Jihwaja

"If done correctly, Jihwaja can be dinner, a show, and something not to tell your grandkids about all at once. The late-night Korean canteen in Vauxhall is a non-descript, satisfying restaurant, but really it’s all about karaoke here. You’ll be led down glowing pink corridors, soundtracked by people murdering Springsteen, Eminem, and BTS from multiple directions. Once your food is cleared—get the kimchi jeon and yangneom chicken—the lights are dimmed, the disco lights swirl, and Jihwaja's extensive (but highly baffling) music library is your oyster. Let the soju flow and try not to worry about the phone camera your friend is pointing in your face. " - jake missing, daisy meager, sinead cranna, rianne shlebak

"Until 3am on Friday and Saturday (dependent on busyness) The Korean canteen-cum-karaoke bar in Vauxhall is a riot when you’ve booked ahead. And perhaps even better if you’ve stumbled in here at 1:30am with an uncontrollable urge to sing All Saints. If you’re here for saucy yangnyeom chicken and a crunchy kimchi jeon that will be hoovered up by your table in no time, then the dining room fits the bill. It’s a basic space made better by the dulcet tones of somebody shrieking Murder On The Dancefloor a few rooms over. If you’re looking for a bit of that, ask if any karaoke rooms are available. You can eat in these semi-soundproofed dens before picking up the mic." - jake missing, sinead cranna

"If done correctly, Jihwaja can be dinner, a show, and something not to tell your grandkids about all at once. The late-night Korean canteen in Vauxhall is a non-descript, satisfying restaurant if you’re just coming for the food—but few people do that. Here, it’s about the karaoke too. photo credit: Jihwaja photo credit: Jihwaja photo credit: Jihwaja Forget the basic dining room and book a private booth instead. You’ll be led down glowing pink corridors, soundtracked by people murdering Springsteen, Eminem, and BTS from multiple directions. In a semi-soundproofed room, you’ll eat dinner before your set. Keep it simple from the enormous menu and stick to the classics. The generous sharing plates of yangneom chicken are glistening and have an excellent crunching fry, and the kimchi jeon is good too. Once your food is cleared, the lights are dimmed, the disco lights swirl, and Jihwaja's extensive (but highly baffling) music library is your oyster. Let the soju flow and carefully read the instructions for finding a song. Actually, probably not in that order." - Jake Missing

"London’s most famous ‘press for service’ buttons might summon champagne at Soho’s Bob Bob Ricard, but there’s an argument for their counterparts at Jihwaja bringing more joy, since they’ve the power to make Korean fried chicken appear with a side of ice cold beer — or for the more enthusiastic, soju. The sounds of K Pop reverberate as table after table of youngsters clamours to share stacks of craggy double-fried chicken, tossed with a signature sticky-sweet sauce that leaves diners’ faces gochujang red. The chicken really is the star of the menu here, and a much better option than the rapidly nose-diving Chee Mc in Camberwell." - Helen Graves