Could this be one of the best value cafés in London? Angel Dabang is a gloriously diddy and retro Korean caff and bakery, serving coffee, tea and bunsik. Inside, it feels like a nostalgic nod to Seoul and its dabang – traditional Korean coffee and tea houses. There are grannyish floral curtains, ceramic pots, dark wood walls and najeonchilgi panelling (a traditional Korean lacquer that uses iridescent mother-of-pearl to create motifs of cranes and flowers).
Here, a tenner could get you a long way. The food menu spans kimbap, corndogs, tteokbokki, croquettes and Korean fried chicken. For drinks, it’s got coffee, matcha and a panoply of Korean teas (including barley, buckwheat and balloonflower). The specialities are the kkwabaegi, twisted doughnuts with cinnamon sugar, and the sweet Dabang Coffee (only £2.90!). Bites are made on-site in limited numbers, so it’s worth getting down here sharpish lest you miss out.
The egg sandwich (£4.50) is served cold and comes with a generous portion of scrambled egg, cabbage slaw and cucumber. The bread – which can only be described as doughnut-adjacent – is sweet and soft in the centre, with a golden, crispy fried crust. One of the more expensive drinks on the menu (although still only a modest £3.40) is the refreshing and sweet mango iced tea, replete with half a fruit’s worth of massive mango chunks.
Time Out tip
Inside this corner shop there’s not much seating, but stroll 10 minutes up to Highbury Fields and you will have yourself the perfect Korean picnic.