I love Korean food and Yori is one of a long line of cheap authentic Korean places in Central London. Was Yori able to stand out from the crowd? Was it any good? Time to find out...
Ideal for:
Curing your Korean food craving
A Central London hangout
Those on a budget
January is always the month where we realise there’s a gaping hole in the bank account after an expense-filled festive period. Therefore, I wanted to look at one of London’s cheap eats to kick off 2017. Yori (meaning ‘Cooked Food’ in Korean) could be the tonic I am after.
Ambience & Décor
Yori’s dark façade with a bright sign make it difficult to miss, but the drab, cramped and uninspiring décor is forgettable. Cramped dining is a dining faux-pas and this was prevalent but expected in such a narrow establishment. Plenty of Koreans gave me hope the food was good, but the raucous atmosphere was less palatable.
Service
Service was diabolical. Incompetent waiters that refused to take our orders, served us mains BEFORE starters and never told us what each dish was so had to play a guessing game. If you cannot handle a packed restaurant, get out of the restaurant business. The food came promptly, but this had to happen or I walked.
Food
Signature dish of Korean food is their fried chicken. The portion of the Korean Style Fried Chicken (left) was generous, and the chicken was succulent. The batter was more crumbly than crispy, suggesting it could be fried for a bit longer, but there was no spice infused in the batter, so the dish was so bland. Some dipping sauce should accompany it. Not bad but not great.
From my basic knowledge, I know words such as ‘bulgogi’ and ‘bibimbap’ are synonymous with Korean cuisine. The Bulgogi Dolsot Bibimbap (right) was a lovely medley of sautéed vegetables mixed with rice and copious strips of beef on top. I omitted the egg that traditionally goes on top. The Korean chilli sauce on the side lit up this otherwise simple dish. I have a penchant for chilli sauce, and I must say, this is one of the best. The beef was also cooked well, tender and flavoursome. The generous portion was a bonus.
It was a cold wintery day, and my dining companion and I decided to order a hot pot in addition to our respective mains. The Yuk Gae Jang (left) is a spicy beef and vegetable soup. The dish was very spicy, and I felt this detracted away from the natural flavours of the beef and vegetables. Those who can handle their spice will love this.
£20 per person represented great value given portion sizes and the good quality food we had. The highlight being the Bulgogi Dolsot Bibimbap. However, the shocking service and diabolical décor meant despite the food, not returning. Giving a D- rating feel apt.
Photos of Yori and more can be found on Instagram here.
Final grade: D-
Final comment: One of the worst dining experiences, despite the mains. Will not return.
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