Calong

Bistro · Stoke Newington ·

Calong

Bistro · Stoke Newington ·

Korean fusion with refined sea trout, crispy fried chicken

Information

35 Stoke Newington Church St, London N16 0NX, United Kingdom Get directions

£40–50

@infatuation

132,814 Postcards · 3,234 Cities

The Hit List: New London Restaurants To Try Right Now

"Go to Calong if you’re into wine bars but might consider dairy severance if you encounter another burrata. The Stoke Newington setting is familiar—blackboard menu, exposed brick, a lambrusco-initiated crowd—but it’s a Korean remix dining experience that’s never predictable. One minute the chef is hand-delivering a refined plate of silky, citric sea trout slivers, the next a jenga stack of fried chicken arrives with a handful of peanuts and sweet chilli sauce. It makes for a trendy dream sequence of a date night with all of the tealight charm, none of the small plates deja vu." - jake missing, rianne shlebak, daisy meager, sinead cranna, heidi lauth beasley, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna, daisy meager, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna, heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, rianne shlebak, jake missing, sinead cranna, sinead cranna, jake

https://www.theinfatuation.com/london/guides/best-new-london-restaurants-hit-list

Calong

@infatuation

132,814 Postcards · 3,234 Cities

London’s New Restaurant Openings

"Stoke Newington Church Street is home to new spot Calong, which is all about combining Korean and British cuisine to serve things like fried chicken with sweet chilli and peanut, kimchi fritters, and chocolate crémeux with roasted tea ice cream. We checked out Calong and added it to the Hit List." - team infatuation

https://www.theinfatuation.com/london/guides/londons-new-restaurant-openings

Calong

@infatuation

132,814 Postcards · 3,234 Cities

Calong is cool, creative Korean escapism from small plates deja vu - Review - London - The Infatuation

"Calong is the wine bar we never knew we needed, even though it’s technically a Korean restaurant. The Stoke Newington setting is familiar—blackboard menu, exposed brick, wildflowers romantically decaying in the corner, a lambrusco-initiated crowd—but it’s a dining experience that’s never predictable. One minute the chef is hand-delivering a refined, pretty little plate of sea trout slivers that are silky and citric, the next a jenga stack of fried chicken arrives with a handful of peanuts and sweet chilli sauce. A lot of the Korean dishes here make us think of a record scratch followed by a DJ shouting “REMIX”—the zing of pickled rhubarb with sesame, rich tartare sauce with a briny, salt-show hwangtae croquette, a hunky piece of French baguette soaking in the spicy jjamppong. Sometimes all this creativity means Calong misses the mark, but order wisely—paging our food rundown below—and you’re set for a trendy dream sequence of a date night or a one-on-one catch-up with all of the tealight charm and low-intervention wines, none of the small plates deja vu. photo credit: Calong photo credit: Calong video credit: Heidi Lauth Beasley Pause Unmute Food Rundown Sea Trout Hoe, Sesame, Plum Soy & Rhubarb Excuse us, while we make eating pickled rhubarb our entire personalities for the foreseeable future. It’s hard to choose our favourite element of this light, citric dish, but plum soy and sea trout is a combination we need more of in our lives. PlayMute video credit: Heidi Lauth Beasley Joo’s Fried Chicken, Sweet Chilli & Peanut This luminous sauce is more sweet than chilli, but the fried chicken is starchy with the perfect subtle crunch. A hack: save some of the chicken for the seafood jjamppong’s arrival and dip generously in the spicy sauce for an excellent, impromptu surf and turf situation. PlayMute video credit: Heidi Lauth Beasley Pressed Brawn & Bossam Mooli This is what cats will eat when they eventually take over the world. It’s a rare miss and is deceptively solid and congealed. Even the zing factor of the accompanying bossam mooli doesn’t make this worth an order. PlayMute video credit: Heidi Lauth Beasley Spicy Seafood Jjamppong & Aioli Weird to be jealous of a prawn, but just look at that little fella languishing in this spicy broth, complete with lightly toasted baguette lilo and squid flotation noodles. It has a heat that simmers at the back of your throat like you’ve swallowed a tealight. Very, very good. PlayMute video credit: Heidi Lauth Beasley Rhubarb & Custard Tart, Yoghurt Cream & Candied Ginger We almost didn’t order dessert at Calong. What a sad state of affairs that would be, because this best-in-class vanilla tart just knocked Rochelle Canteen off our London tart top spot. The candied ginger adds some sneaky heat which is the perfect alibi for loading up on more cream. PlayMute video credit: Heidi Lauth Beasley" - Heidi Lauth Beasley

https://www.theinfatuation.com/london/reviews/calong

Calong

Alicia J.

