Colleague dinner this past evening; One of whom had never had Korean BBQ before. All the dinner food was spot on. Meats with great depth of flavor. Sides were slamming with the right mix of umami, sour, sweet, and salty. Kimchi was very good. Med spice and ferment on it made it perfect to accompany everything we ate! It's a busy, loud place and the wait staff is flying all over the place. Will return for certain. read more

Kimchee - Very cool utensils! - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

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First thing is that the food was great. Plan on hopefully going back. Then, thanks to your staff. We didn't realize that we had asked for barbecue seating, which was downstairs so the members of your staff were very helpful in getting us the lift and seeing that we were taken care of. Above and beyond!!! Also since we were seated downstairs is was much less crowded and noisy, greatly appreciated too!!!! I posted a picture but started to eat before I took anymore. read more

Kimchee - Beef Bulgogi - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

Being in the UK as a Korean is tough because you crave for kimchi more than ever. Kimchee (restaurant) provided much relief and joy for me exactly when I needed my kimchee/spicy food fix. When I called my Korean unni who happens to go to Oxford, she highly recommended this place and we decided to meet here for lunch. It's quite fancy inside & outside which makes it a nice meeting spot. We dined outdoors because the weather was lovely and the gardens were very well kept. I ordered the dolsot rice & spicy pork ssam. My unni got the jjajang noodles. Almost all the side dishes are not included in the meal-very different from what you'd normally get at any Korean restaurant in the States. Here, you have to pay an extra £4 for a side of kimchee and £3 for regular rice. I was so deprived of all things kimchee that I was just happy that they were available! It's quite rare to find legitimate Korean restaurants in London, and Kimchee might actually be the only one closest to King's Cross Pancras Square! Service was fantastic and food was so sooo delicious, so five stars from me! read more

Kimchee - Korean food is so elegant. - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

Overall excellent service and food. I prefer being downstairs where it feels a bit more cozy.

5 stars for the interior, dimly lit, high ceilings, oversized cool lamps. Looks like it could be expensive, but there's plenty of main course options around 11 pounds. The chicken bibimbap was ok. Rice, noodles, carrots, cabbage, cucumber. Comes out piping hot. Chicken could used some more marinade. I have only had Korean food a few times, so can't say whether this is authentic or not. The tofu udon noodles were ok. A very slimy type of noodles that I don't normally go for. Not enough tofu pieces. The temperature was luke warm, which didn't help bring out flavors. The kimchi was quite spicy. You are supposed to get some free kimchi and other stuff at the beginning of the meal, which for me is one of the big selling points of this cuisine, but that didn't happen here, which makes me question the level of authenticity. The long communal tables also aren't really my style. The ambiance saved the night and the service was not too bad. read more

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I like Korean food and found Kimchee to be alright at best, not as good as some the more authentic Korean restaurants in London, but if you prefer chain Asian food with a more Westernised spin, then it's a good choice. The bibimbap was not bad, I prefer the egg yolk raw like it should be but it was fried, and no banchan (complimentary sides) were served and had to be ordered separately. On the plus side, the kimchi tasted good and the portions were generous. They also have a great drinks menu and a lovely variety of fresh teas made with tea leaves. Service was very slow, took ages to get the waiter to take orders, pay the bill etc. they were not attentive at all. Price was on the higher side plus service charge added. The restaurant itself is very busy and loud but it has lots of seating and big long tables so it's great for groups. There's also window seats for solo diners which is handy. Overall, not the best for Korean in London but decent selection of dishes and quite tasty. read more

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Really enjoyed it...especially decor-wise I was very impressed. Think Hakkasan and a more refined Ping Pong (Great Marlborough Street) and you kind of know what to expect. But also food-wise the restaurant ticked my boxes: the presentation was beautiful and the flavours were spot-on. Especially the barbecued beef was a tasty revelation (despite the texture being a little too chewy). Another standout is the staffing: my dining companion remarked that she felt like in an international hostel where people from all over the world worked: you were led to the table by Miss Poland, served drinks by Mr Korea; your orders were taken by Mme French and the bill was presented by Mr Turkish... While I really enjoyed this international flair, I think - like in the real world - they have not really learned how to play well together, nor are they aces when it comes to hospitality. After all, just because you have a fancy ear-piece and a walky-talky doesn't mean you're very well-organised! Yet, like I said in the beginning, I was really quite impressed and can definitely recommend you to pay a visit to this establishment! Jal Meokkesseumnida (which, according to Google, means Bon Appetit in Korean.) read more

