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Koba: Korean Magic [review] | London Eater
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A visit to my former favourite Myung Ga had been dissapointing, and so the search was on to rediscover Korean magic, and it has thus far led me to the doors of Koba, in the rambunctious company of fellow tweeters and new found friends.
This next dish was a cracker: Yook Hwei (£6.90) , seasoned raw beef with sliced pears – Korean style.
We ordered nearly everything from the barbeque menu from the kalbi (spare ribs), bulgogi (marinated sirloin), So Hyeo (ox tongue with salt & pepper) , Squid Gooi (squid with seasoned sauce) , Modeum Yachae Gooi (vegetables, mushroom) , Dak Bulgogi (sweet & spicy chicken), Samgyupsal (thinly sliced pork belly) and ….
Judging by the amount of food we devoured, it was abit of a steal, and it’s definitely one of the best Korean meals I have had in London.
I guess what I’m alluding to is that Koba is a great place for big groups, as you would all be sharing the food, you can literally afford to order everything on the menu.
Tom Parker Bowles reviews Koba: At last, a Korean with real Seoul ...
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I remember noodles, and civilised conversation, and that addictively sweet spicy tang that characterises a great deal of South Korean food.
Despite their roots being more Chinese than Korean, the fillings (beef and chicken) are that classic mix of sweet and spicy.
By now, our table barbecue has been lit, and a platter of kalbi (marinated pork ribs) and bulgogi (marinated beef) is being expertly hewn by our lovely waitress with a vast pair of scissors.
Lunch is nearly over, but then I spot bibimbap – rice, raw beef and egg – brought to the table in a lava-hot stone bowl.
Koba is one of those rare central London Korean places to which I actually want to return – à deux, for a quiet lunch, or with a big, boozy group, in true South Korean style.
On The Bab, restaurant review: Korean street dishes for hip diners ...
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If you were inventing a restaurant to promote London's scene it would, surely, be this: Korean street food in Hoxton.
The other drink that's popular is So Maek, which is a beer-and-spirit combo in a metal beaker – Mr M is bemused by it, but not hammered: soju is lighter than your average, or even artisan, gin or vodka.
The yangyum (small size, £11.90) is a heap of misshapes with crushed peanuts and either soy garlic or sweet spicy sauce and shredded cabbage and radish pickle.
Craftily, brilliantly, you can get this "half and half", the two sauces proving as addictive as each other.
Mr M is steadfastly working through his bibimbab, a rice-and-vegetable pot spiked with that piquant gochujang sauce and with spicy pork (or bulgogi beef, tender marinated strips) but it's a bit less zingy and more stomach-liner, if we're honest.
The London Foodie: London Restaurant Reviews - Koba
Koba | Korean Restaurant | Bloomsbury, London
food
It specialises in theatrical barbecued dishes which are put together and finished off at the table.
Bulgogi and kalbi (marinated sirloin and beef spare ribs respectively) are cornerstones of the cuisine, but the menu also promises everything from sliced ox tongue with salt-and-pepper sauce to sweet-and-spicy squid.
Otherwise, plump for one of the 'grand assortments' of mixed meats, seafood and vegetables.
Start with immaculately presented samsaek milsaam (Korean-style wrapped pancakes stuffed with meat and vegetables) or yook hwei (an oriental take on steak tartare with sliced pears) and finish with one of the unusual desserts.
Koba is also featured in: Hardens
On The Bab, restaurant review: Korean street dishes for hip diners ...
food menu drinks
If you were inventing a restaurant to promote London's scene it would, surely, be this: Korean street food in Hoxton.
The other drink that's popular is So Maek, which is a beer-and-spirit combo in a metal beaker – Mr M is bemused by it, but not hammered: soju is lighter than your average, or even artisan, gin or vodka.
The yangyum (small size, £11.90) is a heap of misshapes with crushed peanuts and either soy garlic or sweet spicy sauce and shredded cabbage and radish pickle.
Craftily, brilliantly, you can get this "half and half", the two sauces proving as addictive as each other.
Mr M is steadfastly working through his bibimbab, a rice-and-vegetable pot spiked with that piquant gochujang sauce and with spicy pork (or bulgogi beef, tender marinated strips) but it's a bit less zingy and more stomach-liner, if we're honest.
Koba | Restaurants in Fitzrovia, London
food
Koba remains one of the strongest players on the West End Korean scene since opening in 2005 – we’ve yet to have a disappointing meal here.
Barbecue meats such as beef kalbi or bulgogi are well marinated, and grilled at the table by efficient staff.
The spicy, slow-simmered short rib hotpot comes with chinese cabbage and sweet potato noodles as well as chunky pieces of beef, while the soft tofu stew is packed with seafood slivers.
Drinks include Korean beers, soju and a short wine list.
Check out more great Korean restaurants in London