Internationally renowned in both Hong Kong and London, Jin Juu boasts a quirky luxury style of Korean food at an affordable price. Located in the stylish, intimate corner of Soho, right by Carnaby Street, Jin Juu compliments the area with their modern take on Korean cuisine, set with their perfectly distilled colourful cocktails, and tremendous textured food of divine delicacy. The peculiar restaurant is graced with Head Chef Judy Joo, renowned for her culinary genius as host of Food Network’s “Korean Food Made Simple” and Iron Chef UK. I had heard such amazing reviews on Jin Juu and I was dying to try it out. I was lucky enough to be taken here for my anniversary meal, and the evening truly delivered.
The aspect about tapas I love so much is the variety of food you can taste, whether it be mild or spicy, chicken or pork, fish or vegetables, there is always something different. This was a feature of the restaurant which lured us in. We began with three small plates, each diverse in their unique excellence. Each plate was full of oriental life, bursting with flavour and quality. We were brought the infamous Jinn Juu’s Signature Korean Fried Chicken, followed by their Mandoo Beef and Pork Dumplings, and some mouth-watering Pork Belly Tacos. Now I can honestly say these three tapas style dishes were my favourite addition to the menu. The Korean Fried Chicken came as spicy thighs, and I am especially happy we chose this as recommended. They came delightfully crispy, cooked to perfection to the Asian recipe. Dim Sum being one of my ‘go to’ meals when dining in oriental cuisine, I was personally enthusiastic to try the dumplings dish as I hadn’t tried Korean food before, and it did not disappoint. Filled with juicy meat, the dumplings complimented each other well with the soy sauce enriched with spices. The Pork Belly Tacos hit the spot. My favourite out of the three, my stomach is craving more at the thought of this delicious dish. The savoury marinated pork with a tang of authentic spice was bursting out of the taco, ready to be devoured. This delicate creation took me out of this world, shared with apple, kimchi and Asian slaw, the exclusivity of this dish was remarkable, to say the least.
By the time we demolished our ‘starters’ I was ashamed to feel particularly consumed by the ever so delightful dishes. But by the time our main arrived I once again was seduced by the enchanting aroma in the air. I took pleasure in welcoming the Bibimbap dish, which consisted of white rice with seasonal vegetables, gochujang sauce and chicken, topped with a fried egg. The Bibimbap was tender and full of life. The spicy texture hit the back of my taste buds whilst the chicken was tender and flavoursome. The rice served in a charcoal stone bowl, adding to the traditional nature of the Korean experience, felt like the food was constantly refilled. A never-ending bowl of Asian rice – A girl can’t complain!
Would I revisit Jin Juu again? The answer is absolutely yes. Sometimes I tend to be wary of commercial Oriental restaurants because they’re never as pleasant as the more low-key restaurants you may discover in China Town, but Jin Juu ticked all the boxes. There was a tangible authentic personality behind the cuisine, within the atmosphere and the flavour. They even placed the bill in a beautiful, glistening clam shell. Each dish was carefully prepared to perfection, and I felt like I was provided with a real Korean experience.