Kimchee - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

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I was staying at the hotel nearby and was walking around on Sunday looking for some good food. I chanced about Kimchee and decided to see what Korean London was about. It turned out to be quite good actually. The beef bibimbap was very good. The beef is raw and cooks in the pot. It was tasty but I wanted more protein and I got the bulgogi beef as well which was good too. The decor was very trendy, nice use of wood and water and they have a nice bar downstairs. Service was not great and hence the 3 star review... I had to ask for a help anytime I needed something, they never checked up on me. read more

I'm Korean. I crave Korean food all the time. When I walked by this place on a quiet night in Holborn, the familiar smell lured me in. I ordered the bulgogi (marinated barbecued beef), the bibim naeng-myun (cold spicy noodles), and the dweng-jang jigae (tofu stew with a Korean miso broth). Oh, and I ordered kimchi, because sacrilegiously, this restaurant does not offer banchan or even its namesake, kimchi, for free. It's not that the food is bad here, it's just not at all authentic or even close to the description. Their bulgogi is just barbecued meat without the familiar marinade (bulgogi specifically means marinated meat). Their naeng-myun (very thin buckwheat noodles in beef bone broth) is really just kuk-soo (generic noodles in soya-sesame flavored random cold broth). Fellow Koreans and fans of Korean food, stay away if you don't want to be offended. To everyone else, this is a decent Asian restaurant that will suit most tastebuds (no spice/taste). Service is true to Korean style - the dishes arrive when they arrive. Appetizers might come after entrees, drinks after the whole meal.. who knows, roll the dice. read more

Pretty posh! I still prefer the homier Tohbang but Kimchee has a few offerings that my Korean standby on Clerkenwell Road does not, namely: frozen yogurt jjajangmyeon Since I really, really love both, and being in nicely designed spaces, I'll be back. Especially if I'm on my own as the long bar in the window seems perfect for a spot of solo dining. read more

The food was great, but the service was terrible. The waitress forgot my food, then when I asked about my bimibap it she brought out a side of rice. I then told her this isn't what I ordered. She then remembered, and said it would be 2 minutes because my party finished eating. When I asked her to cancel it, she again said it would take 2 mins. So my food came out when everyone else was finished. It also took forever to get our check, and I finally asked another waiter to help us. Aaaaand that side of rice I didn't order was on the check. They seemed annoyed that I asked them to remove it. They also made it seem like splitting the check was a big deal... Which I'll let go because he's not the first server who flipped out when I asked for a check split in London. read more

Kimchee - Dolsot bibimbap with tofu. - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

I've been saving my 100th review for some place special. This is my new restaurant crush- so it has to be here! I've been to their fast food little sister Kimchee-To-Go a billion times and thought it was finally time to try the official restaurant. I suggested it for a family get together and we were all made believers. I quickly decided to have my birthday dinner here. Pluses: +The decor is modern and chic with a feel of Asian screens and Korean ceramics on display which is right next to: +The open kitchen. I have to restrain myself not to shove a fancy lettuce leaf in my mouth as I walk by. +Good for groups with long tables +FOOD FOOD FOOD A huge selection for all sorts of eaters. The vegan selection is pretty impressive. Buckwheat noodle salad, vegetable dumplings, soups, bibimbap, and my current fav: Stir fried Udon. (I tend to not get stir fried udon because I could easily make it at home. After trying someone else's, I promptly made sure I had a whole portion to myself the next time. And I did.) Meat & seafood dishes were also given a thumbs up by the crowd. +Vegetarian dishes are clearly marked. +Cocktails. Quite an array of interesting-in-a-good-way drinks including traditional (dairy free) rice milk alcohol. I love the Kimberry (raspberry liqueur, rice milk brew, raspberries and mint). +Prices. Pretty decent! Mains are under £9. +Toilets! I go as many times as possible because they are that nice. I also like to admire the waiting-area lounge downstairs. Minuses: -No reservations. Make sure most of your group comes together (silver lining: you can wait at the cool bar downstairs for a table) -Group tables can only fit 8 people, separating a larger group a bit. I'm not sure if the tables can be pushed together (especially if it's busy). -No vegetarian kimchi (but they do have namuls) -I want/attempt to eat everything. Bonus points: Friends are super impressed and thus impressed with you. See you soon, Kimchee! read more

