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    Assa

    3.6 (50 reviews)
    ModerateKorean
    Open • 12:00 pm - 11:00 PM

    Assa Photos

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    Hotpot all mixed up :)
    Lise H.

    It was so hard to try and find a restaurant with spots in London - luckily Assa was not the case the Tuesday night we dropped by. Assa was recommended to me by a friend - and woo did it deliver! We came on a weekday night where there was a lot of open seats - we ordered the hotpot (which reminded me of budae jjigae - army stew) which came out with one of the portable stoves. The stew was amazing, and I love how you could customize the options. The portable stew definitely gave me homey vibes. We also got the seafood pancake and some stir fried udon as a compliment to our stew which also delivered. Amazing Korean place for my Asian fix in London! I've never had Korean bugae hotpot style, and Assa definitely delivered and hit the spot for me and my party!

    Kimchi jjigae and mandu for one! So good.
    Jenna S.

    Whenever I come to London, I will forever be making a stop here EVERY time!! I'm from LA and while I've been traveling, I've been trying to find amazing Korean food and this place takes the #1 spot! Great food - lovely service that's fast and pleasant - waiting in line was no big deal at all - and the restaurant has great energy and good vibes. I dined alone and didn't feel out of place or awkward. My meal was fantastic. I recommend the Mandi and kimchi jjigae!

    Jason A.

    Overall great dinner! I've always had a lot of Chinese hot pot, so I was curious when my London friend told me to try the Korean " hot pot ". It's kinda like stew but with a lot of ingredients. It's definitely a cool experience! The vibes were good but hard to get hold of the waiters since its so busy. Come early to avoid long queues!

    Bibimbap, seafood pancake and budae jjigae.
    Andy H.

    Great place for Korean food. The dishes were delicious and there was a huge queue to get in. It took a while, but once you get seared, the service is quick and the food did not disappoint. It is cramped, and obviously very busy due to it popularity. Many customers seem to be young students. I could not manage to use the toilet as there was no more paper in the stalls, and the place was a bit messy.

    Dooboo kimchi. The tofu was so so and the pork was scarce
    Cory W.

    This place was such a let down. Having lived in Korea for 6 years I feel confident that I know what Korean food is supposed to taste like, and my dear Assa, this ain't it. The "kimchi" was nothing more than seasoned raw cabbage. Even a quick fresh kimchi is more wilted than whatever it is that they served us and called "kimchi". I ordered the dooboo kimchi, one of my favorite drinking foods and the pork , if you could find any, was cut so small, and sautéed with another disappointing kimchi ( this dish is supposed to be made with very fermented kimchi) that it lacked the beautiful depth of flavor this dish was supposed to have. At least the prices were decent. There are way too many other Korean spots in the area to waste your precious stomach real estate (and money) on this place.

    Chicken Hot Pot
    Long N.

    TLDR: Great crowded vibe and hotpot. Not blow out of your mind food but ambience was very cool. It is crowded and there is a wait line starting around 6pm Food: 4/5, We ordered the Chicken Hotpot w/ extra ramen for two people. Normally, this pot came with half a piece of ramen, so we ordered an extra side for 3 pounds to split. The broth was decently flavorful. My taste bud showed the broth was a mix of Tom Yum and maybe something Salty (fish sauce?). My SO stated she didn't notice anything sour from it. The chicken sausage tasted great as well as the ham. The chicken thighs were average, not well marinated but that didn't matter. It was a big hot dish. It comes with two sides: bean sprouts (classic) and kimchi (did not taste like kimchi, it was the harder white green with a less sour taste) Ambience: 5/5, this is not for those in a rush. I'm a tourist. I was enjoying the line (10min) and the small cramped room.

    LA Galbi
    Vivienne C.

    Probably the most authentic Korean restaurant I've found so far in London which is surprising because it's located in the tourist areas. Was able to find a table easily even though it was a weekend which I was really happy about. - Complimentary Banchans - Honestly these weren't that good. I feel you can tell if a restaurant is good based on their kimchi, which was actually quite tough to chew on and didn't have a lot of flavor. My worries we're quickly assuaged as the rest of the meal turned out to be pretty good. - LA Galbi - Weird how galbi is associated with Los Angeles but anyways, I thought this meat was okay. Could skip because not as tender as I hoped. The weakest dish out of the three that we ordered. - Seafood Soondubu Jiggae - Actually very solid tofu soup, such comfort flavors! There was a ton of seafood in there and the soup was quite rich. Would highly recommend and its also not too spicy which is nice for people who have low spice tolerance like me. - Naengmyeon - I've never had Naengmyeon before and honestly didn't know how much I was missing out on until now. The noodles were super chewy but also very flavorful dipped in the slightly spicy "soup". I was always turned off by this dish because there's just a huge ice cube sitting there, but I'm actually so glad I ordered it because it was delicious. Overall, very satisfied with my experience here and will definitely come back to try their other dishes like the hot pot which it seemed like every other table was ordering.

    retro budaejiggae(?)
    Nicole L.

