Go On A Culinary Journey With Kimchee's Korean Food In London

Launched by Dong Hyun Kim in 2011

The name, “Kimchee” stands for a traditional favourite in Korea, which is layers of pickled cabbage with a garlic and chilli kick. Kimchee was launched in 2011 by Dong Hyun Kim who had the vision of introducing adventurous Londoners to the delectable flavours of Korean food at a reasonable price, which I would have to say that he has certainly successfully delivered.

The restaurant is very large and can seat about 150 people. You will find that there are crowds of people queuing outside in hope of getting a seat in this tasty eatery. I would advise that you check the opening hours (as they vary per day in the week) and make a reservation in advance. However, if you decide to visit it on an impromptu basis, I would urge you to be patient as the queue is definitely worth the wait.

There is also a gorgeous purposefully designed waiting area within the restaurant, which is complete with a water feature that makes the waiting experience an unusually peaceful encounter. From this waiting area, you overlook the kitchen where you can see the chefs barbecuing.

Decadent decor with dim lighting

The interior of Kimchee is visually pleasing with its modern dark and decadent décor. It has hanging lights and long tables with benches filling the room. It should be noted though that the tables and chairs are quite low and on the smaller side, so those with physical disabilities may have challenges in getting in and out of the seating area.

As I’ve mentioned above, the kitchen area is on display to show diners the food being prepared and is actually the only area of the restaurant that is fully lit up. The brightly lit kitchen contrasted with the dark décor of the rest of the restaurant is amazing when the fire roars in the kitchen, as it really enlightens the atmosphere in the restaurant.

Music is played in the background and blends well with the surrounding chatter of diners. Overall, there is a really sleek and stylish feel to the place and it has a bustling, hectic and brilliant atmosphere to it. From the outside, Kimchee looks like an ultra expensive restaurant, but it is surprisingly inexpensive for what you get, as you will see from the rest of this review.

Sik hye, Korean cold beverage is recommended

Once you’re seated, you will be given an extensive folding menu that includes drinks and food. The restaurant provided a combination of a number of fresh juices that will excite your taste buds from the onset. I would have to recommend the Berry Explosion which consists of strawberry, raspberry, blueberry and apple and costs 4 GBP (5 USD).

There are also other hot and cold drinks on offer and I would have to urge you to try the cold Korean rice beverage called sik hye, which costs 3.20 GBP (4 USD) per cup. This drink was like an ultra sweet cold tea and was an authentic refresher. It is a combination of liquid and solids as it contains grains of cooked rice and some pine nuts.

For starters, I insist that you try the Kim, which is thin layers of salted seasoned crispy seaweed for 1.90 GBP (2 USD) and the mandu vegetables, which are vegetable dumplings served with a light soy dipping sauce and costing 5.40 GBP (7 USD). The asparagus skewer served with a yuzu dressing and topped with sesame seeds, costing 2.90 GBP (4 USD) is also recommended.

Dolsot bibimbap, a dish that cooks in front of your eyes

Kimchee is known for its dolsot bibimbap and now having experienced this unusual dish, I can completely see why. For those of you, like me before this experience, that have never tried a bibimbap dish before, it is essentially a combination of rice, meat or tofu and egg that is served in a very hot stone bowl in which the food continues to cook after being served and as you stir it over time.

At Kimchee, you have the choice of raw beef, marinated beef, marinated chicken, tofu, eel or seafood in your bibimbap and it is served with a red chilli paste. The price for the Dolsot Bibimbap ranges from 8.70 GBP (11 USD) to 12 GBP (15 USD) contingent on what you choose as your option. I absolutely love the way that this dish unfolds in front of your eyes and each spoonful tastes ever so slightly different to the last one. This is because of the time in which it is slowly cooking. The rice at the bottom of the pot is golden brown and slightly crunchy.

If you’re not sold on the idea of the dolsot bibimbap then perhaps the udon noodles may take your fancy. This dish is stir-fried thick noodles and vegetables with either mixed seafood, sliced breaded chicken or lightly battered tofu and is served in a rich sweet soy sauce. The price range for this dish is from 8.30 GBP (10 USD) to 9.40 GBP (12 USD) and is contingent on the option that you select.

A variety of ice cream flavours on offer

Whilst the starters and the main portions are quite generous, you will find that your stomach will make room for dessert once it glances at these items on the menu. Kimchee offers an abundance of ice cream flavours including almond, black sesame, green tea, red bean and golden sweet chestnut. I would have to recommend the black sesame and the golden sweet chestnut ice cream. One scoop (which is quite a large scoop) costs 3.40 GBP (4 USD).

If you’re looking for a dessert that is cold and has multiple sweet flavours then I would recommend that you try the patbingsu for 5.95 GBP (7 USD) which is a popular Korean crushed ice dessert that is served with seasonal fresh fruit, red beans and ice cream. Alternatively, you should try the chap ssal ddeok for 2.10 GBP (3 USD), which is a traditional soft chocolate rice cake with a dusting of cocoa powder. This item is absolutely gorgeous and is served in four mini pieces which are chewy and so very chocolaty.