Ceena

Ceena hopes to take Korean cooking from this off-Fleet Street launch pad to a global audience by emphasising the cuisine's healthy ingredients and cooking techniques, and selling the sizzle.

Grills - galbi, bulgogi and ccochi (barbecued skewers, marinated in soy or red pepper sauce) - are both a menu and dining room focal point, cooked as they are on a grill at the end of the U-shaped bar counter.

That other Korean classic, bibimbap, is offered in seven varieties, including squid, fresh salmon and pork belly. We were highly impressed by the chicken and gochujang version, served the traditional way with an egg yolk in a scorching-hot stone bowl that emanates a mouth-watering crackling sound and gives a delightfully toasty crust to the rice.

Other dishes include japchae (sweet potato starch noodles with vegetables), jeon (savoury mung bean pancakes) and guk (sizzling-hot soup), though two off-message Italian-style salads suggest a slight nervousness about its market.

We liked the fact that Ceena hasn't dumbed down the authenticity of its recipes for the City crowd: witness desserts of caramelised sweet potato in corn malt syrup, and sujung gwa (fruit punch made from dried persimmons and spices). The takeaway service, although rather pricey (£1.95 for barley tea!), is proving popular too.