Su La (CLOSED)

One of the more sophisticated Korean restaurants in New Malden, Su-La is spacious and smartly done up with private rooms and low wooden tables – most of which were filled on our visit by rowdy Korean businessmen. There are no beers here, only teas and soju. Prices are higher than you’ll find locally, but the food quality is generally good. Barbecued pork neck was smoky and tender, served with crisp lettuce, mild chillies and peppery slices of garlic, to be dipped in a hot bean paste: a wonderful explosion of flavours. A greaseless kimchi p’ajeon was thin, crisp and immensely satisfying. Cod roe chigae, chock-full of sea-flavoured, meaty roe sacks, was better than the kimchi chigae, the latter being unpleasantly thick and tasting more of tomato than spicy kimchi. The theme continued with the raw skate naengmyun, which though being texturally pleasing (the fish’s crunchy wing cartilage offering plenty of bite) was a touch too sweet. While we appreciated the sleek decor and sober service, we missed the friendliness of the smaller caffs down the road.