The people who opened Zaluus
“Back then there weren’t many Mongolian restaurants in Korea.”
“Korean food is too spicy for Mongolians, so my husband and I agreed it would be good to make and sell food for Mongolians, and we opened the restaurant as soon as I arrived.”
Bayalma (바얄마), who runs Zaluus with her husband
Interview with Yonhap News, 25 May 2015 · Translated from the Korean article
Her husband, who had come to Korea first, saw fellow Mongolians looking for Mongolian food and decided to open a restaurant. Bayalma, then working at a restaurant in Ulaanbaatar, came to Korea in 2006 and opened Zaluus here.
“For Mongolians who don’t speak the language and don’t know their way around, this building is a place where they can sort everything out easily.”
New Kumho Tower, home of Zaluus. Look for the Zaluus sign on the 3rd floor.
“At first it was hard, because we couldn’t speak the language and everything was unfamiliar, but our Korean neighbours helped us a lot and we were able to settle in.”
Bayalma · Yonhap News, 2015
How our guests have changed over 20 years
70%
Mongolian guests · 2015
Most Korean guests were people about to study or travel in Mongolia, coming to try the food first.
60–70%
Korean guests · 2025
“Some Korean and foreign guests ask, ‘How did you make this dish?’”
Soon after opening, the restaurant was written up in a newspaper. The owner still remembers, with emotion, the Korean guests who lined up holding that paper. easyMenu Magazine, 18 Nov 2025
