Korean cuisine is booming in the UK, with more places than ever to try bibimbap, bulgogi or tteokbokki. Demand is rising for the country's bold and punchy flavours, which feature soy sauce, sesame oil, the tangy, fermented kick of kimchi, raw napa cabbage and gochujang, a sweet and spicy chilli paste that elevates dips and gives an umami boost to sauces.
Last year, Waitrose reported that sales of gochujang had increased by 71% since 2024. Jamie Oliver uses it to flavour his chicken burgers while Nigella Lawson adds it to her pasta sauce. In March, Korean fried chicken was named one of Just Eat's top 10 takeaways of 2026, while there were long queues this month at Jung, a Korean food festival in London.
Korean fried chicken is a must-try. Unlike American fried chicken, 'the coating is very thin and it's really crispy', says Kyu Jeong Jeon, co-owner of Dongnae in Bristol. Tapioca and rice flour are often used in the batter, she says, 'so it stays very crunchy, even with sauce'. The secret to achieving a light texture is double-frying the chicken, says Woongchul Park, co-founder of the Michelin-starred restaurant Sollip in central London. Try the signature fried chicken at Chick and Beers in New Malden, or go for the half-and-half option at Dopi in Bethnal Green.
Bulgogi, which translates literally as 'fire meat', features slices of meat marinated in a delicious garlic sauce, caramelised and slightly charred alongside sliced onion. 'We marinate in pear and kiwi to make the meat tender,' says Park. 'We use very thin slices, add a little bit of sugar and cook it on charcoal to give it flavour.' You can have a go at cooking it yourself at GO!K-BBQ in New Malden.
Bibimbap is white rice served with meat and lots of vegetable toppings, along with a soft-fried egg. Sometimes it's served in a hot stone bowl (dolsot), with the residual heat continuing to cook the rice. 'You get the crunchy part of the rice at the bottom of the stone pot – Koreans love this,' says Seji Hong, author of Korean Made Easy and founder of Bombom. Miga in east London sells sanchae bibimbap, while Jin Go Gae in New Malden offers the dolsot version.
Other dishes to savour include gimbap (rice rolls stuffed with vegetables, meat or seafood), Korean pancakes (such as haemul pajeon with seafood), and kimchi jjigae (a kimchi-laced stew). For gimbap, try the popup Gim London or Sarangbang in Nottingham. For pancakes, Kim's Mini Meals in Edinburgh serves gamja jeon, and Seoul Bakery in central London offers extras like beef or sausage.
