The final Kimchi Project of the year was one of the best, no doubt about that, both from the point of view of the food and the company.
Philip of London Korean Links, who had been present at the first Kimchi Project, wanted to do another one, and as his favourite Korean restaurant is Asadal, just under Holborn tube station, that seemed the best place to go. My parents (the source of all this Korean-ness, as it was my father's job that took us there in the first place) were in town, as was my brother. And we also asked Han Eui-Jong along, who had worked for my father in the British Embassy all those years ago. Philip's wife Louise also came. So we were a very jolly bunch.
I've been eating a lot of Korean food on my own, and it has usually been great. But it is a cuisine best enjoyed in a big group. At Asadal we ordered one of their barbecue menus. It started with a spicy kimchi soup, then a delicious squid dish, and tangy chicken wings, which were the nearest thing I have had to the chicken that my father's colleagues' wife used to do (and that was the best chicken ever).
We then had pork and beef bulgogi, all accompanied by kimchi, various vegetable dishes, seaweed and rice. Philip and I attacked the cucumber-marinated soju, while everyone else had Korean beers and/or water. (I thought I was going to feel it the next day, but either I dodged the bullet that night, or soju doesn't have the same hangover effects of other things I drink).
I was moved to comment that Korean food isn't for those that love desserts, as we got served another dish of fresh fruit. It totally works for me, though, especially when washed down by a lovely cold, sweet cinnamon tea that I had never had before.
The kimchi was pretty good, very tangy, well-balanced and just the right amount of crunch. It gets 4 out of 5. The meal came to £57 a head for those of us that were drinking.
The whole evening with utterly pleasant, from the fun of being in a private room, to the joy of meeting old friends and making new ones. A fitting end to the Kimchi Project for 2013 .
As there were various events in 2013 that were unforeseen when I started the project, and have held back its progress (a month in Malaysia, selling my house and other things), and as I will be leaving London in February anyway, I've decided to give myself till 17 February (the day I elave for Australia) to complete the project. So that's 8 more to do, which is still going to be quite a tough call!
