Yami Restaurant

I visited this Korean restaurant and found the traditional dishes quite nice, offering an authentic taste. However, the BBQ could use some improvement as the meat was not well-marinated, and the flavors felt a bit plain. The seafood pancake was also a little disappointing, with too much flour and not enough seafood. The staff were generally helpful and polite, but not very attentive, so service could be improved. Overall, it’s a decent spot for some traditional Korean flavors, but there’s still room for improvement, especially with the BBQ and attention to detail.

This was my first time eating Korean food or Korean BBQ food. I was attracted by the all-you-can-eat buffet. However, I foolishly had a large breakfast. I should have skipped breakfast to take full advantage. However, the place is very authentic as all the staff and customers are Korean, and it's in the New Malden High Street, Korea Town. So you assume it must be good, authentic Korean food based on location alone. I wouldn't know, as it's my first experience. However, I really liked the food, the prices seemed very reasonable, and it is very clean with great service and very friendly and helpful staff. Location is good with a 2-hour free Waitrose car park a 5-minute walk away. Overall, very happy. I just wish I had skipped breakfast so that I could make a real pig of myself

I’ve been coming to this Korean restaurant in New Malden regularly, and it never disappoints! The food is consistently delicious and full of authentic flavor. My absolute favourites are the spicy pork bowl and the fried chicken both are perfectly seasoned, generous in portion, and always cooked just right. The staff are warm and welcoming, and the service is quick even when the place is busy. If you love Korean food (or even if you’re trying it for the first time), this place is a must visit. Easily one of the best restaurants in New Malden!

Our favourite Korean restaurant in all of London!❤️ Food is always good, portion is great, if you go during lunch time on weekdays you can get discounts (double check this to make sure). Love their mustard and spring onion fried chicken.

The meal was inconsistent. The sashimi was fresh, the fried chicken crisp and juicy, and the beef short rib soup packed comforting heat those three dishes alone were solid and enjoyable.Unfortunately, the pork rice and kimchi fried rice were completely off. Both tasted strongly “wrong” (possibly spoiled), and we had to leave most of them untouched. When we mentioned it, the staff showed little interest—no explanation, no apology, and no offer to replace or remove the items from the bill.Verdict: There are clearly some strong dishes here, but the quality control issues and indifferent service drag the experience down. Worth a visit if you stick to the proven winners (sashimi, fried chicken, spicy soup) and you’re nearby but I wouldn’t go out of my way, and I’d be cautious ordering rice dishes.

This Korean barbecue restaurant delivers a consistently enjoyable and satisfying dining experience. The atmosphere is welcoming and lively without feeling overwhelming, making it a great spot for both casual meals and group gatherings. The tables are well set up for grilling, and the overall layout makes the experience comfortable and engaging. The quality of the food stands out right away. The meats are fresh, well-cut, and cook evenly on the table grills, resulting in flavorful and tender bites. The selection offers a good balance of options, and everything pairs well with the variety of banchan served. The side dishes are thoughtfully prepared, refreshed regularly, and add great balance to the meal without overshadowing the main dishes. Service is another strong point. The staff are attentive, helpful, and knowledgeable, assisting with grilling when needed and offering recommendations without being pushy. They keep things moving smoothly and make sure guests feel taken care of throughout the meal. Overall, this restaurant offers a solid Korean barbecue experience with quality food, good service, and a pleasant atmosphere. It’s a reliable choice whether you’re new to Korean barbecue or already a fan, and it’s definitely a place worth returning to.

We’re trying this restaurant for the first time and the meat is marinated beautifully with a variety of sushi choices. The sushi rice is surprisingly seasoned.

Been here a few times now and the food is always delicious and consistent. The price is very reasonable and I would highly recommend going here! The fried chicken in soy garlic sauce is a must. If ordering BBQ, definitely get the LA Galbi - so yummy.

Basic, standard issue Korean restaurant/grill. Portion size tends to the generous- not sure how many pieces a serving of fried chicken is other than "loads". Service is efficient, although not with a smile. Restaurant is generally pretty full, giving a buzz to the place.

Another very average Korean restrauant in London. Everything is OK but not worth a special trip to New Malden for. If you've been to old school Korean places in locations like K Town in Los Angeles or Federal Way in Seattle, you will know what to expect here: rundown interior, OK service and average eats. All of the Korean usuals are on the menu but with the common less flavorful approach that London is famous for. Don't come in here expecting a suprisingly delicious meal that you might find in a hole-in-the-wall in Seoul or NYC. We ordered a variety of meats here and when we asked one of the servers to change the grill like you might expect at most decent Korean restraunts she looked at us like we were aliens from another planet and went to go confirm with someone else about the request.

Fried chicken was really good. I ate noodle which was also good. Alcohol menu was little choice

Coming from the United States, this is my worst Korean dining experience. They do have roomy private rooms for bigger parties. The tastier dishes are the Prawn Gampoongi (the batter could definitely be crispier), the Tempura and the Dol Sot Bap. Both the Chives and Spring Onion Seafood Pancakes are too tough for us. However, the chives version is more edible. As expected, none of the beef dishes are good enough. Among the spareribs, short ribs and bulgogi. The spareribs was the better dish. The banchans are minimal with only four dishes. In addition, my mom left £200 with them at the beginning of the meal because she really want to pay for it. And they claimed that she only left £100 when she pay the bill. First time ever in her life. Bummer...

