Ran Reviews

"A spice-fest"

Added Sun 30 May 2010 by Leila

Korean barbecues or ‘kalbi’ as they are known, are an extremely fun way to spend an evening. The excitement of cooking your own food in a restaurant with friends is undeniable. Sadly, London restaurants are a tad fearful when it comes to allowing diners to meddle with the built-in grills on each table, as it’s usually a member of staff who will prepare the food and dish it when ready.

Ran is not the most attractive-looking restaurant, however it is very popular. Not every table has a grill, so waitresses use portable versions instead. Aside from the barbecued meats, the varied menu contains classics such as bibimbap, a mixed rice dish with vegetables, tofu, meat and/or fish, served in a stone pot, as well as noodle dishes and stews.

There are different variations on bibimbap, and I opted for one with raw tuna. It was just my luck that this was the only dish round the table where the infamously hot red pepper paste had already been mixed in; everyone else was given the chance to add their own.

Not having the most heat-tolerant of palates, I foraged around my bowl trying to mix the paste in with the rice, shredded lettuce and raw tuna, hoping the other ingredients would counteract it. This was useless, and the only thing I could eat was the tuna by itself, as everything else had absorbed the paste and was setting my mouth on fire.

Elsewhere, some garlicky, pungent kimchi pancakes were tasty but also very spicy. The mung bean pancakes were much milder, and once I’d recovered feeling in my tastebuds I was able to enjoy them.

There is a selection of Western wines on the menu, however a bottle of soju, the Korean version of vodka, provides a more authentic experience. In my case, an ocean’s worth of water was my drink of choice.

A two course meal with wine is roughly £30 a head.