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Oh Kimchee what a shame! You *could* be so good!! I'll go with the good parts first, as some things really made me happy here: * As everyone else has mentioned, Kimchee looks chic, and cool. The toilets were be-autiful with nice smelling soap. * It has mouth-watering meat broiling next to a glass window at the front to get your appetite up. Yum. * The food is pretty good. It seems like an Alan Yau-type of establishment (like Busaba, Wagamama, Cha cha moon etc.) so it's not too pricey, but well presented, decent grub. If the service was better, it'd be a solid 3 or 4 stars. But this is all let down by the service! * We had to wait in the line outside for about 20 minutes, then another 15 minutes inside. This isn't such a biggie...I'm getting used to it in London now BUT as they had given us the menu while we waited, we were all ready to order by the time we sat down. However the waitress wandered off never to be seen again! It took at least 10 minutes before we could flag someone down to let us order! - Eep 1. * The staff didn't really know how much we should order for starters. We were planning to share several things, but our waiter didn't know if they'd be easy to split...he didn't really know anything when we questioned him about our order. It made us wonder if he'd ever actually eaten the food here - Eep 2. * They took an incredibly long time to bring drinks. When they finally arrived, they brought me the wrong wine, and took even longer to bring my friend's beer. We had to ask twice before the beer arrived. Eep 3. * We asked for tap water when we ordered when we first sat down. They didn't bring it until we had almost finished. Eep 4. * They didn't bring plates, so it was hard to share the starters. Wtf - Eep 5. * They didn't bring spoons for the soup(!) I really don't know how they expected me to eat soup from a hot pot with chopsticks! Eep 6. * They added an extra service charge to our bill despite their terrible service. Oh! And then the waiter took a really long time to bring back our change...maybe he was hoping we'd just leave without it so he'd gain an extra tip!? Ah well. read more

Kimchee - Meaty view while you wait for a table... - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

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I was studying a little ways down at Starbucks with a friend and we decided to find some lunch. Although the reviews from Kimchee on Yelp are pitiful, I figured I'd head in and come to my own conclusion... If you're looking for traditional Korean food, go somewhere is. If you're looking for Korean-inspired food, come here. It's not bad at all, but I felt some of the flavors were a bit off. We ordered the Beef bibimbap along with an order of bulgalbi. The bibimbap was pretty good, but I was a bit disappointed with the bulgalbi. It just lacked flavor... & the best thing about ordered galbi in a traditional Korean setting is the marinated flavor on it. My happy ending to this lunch was the black sesame ice cream. It is amazing! Great atmosphere here and a decent lunch spot. I'd honestly come back to try a few more things on the menu. Service wasn't particularly bad or good, but the food comes out rather quickly so that's always a good thing. read more

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What a great place to get some yummy Korean lunch. This shop operates along the same line as Wasabi and Itsu. Salads, sushi and noodles are packed up neatly, to be either eaten in or taken back to the work place. We had the Korean pancake, hot tofu salad and a mix of sushi and noodles plus plum tea and Aloe Vera for drinks. It decently priced and the portions were very nice. Loads of vegetarian options. read more

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This is officially the first time I visited an exclusive Korean restaurant (although I've eaten Korean food many times before). First I begin to tell of how trendy and hip the place looked. It is located in the centre of the city and very approachable by subway. The restaurant had a very spacious place, very well decorated, modern and well-designed furniture, and above all, frequented by young and well-dressed people. The service was quite below average, IMO. The waitress seemed to forget a lot and we have to wait a considerable time before they noticed us and ask to make the order. The food was delicious though. The kimchee was quite tasty and the dolsot bibimbap was delicious and fulfilling. But the best food we tried on this restaurant were the desserts. Although they were not "traditionally" Korean, it was something I've never tasted before. I highly recommend the green tea jelly with Matang. read more

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Ok, I have very mixed feelings with this place because I had a fairly decent experience and the food overall was pretty tasty. However, lack of authenticity and certain dishes tasting quite off turned me off from giving this place 4 stars. The ambience is very nice. Clean, well-kept and modern. The strange part about the restaurant is there are virtually no Koreans in the restaurant. Now, not to sound weird or anything, but I seriously don't feel comfortable when I go into a restaurant and I am not able to order in my native tongue. I mean I could see the 2 chefs in the very back were Korean, but that was about it. Starters were decent and same with the side dishes. The side dishes were decent. I found the kimchi to be very tasty and not too sour, and not too soft. It was actually perfect in my opinion. The sprouts were not very tasty though. It felt like it was missing sesame oil and of course the sesame seeds as well. Tsk tsk. The spicy rice cakes were delicious and well made. I found it to be quite tasty. Entrees. 4 out of the 5 that came out were fairly tasty. The black bean paste noodles were fairly tasty, but the seafood noodle stew (Jjam Bbong) was a bit on the bland side. Spice and salt could've been added a bit more and perhaps even using broth instead of water would've worked altogether. The bbq spicy pork dish was fairly tasty alongside with the bulgogi. The dish I think that set me off and definitely made me rate this place from a 4 to a 3 was the kimchi cchigae (kimchi stew). It tasted like miso soup mixed in with the most disgusting ingredients possible. It was terrible. My friend liked it because he doesn't know what the dish was supposed to taste like. I was horrified that this place made this dish this way. Overall the place isn't too shabby and the service was decent. The prices were fairly decent considering it was a Korean restaurant and for how much we ordered. However, I would reconsider going to another restaurant. The only reason why I came to this one was because it was Sunday night and they served black bean paste noodles. read more