Consider Yami as the best of New Malden's Korean hot spots. Its easy to find on the high street and has an array of options that you can enjoy at a leisurely pace. Note well: leisurely pace. It has this home like feel and there is never any pressure to leave because its got quite a lazy and easy going atmosphere. The beef ribs have to be the go to dish - they make it in front of you on a hotplate - combine it with lettuce and rice with some of the sauces and you're in business. Great food + great atmosphere + easy to find = 5 stars.

Yami is state-of-the-art Korean BBQ. I'm talking LED lights, extendible extractor hose fans and novelty call buttons to summon the waiters. It's slick, modern and very good. And unlike many of New Malden's more traditional Korean restaurants it's also open on Sunday nights. It's where on a cold Feb Sunday night my wife, myself and Monica Y ate a real meat feast with beer, sides and appetisers for £60 total. We plumped for the BBQ set menu #1 which could easily have filled four or five, but instead ate it all for ourselves. Fatty pork, bacon, prime rib cut from the bone in front of us and sesame-covered steak. We matched it with wonderful pot-stickers and some fried soft tofu that would embarrass most Japanese attempts. Are you salivating yet? Despite the techno extractor hoses and our own best attempts, we still left stinking of sizzling meats and our clothes are now awaiting washing. Such is the sacrifice of good Korean BBQ. Yami is a good stop in New Malden for Korean BBQ, and the hordes of young fashion-following Koreans there will back me up. The menu isn't particularly diverse or interesting but everything is done well.

Full points to this restaurant. As authentic as Korean gets in London. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Also check out the daily specials. Would highly recommend

Fantastic BBQ. The bulgogi was great but the highlight for me was the marinated short rib which was so sweet and delicious. I ate it and then immediately wanted to eat 8 more plates of it. Also yummy was the dolsot (bibimbap). Perfect comfort food for a rainy Sunday night, especially when accompanied with unusually good tea. Finally, the banchan (side dishes) were excellent. Really friendly staff, although they were a bit stretched over all the tables. This place is a very short walk from the station so come check it out! It's true that you come out smelling of BBQ, although unlike Tom E, I'm probably not going to wash my hoodie right away. I smell delicious.

Yami made me muse about moving from Hackney to the New Malden boonies. Mates (and mateys), it's worth the trek out here. After grumbling for months about how Korean joints in London charge for panchan (appetizer plates), Yami shut me up with the three panchan that showed up once we were shown to our table: potato shreds in sesame oil, kimchi, and some pickled turnip. Bustling space that seems full at all hours, it's pretty easy to explain the crowds once you try Yami's food. My galbitang (short rib beef soup) made me honestly glad of the winter chill since the broth was just so RIGHT. Very clear broth despite the rich beefy flavor, and I can swear this stuff cures ailments. At the very least, I stopped whining about how much better Korean food is back home in California. Big chunks of rib meat on the bone, daikon, onion, and a dash of pepper, it's perfect with the bowl of rice that accompanies. Yami, please keep taking my money. I'll be back!

Yami knows what's up. Unfortunately New Malden is out of my usual flight-path, but it's absolutely worth the occasional detour for some good, affordable Korean food. Bibimbap: sizzlingly served in a hot stone bowl with veg and meat and egg piled high Seafood pancake: I'm obsessed with these, and love dipping the triangles of it into the dipping sauce provided Deep fried pork dumplings: yep, have yet to meet a dumpling I don't like. These were very light casings which puffed up a little when fried. Unexpected. In a delicious way. Banchan was free, as was a side of radish soup and perfectly earthy-flavoured tea. Service was good, but no sense of a rush despite being there during the Saturday lunch crush. Good vibe, good bathrooms, zero complaints. Beyond wishing that Yami wasn't so far from central London, that is! Yelp note: mind the chili sauce...it packs a punch.

Friendly service , tasty food. Bim bim bap didn't come in a stone bowl which was a disappointment , but may be that's and additional request. But the chicken soup certainly came out in a hot bowl and soup was seriously boiling! Loved it!

Eve L and I and a few other friends decided to have a girls night in New Malden (Sorry Eve L's hubby!) and since it's pretty much London's K-town, we just picked any BBQ . The Steamed Pork plate with tofu and kimchi was amazing value, £13 or something and we didn't even finish. It was like a spicy version of the chinese twice cooked pork! Also ordered bibimbap and some BBQ, the galbi was great. It was quite tender and we didn't end up smelling like BBQ because their ventilation was so strong. but the star of the show was definitely steamed pork. Between 4 of us, it was just under £70, value for money. I'd say.

