Tucked into the Karlova district, Karlik keeps things refreshingly simple. The menu is short - essentially built around Korean fried chicken, noodles and ramen - but there’s a clear sense that the kitchen prefers doing a few things properly rather than stretching itself thin. Fortunately, it works.
The fried chicken arrives crisp and deeply satisfying, the noodles hit the right balance of comfort and flavour, and the ramen manages to feel both straightforward and carefully put together. Extras like kimchi are well worth adding, turning already generous portions into something even harder to resist.
Prices remain surprisingly gentle, especially considering the quality, giving Karlik the feel of a place that regulars quietly start treating as their default dinner option. Unpretentious, compact and very easy to return to.