Yanji Korean BBQ is a particularly fun option for a small family celebration or dinner with friends, because the cooking becomes part of the occasion, combining two private dining rooms, an East London location and varied menu.
The restaurant specialises in Korean barbecue, with two private dining rooms that each seat up to 10 guests around adjoining grill tables, giving everyone their own space to eat, chat and cook together. The set-up is straightforward but brilliantly sociable. To promote an interactive, engaging evening, each table is crafted with a built-in grill, bench seating and individual extraction hoods overhead, creating an informal environment where guests stay for more than just a bite, and instead, settle in to enjoy and share in the experience together. If you have any logistic concerns, the team assure that air conditioning helps keep things comfortable, and with the doors closed, the group gets a little more privacy than in the main dining room.
As you might expect, food is where Yanji really comes into its own. The Korean barbecue section includes bulgogi, made with thin slices of marinated beef, alongside L.A. galbi, marinated short beef ribs on the bone, and spicy pork belly. The wider menu gives groups plenty to add around the grill, from tteokbokki and seafood pancakes to chicken, vegetable and prawn dumplings, kimchi pancakes and japchae.
There are also skewers of beef, lamb, chicken, pork belly, squid and king prawns, plus side dishes such as kimchi, cucumber kimchi, seaweed salad, beansprouts and assorted namul. If anyone fancies something more substantial alongside the barbecue, choices include bibimbap with beef, chicken, pork, seafood, tofu or vegetables, as well as beef fried udon, kimchi fried rice and warming stews such as yukgaejang, kimchi jjigae and seafood tofu soup.
For celebrations, the team can also help with the practical extras. With advance notice, pre-orders can be arranged for quicker service, and staff can assist with cakes or simple decorations.