The Observer
Jay Rayner headed to Stokes Croft in Bristol, where husband-and-wife chefs Kyu Jeong Jeon and Duncan Robertson, who met while working at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Paris, cook a “crowd-pleasing selection” of Korean food in a “knowingly rackety” and far-from-comfortable canteen-style restaurant.
Th meal starts promisingly with perilla leaves wrapped around minced beef and pork and deep fried – “god-tier snacks”, said Jay. The real highlight of his meal was ‘tongdak’ or wood-fired roast chicken stuffed with sticky rice and served with dipping sauces and cubes of pickled mooli – a signature dish that must be ordered in advance when you book.
It’s best eaten ‘ssam’ style, with extra condiments, including their own gochujang chilli paste. “Making it is a profoundly nerdy, determined thing to do, which describes the whole enterprise. The kitchen has a laser-like focus on these few very good things.”
Jay Rayner - 2024-08-11
