Arang

In return for the cup of milky English tea I made him the other day my French colleague Joel let me in on one of his (formerly) closely guarded secrets - a Korean restaurant in Golden Square called Arang.

I haven't been so pleased to discover a new dining in London for a long time. My cousin and I were the only natives in a big room full of strikingly attractive young Koreans collectively poking away at the barbecues set the middle of every table.

Perhaps because I booked in advance the manager made a fuss over us all evening and sent over a plate of fresh fruit on the house for dessert. Joel had also recommended the cold noodle soup with pear which I managed to get appended to the set menu - delicious. The waitress instructed me how to add just the right quantities of (English?) mustard and vinegar to this delicately sweet broth.

As with most of these places tried out for the first time, the trick for all future visits will be to eat less!

There's a curiousity-inducing cocktail bar in the basement that is certainly private, and possibly only admits the sharper-dressed sort of Koreans. I didn't get much further than a hand on the glass door.