Wow it’s cold at the moment; Winter has finally made a show at the last minute! It wasn’t long after hopping off the train that my legs were starting to go numb as we wondered the streets of London on a particularly crisp day (skirt was a terrible choice).
Disclosure: our meal was complimentary. As always all thoughts and words are my own.
Location
Our lunch date was at SuperStar Korean BBQ, who kindly invited me down to try out the lunch menu. Superstar Korean BBQ is located in St Giles and neighbouring some very stiff East Asian competition (Kanada Ya, anyone?)
I really like the tall, glazed units in St Giles. They’re very modern and bright. And with just a piece of glass separating you from the streets the restaurant is a perfect location for people watching, if that’s your kind of thing. It is absolutely mine. We sat in our cosy booth and observed the many different people strolling, pacing, marching by. You’re very much a part of the action sat here! SuperStar Korean BBQ is really good looking without being overly lavish. Minimal dark walls and gold accents. Simple and clean, much like the food!
Korean BBQ
So Korean BBQ is a lot of fun. This is DIY dining, where your food arrives to the table prepped and flavoured, but it’s over to you to do the cooking. Your table has a little built-in grill in the centre which you use to sear, sizzle and cook your food. Which is very entertaining! It’s the primal satisfaction of outdoor BBQ or campfire cooking, but with indoor comfort.
Don’t worry, your waiter/waitress will switch on the grill for you and set the right temperature. They will also advise on cooking times for different meats.
SuperStar Korean BBQ, slice their meat nice and thin for speedy, even cooking. We got a tasty spread of belly pork, garlic sirloin, beef boolgogi and spicy pork. I really liked the presentation within wooden trays which neatly line up alongside each other. A minute or two each side and it’s ready to whip off and dunk into delicious chilli garlic sauce, or any of the other sauces that you’re served. All of the meat was verytender, juicy and soft.
Service
The staff at SuperStar Korean BBQ (it’s quite the mouthful isn’t it!) were ever so efficient. Like any central London restaurant they work hard to turn around diners quickly. Hey, they’ve got rent to pay and the people of London have work to do. The Big Smoke doesn’t dawdle. We were sat, fed and watered within an hour along with plenty of other busy lunchtime Londoners.
Dietary Requirements
Now for obvious reasons this post is very meat-centric. But I actually think Superstar Korean BBQ is an ideal place for a group of people with different dietary requirements. First off, it’s also an ideal spot for the health conscious among us; everything you eat is simple and unprocessed. Meat, rice, salad, miso soup: nothing to feel guilty about there! And there are plenty of vegetable choices too – giving vegetarians and vegans lots of options… providing they’re okay with the BBQ meat cooking in front of them. Finally, the menu is inherently pretty damn gluten and dairy free.
Prices
The prices are pretty guilt-free too. Our meal amounted to a very reasonable, central London price of £19.50 a head.
BBQ meat prices range from £7.50 for chicken up to £14.50 for rib eye, with a wide range of everything in between from squid to belly pork and even ox tongue.
Vegetable options range from £3.80 -£7.50. A good two-thirds of vegetable choices are different types of mushrooms. Be sure to delve into the sides too which have a lovely selection of spicy rice cakes, kimchi noodles and more. These are around £5.50-£7.50. All very reasonable prices I’d say.
A selection of set menus are available ranging from £28 to £45 per person. These include meats, veggies, sides and a Korean cinnamon drink – which sounds fun!
Superstar Korean BBQ is a safe bet to have in your bank of dining options. It’s a good choice for a casual meal that’s not fussy but still has a little theatre. It’s far from indulgent with simple ingredients and moderate portions so I would never pick it as a treat or for a special occasion. Instead Superstar Korean BBQ is an easy crowd pleaser; good for catching up with groups, or for a work lunch. We left satisfied but not over fed, and me & my skirt stayed friends as a result… I daresay I could have even invited the super skinny jeans and had no issues!