    This place is super popular with young people! Most people come here with a group, so if you wanna eat with 3+ people, expect for a really long queue. Overall, the food was pretty good (the hot pot was hot and spicy!!) and so was service :)

    Spicy Tofu/Pork Stew
    Jing Shyang Y.

    I'll just get out the way that the service was a little poor, as was the allergy advice, but assuming that's fine, the food and drink were tasty and offset most of the negativity. A member of our group had an egg allergy, and despite asking if the Bimibap had egg, and whether we could have it without egg, we were assured that it did not have egg. So imagine our surprise when it came with just an egg yolk on top. Luckily we fished this out, allowed our friend to take the bits that hadn't touched this, then went to mix it, hilariously we then found egg white at the very bottom of the dish. Noting that our companion had already started eating this and not triggered his allergy, we did kind of laugh this off... Anyway, the rest of the food was great. We ordered Soju and a plum wine, and note eating is a lot more fun with drinking games and shots during random intervals. The pancakes were filling, the kimchi, just spicy enough without requiring a light cool tea which is helpfully provided for free. The chicken soba noodles were good, as was a broth made from a lot of Korean red pepper paste, with pork, peppers and other vegetables. The only thing I could fault were the ribs, that were extremely small and bony. At the end of the meal, it was strange, as we opted between ourselves to split the bill onto our 4 cards, only to be told the place has a policy where only 2 cards could be used. Trying to ask why explaining that the fee Assa pays from 4 cards would be just the same as from 2 cards, was just met with uncomfortable silence, at least the way I understand credit companies to work. So just note this when you try to pay. Anyway, that failed to spoil a brilliant experience and I'd be back, just hopefully they don't remember me as the guy that tried to argue about % fee on credit card payments... :D

    Setting the scene^=_=^
    Katie W.

    Food was amazing, just nice and hot, perfect on a cold autumn day. However, staff was not polite nor willing to come to your table to help. Top TIP: get there at 6pm or before otherwise it is crowded af and you have to wait in the cold. If staff were better, I'd definitely give a 4.5/5 stars. Food was pricey but still affordable, a typical hot pot you can share costs £26, and that's without ramyeon, glass noodles, rice or tteok (rice cakes).

    Hot pot
    Daniel F.

    I first knew of Assa when I was walking past that part of soho one evening and saw droves of Asians (Koreans) braving the cold to line up in wait. I did my own version of them this very month, waiting patiently for 20 minutes. A member staff actually kept us informed quite well and once in you realise it's a big restaurant. Not many tourists inside which was good sign. We of course ordered the Korean hot pot, with beef and tofu. I love this process though it is always a bit funny that they give you the ingredients and you have to cook. But it's authentically Korean. I liked the broth a lot and the marinated beef was tender. The vegetables good too. All in all I quite like it. Compared to Seoul it of course isn't the best as and this is what frustrates me about Korean food here is that you have to pay for the sides (kimchi etc) when normally they should be free. Pity.

    Wendy f.

    Great Korean place The food is authentic ;) (If you want to eat out at a restaurant and wondering if it's authentic then look around the restaurant for other asians, we only spend our money on deserving food ;p) this place is always busy which is a good indicator the second is it's mostly full of Koreans ;) The portions are a great size to share The average price is £6-10 for a main They have a great choice of dishes I have ordered the Kimchi Rice cake and noodles the bibimbap meat and rice dishes rice noodle dishes great for small groups, just be ready to have to que for a table

    Little portion of noodle and ricecakes~ may be only 1/4 pack of noodle used for this dish!

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    Page 1 of 2

    Assa Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Assa

    “First of all, this place is known for its Korean hot pot, but we were rebels and didn't have any.”

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    People searched for Korean 1,028 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

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    Jinjuu - My Pret coffee wrapped in tissues because it offended "the manager"

    Jinjuu

    4.1(115 reviews)
    0.3 mi•Soho
    •£££

    Great food. Awesome atmosphere. And located in one of London's most poppin' neighborhoods. If you…read morelike Korean food, this is your new jam. The interior gives you a sense of being in an underground bar somewhere in Asia, and it comes complete with Pucca dolls nestled on top of the booze bottles behind the bar. There is seating both upstairs and downstairs, but given how crazy it gets, if you're planning on coming, book in advance. I've eaten here twice, and I can safely say that the food is legit! It's surprisingly authentic given the location, and the drinks aren't half-bad, either. The Bibimbap with Bulgogi Beef is one of my favorites, thus far, with the perfect ratio of rice to beef, kimchi to veggies. It's one hearty dish, so come hungry. The Signature Fried Chicken is also done to perfection, and if you've ever had Korean Fried Chicken before, you know what I'm talking about. It's not expensive, but sadly, you only get 2 pieces. Believe me, you will want more. I can also vouch for the cocktails. Being a girly drinker myself, I can't pass up a delicious fruity cocktail from people who know how to put it together well. However, they also have a great Happy Hour with some of the cheapest beer you'll find to pair perfectly with your meal. That is how they do it in Korea anyway, isn't it?

