We opted for the Set 2. First out, the tempura - not strictly Korean but customary in British Korean restaurants - was delicious, followed by spot on parjeon and top-of-the-range dumplings. The banchan, especially the wakame, were ace. The main courses comprised galbi with lettuce, fried chicken and a traditional stone bowl of bibimbap. The galbi beef was of a surprisingly high qualify given that the meat served in similar dishes in Korea itself are usually pretty low grade. The fried chicken stole the show, however. Desert was a simple plate of fruit which was no less than was required.
The price, as ever with Korean restaurants with the notable exception of Baekdu in Manchester, was a little inflated for what it was - especially as eating out in Korea is generally as dear as eating in. At £25 per set and with a pretty unreasonable £3.30 per bottle of Hite beer (the Korean rice wine Makgeolli was a laughable £12, it costs a third of that if you're lucky enough to find it in a supermarket, which isn't altogether impossible in London) I would've felt satisfied to have left with a bill of under £60. However, they slipped a 12.5% service charge in under our noses where we may well have tipped. The service charge wasn't mentioned on the menu and proves the difference between this being a good restaurant and a great restaurant.
Name: Gareth
Location: London
Dong San serves Korean and Japanese cuisine, including a great value set menu at lunchtime.