I was wildly hungry when I got here which was not ideal as the service is incredibly slow. Also they bring out everything at different times, luckily mine was first so no one got hurt. It's really nice looking restaurant with awesome features like a built in compartment under the seats for keeping your bags - great for people like me who are paranoid about having their stuff snatched! Food was generally quite good I thought, I'd agree with other reviewers that the bibimbap wasn't the best but the bulgalbi was delicious, it's always a favourite of mine. The Kimchee Jeon panckae was quite nice, a good option for vegetarians. I was really disappointed they didn't have the Yuk Hwae (raw beef) because it sounded yum and I wanted to try it. I ended up going for soft shell crab fried in breadcrumbs which wasn't great - just a bit stodgy. For dessert we had the Chap Ssal Ddeok which is a weird spongy rice cake. It was DELICIOUS. Like eating a really delicious slug. If you haven't tried Korean before and want somewhere easy to get to this (or Tohbang which isn't far) is a good enough place to start. Otherwise, head to New Malden! read more

Very modern decor, but thats no suprise as the full length windows give you a peek into what to expect. I arrived with a Korean friend who I knew would introduce me to traditional dishes. We were seated at the window, where I felt we were on display to pedestrian walking by, prefer to sit away next time just felt like I had to be on best behaviour lol. Food was good quality and fortunately my friend tells me the kimchi was quite good very crispy not too limp. When the bill arrived it was a pleasant surprise to see the total - very reasonable indeed. Was looking forward to coming here for a while, im not sure if I'll be coming back in a hurry but wouldn't rule it out if I were in the area looking for dinner. read more

Kimchee - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

A couple of friends and I went to Kimchee after work. The decor is stylish and contemporary with floor to ceiling windows. It was empty when we arrived (around 6pm), but it filled up very quickly. We ordered the seafood pancake, dduk bok gi and the tofu kimchi to share. I thought they were all very good but I would have to say the tofu kimchi was my favorite. The tofu pieces were perfectly fried and the kimchi was just salty enough. I had the beef dolsot bibimbap which was very good (and hot). My only complaint is that they were slightly stingy on the beef, otherwise it was as perfect bibimbap! I would definitely recommend Kimchee if you're in the area. The service was quick, the food was good, and the atmosphere was lively! read more

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Modern restaurant with OK Korean food- one thing the U.K. doesn't really have is a real K-Town, although I'm told the place to go is New Malden on the fringes of London. There are a few places in central London, including this one , which feels like it's competing with the likes of Wasabi and Itsu. However, I'd say the food, while not perfect, is infinitely preferable to the vat cooking at the former, and the general insipidity of the latter. Expect to pay about £9 for a drink, a side ( ie kimchee), and a main ( the Korean fried chicken is nice, but not stellar) to eat in. read more

Went here with my girlfriend and 4 friends. The decor is very nice and modern. Cleverly setting the diners away from the busy road. The chap that served us was very good for suggestions and checking the food would suit us. Service is quite quick and in the Wagamama style of it arrives when it arrives. The presentation is superb and the food is very tasty. A varied menu should cater for everyone. Had a really nice meal here and will be going back a few times I'm sure. read more

Kimchee - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

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I came here right after I arrived in London in February because my friends have been wanting to try it. It was super crowded and we waited for about 10 minutes for our party of three. I ordered the jajangmyeon and a pot of green tea. I would say the portion was average, maybe a bit too small for me but I eat a lot. We also shared some bulgogi which came with lettuce and that was also pretty good. Not the best Korean food I've had, but it wasn't bad either! read more

Kimchee - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

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Two and a half stars.. Very pricy westernized korean food. Everything is super sweet. My beef hotpot was sweet to the point where i didn't want to eat it. My friends ordered beef and the portions were extremely small. Wouldn't come back read more

Kimchee - Beef hotpot - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

I've never had Korean food before but it was top noch and I loved it. Deciding what to have was my biggest dilemma with so much nice food. There were two of us and we ordered just enough. For starter it was the dumplings and onion pancake. Which wasn't at all spicy which is what it says on the menu. For main I went for the salmon gui and was pleasantly surprised when it came out. The sweet potato basket wasn't quite what I expected. The sweet potato had been shredded into some type of crunchy nest but it complimented the salmon well. I order rice as well but didn't really need it as we ordered jap chae as a side which was fine. Found room to try a dessert too and went for the golden chestnut ice cream. Tasty but was kind of a glamourised vanilla. All in all a good experience and very busy restaurant which says it all. read more