Google

I brought my boyfriend here for a belated birthday meal and it was an outstanding experience from start to finish - a genuine 10/10. Phoebe did a wonderful job guiding us through the menu. She was incredibly attentive, knowledgeable, and an absolute delight throughout the evening, which really elevated the experience. The food itself was exceptional. I have already recommended the restaurant to several foodie friends. We do not usually return to small-plate restaurants, as we are very spoilt in London, but this is one place we are already planning to revisit so we can try everything we did not get to order the first time. The flavours across the dishes were beautifully balanced, complementary, and occasionally surprising. The trout was my standout dish - absolute perfection. The combination of grapes, plum, and soy sauce was inspired. Chef’s kiss. My boyfriend’s favourite was the BBQ onglet, which was equally impressive. To finish, the baked Alaska was taken to another level by the addition of caramelised hazelnuts, elevating what is already one of my all-time favourite desserts. An exceptional meal and a restaurant we cannot wait to return to.

John L.

Google

The restaurant was fully booked when I called but they keep one table (for 2) for walk ins. We took our chance and arrived shortly after opening (at 12). Some would say that the table location isn't great - next to the bar/service station - but we enjoyed the easy connection with the service staff and the narrow view into the kitchen as the dishes were expertly prepared by the team. Still and sparkling water on tap. The menu was small but offered good selection. Very knowledgable and friendly staff. The dishes were expertly prepared and served promptly to ensure they could be enjoyed at their very best. Our dessert was delivered by the chef himself to ensure the ice cream didn't melt! Will definitely be back.

Billie L.

Google

Food was delicious, wine was ok but it was very hot and stuffy. I'd recommend this place but don't wear a big jacket as once you hang it behind you there's no space between the wall and the table. On top of that the heating was full blast, was cooking in there, like having dinner on the central line. If the restaurant had a little more space and controlled the temperature then I'd give 5* all round

Apolline P

Google

We came in on a whim, having heard of this place on social media. The menu looked really good and we were certainly not disappointed. The waiter recommended that we order 2/3 dishes per person but we shared the trout, the fried chicken, the beef onglet and the mushroom and rice dishes. Everything was excellent. The highlight for us was the trout, which was really fresh. The chicken was extremely crispy on the outside but tender on the inside - perfection! The steak was also splendid and we really appreciated the vegetables it came with. Overall, a great lunch experience for us, will definitely return!

Fred B.

Google

Thank you Chef Joo and the rest of the Calong team. The lunch we had yesterday was incredible. The creativity, blend of Korean and Western food was perfectly balanced. The flavours, particularly in the kimchi fritters, the sot bab, the lamb and that amazing crème fraiche custard. We will be back soon to try the other half of the menu. Regards, Fred

Laura S.

Google

We ordered almost every item on the menu and loved every single bite. The food is truly outstanding and the staff is lovely. The mushroom rice, onglet and lamb were definitely the highlights for us but honestly not a single dish wasn’t perfect.

Paul F.

Google

Nearly perfect food. There was a short wall menu with many things I would eat. I started with stunning Kimchi fritters. I then had a beautifully cooked and spiced octopus dish. The next dish was a Korean chicken which was a little pink in places. Staff didnt notice I left some. I was accompanied by a rice and mushroom dish, with lovely subtle flavours. Absolutely stunning chocolate dessert, equally my top choice with the octopus. Staff friendly. Toilet clean. Has a total of 24 covers, might have been slightly more room if they reduced to 20 but I accept the financial imperative.

Felix

Google

Fantastic fusion food with good wine pairing in a nice and cozy place. We had the kimchi fritters, octopus salad, steak, grilled pork, mushroom + smoked eel over rice, paejori and as desert baked alaska with white negroni and sesame old fashioned.