I love Korean food and this place did not disappoint. The staff are very welcoming and they are very friendly. The food was great and the samgyeopsal was delicious. I would recommend this place to my friends and family

Great service but otherwise a fairly pedestrian experience. Was expecting so much more and it wasn't that cheap either. The marinated beef was really good, shame we didn't want to pay the extra £1.90 for lettuce leaves to go with them. I like good value and I wouldn't be happy with that anywhere in central London and certainly not in New Malden! If you are in the area and want Korean food then go ahead, enjoy but don't expect to be wowed.

Go to Korean spot on New Malden High Street. Great value and tasty lunches. Beef ribs are fantastic.

This is the first place I have ever been to when I moved into the area. 5 years on the quality of the food haven't changed still good quality. It is a bit on expensive side but the food is quality being served is worth every penny. Must try the ginseng chicken and their bbq meat.

So excited to discover Korean Central in New Malden. . The Korean restaurants recommended were closed on a Sunday so we opted for Yami's for lunch which happened to be open and very busy. We were pleasantly surprised at the extra capacity in the back... There are even 3 private sectioned rooms for bigger groups. The food took a while to arrive - even those mini appetisers (which are free any the way - didn't realise they aren't usually in London). We ordered our usual - bulgogi, bibimbap and kimchi soup (kimchi jiggae). The bibimbap came in a clay mortar - they have us the option. I mostly tried the bulgogi and kimchi soup and found the kimchi soup tasty but the bulgogi very wet with too many soggy onions and much too sweet. I've had bulgogi wet like this but the taste wasn't very good being sickeningly sweet. On the positive note, once they finally served us the free appetisers, the food cane quickly. Also, the prices were very reasonable.. Much cheaper than in Edinburgh even for dinner.

I had a great dinner at Yami (69 High Street) last night. Having never been to New Malden before, I was tempted to try Palace and some of the other ones that are more well known. However, I asked a few groups of Koreans about what their favorite restaurant was, and they all said Yami. Yami was the most crowded of the Korean restaurants on the High Street and so we decided to go in. I started with the seafood pancake, which was one the best I've had. It was not too thick nor greasy - there was generous portions of seafood. For mains, I had the stonepot bibimbap which was fantastic. The raw meat was of a high quality, the egg was perfect and the rice crispy. The hot sauce was just right as well. My companion had the fish cakes with squid. The texture of the fish cakes was perfect, not too sticky and with enough bite. Finally, we also split the sweet/sour chicken, which I had thought was Korean fried chicken. It's not. It wasn't very good. The service was pretty good although they overcharged us by quite a bit. Once I pointed that out, they changed the bill. There is also a mandatory service charge which annoys me. All in all, one of the best Korean meals I've had. i think most people get the BBQ, but I just wanted to try something else.

Came here with a friend for the first time, and thank goodness. Yami is wonderful. The brown rice tea is delicious (although I wish the waiters would check and fill the teapot). They brought small, complimentary appetizer dishes of salad, kimchi, vegetable pancakes, potato soup, and some egg thing. I ordered the beef bulgogi (good, but not amazing as bulgogi goes) and chicken teriyaki (really delicious). The waiter was very polite. I would recommend offering the guests water and refilling the tea when it's empty. It also took a long time to get our check and to have my payment picked up.

Wonderful, reasonably priced Korean food at this restaurant. BBQ meat dishes range from £10 for beef and £7.50 for pork. There is a good selection of beer, wine and spirits, I definitely recommend going for a soju with your meal. If only I wasn't so far away from this place, I'd definitely come here more often!

Good service, testy nice atmosphere. Always recommended oriental place for lunch in reasonable price.

Yami is not yummy. I was really looking forward to pacifying my korean bbq cravings for the first time in London today. We drove out of our way from Central London to New Malden to try one of New Malden's several korean bbq restaurants. Unfortunately only a handful of the restaurants have been reviewed on Yelp, each with the same average of about 4 stars, and each had between 5 to 7 reviews. This made it a little difficult to decide which one to go to. I choose Yami because one of the reviews said that they don't charge for the little side dishes that are normally complimentary in other countries such as the United States and Korea. We ordered the chap-che noodles (buckwheat glass noodles with beef and vegetables) - this arrived very watery like a soup and was overly sweet. The fried pork dumplings had more soggy cabbage than pork. They were also in a different type of wrapper that was more like a flakey puffed pastry. We also ordered the classic marinated beef short ribs and pork belly, both to be grilled at our table. The pork belly was nice, but it is hard to go wrong when no preparation had to be done to it - it was simply pork belly with no marinade on a grill - simples. The marinated beef was a good quality beef, but the marinade tasted more sugary (like simple syrup sugar) instead of the savory caramelized combination of brown sugar, sesame oil, spring onions, etc. It was quality beef laced in some soy sauce and sugar. It did not have any sesame seeds and spring onions - most importantly, it was missing that one random mushroom that they usually chuck on to the grill when ordering this dish elsewhere. Also, note that you have to pay for rice!!! Service was very attentive and nice, and the waiter has control of the grill at your table. New Yorkers, there is a huge difference between this place in New Malden compared to the K-town bbq establishments we are used to.