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Well, well.. what do we have here. I must say, I'm quite amazed.. I give this restaurant a 3star. SO,so... Three star for Effort... I'm totally impressed. There's so many things you can say about European food. They should stick to what they do best which is probably baking? Good breads, pastries.. Food... hmmmph... I haven't tried French cuisine yet.. so I can't say much about that.. but Asian in Europe, they should just give it up. But this place, the Ambiance. Wow, totally killed it! Check out the photos! The serve ware.. I think that's what I came here for. Lol. And, I must say, London, everything is overpriced.. but This restaurant was decently priced.. so I totally commend them. What took away the 2 stars was the flavor and the traditional Korean. So.. the staffs were really nice.. they seated us like a fast food way.. by the window.. lol. They were full.. anyway, we ordered King prawns for appetizer, spicy beef soup for my hubby and I asked the server if the beef rib eye was part of the bulgogi or not..and she said yes.. but a different type of meat that's why it is more expensive. So, I chose the rib eye. But when I got the order, the beef tasted so bland, like it did not have any flavor.. and remember, bulgogi is a marinated meat. So ...I asked her again.. and that's when she found out it was a totally different dish. So they had to changed it. I told my hubby, you know, a restaurant cannot just throw in a dish that's made of a wholesome insipid meat. I can do that at home. You go to a restaurant because you want something divergent. That meat was not any different. That should not even be in the menu. But they were nice enough to change it with no questions asked. We were stuffed. Totally worth the price, after I had my real bulgogi. You just expect side dishes when you go to a Korean restaurant.. that's where they lost the Korean tradition, hence the other star. You have to pay for the side dishes. Lol. Understandable. Lol. Everything here in London is an extra euro. But again, so far, this is the most reasonable and palatable restaurant I've been to. And modern fusion at that! Love it! For London... 3 star is pretty good coming from me! By the way the soju, I thought $5 in the US was allay expensive, hold you breath for the 9euros here! That's like $15us! Lol. 3x the price! Lol. Omg! Highway robbery! read more

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Since this was a higher-end establishment, my expectations were high. Being from California, I am privileged to frequent a variety of Korean restaurants, so I know what I am looking for with Korean food. I feared that Korean food in London would not meet my standards, and I was glad my fears were unfounded. I came with a large party of ~20 guests, and got to sample many dishes. I am glad to report this place serves good, authentic Korean dishes. I was especially impressed by my dessert dish, Korean pear poached in rock sugar. This is a medicinal dish that is rare to find in restaurant menus, even in California. The only thing not authentic about the whole experience was the music. Granted I was only there for one evening, but all of the songs they played were covers! I think these are the same cover songs one would find in karaoke clubs, when they don't have the copyright to play songs by original artists. read more

Kimchee is a new restaurant that opened up in Holborn. It took over the ex-Matsuri site that had a fire incident last year which it seems that they never managed to recover from. It was another ladies' catch up dinner and the opening of Kimchee was perfect timing. On the day we went, it was actually Opening Day 2. Even at 8pm, the place was jam packed and we waited for 40 minutes to get a table. While waiting, there was a gentleman who asked if he could join us. Sorry mister, ladies only and trying to cut the queue is a no no! When you get to the front of the queue, a lady kindly invited us to wait inside at a scenic garden patch of stone pebbles and fountain with a wall of Korean characters glowing against a dark setting. Turn your head and you are greeted by the grill section where you could see the chefs busily grilling away. We were finally called and upon being seated, we were informed that any skewers orders will take around 20 minutes due to how busy the kitchen was. We quickly placed our orders as most of us were starving by then. While waiting for our orders, we looked around and it was a huge place. I almost did not notice that there were 2 sections to the place that had a cage like wall dividing both sections. Most tables have seats of 6 with bar-like benches along the side for lone or double diners. I liked the decor with the lanterns motif used for the lights; the whole place had a streamlined unassuming posh feel to it. Kimchee -The crunchy texture and sweetness of the cabbage is more prominent in this version with the heat of the chilli hitting you only right at the end. Not overly spicy which is good for the non-kimchee lovers but bad if you like it super spiced! Sukju Namul - A cold dish of bean sprouts in sesame oil & garlic dressing. This was quite normal and a good one to order if you like bean sprouts. Yuk Hwae £- One of my favourites in Korean cuisine. Yuk Hwae comprises of thinly sliced raw beef that is semi-frozen with pears that have been sliced to the same length and size as the beef to bring out the refreshing sweetness. Topped with sesame sauce and egg yolk to give an aromatic creamy balance. The Yuk Hwae was one of the better ones I've had in London. It is such an amazing summer dish when made right. The one from Kimchee was good, the sweetness of the pear slices paired well with the beef. The dressing was light with just the right amount of sesame to accentuate the flavours. The beef slices could have been set to a more semi-frozen state so that it gives that crunchy texture but this is just nitpicking here. I am already happy that I did not get one that has been drowned in sesame (so many places do that) such that you don't get all the other elements that make this so good. Jap Chae - I really like the Jap Chae in Asadal which is quite close by, actually that was our Plan B if we couldn't get in to Kimchee. We all loved the Jap Chae here. Sesame oil and soy sauce that has clinged to each and every strand of glass vermicelli noodles, delicious! Pa Jeon - There were 3 Korean pancakes on the menu but we decided to go for the traditional version which is made with spring onions and seafood mix, served with soy and chilli sauce on the side. The pancake was too doughy and it didn't have that slight crisp exterior. The flavours were drowned out by the too generous proportion of the doughy batter. Spicy calamari - Spicy calamari was quite ordinary. The calamari itself was good but the batter was not deep fried enough and was a tad bland. The vegetables that came with it were good though. Crab Tuigim - This was quite a disappointment. Deep fried soft shell crab should be crispy with the oil mixed into the juices of the crab and batter for that oh-so-good deep fried taste. Kimchee's version was not deep fried enough and the soft shell crab was still quite fresh because of that. None of us liked this one. Bulgogi - Bulgogi is another favourite that people like to order and we were no exception. Described as thinly sliced beef that has been marinated in a blend of fruits, soy sauce, sesame oil, black pepper, onions and garlic, this was GOOD! Tenderly soft and juicy. read more

