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I lost count how many times people asked me where they should go for Korean food in SOHO, London. I always recommend Arang and remind them not to go to Koba, which gets 10 times as much press, costs more but is not as good.

My favourite starter is Yukwhe (seasoned raw beef strips with egg yolk and sliced pear, photo above). The waiter usually mixes all the ingredients in front of you.

At Arang, the beef strips were served a little (just a little) frozen. This was intentional, not a mistake (as I have tried this dish many times here). They were of a similar size to the pear strips, which in my opinion contributed to its success. The sweetness of the pear complimented amazingly well with the beef. The raw egg yolk connected the 2 of them together and created a smooth sensation. Continue reading about other Korean dishes like the classic Korean barbecue >

Koba is a small Korean restaurant just off Oxford Street. The decoration is modern and neat. The main dining area has a big rooflight- I can imagine the space being flooded with nice daylight during lunch time and mid-summer evenings. Booking is recommended as you will be asked to sit by the bar if this area is fully booked.

The menu is easy to understand as all the dishes feature photos. All the dishes are beautifully presented. Unfortunately, the food is not up to the same standard.

Yook Hwei (Seasoned raw beef with sliced pears) is a dish I always order in Korean restaurants as it can really distinguish a good restaurant from the ordinary. Koba’s raw beef is fresh but the pear pieces are too chunky. Even though the taste is good, the overall texture is less balanced- I have had better ones at Arang before.

Pajun (Korean Pancake with spring onion & seafood) is crispy on the outside and soft inside. With chopped chewy squid, it is a nice combination.

For Barbeque, we had Koba Modeum Gooi, which is highly recommended by the chef. It is a selection of rib-eye slices, beef short rib, pork belly slices, chicken, baby octopus, prawns, melon slices, mushroom and onions. Pork belly slices are my favourite Korean barbeque meat but at Koba, it is a big disappointment. The pork slices are too thin and the dipping source had too much sesame oil in it. If I did not dip the belly slices into the sauce, the meat was tasteless. If I did, I felt like I was just eating oil. The rib-eye slices and prawns were dull. They were not fresh enough for me to taste the natural flavour. It was disappointing. Continue reading about Koba >>