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Asadal Korean Restaurant: An Authentic Taste of Korea in London

Nestled in the heart of London near Holborn station, Asadal Korean Restaurant offers a distinctive culinary journey into Korea's rich and diverse flavors. This hidden gem combines traditional Korean decor with a modern twist, creating an inviting atmosphere that appeals to both locals and travelers seeking an authentic dining experience. Known for its warm service and flavorful dishes, Asadal stands out as a must-visit for lovers of Korean cuisine and those eager to explore new tastes.

Among the standout dishes at Asadal are their traditional bulgogi and the hearty, flavorful Sullongtang. The bulgogi is marinated to perfection, offering a tender, smoky experience that melts in your mouth, while the Sullongtang provides a comforting, rich broth infused with the depth of slow-cooked beef bones. These dishes exemplify the restaurant's commitment to authentic Korean flavors, crafted with fresh ingredients and seasoned with care.

The restaurant's history is rooted in a passion for sharing authentic Korean cuisine with a London audience. The owner, a dedicated chef, ensures that each dish is prepared with traditional techniques, often sourcing ingredients directly from Korea to maintain authenticity. An interesting fact is that despite some mixed reviews, the restaurant continues to attract a loyal clientele who appreciate its commitment to genuine flavors and a cozy, traditional ambiance.

It is renowned for its authentic Korean dishes, especially the bulgogi and traditional soups like Sullongtang.

For an authentic Korean culinary experience with a cozy ambiance and friendly service, especially if you enjoy traditional dishes like bulgogi and hearty soups.

5bd99635-746a-461b-b9d9-d0af36d28719

This is the worst restaurant I have tried in London. Overpriced Korean and it's not even authentic.  Owner is rude, blunt and no courtesy at all. You don't get thank you when paid the bill. 
Please take your money somewhere and stop coming here.  
I will give zero star if it's available!

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Very nice atmosphere and interior design. I was jot really impressed with the flavours. I often eat korean food but for my taste this was not very tasty. 
However the portions were right and the price too.
Good customer service

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What?? A Korean restaurant in London that actually serves side dishes with your meal??
That really deserves a star on its own... seriously.

Came here during lunch time and ordered one of their bento boxes. Pretty pricey for galbi at about 15 pounds but at least you get some free side dishes (that's right... plural). Pretty good food, and the restaurant looks very traditionally Korean. I have yet to try their KBBQ so I'll have to put that in the books since this restaurant is relatively close to my school adjacent to Holborn Station.

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Avoid at all costs. I'm saying this as a Korean British. I know how expensive food can get in London. Nevertheless, this place serves the worst Korean food ever. 1 person portion bulgogi(£9.5) is the size of my palm, the texture was stringy and tasteless. I'm convinced that the meat's been in the freezer for a very long time. Bulgogi can't taste bad. But Asadal proves it can.


A small sized stone bowl of Sullongtang(£10.50 + £2 for another tiny bowl of rice, which usually comes with the soup without extra charge) contained 4 slices of another bad quality meat in it, the broth is obviously not done right either, it lacked in depth of flavour(but it's a beef bone broth). Never have I tasted such low-quality Sullongtang in my life. It's too generous to call their dishes 'overpriced', they are tricksters. It gets even better with the quality of service. Never ever been treated like that in my life. The critiques of this restaurant aren't exaggerated. This business is still up and running by ripping off non-Korean customers & tourists. During the meal, I complained to the owner's wife and waiter but they really couldn't care less. Lazy, unenthusiastic and grumpy as hell. 

+ Ended up complaining again before asking for the bill cause I genuinely felt scammed and there's no way I'd pay over £22 for such nonsense. This time, I asked if I can talk to the owner himself. Not only was he in denial the entire time, but he also interrogated me to find out where my father runs his business(are you freaking out of your mind?) after asking him to run a business with a conscience when I really had enough with his rudeness and irresponsible attitude.

I asked him to get rid of bulgogi in my bill but he insisted he wouldn't and instead gave it a 50% off. Even that, he tried to trick me to charge a little bit more extra. What a joke. Heard you mumbling 'don't pay then' as I walked out! I don't care how shameless you are but you gotta stop mocking Korean food and close down already.

5c7eb666-3cd3-4798-8b71-e2bc60ce73a6

Woah, the review list on yelp is incredibly hit and miss!
Some folks seem to HATE the service and food, while others love it. Is this restaurant some sort of Jekyll & Hyde-like experience!?!

I just popped in here with some colleagues for lunch and it was excellent... (I suppose we visited on a "Dr Jekyll" day.) 

We all tried different things from the lunch menu and all of us left stuffed and happy. 
- I had the yukhoe bibimbab (it had raw beef on top, but this was cooked perfectly by the hot stone bowl.)
- I love that it came with soup and three side dishes (namul, kimchi and some spicy tofu.)
- My colleagues had japchae and pork and kimchi rice. They both looked happy too.
- The staff were sooo friendly! They even persuaded me that I should go snowboarding in Korea with my husband.
- We were all really full, but they still brought us fruit at the end of our meal. 

I've been here of dinner before, and remember thinking it is slightly overpriced...but for lunch it is really, really good.

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I'm not sure why the ratings are that low at this restaurant as each and every time I have been here, I have always enjoyed the food and the service is excellent. I live very close to New Malden (Zone 5, about 15 minutes from Waterloo) and for those of you who don't know, this is Korean Town of UK (in fact a little Birdy told me that it houses more Koreans than any other places other than Korea itself) where you'll definitely find the most authentic Korean dishes at amazing prices. That being said, Asadal is definitely the best Korean restaurant for me outside of New Malden and in London itself where the consistency of great food is always on target. 

