Assa

Assa is great! Whether you’re a fan of Korean food or a Kimchi virgin, this restaurant will make you come back for more.On this particular night we visited the Soho branch of Assa, located on the very hip and happening Romilly Street in Soho. All the dishes are created for sharing so the cost of a(substantive) meal and a drink or two should set you back a reasonable £15-17. A good deal for good food in Central London!

The spicy porkbelly my personal favourite. It hit the spot with just the right balance of its fat versus don’t-care ratio. The bright red marinade was grilled in helps highlight the succulence and sheer magnificence of the pork.

Assa serves a variety of hotpots most of them accompanied with kimchi (you can’t escape it, just surrender to it and you’ll realise it ain’t so bad to begin with). We ordered a sea food hotpot with glass noodles. The spicy broth has quite an intense flavour, so make sure you can handle the heat. Also,handy tip- you can ask for “refills” of broth and noodles in you want to keep the party going on even after you know you should stop eating.

And the freebies are yummy too- and not only because they’re free.

Although we couldn’t find this on the menu, make sure you order the bibimbap. A quintessential part of Korean cuisine, this signature dish consists of rice topped with sautéed veggies, some sort of meat, a raw or fried egg and a good stir to make sure everything is mixed up. It’s an unpretentious dish that allows simple and brilliant ingredients to talk for themselves. And it’s served in a warm stone bowl- no one can say no to a bit of presentation, eh?! Sorry the picture shows bimbibap after we whisked it up- we were ravenous at that point and couldn’t wait for the camera to capture its pre-stirred prettiness.

And as for the beer- well, the picture says it all.

I’ve heard mixed reviews about the service in both branches. Personally, I’ve never had a bad experience there- sure the waiters don’t speak very good English but they seem to understand what you want and make sure you get it fast. So for me, they exceed the minimum requirement anyway. They don’t have a website as yet, and don’t take reservations unless you’re a party bigger than 4 people, but do visit when you feel like having some quality Korean or adventurous if you haven’t tried it before.

Assa- Soho branch Tel: 020 7240 8256

Assa- Tottenham Court Road Tel: 020 7240 8256

Koya

Located on the very trendy Frith Street in Soho, adjacent to Mooli’s (see post below), is Koya. This restaurant presents itself as a rarity in London for a couple of reasons, 1) its affordable Japanese!!! 2) its Japanese food without the pretentious ambiance and snooty staff, 3) did I mention it’s cheap?

Right, so onto the food. I will admit, my friend and I did completely missed the point of eating at an Udon (type of thick wheatflour noodle) place by ordering donburi (rice dishes). What can I say, the Indian in me cannot be suppressed. But I did regret my decision (somewhat) when I saw all the tables around me get served some very delicious looking hot and cold Udon.

I opted for the Kamodon which is rice with duck…

…and my friend went for the Ten Curry Don which is basically white sticky rice topped with curry garnished with a massive prawn tempura. This dish looked like a work of art, almost too beautiful to eat...almost.

Both dishes were served with a bowl of piping hot miso, which was very delectable.

The Kamodon was interesting and I don’t mean this in an euphemistic sense. I’ve never tasted duck like this before- it was coated with some sort of batter but not fried. So it retained its yummy duck flavour but had a rather peculiar texture. I wasn’t completely sold on it, but then again that might have been because I was expecting a crispy, roast duck. Yes, I know Chinese and Japanese cuisine are worlds apart. Anyway, like I said before, you might be better off ordering udon here. The Kinoko-Hiya Atsu (cold udon served with hot broth) which is a mushrooms with walnut miso was clocked for next time.

My friend’s dish which was simply delicious. The curry was typical of Japanese cuisine- flavourful without being spicy. The crispy texture of the tempura contrasted beautifully with the mushiness of the rice. Definitely worth ordering if you’re sure you don’t want to try the udon. OK, I’m done reemphasizing what an idiot I was to not order the friggin udon.

There's a certain aesthetic charm that extends itself beyond the food at Koya. The simple wooden tables, the wall-hung wooden panel menu boards, the handwritten specials board all add to the unmissable wabi-sabi of the place.

Koya delivers what it promises- simple and authentic Japanese fare that makes you want to come back for more.

Little word of advise- make reservations. Word has gotten out and this place always has a queue outside.

Check them out- http://www.koya.co.uk/