A Kim Cheeky meal in Holborn

(Kim Chee)

                                                                                                                 

I heart Korean munch

I've been a massive fan of Korean food since I was introduced to it a couple years ago (at my local on the Finchley Road called Seoul).


So, last Tuesday night, when Tea Pot and myself ventured to one of Holborn's current hot spots- Kim Chee- we were both excited and nervous. Excited that we were going to try out a restaurant a few friends of ours had been raving about, but nervous that we were letting down the 'home team' Seoul in order to do so.


As if things couldn't get any more intense, we were accompanied by our dear friends, the Txt2blairs, of whom Mr.Txt2blair is of the Kosher persuasion, limiting what he could order on the menu. 

As you can tell...the pressure was most definitely on....

Almost felt like a North (west London) Korean vs (Slightly more) South Korean war we had on our hands.

So, when we arrived at 8.15 and found out that the place was so busy that we would have to wait for half an hour to be seated, I'm sure you can guess that we weren't best pleased. Of course, this wasn't helped by the fact that we had to spend that time waiting bang smack in front of the BBQ where the chefs prepared all the meat for their already seated customers! So despite its modern and quirky look, on first impressions it was very much our local restaurant that took the lead. North West Korea 1, Slightly more South Korea 0. 

It was literally painful waiting to be seated

The battle may have been won, but this particular Korean War was far from over as we were seated much sooner than expected. Soon enough we were flicking through the menu and noted the vast amount of choices for our vegetarian comrade Mr. Txt2blair...North West Korea 1, Slightly more South Korea 1. 

The mother of Korean munch: dolsot bibimbab

We ordered a plethora of treats...some traditional kim chee (spiced cabbage), deep fried tofu, spare rib broth, salmon and cod fillets, and of course an absolute MUST at any Korean gaff: some dolsot bibimbab (basically meat or tofu with rice, vegetables in a boiling clay pot with a cracked egg on top that cooks as you stir all the yummy goodness around.

We also decided to accompany the food with some quite delightful plum tea...well played Teapot and Miss Txt2blair for the suggestion.


So, all in all the meal was great and we were suitably stuffed. The service was also pretty impressive (our beef rib broth was quite bland, so after apologising profusely the manager immediately changed it for a much better one and gave us a discount at the end of the meal), meaning that Kim Chee suddenly took the lead. North West Korea 1, Slightly more South Korea 2. 

However, a key element of the experience was still to come...the bill. Would Kim Chee come out on top, or would Teapot and I would be cursing ourselves because we'd betrayed our local for an expensive night out? 

Needless to say, the bill was astounding... a mere £20 pp for a sh*tload of Korean food and drink. So, just as we thought North (west) Korea had come out on top, South Korea pulled out all the tricks...North West Korea 1, Slightly more South Korea 3. ....unbelievable!

Lad.

To conclude therefore, overall I'd say that whether it's your first time trying Korean out or not, the atmospheric Kim Chee should be tried by anyone who fancies a good quality meal for a very reasonable price.

If you want to check it out, visit their site on:

http://www.kimchee.uk.com/

1luv,

Finey

x

p.s. Thanks Singfood for the hook up- keep up the good work!