I used to love Kimchee but they falied me in a big way tonight, and it's such a shame. I don't think I've ever gotten decent service here, and I was willing to overlook it with the 50% off Sunday's deal. But when I'm paying full price, it starts to hurt when the servers take ages to get to you, forget things and generally lose you in the hustle and bustle. I very clearly stated (and the waitress repeated back to me) no egg in my bibimbap - so when it arrived with egg, I sent it back, explaining to her that I was allergic. To my surprise and horror they brought it straight back and it was apparent that they'd just taken the egg out of my food and handed it back to me (!!). That is NOT acceptable, I don't care how good the food tastes. They refused to make eye contact with me again after that and I had to actually get up and bring the plate over to the chefs, who kindly remade it for me. So, final verdict: I would only go here with the discount. It's not worth the full price. read more

This is by FAR the B.E.S.T Korean food in London. Every time I visit London and am craving Korean food, this is the go-to place. They recently did a huge renovation and added a bar in the basement. Keep in mind that they had an office and just bathrooms downstairs. Sometimes there is a long line at Kimchee because this is the poppin spot! The renovation was overall a great idea because people can now hang out and lounge downstairs at the bar while they wait. Since London is known for its bipolar weather, people won't have to wait in the rain ( ; Customers can also meet new people at the bar, which is a plus for everybody. As for the food, it is deeelicious. I always order the "Seafood Dol Sot Bibimbap", which is one of their unique dishes at Kimchee. It consists of all different kinds of seafoods and the best part is the nooroongji a.k.a (rice that turns a little hard like a chip that you eat at the end). Another dish that I order when I go here is the Galbi without the bones. The meat is soft and the Korean touch to it is made to perfection. Drooling as I am thinking of this dish at the moment. I also recommend Makgeolli. This is a drink made from rice and is my personal favorite. It is kind of like rice wine and tastes amazing. If you like carbonated drinks, add sprite to Makgeolli and it is bombtastic! But be careful not to drink too much because this will get you a crazy hangover just like wine. If you live in London and want to try authentic Korean food, this is the place to go! Trust me, I'm Korean ( : read more

Well, you've got the place for authentic korean food here hence, the reason for the peak in prices. I wouldn't say it's too pricey, but for the portion provided I would say it's abit overpriced but hell yes I'd definately come back. I must say, I had a lovely dinner here with my friends. The must-order dish is "bibimbap" (you know what they say if you haven't ordered this, you're not dining korean food). The dish consists of rice in the middle topped with raw egg and you have variety of raw veggies around the dish. For chicken lovers who loves to spice things up a little, "yang yeum chicken" is the one! the chicken is lightly battered and served with sweet chilli sauce and it tastes heavenly. the outer layer of chicken being slightly cripsy but as you break through you get the very smooth texture inside ! For kimchi lovers, here at Kimchee they provide good quality kimchi ! note here, it's quite spicy so you might wanna order only a plate first and try out. the other dish I had was "jap chae" where it's glass noodles stir fried with meat and veggies. I reallyyy like this dish as the texture of the glass noodles are very gluey and you get just the right amount of saltiness from all the combinations. Finally.. Desserts! I have to say...I'M IN LOVE with the ICECREAM here. they provide a variety of ice cream options. I ordered the black sesame icecream and red bean icecream and was hooked with the flavours! It's not too milky but and you get the taste of sesame coming through and for the red bean icecream, you can taste the subtle red bean through the icecream. Overall, great place to dine! Nice, big and clean place to dine in but it gets crowded very easily and the tables are too close together in my opinion. You're presented with a variety of authentic korean dishes on the menu you'd be twined up not knowing what to order! but that's the experience I'm always looking for. The feeling of so many food options...whats not to love. ;) ps. The seats fill up really fast during lunch and dinner times so you'd wanna hurry there before those peak times or just make a booking with them to ensure you've got your place. read more

