We’ve been waiting for this new Japanese/Korean joint to open almost all log as we waited for The Great Pong of Kennington Tube to subside. We were rewarded when it opened to the public yesterday (23 Nov) in the space that used to the ‘Doost’ and tonight we made a visit. It is a great stop if you fancy variety in your east Asian food and features bento, kimchi, BBQ, bibimbap, and some sushi. They also have plenty of wines and beers.
At first we had a mild hesitation that Kuma was going to feature fusion cuisine (imagine the horror of kimchi sushi) but were assuaged when the menu featured a distinction between it’s Korean and Japanese fare. The vibe was young, casual, and the lighting was on the bright side of acceptable. The timing of the food wasn’t great but you except this in a place open for two days,
My dining partner had the tonkotsu bento box, with the main feature being breaded pork katsu. Said partner would have liked a bit more slop of the tangy sauce but it was very well proportioned and the sauce even managed to make the bean sprouts better than usual.
I had prawn gyoza which were grilled well and had definitely not had part of their lives wasted by a freezer. I then had the chicken bulgogi (say it like a pro…..Boo-GOH-gee) which are very thin strips of meat grilled on a BBQ. The chicken had a very good sauce and featured spring onion. It was billed as ‘hot’ and it certainly was. And so generous that I couldn’t finish it.
Earlier this year we reviewed Korean Place Daebak and the now well established Japanese place Taro. I think Daebak takes its fare a bit more seriously and Taro is a kind of Japanese sushi ‘canteen’ and can’t really be compared. I went downstairs to go to the toilet and ‘accidentally’ walked into the kitchen. I could not see any sign of sous chef Mike(rowave) and it appeared that everything was made on site. The bill, with four beers, came to £50 which was reasonable. When the bill came we tried to pull the ‘but we’re Kennington INFLUENCERS’ trick, but they were having none of it.
Thank you for this very informative review! I live in the neighbourhood and will most definitely be giving this place a try. Many wines and beers, you say?
Absolute best soba noodles I’ve tried in a loong time, very lovely employee, great presentation of every single dish In the takeaway format! Tried the gyosa, the prawn soba and the karaage, everything delicious, it showed that it was done with care and attention and skill! It was our first time today but definitely be back very soon, thank you Kuma team