Dines Out: Kogi

When you spend your life eating, well rather a lot of your life, and you are constantly searching for something new, there comes a point when you start to think that you have tried the lot. Of course that is far from true as there are so many cuisines that I remain unfamiliar with and one that I feel guilty of not trying – Korean. Oh, I’ve had their ubiquitous fried chicken of course but little else.

So when Ms McD invited Dr W and I to join her at Kogi I leapt at the chance. She had already been with a niece, who speaks Korean and has visited the country, so she had a head start. I pondered the menu with eyes bulging, there’s little comparison to the western idea of three courses and little that I recognised – until I spotted the grilled dumplings. So I ordered some of them and we all chose a dish each and an extra portion of the fried chicken.

The dumplings were sublime, truly delicious and full of flavour and I will be back for them pretty soon. And my companions agreed.

Dr W chose a stir fried dish of squid which was fascinating, I grabbed a bite and the squid was very tender and the sauce very spicy. I chose a minced short rib patty with rice cakes and on-the-dish rice. It was a strangely delicious burger-like thing on a bed of salad, sweet and savoury at the same time, and set into the tender beef were three of the rice cakes. Now I have had rice cakes in many forms but never like this. They are oddly chewy sausage shaped things, delicately flavoured and very alien. I liked them, but I can imaging why people might not.

Ms McD actually loved them and chose a dish of them stewed in a golden brown sauce with slices of oriental fish cake. Now that really was a delight, and the accompanying dishes of pickled bean sprouts and kimchi were brilliant.

Of course we had some fried chicken and it was good and generous but uneventful. Our mistake, I fear, for not choosing a spicier version that was offered.

Dr W had white wine, but Ms McD and I had Korean beers which were very nice indeed.

I will certainly be back, and next time perhaps be more adventurous.

Kogi, 30 York Place Brighton BN1 4GU
01273 682752