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Best Korean restaurants in London

By CW Contributor on 4/4/2019

If your knowledge of Korean cuisine starts and ends with that jar of kimchi you bought a few months back when fermented food was all the rage, then fear not. For a long time, Korean fare has been woefully under-appreciated in the UK, but all that’s changing.
More and more people are becoming aware of the joys of bibimbap and bulgogi (the former is a bowl of warm white rice loaded with tasty toppings, while the latter literally means 'fire meat'). We’ve rounded up six places in London to go grab your Gochujang (sauce) –with no K-Pop karaoke in site.

JinJuu

When you want Korean food with an added side of cool, this hotspot is the place to head. Owned by celebrity chef Judy Joo, it’s got just what you’d expect from a Soho-based establishment. Trendy bar serving a roaring trade in soju cocktails? Check. Low, sultry lighting in the basement dining room? Check. Larger tables for groups to jostle round, window-seats for people-watching, plus stools at the bar for when you want to focus on the tipples? Triple check. Not only that, but the modern-Korean dishes are packed with flavour and served until 12.30am Friday and Saturday. You must order JinJuu Carnitas Fries. These Korean-Mexican disco fries come slathered in cheddar with a topping of short rib beef and fresh kimchi. Dive into them alongside a Kim’s Margarita cocktail and you’ve got a good night on your hands.

WHERE

15 Kingly St, Soho, London W1B 5PS

Koba

There’s something highly satisfying about watching your food cook in front of your eyes – just look at the popularity of BBQs. Charred sausages are *okay*, but the process is surely the best bit. Well, at Koba, not only is the finished product seriously sensational, but its splendid fun to dine there, too. Tables have a barbecue plate in the middle, and you simply order your preferred platter of items and wait for the magic to happen as the expert waiting staff get grilling. We recommend a taste of everything with the Koba BBQ selection. Watch as morsels such as rib eye, pork belly, spicy chicken and baby octopus are cooked to perfection mere inches from your fingertips. Order a side of crisp lettuce to create wraps that, when topped with the spicy sauces, are fresh, salty, sweet, succulent, and essentially everything one could want in a contemporary fine-dining Korean meal.

WHERE

11 Rathbone St, Fitzrovia, London W1T 1NA

Dotori

This Korean-Japanese hybrid is wildly popular – given that they don’t take reservations, you have to trust your luck or turn up early. It’s worth the wait if necessary, though: their Haemul Pajeon, a Korean seafood and spring onion pancake served with soy sauce, is something to write home about. Vegetarians can get in on the action with the Mapa Tofu Deopbap. Deep fried tofu squares are stirred together with diced veg in a unique sweet spicy sauce, then served over rice – the tofu is just spongey enough to absorb that irresistible sauce, and it’s Asian comfort food in all its glory. The space is super casual, more like a hole-in-the-wall cafe than a restaurant, but the food’s great. Want to hit up two cuisines in one sitting? Order one of their Korean & Japanese set menus, which might include the likes of dumplings, tempura, Japchae noodles and bibimbap.

WHERE

3 Stroud Green Rd, Finsbury Park, London N4 2DQ

HANA Korean

For a taste of Korea in the South West, head to this charming little joint on Lavender Hill. The main room is furnished with long dark tables, dark cushioned benches and dark wood-panelled walls; but although the decor might be simple, there’s absolutely nothing plain about the food being served. The raw beef bibimbap is not to be shied away from, and is as good as any we’ve ever had. Break into the golden orb of wobbling yolk, mix this sticky treat in with the rice, tender pink meat and vegetables, and add lashings of vivid red Gochujang sauce. You’ll be scraping the final grains of rice from the hot stone bowl in no time at all. When washed down with a light and refreshing Korean Hite beer, it’s a match made in foodie heaven.

WHERE

60 Battersea Rise, London SW11 1EG

Kimchee

You might recognise this stylish restaurant from wandering along High Holborn, but now there’s also a chance to indulge in a little Korean fare in St Pancras, too. The new space has the same contemporary-chic approach – long sharing tables, sleek latticed screens, low lightning, plus natural touches of wood, stone and plant-life to soften the aesthetic. Although named after the iconic dish of fermented Korean vegetables, there are far more intriguing dishes you should opt for. Start with the ‘Chimaek’ – a popular Korean starter of fried chicken and beer. The Bibim Naengmyeon is also seriously good, consisting of chilled buckwheat noodles in an authentic fruity, chilli sauce with marinated beef, pickled radish, cucumber, Asian pear and hard boiled egg. Probably something you’re not likely to make at home, and therefore a real treat.

WHERE

2 Pancras Square, King’s Cross, London, N1C 4AG

On The Bab

When you’re in the market for a little Korean street-food, you can do no better than On The Bab from Linda Lee. Korean fried chicken and Kun Mandu pan-fried shrimp dumplings never tasted so good – and now you can get your fix in central London. Having moved from Marylebone, On The Bab is now causing a taste-sensation in Soho. ‘Bab’ is the phonetic translation for a bowlful of food that has a base of rice, and you can get all kinds of tasty things ‘on the rice’. This might include traditional Bulgogi Beef bibimbap, or (exclusively to Soho) Dooboo Bab – tofu cooked in spicy gochujang sauce with Asian vegetables. Not a fan of rice? Fear not, you can also enjoy ‘on the buns’, ‘on the noodle soup’, and ‘on the wrap’, all in the chilled out cafe-style eatery.

WHERE

9a Archer St, Soho, London W1D 7AX

Best Korean restaurants in London

JinJuu

Koba

Dotori

HANA Korean

Kimchee

On The Bab

Korean food

Korean restaurants

London

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