K is for Korean (28th Feb 2015)

For our K meal we looked for a nice Korean restaurant in London.

The centre of Korean culture in the UK is in New Malden, which is on the outskirts of London and happens to be where I used to work. Unfortunately though, it is a bit of a pain to get to, especially from Essex, so we looked for somewhere more central, and found there was a few options.

In the end we went for Bibimbap in Soho, one of two restaurants in the Bibimbap chain (the other is nearby in Charlotte Street):

http://bibimbapsoho.co.uk/

Bibimbap is named after a popular Korean dish, which is served in a very hot stone bowl, which cooks the ingredients as you eat them. It is traditionally served with a raw egg on top, which also cooks in the bowl, but you could choose to have a fried egg (or no egg) instead.

The restaurant is more of a cafe, though we were not rushed to finish our meal, despite queues stretching out onto the street - you cannot book a table here so just have to queue until one becomes available, though we didn't have to wait long.

   

There were plenty of things on the menu, and a number of veggie options too, which is apparently a little uncommon - most places offer just one veggie bibimbap option. About 10 different sides (or starters), and about 8 or 9 different bibimbaps and some noodle alternatives. No desserts, but we were all pretty full with just a starter/side and a bibimbap each.

I wanted to try kimchi on one form or another, so picked the kimchi pancakes side, which was really nice and had a nice kick to it. The other sides we chose also went down well, especially the veggie dumplings (which I preferred to the equivalent dish in Wagamammas).

The bibimbaps were really good and surprisingly filling. All served on a bed of rice, with some shredded vegetables and topped with a topping of choice (I had mushrooms, Emma had tofu, Joanne beef and I think Andrew had pork), and the optional egg. Very tasty.

All in all a very good meal, and Emma & I have already revisited the restaurant (not so impressed with the rice cake starter, but it was different!) and I'm sure we will be back again. Having to wait for a seat isn't a problem if the weather is good (there is only a very small waiting space between the doors) - the turnaround is pretty quick. Recommended!