Woo Nam Jeong Stone Bowl House

Woo Nam Jeong Stone Bowl House Restaurant Review:

About the food: Chef Young Hui Han practices the Korean art of preserving and presenting food in a meaningful aesthetic manner. Pickled, salted, fermented and spicy dishes offered after you've ordered are never the same each time you come, but they are always worth sampling. Bring some pals and choose the gujeolpan, for which an arrangement of foods is displayed in eight segments of an octagonal dish. A round center section holds thin crêpe-like pancakes to fill with the morsels that you select, and then daub with one of two rather zingy sauces. Cellophane noodles form the basis of japchae, where they're stir-fried in sesame oil and tossed with vegetables, such as shredded carrot, spinach and mushrooms, and garnished with sesame seeds. We've also enjoyed the huge seafood pancake and yuk gae jang, a stone bowl of rice and meat topped with an egg. Break up the whole business with your chop sticks and mix it together, then roll it in lettuce leaves.

About the drinks: Beer is the quaff of choice, or you could sample some soju (saké-like rice wine) or other traditional beverages. Cold, slightly sweetened cinnamon tea in small saucer-shaped bowls is a lovely final fillip.