Just as Harper Lee was rumoured to have had help from Truman Capote in writing To Kill a Mockingbird, I have decided to write this review with the help of a guest reviewer. Guest comments will be indicated by italics. This is a first for dinner with jo.

Myung Ga is a Korean barbecue restaurant on Kingly Street, Soho. Upon first glance it isn’t the most enticing restaurant in the area; it is very brightly lit, it isn’t chic or glamorous and I don’t remember hearing any music. However I had been told by someone who has eaten lots of Korean food both in London and abroad that it is some of the best Korean barbecue in town, and who I am I to argue about where one can get better Korean barbecue.

It was busy (a good sign) so we were sat in a little side room with just two other people. Location didn’t seem to matter though as service was impeccable. Each table has a barbecue facility which is always fun.

We ordered three meat dishes, a kimchee pancake and japchae (glass noodles).

The Kimchee pancake was a revelation, cooked fresh, instead of the dry stale type you get in other Korean establishments it really was one of the best I’ve tasted in London. The chili soy sauce complemented it perfectly as well.

The meat arrives raw on a plate and the waitress puts it on the barbecue for you, goes away for a few minutes, comes back to check on it and turn it, goes away again and finally comes back to serve it. You watch the entire cooking process, from this:

To this:

It looked so good that I had already tucked in before I could remember to take a picture. It is served with a bowl of lettuce leaves and sauces in order to make a lettuce and beef sandwich.

The barbecue beef was of excellent quality, particularly the sirloin and the staff were very friendly and helpful in getting the best out of the meat. The only downside to this truly “Seoul-full” experience was the Japchae (glass noodles), which I felt were too oily and lacked some flavour. Furthermore, they did not provide the usual flurry of tapas style Korean starters that you would expect in most Korean establishments.

Not only was I new to the food, but for the first time I tried Sake. At first it tasted a little like lukewarm vinegar, but once I got used to it, I liked it.

We over-ordered and asked if it was too late to cancel the third plate of raw meat that arrived at our table. In the most gracious way possible, the waitress said of course, took it away and removed it from the bill.

I would definitely go again and again to this restaurant. The bill came to a reasonable £58.

In agreement with my guest reviewer, I thoroughly recommend Myung Ga.