Cah Chi

Cah Chi is the jewel in the crown of south-west London's Korean restaurant scene, despite not being in the Korean heartland of New Malden. From the kids' drawings tacked to the walls of the light, breezy dining room, to the smiling staff, the place exudes charm.

The homely feel is carried through to the clientele, which includes plenty of local Korean families. We were pleased to see more variety than usual on the menu (as well as some amusing typos).

For less conventional options, including offal and mountain vegetables, ask the staff to talk you through the specials menu, which is displayed in Korean at the back of the restaurant. They pride themselves on making their own tofu, dumplings, kimchi and soy bean paste.

Not to be missed is the own-made tofu and seafood stew ('soon-du-bu jji-gae' on the menu): a rich, creamy, chilli-spiked sauce encased chewy slivers of seafood that contrasted perfectly with pieces of silky tofu.

Black pudding stuffed with cellophane noodles, served with a dip of salt and chilli flakes, is also a popular choice. The sweet marinated soy beans were a welcome addition to the complimentary panch'an. Cah Chi offers exceptional food, good value for money and a BYO wine policy too. Korean wine and beer, soju and saké are also available.