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This new arrival is sister venue to the original over at The Bedroom Bar in Shoreditch – and the Jubo guys clearly realised that Exmouth Market is quite a different proposition to a Rivington Street boozer. They’ve put together a good-looking restaurant that fits in with its more sophisticated neighbours, with plum pavement seats where you might see the suited sorts sitting outside Moro (raising an eyebrow at Jubo’s inked, bearded and face-pierced staff).
Jubo is all about KFC. That’s Korean fried chicken. Wings (two pieces £4.75, four £8.75) and strips (three pieces at £5, six for £9.75) are double-fried for terrific texture – the boneless strips particularly impressive thanks to a lovely bit of bubbled crackling. And you can choose from three sauces (warning: ‘volcanic’ kicks like a mule).
Interestingly, Jubo admits on its website that these birds are neither organic nor free-range. Full marks for honesty. And we couldn’t find fault with the meat: it was both flavoursome and tender. Politically incorrect poultry, it seems, can be perfectly palatable.
Other dishes didn’t have us clucking with glee. Japchae salad (£6) of glass noodles and assorted veg went long on sesame oil and way too short on chilli. Gimbap (£3.75) – seaweed rice rolls with a soy-mustard dip – were bland. Much better were steamed buns and barbecued skewers (£3.50-£6.50) of pork and chicken.
The short wine list has been put together by Zeren Wilson (of Bitten & Written blog fame); expect grape varieties sympathetic to the big flavours and prices starting at £18.50 (£4.50 for a 175ml glass). The Korean spirit soju is available by the bottle as well as in cocktails. A good beer selection includes Hite Ice-Point, Cass Fresh and Brooklyn Lager, though draught Asahi Super Dry at the equivalent of £7 a pint seems wildly out of kilter with prices on the rest of the menu.
As with the original, there’s a lot to like about Jubo’s take on Korean fast food. Our advice? Go big on the bird and you won’t go far wrong. Conscience permitting, of course.