We all remember our first K-drama. Or the first K-pop song that pulled us, kicking and screaming, into the craziness.
One encounter was all it took. Suddenly, you’re arguing over boy crushes with strangers on Twitter, casually dropping saranghae and gamsahamnida into conversations, and trying to explain to your very confused friends why this one show, this one group, suddenly matters more than it has any right to.
And then one day you’re mid-episode watching someone slurp ramen at 2 am, and you think: what does that actually taste like? What does it feel like to sit somewhere laughing over a bottle of soju? You want to find the people who get it as deeply as you do. You want to, somehow, be inside the thing you love.
For a long time, it felt like the only answer to that was a flight to Seoul. But that’s not entirely true.
Over the past few years, a Korean cultural community has been quietly building itself right here in Nigeria. And if you know where to look, Lagos already offers more access than you’d expect.
That’s where Kemmie Ola comes in. As the founder of Hamkke, she’s been at the centre of that growth, creating spaces, curating experiences, and helping people move from simply watching Korean content to actually living inside it. So if you’ve ever found yourself wondering where to even begin, this is a good place to start.
Here’s Kemmie’s guide to experiencing Korea without leaving Lagos.
Where to Eat the Best Korean Dishes You’ve Seen on Your Screen
If you’re properly entering Korean culture, you start with the food. And according to Kemi, there’s one place in Lagos you don’t overthink: Hua Han. Even better, it has locations on both the mainland and the island, so you have absolutely no excuse.
It has a quaint aesthetic with lots of colour outdoors and a homier feel indoors. If you’d like to sit inside and enjoy the classic Asian restaurant setting with table grills and kdrama posters on the walls, you have that option. If you prefer natural-looking spaces, grass, flowers, and colored wooden chairs, then there’s a place for you outside.
It’s my first recommendation because it’s the first Korean restaurant I ever visited in Lagos, and it’s a special experience that has lingered. It was like experiencing a world I had only fantasized about for the first time.
What to order if it’s your first time and you don’t want to embarrass yourself:
Bibimbap — Bibimbap is basically a mixed rice dish made of rice with different meats and veggies, the gochujang sauce (fermented Korean chilli paste), and an egg (usually fried sunny side up). It’s the right first order because it’s a familiar place to start from. The taste is definitely different, but since it’s basically rice and meat, it doesn’t feel too far from home. So a first-timer can enjoy the adventure of a new taste without feeling completely thrown off by what they know.
Dakgalbi – This is basically a chicken dish, usually seasoned with spices and cooked with sweet potatoes, cabbage, and rice cakes. This one I particularly enjoy, not only for the familiarity of its main ingredients to my Nigerian palate, but also because it is the best mix of sweet and spicy. One of the ingredients in this is corn syrup or honey. You mix that with the spicy gochujang sauce, and it’s a sweet, tangy, spicy mix all at once.
Kimchi – Special mention is Kimchi. It’s healthy, it’s delicious, it’s spicy, and it just… works. I definitely recommend kimchi to anyone who’s ever been curious about Korean food.
Kemi’s one rule for the whole experience? Come hungry and come curious. And if you’re staring at the menu with zero idea what to do, just ask. The staff at Huan Huan will sort you out, and might even teach you a game or two while they’re at it.
Where to Get Your Korean Fix: Snacks, Drinks, and Everything In Between
You know that exact moment in a drama where someone tears open a packet of something, and it looks like the best snack you’ve never had? Or when they crack open a drink and it looks impossibly refreshing? You’ve thought about it. Don’t lie.
The good news: you don’t have to wonder anymore. Kemi says you can find high-quality, authentic Korean products right here in Lagos, and even better news is that you can either walk in or have them delivered straight to your door.
Her trusted vendors:
HARU — You can shop both online and in-store. I completely trust Haru for quality. We’ve partnered with this vendor at one of our events, and they have everything from snacks to merch, and it’s all top-notch. I literally still use the shopping pouch I got from their store years ago.
HALLYUMART— This store is in Ibadan, but they deliver nationwide. Any Korean snack you can think of, you would probably get from this store. If you live in Ibadan, you can go shop in-store and get amazing Korean snacks and other cute items at the best prices.
Kemi’s personal shopping list from these stores: For me, I personally love to snack, so I buy a lot of snacks. My current favorites are the Lotte Custard Cake and Honey Butter Chips. I also love cup ramen because I’m one of those lazy chef types. My ultimate must-have is the buldak spicy sauce.
Check out Kemmie’s personalised Korean watchlist and music recommendations HERE
Where to Get Your Favourite Korean Skincare
IYKYK. Korean skincare is the holy grail, and if you’ve been in this community for more than five minutes, your bathroom shelf already has opinions.
It can get pricey, and Kemmie says definitely not to pressure yourself into a routine you can’t sustain. She’ll be the first to tell you she doesn’t use everything herself. But the products she does use? She’s not letting go of them.
Here’s what’s actually in her routine:
The eye cream — AHC Premier Ampoule in Eye Cream. This was a gift from my Korean teacher, so I am not sure where to get it, but it’s been amazing for me.
The face cream — One Day’s You Propolis Vitamin C Cream. I first liked this one for the scent, and then I fell in love with how supple and bright it made my skin feel. You can get this from KONA
The sunscreen — Vegan Comforting Sun Sunscreen by 12Grabs. I love it because it feels so light on the skin. This can also be purchased from KONA.
Kemi says find what works for you, not what is being hyped, and you don’t have to buy Korean skincare if you can’t afford it yet; several amazing ones do a great job.
Read Also: How Kemmie Ola Built a South Korean Community in the Middle of Lagos
Want to Go Deeper Into Korean Culture?
Looking for drama recommendations, language lessons, or just somewhere that takes Korean culture as seriously as you do? That’s exactly why Kemmie built Hamkke. She was once exactly where you are now, looking for her people, so she created the space herself.
Today, she speaks Korean, runs one of Lagos’s most active Korean culture communities, and she’s not done yet.
You can explore everything at hamkkechingu.com, follow along on Instagram at @ham.kke, and if you want to actually talk to people who share your obsession in real time, there’s a WhatsApp community waiting for you, too.
Want to Experience Korea in Nigeria?
If you want to go even further, the Korean Cultural Centre in Abuja is worth the trip. Cooking classes, cultural exhibitions, language programmes, it’s the kind of place that makes you realise what you thought was a media obsession is actually the beginning of something much bigger.
And back in Lagos, Kulture Vibe hosts events throughout the year, monthly meetups, quarterly gatherings, and then the one you need to put in your calendar right now: the annual K-Vibe Korean Culture Festival. Korean food. Korean games. Live performances. Cultural advocates in the room with you. It’s the kind of event you show up to not knowing anyone and leave with a group chat that doesn’t stop buzzing for weeks.
See? You don’t have to book a flight to Korea.
Everything you love about this culture, the food, the community, the skincare, the people who will sit with you and sob over a bottle of soju about a fictional character who deserved better — it’s already here. You just had to know where to look.
