Food & restaurants

Groceries

There are numerous Korean food shops in New Malden. The leading supplier seems to be Korea Foods, with three large stores in the area and one in Cambridge. Details on their website. I saw one of their vans outside my office in the City one day, so obviously they do deliveries (unfortunately, they weren’t delivering to our canteen that day).

The food store I go to in central London is the Hanna Supermarket, off Tottenham Court Road at 41 Store Street WC1E 7QF. You can buy Kimchi and soju there, as well as lots of other stuff which I don’t really understand. Take a Korean friend to show you around and tell you what all the ingredients are for. Downstairs you can rent videos of the latest Korean soap (no subtitles) and buy a bibimbap for under a fiver.

There’s also the Centre Point Food Store at 20-21 St Giles High Street, WC2, which also does Japanese groceries. It’s on the ground floor of the annex to Centrepoint. Their selection of fresh veg is slightly better than Hanna, they have ready-marinated bulgogki and similar stuff in the fridge, and the staff have better English than Hanna; but I still end up going to Hanna for their anchovy kimchi.

There’s also a shop in Golders Green, mentioned in the comment section below.

Update 25 June 2007: I’ve now pulled together a consolidated list of Korean food stores here.

Restaurants

Korean restaurants in London are listed here: http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/korean-restaurants.php. Of these, my favourite is Asadal for evenings (book before you go – it’s a popular place). Some others I’ve visited are listed here.

Translations of Korean dishes

http://www.clickkorea.org/ contains a link to a food dictionary

Links:

{ 34 comments… read them below or add one }

Justin 21 September, 2006 at 12:28 am

My favourite restaurant would have to be 비원 by choice as it is the closest ive actually had compared to Korean food in Korea. the 오징어 (squid) and 해물파전 (seafood pancake) are fantastic. Although they can be stingy with the반찬 (ban chan) and barbecue portions, its my favourite by a country mile.

I have to say that some close friends took me to 아싸달 in new malden and it was fantastic: food, price and service. im counting the days when i can next go back there lol

this blogging gets addictive very easily…

Ken 8 December, 2006 at 2:27 am

I buy all my Korean food from this place in Golders Green. They have lots of korean food (everything from home), and good (and cheap!) kim chi also, my favourite. 869 Finchley Road, London NW11 8RR. It’s very close to Golders Green tube station. There is this korean restaurant a few shops down also, but I have never been there yet!

Justin 30 December, 2006 at 12:47 am

Kimchi is a really good restaurant as well. Their lunch set menus are excellent and also they are one of the genuinely few restaurants that will give ban-chan (side dishes) for free without prompting.

gary 6 January, 2007 at 9:40 am

“Busan is closed for refurbishment for 18 months.”
This leads me to question the authenticity of said restaurant.
A real Korean restaurant would undergo refurbishment in 18 days, not 18 months

Chen 31 January, 2007 at 10:49 am

I’d like to recommend Myungga.
Tthis restaurant have got a long history since 1990.
Timeout chose this restaurant as a critics’ choice.

It’s very famos for seafood pancake(pajon), Kalbi(BQQ Ribs). Glass noodle, Spicy prawn. Bibimbap etc…
It’s very delicious of Kimchi HOT POT.
Last time I saw two premier Korean player in the restaurant. I will go there this Friday with my girlfriend.

Sally 9 February, 2007 at 8:03 pm

I’d like to know where could i get korean food online. pls……..

Kirsten 20 February, 2007 at 11:50 am

I have to say that BiWon is my favourite, although I’ve only been there twice because its so far for me to travel.

I usually go to New Malden. I think You Me is really nice, on burlington road. The portions are big and its nice and quite.
Asadal is the worst place I’ve been to so far.. they gave me some nasty kimchi..it was so gone. I can’t forgive that!

Philip Gowman 20 February, 2007 at 6:28 pm

Hi Sally,
Don’t know about Korean food online, though the Korea Foods website (linked at the top on this page) say they’ll start to do it soon.

And Kirsten, thanks for clarifying that it’s the New Malden Asadal that you were disappointed with.

Keep the recommendations coming, everyone.

geo 21 February, 2007 at 11:36 pm

I am trying to get hold of Korean garlic…the good spicy stuff.