    They treated us like no other. 12/10 stars…read more You want to come here for not only fine surrounding but TOP Shelf food.

    Photos
    Jinjuu - Jinjuu signature snickers hotteok

    Jinjuu signature snickers hotteok

    Jinjuu - Jinjuu signature Spiced Kimchi Mary

    Jinjuu signature Spiced Kimchi Mary

    Jinjuu - Selection of soju

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    Selection of soju

    K Place - Those are extractor fans.

    K Place

    3.4(30 reviews)
    2.1 mi•Aldgate
    •££

    I had never tried Korean barbecue before so I was excited to give this place a go. It's on the…read moretastecard which is how I found it so you can get some money off your bill and if you select the 10 course set menu you really get enough food to be stuffed by the end. As I found out, when you go for Korean barbecue you have the actual barbecue in the middle of your table so you can cook your own meat and veggies just like you want them. But before you get to that there is an array of delicious starters and sides that are put in your table, meats, fish, seafood, vegetables, rice and soups. Once you go through most of those, you meats of choice are brought out and the barbecue is turned heated up. You can then start cooking your steaks using the special wooden cutlery and cut them up with a pair or scissors. This way you can be sure you have everything as soon as it's done and nothing gets cold. We decided to go with the set menu that offers 3 types of meat per person but if you really want to push your limits or have not eater for days there's an unlimited meat option too. If you pick that one, I salute you. Anyway, I definitely enjoyed everything I tried and look forward to going back soon. I recommend going there with a group as that would be great fun and you can order a greater variety of foods. Either way it's worth putting it in your schedule.

    Naru has been my long running fave Korean restaurant in central London for quite a number of years…read more- whilst it's still good in a great location, I've found a new place to direct ppl for awesome Korean food. We had a really early reservation because we had tickets to the RWC later that evening - got there right at opening around 5:30. This place looks like a proper Korean BBQ place because they have the vents that suck the BBQ smoke from the table. We were tempted at the Buffet menus but given that it was quite early we decided on getting the kimchi jeon, spicy pork and fried chicken. First they came out with banchan & kimchi - very few places in London offer this so a major plus as it reminds me of places in NY. The kimchi jeon was really good - at first looked a bit small as only two pieces came out but there was a bit of a confusion between the lunch menu so we got the other half later on! The spicy pork was good - I much prefer the one at Naru but still quite good. We asked them to cook it in the kitchen as it's not worth the effort to bbq at the table for 1 portion. The Korean fried chicken was probably the best I've had in London so far. We wanted half and half and they were quite nice to offer the sauce on the side. It was deliciously fried - comparing this to On the bab last week, we like this one a lot more. One funny thing to highlight is the plain rice. I grew up with a mom who was quite fussy about white rice and this place... they do it quite well. Fluffy and a bit on the sticky side. Lastly, in a typical Korean restaurant fashion, we received fruit salad at the end of our meal. We will definitely be back!

    Photos
    K Place - Cook food at your table

    Cook food at your table

    K Place
    K Place

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    Hot Stone - First course: sashimi

    Hot Stone

    3.4(14 reviews)
    1.7 mi•Islington

    Solid experience at hot stone! The food is delicious and service on point. Perfect for date night,…read moreor a hang out with your girlfriends. Highly recommend buying their vouchers when available to come, to get the most value. We purchased the 5 year birthday offer at £30/person which came with a five course meal. The vouchers go on sale during certain holidays - you can find all their previous offers online. Be sure to ensure there are promotional seating when making a reservation and follow the terms and conditions. Total meal with drinks, the oyster supplement and service charge was just under £100 for two (including the vouchers). Price is quite steep without the voucher and doesn't represent value to me personally. (You've been warned!)

    That Wagyu though!…read more Swung by here at the tail end of my trip in London. Showed up around 8 and got a seat at the bar without any wait on a Tuesday night. Ordered myself 2 orders of salmon sashimi, and the wagyu hot stone meal. The Salmon Sashimi: Very generous thick cuts of salmon. Fresh tasting and delicious. What more could you want? Get This. The Wagyu Hot Stone meal: Oh man I love wagyu steak, and here you can get it for only 25 quid. Cut up your steak and grill it on the stone for a little on each side, and have it melt in your mouth. This came with a side of seaweed salad and a nice spicy sauce to dip the meat in. Get this. If you're coming to a place called Hot Stone you've gotta take in the experience of grilling your meats on an actual hot stone, but also add some sushi / sashimi to your meal because the slices are thick, and its as fresh as I had during my stay in London. Will be back!

    Photos
    Hot Stone - Fourth course/main course: hot stone wagyu

    Fourth course/main course: hot stone wagyu

    Hot Stone - Fifth course/dessert; matcha and miso caramel cheesecake

    Fifth course/dessert; matcha and miso caramel cheesecake

    Hot Stone - Third course; eggplant with miso glaze and truffle

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    Third course; eggplant with miso glaze and truffle

    Assa - korean - Updated September 2026

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