The Observer
Jay Rayner was faintly disturbed to try a new venture on the site of a Chinese restaurant he adored, Y Ming. But as he noted life moves on, and this Korean barbecue turned out to be just the sort of place he likes – a hands-on affair involving the searing and charring of cuts of meat and vegetables that “cloud the air above our table with an intense savouriness. I live for clouds of savouriness above my table”.
Chung’dam “styles itself as a refined version of the clattering tabletop barbecue places to be found across Shaftesbury Avenue, and it’s priced accordingly”; on the day Jay visited, it also had an “entirely Asian clientele who clearly know what they’re doing”.
It is “huge fun but, unlike previous Korean barbecue experiences, it is also low maintenance, save for the slippy metal chopsticks which challenge our dexterity.” And, added Jay, the refinement means “your hair won’t smell” when you get home.
Jay Rayner - 2024-06-23
