My favourite restaurants: Judy Joo's top Korean eats in London

A protector and champion of Korean cooking, founder of Seoul Bird and Jinjuu, who better to ask for tips on the best Korean restaurants in London than the one and only Judy Joo? She’s built a career as an authority on Korean dining, not just as a successful restaurateur and chef, but also as a regular on TV shows like Saturday Kitchen, Sunday Brunch and Cooking with the Stars.

Her entry into the world of hospitality, however, is one of the more unusual. Hailing from New Jersey, Joo spent more than five years working in finance. In 2003, she swapped spreadsheets for stockpots, and enrolled in The French Culinary Institute. Graduating top of her class, a chance introduction with Gordon Ramsay sparked two years rotating through the restaurants in his Michelin-starred empire – Petrus, Claridge's, Maze, to name a few – followed swiftly by stages at The Fat Duck, The French Laundry and Bangkok’s Nahm for good measure.

Michelin-starred fine dining under her belt, Joo turned to her own ambitions, opening Jinjuu Soho in 2015. At the time, Korean food in London meant just a handful of neighbourhood restaurants serving local diaspora communities. Armed with a thriving TV career, Jinjuu championed her unique French-trained, Korean-American London identity. Aimed at curious Londoners uninitiated in the joys of Korean cooking, it worked brilliantly, expanding to Mayfair and Hong Kong. Joo, meanwhile, had another plan in the works: Seoul Bird, a love letter to Korean fried chicken, now trading in Westfield with various US outposts.

Over the past decade or so, coinciding with Joo’s success, London’s Korean scene has exploded with exciting talent and concepts. Gastropubs, homecooks, and recipe platforms have all latched onto key ingredients like gochujang and seaweed. The trend is here to stay. With so many incredible Korean restaurants to choose from, we’ve turned to the expert herself to get an exclusive pick of London’s top Korean restaurants. Joo puts it better herself: ‘Together, they tell the story of modern Korean food in London - and why I never tire of sharing it.’

‘These are the four restaurants I return to time and again.’

Sollip, London Bridge

Judy Joo says: ‘Just south of the river, along an unassuming street near London Bridge, sits Sollip. I'll say it without hesitation: this was one of the finest Michelin-starred meals I've had in years.

‘It's the vision of chef Woongchul Park and his wife, Bomee Ki, and you can feel their partnership in every course. Chef Park's classical French training provides the foundation, but it's his Korean perspective that makes Sollip so distinctive. Across the nine-course tasting menu, Korean ingredients and flavours appeared with remarkable precision, never demanding attention yet subtly transforming every dish. My dining companion and I kept catching each other's eye, genuinely excited to see what would arrive next.

‘On most tasting menus there's usually one course that misses the mark. Not here. Perilla, seaweed, doenjang, and gochujang threaded effortlessly through impeccably cooked turbot, sweet prawns, perfectly pink duck and more. One standout was deceptively simple: homemade delicate chestnut-flour noodles glossed with fragrant perilla oil. Elegant, understated and utterly unforgettable. Even fresh deodeok - a prized Korean root that's notoriously difficult to source outside Korea - appeared in dessert alongside melon, adding an earthy note that somehow made perfect sense.’

‘I could happily talk about this meal for hours. Every course felt original and impeccably judged, from the ingenious radish tarte tatin to the final bite of mango and jasmine madeleine. Refined without ever feeling precious, Sollip is a restaurant that lingers in your memory long after you've left.’

Where: Melior Street, SE1
Book now: Sollip

Jang, City of London

Judy Joo says: ‘I'll say it plainly: this is the most classically authentic Korean meal I've had in London, and I don't say that lightly. Chef Dana Choi – who came through my own kitchens, making her success especially gratifying to watch – hails from Korea's Jeolla region, celebrated for producing some of the country's boldest, most generous cooking. You can taste that heritage in every carefully considered dish.

‘Set beneath the soaring arches of the historic Royal Exchange, Jang feels grand without ever becoming formal. The barbecue feast is outstanding, with duck, lamb and beef served alongside housemade kimchi and pickles that are vibrant, punchy and unapologetically traditional. The gochujang-glazed lamb was one of my favourite bites of the evening: tender, smoky, and packed with umami.

‘I'd happily return for the summer bibimbap alone - a colourful medley of seasonal vegetables and tofu brought together with a deep soy dressing that lets every ingredient shine. Then came the naengmyeon: gloriously chewy buckwheat noodles swimming in an icy fermented gochujang broth that's fiery, tangy and incredibly refreshing. I couldn't stop eating it, even as the chilli had me breaking into a sweat. One bowl transported me straight back to Korea. For anyone craving Korean food at its most authentic, Jang is essential.’

Where: The Mezzanine, The Royal Exchange, EC3V 3LQ
Book now: Jang

Cálong, Stoke Newington

Judy Joo says: ‘Cálong is exactly the kind of neighbourhood restaurant I wish I had around the corner. Chefs Jooyoung and Sujin Won have found that sweet spot where classical French technique meets soulful Korean flavour, and every dish feels effortless rather than engineered. Along bustling Stoke Newington Church Street, Cálong feels like a little discovery. The intimate dining room has all the warmth of being welcomed into someone's home.

‘Chef Joo's bistro-style cooking is the culinary equivalent of a hug – generous, deceptively simple and underpinned by impeccable technique. It takes someone fluent in both French and Korean cooking to make food this seamless. I never skip the kimchi pajeon with celeriac: tangy, spicy and delicately creamy, with crisp edges giving way to a tender centre. The bulgogi onglet is another must-order, perfectly cooked and intensely flavourful, balanced by bright fermented accompaniments that lift every bite.

‘Then there's dessert. The panna cotta is one of the silkiest I've eaten in London this year - light as air, beautifully set and worth saving room for. Everything at Cálong feels quietly assured. No gimmicks, no unnecessary flourishes - just confident cooking that speaks for itself.’

Where: 35 Stoke Newington Church Street, N16 0NX
Book now: Cálong

Soom, Leicester Square

Judy Joo says: ‘Then there are nights when all I want is to gather around a sizzling grill with people I love, tongs in hand, no fuss and no pretence. That's exactly what Soom delivers. Perched on the edge of Theatreland, just moments from Soho, it's a sleek, contemporary space of pale wood and soft lighting that feels effortlessly stylish.

‘I always order the soondubu jjigae – a bubbling pot of silky tofu with seafood and just the right amount of chilli heat. The haemul pajeon arrives shatteringly crisp and generously studded with seafood, while the banchan and kimchi are everything they should be: vibrant, tangy and completely addictive.

‘But the barbecue is the real draw. Every table hums with smoky grills, and there are sixteen cuts to choose from, from chicken and Iberico pork to beautifully marbled wagyu. I never skip the paper-thin wagyu chadolbagi and classic LA galbi, wrapped in crisp lettuce with a generous swipe of savoury ssamjang. ‘It's the kind of meal that feeds more than your appetite. Relaxed, generous and wonderfully convivial, it's everything a Korean barbecue should be.’

Where: 99 St Martin's Lane, WC2N 4AZ
Book now: Soom

Fancy more chef recommendations for top-tier Asian restaurants in London? We spoke with Sam and Sam Clark to get the lowdown on their favourites across the capital. Or, if you're keen to explore chef-rated restaurants across the UK, we've got hot tips from Tommy Banks, Leonard Tanyag, and Kenny Atkinson, all just a click away.