Smoky good times are guaranteed at these upmarket Korean barbecue temples, where the marbled beauty of Aussie wagyu, juicy free-range pork and a host of sides like tteokkochi (fried rice cakes) await. Groups are rewarded with deals like the butcher’s feast set for four (a meaty assortment of wagyu, pork jowl and beef rib), and if you’re not convinced your tong skills will do the premium cuts justice, a staff member will stand grill-side and do the hard work while you concentrate on dropping shots of soju in your pint of Hite beer – ‘Mansae’ translates as ‘hooray’, after all. Multiple locations; mansaekbbq.com.au

The global fame of South Korean celebrity chef Paik Jong-won lures the crowds away from the delights of Kimchi Lane (aka Healeys Lane), leading them on a short walk around the corner to Little Lonsdale Street and Paik’s BBQ. Paik’s Noodle shop is also just up the road, but here the focus is on the sizzle of the grill and the impressive suction power of the fancy industrial rangehoods. Hit the combos to expand your dinner horizons with a minimum of decision making – wagyu ribs, marinated chicken and pork neck with a kimchi stew chaser gets our vote for variety and flavour. 525 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne; instagram.com/paiksbbq

Raise the barbecue stakes with the beguiling phrase ‘all you can eat’. This vast two-floor King Street K-BBQ joint could be accused of promoting gluttony – the only sensible way to approach the 90-minute dining window is to see it as a personal challenge – but mind you don’t fall foul of the $15 per-person food-wastage fee. Beef ribs, spicy marinated pork and all sorts of seafood hit the grill, while a buffet delivers sides like tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes). If that isn’t enough, there’s also an instant noodle bar and sushi station, and a dessert section. Go forth and eat. 280 King St, Melbourne; bbqkingmelbourne.com.au

K-pop rules at this party-ready place, where soju towers are de rigueur for hungry crowds. If overindulging in Korean spirits makes ordering from the a la carte menu problematic, look no further than the platters that can feed a crowd without decision making. The signature barbecue set covers all bases, including galbi (marinated beef short ribs), pork belly and chicken thigh, with sizzle-ready haloumi cheese thrown into the mix. Or take the barbecue road less travelled with ox tongue, smoked duck, pork intestine or a jumbo octopus tentacle. Open until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays, this will sate any late-night craving. Chisholm Pl, Melbourne; yukgam.com.au

When mood lighting and service count, Guhng The Palace delivers. Spread over two levels, the moody bluestone-walled dining room screams ‘elevated barbecue’, but you can expect all the grunt and heft of a satisfying Korean char session, with the help of staff who do the cooking for you. The glowing charcoal grill (which comes with steamed egg and corn cheese bubbling around the edges) works its magic across salty bulgogi, wagyu cube roll and pork belly – or why not just order the unromantically named Set B for all of the above? Vegos can also get their grill on with the mushroom platter. 19 McKillop St, Melbourne; guhngkorean.com

K-BBQ fans of all stripes play king of the grill at Hwaro. The graffiti-daubed joint near Southern Cross Station plies its table barbecues with glowing coals and thin strips of pork belly, beef tongue or wagyu every which way – use chopsticks or go the ssam route and wrap the meaty goodness in lettuce. You can also head off-piste to dishes like spicy crab, yukhoe (Korea’s spin on beef tartare) and cold noodle soup. It’s open until late, with a cocktail and soju list to match the lively atmosphere. 562 Little Bourke St, Melbourne; hwaro.com.au

The upmarket vertical grills are a worthy addition at this stylish, timber-slatted Glen Waverley joint – they stop the fat dripping directly on the coals and aid a smoke-free room without the intrusive roar of industrial table ventilation systems – but they’re only a momentary distraction from the barbecue excellence on offer. The top shelf A5 Japanese wagyu is hard to resist, especially when you see a neighbouring table getting merry with the tongs on its marbled beauty. Add rich soybean paste stew, cheesy corn and the all-important kimchi, and finish the night with a coffee and Baileys bingsoo (shaved ice dessert). 7 Coleman Pde, Glen Waverley; hinoak.com

Wet-aged wagyu sizzling on charcoal elevates the happiness KPIs of this south-eastern suburban Korean barbecue in the growing food epicentre of Carnegie; so do unlimited sides like pickled radish, kimchi and japchae sweet potato noodles. The pork set with belly, jowl and neck is easy to love, but if you feel like casting off into deeper waters, the hotpot with wagyu, crab and other seafood and veg is a real winter warmer. Leave the car at home and take the train to nearby Carnegie station to really get down with the funky list of soju or just a sprightly yuzu sour. 123 Koornang Rd, Carnegie; jubangkbbq.com

If the promise of a pork belly set with eight different marinades doesn’t get your heart racing faster, do you really deserve to be eating Korean barbecue? Close to the city campus of RMIT, look for the heavy wooden doors and claim yourself a booth for a meat-fest that strays far and wide. That palsaik (‘eight colours’) menu combo is a pork belly aficionado’s dream (our pick of the eight marinades is the black pepper) but the lamb cutlet bulgogi is all sweet fat, and the vegan banquet goes the extra mile with marinated plant-based mince and a bevy of vegies. 70 Little La Trobe Street, Melbourne; instagram.com/changgobbq_

The Korean barbecue scene’s DIY ethos takes a conceptual leap forward at this Lonsdale Street newcomer. Choose from a smorgasbord of meat cuts in the vast fridge displays, pay at the counter and whisk it to your table (you can also opt to take the produce home, so consider it a butcher shop with state-of-the-art Shinpo grills). Butchers and grill masters ensure newbies don’t get overwhelmed with the custodianship of a dizzying range of wagyu beef, from premium cuts to burgers. You can also break up the meat fest with mushrooms, okra and other things your doctor would approve of. 4/399 Lonsdale St, Melbourne; woo399bbq.com.au