Kimchee, you are at the bottom of my list for many reasons. 1. The host taking names at the door is rather incompetent and seats other parties before yours. You must remind her/him that you have been waiting longer and only then will you be next in line to be seated. 2. Your service stinks. Placing any order requires serious arm flailing to catch the attention of your too few staff. Paying the bill takes a good fifteen minutes. It is only when you physically get up, put on your coats, and start walking to the door does your server bring the bill. 3. The food is passable Korean but not authentic. The servers can not properly pronounce the food names and corrects you when you say them correctly. 4. You are seated at communal tables (which I have greatly enjoyed elsewhere) that are overpacked. Even the servers must turn to the side and suck it in to clear the walkways. Why would I go back when I can go to Naru or Tohbang, both a 10 minute walk from Kimchee? read more

I'm not sure what happened, but this place has gone waaay downhill since it's opened. Let's start with the food - BLAND and frankly some dishes are tasteless. I'll give them credit for the raw beef tartare which is good - mix in the raw egg it's actually quite a tasty dish. Then you have the 'dolsot bibimbap' which doesn't taste of much. It doesn't matter which you get - chicken, raw beef, beef - tastes the same. In fact I've started ordering tofu bibimbap because I like the sweet teriyaki sauce that they drizzle (at least it brings some flavour?). Word of caution, the raw beef overcook easily because the pieces are so thinly sliced - you're better of having them cook it for you or risk having cremated/dry beef to go with your rice. The chicken/vegetable dumplings again are bland and the filling is mushy. Bleugh. Aren't these supposed to be freshly pan fried given the 10-15 minute wait time for food? My food arrived cold. The tofu is fine - you have a slightly chewy batter that is fried, and then teriyaki-esque sauce is drizzled over. Wouldn't order it again as an 'appetiser' if I didn't have the 50% discount. My friends have had the pancakes before - not very appetising in my opinion. Service. So we were in a rush, and I ordered dolsot bibimbap (I know it always comes quickly), and my friend ordered a selection of raw beef tartare, COLD noodles, pancakes. The server then tells us that the bibimbap will only take 15 minutes, while my friend's food will take 30-40 minutes and that she should consider ordering something else. We looked at him a bit surprised - cold noodles and beef tartare take 30-40 minutes, whereas a bibimbap only takes 15? We asked him how long the noodles would take thinking it was the pancakes that was the hold-up. Surprise, the noodles were the hold-up. She ended up ordering some soup dish instead but can someone explain to me how cold noodles with slices of cucumber, carrots and a sauce takes 30-40 minutes to prepare?! Food arrives, and they got her order wrong - kimchee pancakes turned into some chive/seafood pancake looking thing. Sent it back. We finish eating, and then it takes 10 minutes to finally make eye contact with someone (a very difficult task at this place). After asking for the bill, it took another 15 minutes to actually get the bill. Add on another 15 minutes for them to get the card machine and by this point I was beyond fed up. No extra tip for them, we got up and left. Highly doubtful that I'll ever come back. Maybe I'll consider it if I have the 50% discount voucher, but I'm not sure if I can put up with the service and borderline bad food. Yelpers, just don't come here. Tottenham Court Road nearby has much better Korean food. read more

After moving from the US, I've missed authentic Korean food courtesy of my mom and grandma and have found the options in central London limited. So when Kimchee opened a few months back I was there to test my taste buds its opening month. The verdict then: Food was okay and service needed improvement but I wrote off my mediocre experience to opening month jitters. I returned 3 more times since then and I'm happy to report that the service has improved. I speak Korean fluently so appreciated the greeting efforts by non-Korean staff at the door. The staff are always friendly and I've seen them offer suggestions to customers new to Korean cuisine. That's worth a star. If you're not new to Korean food, then I would recommend trying the ggak du gi (radish) and shee geum chi (spinach) side dishes. I also really liked their kim chee jjigae (stew with tofu, onions, scallions, kimchee, and choice of pork or seafood) - it's just the right combination of filling, spicy, and refreshing. The reason why this place is only 3 stars is because 1) In korean restaurants in NYC and California, you are always provided with an endless supply and choice of side dishes, especially the staple kimchee. Here, they charge for each side dish. 2) You also have to pay for rice, but I've seen Thai places charge for rice alongside curry dishes as well so it may be a London thing. 3) The portions are small. This isn't the best Korean restaurant I've ever been to, but combined with the clean decor, friendly staff, and picking the right entree - I'll be back for sure. read more

