Restaurants

Most of London’s Korean restaurants are grouped together in Soho or New Malden, so Kimchee is a surprising find in the middle of Golders Green. This is one of the capital’s most atmospheric Korean eateries. The dining room is styled like a traditional yeogwan (Korean inn) with gas barbecues mounted into aged wooden tables and light spilling from mock screen windows along the walls. The attentive waitresses wear traditional costume, mirroring the prints of Korean village scenes on the wallpaper. The menu is short and predictable, but every dish we tried was well prepared. The house kimchi had real fire, and we enjoyed the smooth yolky flavour of the bibimbap (rice in a hot bowl). Another pleasant surprise was the tangsuyuk – hunks of tender battered beef, served in a sweet-and-sour sauce with fresh pineapple, providing a lovely counterpoint to the tartness of the kimchi. If you order a barbecue, it may be cooked on a portable gas grill at the next table, as the fixed grills take up a lot of space.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009