Can you get it in the UK?…if so where…if not does anyone know the name of the spicy korean garlic…

thanks

Paul 1 March, 2007 at 8:27 pm

Bungeobbang.
Anyone seen them for sale here? I keep hoping that Seoul Bakery (Centrepoint) might do them.
Anyone in New Malden?
(Or maybe the japanese version “taiyaki”? Oooh, I said the J word)

I need a fix! :-)

sally 4 March, 2007 at 1:03 am

Thanks philip

Sunyoung 6 March, 2007 at 2:14 pm

Hi to everyone in this web site.
It’s very nice to meet you all who are intereted in Korean things.
As a korean, I hope I can give you some help on your questions
regarding to anything about my country.

Firstly, to Sally and Phlip
Here is a korean grocery website that is based in wimbledon and does delivery as well. Unfortunaltely, this website is in Korean only, but I am sure if you call them to ask about delivery in English, they will be helping you in English.

http://www.skmart.co.uk

Secondly to Paul.

How does “Bungeobbang” look like and what does contain inside? Actually I don’t know what it is myself apart from ” bbang”, which means bread in Korean.
If you give me more detailed descptions about that, I think I can help you with that.

Bytheway, How is Seoul Bakery, if you’ve alreay been there?
I’d like to try.

Jabie 9 March, 2007 at 7:35 pm

I was just wondering if anyone know wheres to buy Gochujang (which I believe is the sauce for Bibimbaps), in London. Woudl prefer somewhere nr the city but am desperate would travel anywhere!!

Sunyoung 12 March, 2007 at 6:14 pm

Hi. Jabie.

Try Centre Point Food Store at 20-21 St Giles High Street, whic is just below Centre Point building off the Tottenham Court Rd station. Ask them for Gochujang for Bibimbap, as there normally in tube and specially made for bibimbap.

Paul 14 March, 2007 at 3:13 am

Replying to Sunyoung… “Bungeoppang” is, as far as I can tell, the romanised spelling for ºØ¾î»§ except I was being lazy and pasted in the wrong spelling (“bb” instead of “pp”)! Oops.

It’s the fish-shaped, battered azuki bean cake.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tchmilfan/399338089/in/set-72157594550596840/

Sunyoung 6 April, 2007 at 9:39 am

Bungeoppang!
Now I know what it is. I don’t think any place in the UK does this fish-shaped cake. It’s because, as you know it is hard to get the metal frame that shapes and bakes this cake here.
I like Bungeoppang without red-bean. But you have to be lucky to meet a kind cake baker who gives you a favour to make it for you.

Doug 10 April, 2007 at 7:32 pm

Hello,

Does anyone know where I can get kimchi and rice cake from in Birmingham. I work in Korea a lot and usually bring some back with me, but I’ve run out and am not going back for about 6 months, so I’m getting withdrawal symptoms. I know that I could get some from New Malden area but I’d like to see if there’s somwhere nearer first.

Thanks

Doug

Raku 24 April, 2007 at 9:58 pm

I found a new place that sells a few Korean products Asian products in general…..Doug it has Kimchi aswell.

http://www.orientalmart.co.uk/

jonallen 28 June, 2007 at 5:10 am

Asadal got a good review in this piece in the Joong Ang recently:
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2876835

maria_hpm 14 August, 2007 at 10:45 pm

Hi everybody!
I’m new on this site,but I’ve enjoyed ur comments so far.
I will be moving to London soon(Crouch End) and the thing is that I have no friends in London and the place I most want to visit is New Malden,I want to eat kimchi, kimbap and jja ja myun.
Sorr for posting like this,I just need some instructions and to make new friends!
Have a lovely week!

June 21 February, 2008 at 10:59 pm

Hi

http://www.skmart.co.uk

this website sells all Korean foods and everything.
It is FREE delivery and all the people in SK mart are really nice.
They are always nice and kind.
I love SK mart . The first reason is peoples are really kind
and second, it is a free delivery and many other good services.

Also , there is a supermarket in 1minute away from Finchelly Road Station
and that is such as a cool place.

Philip Gowman 22 February, 2008 at 12:36 am

Hmmm. June:

You’re not connected with SK Mart by any chance are you? Your comment is suspiciously effusive.

I’ll let it pass this time. I have already linked to the SK Mart website on my Listing of Korean Food Stores page.

Harvey German 26 August, 2008 at 12:40 am

Hi a shot in the dark really, I am in the early stages of tracing my father. My mother lived in London in 1966. I was born in the September of that year. By all accounts my Korean father owned a restaurant somewhere in central London possibly Soho. In 1966 before I was born it was reported that he lost the restaurant in a game of cards and travelled back to Korea. Would anyone know of such a story borne during 1966. I am at present trying to find a name that might help me a little more.

