Qype User (alextw…)
Yelp
A friend and I turned up to Arang tonight with no reservation, and were told it would be a 30 minute wait for a table. We decided to stay, which was definitely the right move. The wait ended up being less than quoted, and we were soon shepherded to a nice table complete with gas barbecue (more like a Japanese teppan) in the centre. The service was slick, and we soon had large plates of meat and smaller plates of kimchi, potato salad, beansprouts etc, these being on the house as is customary in Korea. Despite the authenticity of the food and the flavours, we had an attentive (and attractive) waitress who did most of the cooking for us at the table, unlike in Korea/Japan where you'd be left to fend for yourselves. However, this was not an unwelcome variation!
The marbled beef was pretty good, and the marinated pork belly bulgogi was excellent, extremely tender and full of flavour. The latter was as good as anything I've had in Korea/Japan, as were the kimchi and other side dishes. Finally we had a spicy beef soup, which was outstanding. Arang has a wide-ranging menu, and I will certainly be back to try out some of the other dishes. The prices are reasonable, particularly considering the quality and the area, and we stuffed ourselves for 20 quid a head including beers and tea.
The place was buzzing with a young, good-looking clientèle when we went there, and I'm not surprised at its popularity. Despite this, the service didn't miss a beat. I would make sure to book if I went again, but judging by axisofunity's review, this may or may not make a difference! There seemed to be a fair number of Korean diners too, always a good sign. Highly recommended.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Value: 4 (marked down for cans of coke being 2 quid, which seems an extreme mark-up, although it's probably standard)