Now, onto the food - I highly recommend #77 - I do believe that this is the spicy beef soup, filled with vegetables and rice inside (Yuk Gae Jang). It is always so good for someone who likes tasty and heart broth with spice for warmth. I have a very high tolerance to spicy food and although this wasn't spicy to me, it's comparable to having Extra Hot in Nandos (sorry - can't think of a better example!). So good, in fact, that I still wanted more! The dishes are reasonable and while not being ginormous will fill most people up. The price is a little more expensive than those in New Malden but you'd expect that for being in London. This restaurant is a short walk away from The New London Theatre so highly recommended if you're in the area. I am due another Asadal meal very soon!

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Good quality meat, nice setting. Tables not crowded at all unlike some restaurants can be. Good for dinner out with colleagues or friends alike.

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The short of it is a place worthy of your visit if you like Korean food. However nothing particularly special if you can't picture what Korean food looks like when you're confronted with the term. If you're looking for the BBQ menu, this is only served during dinner service.

Korean food is something of a mixed bag. It's lumped together with Japanese food, likely due to the recognition of most Japanese items. Korean food has some similarities but where it diversifies, it becomes a marmite type moment where you're either on-board or on an express train out of that cuisine, only to sample when no choice is offered

I'd say I'm of the third route. Not quite a fan, but still willing to give it shots every now and again.

Upon arrival I know instantly this is a place where service isn't going to be good. Within eyeshot I see about 5 members of staff, but nobody actually tending to anyone waiting at the entrance at the bottom of the stairs and even the bartender trying to avoid eye contact.

After spotting my party and sitting myself down, we'd already ordered so I just sat back to munch. Note we were here for lunch and unfortunately they close quite early. At 3pm, so really only time for a single sitting so you'd want to get here by at least 1.30pm or don't bother. As the starters arrived, we tried to order our mains. However unfortunately it's one of those places where the person bringing you the food isn't allowed to take orders. I'm seriously not a fan of places like this. After a little while a gentleman comes by to take our mains orders.

The food is perfectly decent and if you are a fan of Korean pancakes, rice bowls and the like, even pretty good. The gyoza which I consider more Chinese was very nice, but the accompanying sauce not great. The raw salmon excellent. The salad, liberally coated in a spicy sauce but I believe this was more to disguise the fact the salad was starting to brown (indicating not the freshest stock)

So in all service wasn't stellar, pricing was a little high, but given the portion size of a few of the dishes, still okay value. I'm probably a little bias as I'm not a big fan of Korean so if you are a fan, perhaps add a star.

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Went back to the stylish Asadal buried deep underground by Holborn station. To the untrained eye this has all the hallmarks of being a hidden treasure but sadly, it isn't. I ordered the following:

- Oxtail soup
- Kimchi

The dishes arrived in a timely manner and look the part. The soup, a cream coloured cloud devoid of any impurities floating on the surface and the kimchi, a wrapped up ball of reddened Chinese leaves. The appearance comfortably outdoes the flavours however. The oxtail soup, which is meant to be on the subtler side lacks the richness that bone boiled soups need. As a lover of things such as congee, I know how to appreciate delicate flavours but this tasted of water. I've been in situations such as this before and often even a touch of table salt can improve things, bringing out the tastes that are there but the tables have no salt. The dish also comes with three paltry, plain pieces of beef and no oxtail which is unforgivable. The kimchi, while not a disaster is distinctly average and thoroughly lacking in spice. It also felt as if it had been served prematurely as if not fermented long enough which was a shame.

One other comment relates to the customer service. I'm not a believer in the notion that restaurant staff have to be friendly or put up a false front of happiness, of which neither could be found in the numerous staff who served us. The problem however is that none of the people serving were good enough at their job to justify the frostiness they projected all night, with mistake after mistake being made with our orders. You can either be rude and abrasive or bad at your job, but you can't be both.

This restaurant has so much potential and some of the other dishes are better than the ones I ordered but I would advise going to one of London's many other Korean spots.

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Superb Korean barbecue, excellent service (very accommodating for a Korean barbecue newbie, such as myself).

Don't be put off by the odd sounding dishes on the menu. I am a relatively picky eater and enjoyed every dish ordered, and having it barbecued on your table is the icing on the cake - or the egg on your noodle in this case.

Asadal Korean Restaurant London Holborn – Authentic Korean Cuisine & BBQ

Asadal Korean Restaurant in London offers an authentic taste of Korea with a modern twist, situated conveniently at 227 High Holborn. Dive into a vibrant dining experience characterized by a stylish ambiance and a menu that celebrates traditional Korean flavors.

Begin your meal with a variety of flavorful options like spicy kimchi, traditional Korean pancakes, or fresh gyoza, perfect for sharing and setting the tone for a delightful dining experience.

Enjoy hearty and authentic dishes such as bulgogi, spicy yukhoe bibimbap, and flavorful pork bibimbap. While some reviews mention inconsistencies, the restaurant is renowned for its traditional Korean barbecue, perfect for those wanting a true taste of Korea.

Conclude your meal with traditional Korean sweets or refreshing fruit, providing a perfect balance to the savory dishes and a sweet finish to your dining experience.

Complement your Korean meal with a selection of traditional soju, Korean rice wine, or refreshing soft drinks, enhancing the authentic dining experience.

Experience the chef's specials during dinner hours, showcasing the best of Korean cuisine including expertly prepared barbecues and seasonal dishes, crafted to provide an authentic and memorable taste journey.

Savor authentic Korean flavors at Asadal in London! Experience vibrant dishes in a cozy atmosphere and satisfy your cravings today.

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