Korean bar and grill.
Gogi
Korean Restaurant in Little Venice
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All In London Review
Gogi tones down Korean spices, but it's still good
Gogi have toned down the usual fierceness of Korean spices, so their kimchi, which can be nothing short of abrasive in its native land, is far milder here, and we eat plenty of the pickled cucumber, radish and cabbage kimchees without feeling like we’re breathing out fire afterwards. The kimchee jeon also have far less heat than ones we’ve had before, but these little pancakes fried till crispy and filled with crunchy vegetables are pleasantly moreish.
Juicy oyster tuigim are coated in tempura and deep fried. Raw beef bibimbap (£13.50) cooks in the heat of the earthenware bowl, along with raw egg and a hearty mix of courgettes, spinach, carrots, mushrooms, rice and hot pepper paste, which we add ourselves. Some of the rice sticks to the side of pot and burns a little, a bit like Persian tadig, which adds a nice crunch.
At barbecue restaurants in South Korea you cook the meat yourself at the table, which is part of the fun, however this is never permitted over here, even though individual tables are fitted with grills and extractor fans. Slices of pork belly (£8.50) are grilled for us till they start to brown; we then dip them in salted sesame oil and wrap them in lettuce along with spring onions and chilli sauce – sides have to be ordered separately. It’s one of those dishes that tastes nourishing and healthy, even if the main ingredient is fatty pork belly.
They have a few western desserts but we go for the Korean glutinous rice cake, which is a bit like Japanese mochi, dusted with chocolate powder and served with a cold cinnamon drink, a fantastic combo.
Reviewed by Leila
Published on Jun 24, 2013
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