During the young'un days of Minnie M, there wasn't a week that went by when evenings ended in KTown and 3 am feasts of galbi and jigae. Alas, that was before the London years of yours truly. Now, the best alternative is going into Kimchee at 5:30 pm to skip the long waits and queues and eating FOREVER ALONE. But it's okay, I was finally able to satisfy my Korean food cravings. I like the decor and the open space, but its food is only okay. I ordered the tofu salad, which was really salty. Think they may have doused the soba in a lot of soy sauce. But that's cool, I was only there for the tofu and seafood jigae... which was also a bit disappointing. They put a lot of chilli oil in it, and if you're well versed with the comfort of jigae during a wintry day, you know it's the flavors of the stew that should be the highlight, not the oil swimming on top. Also, 2 quid for rice? Outrageous. Roasted green tea ice cream was good though. I love me some green tea ice cream. It's a restaurant worth checking on during non peak times, but if you're looking for authentic Korean go to New Malden. read more

The food is really great. I have that to say. The jap chae is almost exactly how I like it, not quite umami enough but pretty close; the bibimbap is good; other selected items have the right flavors and textures. But the service is below par. When I go to a restaurant I expect to have a single server plus a seating host and a busser. Here, I had to constantly attract the attention of whomever happened to be near me (I was sitting near the register) and had at least 5 people. And that's not including the ones who looked up and smiled but did nothing. Because of this, I felt largely ignored. It took waaaay too long to even bring me a glass of water. The decor, as everyone mentioned, is nice -- except the only place for single diners to sit is at the bar seating up against the window. And for some reason it is always cold, and the chairs are uncomfortable and heavy. I walked in and saw a number of empty six-seater tables and asked to have one (because I had eaten at the window before) and I knew it would be cold, yet they refused (I was also wet from the rain). I saw a number of couples sharing the communal six-seater tables and wondered why I couldn't have been seated at one. Oddly enough, this happened the last time when I went with a friend as well. Then I was completely forgotten about. This place could be really good if it gets its act together. read more

A fancy-looking Korean restaurant but it feels too overpriced compared to the amount of the food actually given. I guess you could say what Asian restaurant isn't overpriced? Well I had the non-bulgogi pork menu and literally just grilled pork served with lettuce and sauces. What part of this menu was supposed to be Korean? The sauce? Okay I should have ordered something else to make it feel more 'Korean' but hope that they add some side-dishes or others so that it's not just some menus that have the Korean spice in it. Well I guess you could go here with friends to try a variety of Korean food (by going with the family style eating). read more

Kimchee - The non-bulgogi pork menu (forgot the name). It's just meat, two sauces, and lettuce. - Korean Near Me - London, XGL

To start with, their Kimchi is probably the best I ever had. Jap Chae was also very nice and the size was proportionate to its price (4.90 means a small plate). HOWEVER, their beef bibimbap was a huge disappointment. The rice was incredibly overcooked and the overall dish lacked taste. Maybe I should give it another try, however, in other Korean restaurants I fell in love with bibimbap on the first try. Otherwise--The prices were surprisingly low, service very nice. read more

Somewhere between 3.5-4 stars. It's a beautiful restaurant interior with very attentive staff eager to please. They have a lovely menu with a wide variety of Korean specialities and everything was beautifully presented. The scallop appetizer was delicious, although tiny. Kalbi set with rice and lettuce wraps was also very good, but the quality of the meat could have been better. I really enjoyed their kimchi as well. I would definitely come back to try more flavors. read more

Gorgeous, gorgeous place. It is impressive. But we're not here to look at decor are we? For the price of the dishes, it isn't bad. I was definitely a little skeptical walking in and seeing the open kitchen with the lack of korean cooks in there. The kimchee (cabbage & raddish) were both NOT pickled! Seasoning was good but need to let it sit for a bit. I wasn't very happy with the service. We ordered the regular Pajeon and they gave us the kimchee one... I sent it back and our waitress came up and said here it is - you ordered this. I said no we didn't - then she asked us if we can just take it because it's already made. Um, no. We ended up getting what we ordered which came out pretty good. Spicy prawns - okay. I actually really enjoyed my dish Budae jigae. Red soju cocktail - ick! Sorry it's a bit like cough medicine. I must've switched my rating between 2 and 3 stars a couple of times but after thinking about the service - had to settle with the 2. However I am willing to give this place one more try... read more