You all must have witnessed how Indians these days are exploring Korean culture through K-pop and K-dramas, especially Gen Zs and millennials. The obsession with Korean culture is now not limited to entertainment only. It has started to show its influence in everyday trends like Korean skincare in cosmetic shops, Korean-style photo booths, and Korean cuisine, especially Korean buns in restaurants and cafes.
These days, Korean breads are found in almost every Indian cafe, but why is that so?
What is driving this trend?
Why Korean Buns Are Suddenly Everywhere in Indian Cafés?
Korean Buns: Delicious, Trendy & Photogenic
The signature Korean buns are known to offer a texture that is simply indulgent and comforting. It is generally filled with cream cheese and has garlic butter brushed over it.
They tend to pair well with cafe staples like coffee, offering a very sweet-savory treat. The best thing is that you can relish it during breakfast, tea time, or even for dessert by pairing it with the right cafe staple, like say, hot chocolate.
The combination that Korean buns offer – creamy interior with crisp crust offers a very memorable and lovable eating experience.
Chefs tend to compare them to various Indian breads like the infamous soft pav, but with a Korean twist, which has eased the transition for Indian bread lovers.
Another reason for its rising trend is its quality of being Instagrammable. The signature Korean buns are glazed with garlic butter and have creamy cheese on the inside, making them extremely photogenic.
Many restaurants and cafes have added it to their menu because it gets sold in minutes, thanks to the way influencers and foodie creators share about it.
The K-Food Wave In India
The Korean buns have a wide variety, which are now seen in many cafes in India, like Korean cheese bun, Korean steamed buns, Korean cream cheese buns, and so on.
But looking at the broader picture, the wave of Korean food, or Korean cuisine, or K-food, is not at all limited to only Korean buns or breads.
These days, Korean-inspired street foods and fusion dishes are actually rapidly becoming staples among the urban Indian consumers.
Most of the cafes, food trucks, and casual dining spots are now experimenting and serving Korean dishes like Korean fried chicken with gochujang-based sauces, tteokbokki-style spicy rice cakes, bibimbap, and Kimchi-loaded fries.
These offerings often retain core Korean techniques such as double-frying for extra crunch, fermentation for depth of flavor, and the characteristic sweet-spicy-salty balance.
But they also swap them in Indian spices, chutneys, and familiar formats like rolls, bowls, or sizzlers to make them feel approachable to first-time Indian diners.
Korean Restaurants in Mumbai: Sun and Moon Korean restaurant (Worli), MIRAI Japanese and Korean Dining (Bandra West), Origami Japanese & Korean Restaurant (Powai), and SeoulMate (Worli).
You May Like Also: 7 Korean Cafes To Visit In Mumbai
Summing Up
The reason why Korean breads have suddenly become a part of every Indian restaurant and cafe is due to a mix of global flavor trends, social media visibility, and local adaptation of a crave-worthy snack.