Kind Regards,

Harvey German

Philip Gowman 26 August, 2008 at 9:36 am

Fascinating. I’d come across an urban myth that one of the Korean restaurants in Soho had changed hands as part of a gambling debt. Maybe there’s some truth in it, but I can’t believe that there was a Korean restaurant in central London 40 years ago.

The restaurant I thought this story related to is Dong San in Poland Street, and I thought this was quite a recent story (but maybe I thought the change in ownership was recent because it place looks as if it had a refit in the past few years).

Claire 28 September, 2008 at 11:04 am

I know that You Me Haegwon in New Malden has been going for at about 30 years…but obviously the location is wrong and perhaps it is not old enough. Still, it might be worth approaching the restaurant owners if they have been here that long to see what they remember. Best of luck with tracing him…I am sure that someone has the information you need.

…on the topic of Korean food shops, I have to endorse the Korea Foods supermarket in New Malden for such an excellent selection and I find the staff are very friendly and helpful. The rice cake which is sold there is top notch. I would not do a whole shop there though…if I was cooking a meal, I would go there for the bits I could definately not get soemwhere cheaper. For example the samgypsal meat is about £4 but you can pick up pork belly cuts in Asda for less than £2 per packet.

One thing I have not been able to get any round London yet is Makoli…I guess because it goes off so quickly….if anyone has found it in London please let me know!

So 2 October, 2008 at 10:28 pm

I looong for Korean food, at this very moment I’m craving for rice cake (gyung dan, songpyeon) I haven’t eaten it for about 30 years, but I still remember how it tastes!
In the Netherlands there is only 1 korean webshop (koreanonline.nl), recently opened, but no rice cake :-(

Who can help me with finding an online koreanshop with Korean sweets?
The skmart.co.uk seems pretty good, but it is only in Korean…

Food…the basics!

cheyoung 22 November, 2008 at 10:49 pm

To Harvey German, you could try the korean news paper in U.k
all Koreans read it and ask them for the korean society number.
Within the group, elders in the community might be able to help you out. If not I have a friend who owns a restaurant in soho..his mum comes and goes to Korea and she has been here for a long time, she might know something. Good luck and here is korean news paper link.
http://www.koweekly.co.uk/biz.php?mode=company&code=C01

Tel no for them is 0208336 1494

Michael 3 December, 2008 at 9:06 pm

Does anyone know the weekday opening hours for Hanna Supermarket??

Claire 6 December, 2008 at 1:04 am

This evening I was in a Korean restaurant in central London and was told that the owner once owned a restaurant in New Malden but lost it in a gambling debt. he has now reopened – in Goodge Street. Name of the restaurant is Mogi. no idea when this happened but ……Fascinating how the korean restaurant owners used to spend their spare time (and money)!

Philip Gowman 6 December, 2008 at 12:01 pm

Thanks Claire – good to have a bit more specific info on that gambling debt story! I hope Harvey follows up on this.
Philip

Claire 7 December, 2008 at 8:44 pm

Actually the name of the place was Miga. oops.

Johnny 5 February, 2009 at 1:13 am

I am looking for a Authentic Korean BBQ restaurant in London, where you’re allowed to cook it yourselves. I’m going to take a few friends there, who have never experienced Korean BBQ before!!
Somewhere which is reasonably priced and has a nice friendly service, also where fellow Koreans go to have a meal.
Please reply back to me B4 Friday evening 5/2/09
Cheers

Philip Gowman 5 February, 2009 at 11:35 pm

You won’t get charcoal in central London, but you’ll get table-top BBQs (gas-powered) in most places. I had a good BBQ in Nara last week; Jin is also good. Details of both in the allinlondon link in the article above. Most places will cook it for you at the table, but I guess you can shoo the waitress away.

Robbie Lazan 22 July, 2009 at 3:46 pm

For all you City Slickers, I’d like to recommend Ye Dang in rural Windsor. Really good authentic Korean/Japanese food in beautiful suroundings.
Justin the owner is definitely the host with the most…..also after several bottles of Soju you can be a star for a night in their huge Noraebang (Karaoke Room)
PS: Don’t forget to mention my name, he’ll be well chuffed!!!

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