Please note, Jindalle is now closed. Time Out Food & Drink editors, March 2016.
Jindalle’s location, just off Leicester Square in a street filled with cheap but cheerless eats, isn’t a great start. Its exterior gives little inkling of what lies inside, but don’t be put off: this small, unassuming barbecue restaurant offers very decent Korean food at moderate prices, served by quietly efficient staff who are happy to advise novices. Everything about the place is understated; the interior is pleasant rather than special, with oversized chairs cramming the long narrow space. Nevertheless, the predominantly Korean clientele park themselves at tables fitted with barbecues, usually opting for a set meal. Our choice, marinated beef, was part of an £8.90 pre-theatre special, which included rice, miso soup and a pretty trio of fermented salads; it was cooked to perfection by our waiter. In contrast, an accompanying kimchi pancake was greasy and bland, and barbecued belly pork, while tasty, was served plain and in a paltry portion. Still, a side of cabbage kimchi happily filled the hunger gaps. On the next table, three friends were sharing an immense and tempting-looking dumpling hotpot, but the huge selection of barbecued meats is what to choose in this genial space.