You walk into Kimchee and it feels very… ‘cool’. Bamboo everywhere, the most organically shaped stools I have ever seen, which were strangely springy and comfortable. When trying to describe the restaurant to my housemates this morning over breakfast, I called it ‘what would happen if Pret and Itsu had a baby’. Think the salad boxes of Pret meets the cuisine of Itsu and bam – you have Kimchee.
I wasn’t too sure what I was going to be expecting foodwise, as I am not a connoisseur of Korean food. As a vegetarian I was pleased – turns out Koreans are big on tofu, so there were quite a few options. In fact, too many options! I changed my mind about a hundred times picking up different bits and pieces. As it was a sunny day, I know I fancied a crisp salad rather than a hot noodle pot. I was torn between getting two smaller dishes: a tofu and noodle salad box with tuna nori rolls, or one bigger salad box (one was crispy tofu and the other purely veggie). As it was my first time in Kimchee, and I know tofu can be hit and miss and really bland if done in a crap way, I thought it best to stick to the vegetables.
For £6.55 (eat in), I got the Veg Mari Salad. As a salad box goes, it was a great size and had lots of exciting things in. The salad was crisp and had green beans and green peppers in – just right for a hot London day. On top of the leaves were four rice paper rolls filled with the finest of julienned Asian vegetables, and also three vegetable sticky rice balls. On the side was a tangy and zingy salad dressing. Together the whole box worked a storm, and it was just the right amount of crunch and tang. As salads go, I was very impressed.
If you’re in central London and stuck for somewhere to lunch, pop into Kimchee. It’s the same kind of price as Itsu and admittedly, that little bit more than Pret. But it was totally delicious and had a much ‘cooler’ vibe to it.