice, and a whole bunch of kimchi!
Their Hot Stone Bibimbap is a classic! So good, comes with lots of veggies too.
But my all time favourite has to be the Kimchi Soup — I love it! Big chunks of tofu, pork, kimchi and a good level of spice. Dishes come with a side of kimchi, bean sprouts, pickled vege (I think?), pancake and miso & rice if your dish requires it. Most dishes are around $ 11 – 13.
The service is friendly, they always greet us with a big happy ‘HELLO!!’ when we walk in: D
Big fan!

I have been coming to Il Mee for over 15 years now. And it’s still the same as when I first walked in the door.
It is fairly authentic both in the interior design and taste of the food. So it looks just like any little eatery in Korea. And because of that, Il Mee might not be a place for everyone.
But, I like it. I like it a lot! I like that dingy feeling. I like the way you get minimum service. I especially like their Fried Rice cake with instant noodles.
I don’t normally eat spicy food, but I make exceptions to the dishes that I actually enjoy. Like the ones from II Mee.
Hope II mee will still be around when I take my kids to eat there.