Somssi: Is This London’s Best Korean Restaurant?

Ina Yulo Stuve takes a seat at Somssi by Jihun Kim, the 14-cover Korean-inspired chef’s table at the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair. 

Restaurant Review: Somssi, London

It’s a busy Tuesday night at Hanover Bar, the swanky, rooftop drinking destination with a bird’s eye view over the capital. On balmier nights, the terrace beckons for some al fresco tipples, though the floor-to-ceiling windows mean you still get that rooftop feel should you choose to cosy up indoors. During our visit, the crowd was heavily corporate, with Mayfair’s hedge fund and private equity workers clearly enjoying some much-needed downtime. The cocktail menu pays homage to the upscale neighbourhood’s iconic areas like The Tailor’s Cut (Savile Row) and The Muse (The Royal Academy of Arts). After a good dose of people watching, we’re approached by a hostess who escorts us and a few other guests into the lift to head down for the main event: an eight-course Korean-inspired tasting menu at Somssi by Jihun Kim.

Behind a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it door lies a secluded dining den where the Somssi team are hard at work at their stations prepping for the evening’s meal. There’s only one 7pm seating per day (plus a lunch option on Saturdays), so getting a seat at the table really feels like an exclusive treat. There’s a quiet focus in the open kitchen as tweezer-ready chefs put the finishing touches on dishes while the sommelier team pours generous glasses of Champagne from family-owned Pierre Gimonnet et Fils. Most guests are dining in pairs and despite everyone sitting side-by-side around the counter, the interaction guests have with the chefs as they deliver each course makes the whole experience feel personalised and intimate. 

For most diners, Korean cuisine remains less familiar than the food of its Japanese neighbours, with many being introduced to the fermentation-forward flavours at casual Korean BBQ restaurants. Because of this, the chefs and front-of-house team take turns to introduce different ingredients like ginseng (which was turned into an ice cream and paired with a black fig souffle for dessert) and explaining the different aspects of a traditional Korean meal, such as the banchan, or Korean side dishes. The selection at Somssi features a playful mix of textures and flavours like sweet vinegary tomato paired with spicy watermelon and delicate cuttlefish topped with a dashi jelly.

Pops of colour make their way into the hwe (raw) course, where thinly-sliced Cornish wild sea bream sits in a light peanut oil and topped with turnip dongchimi (winter kimchi) and trout roe, while a barely-cooked Chalkstream trout is garnished tableside with a bright pink apple granita. 

The seafood focus continues with a charcoal-grilled wild seabass with crispy chicken skin before leading into my favourite dish of the night: the ultra-luxe native lobster cured for seven days in ganjang (traditional Korean soy sauce), served atop a sweet corn jelly and finished with a generous dollop of N25 Oscietra caviar. For an untraditional surf and turf, baked Maldon oysters sit in a soothing miyeok guk seaweed broth along with wagyu beef tongue.

The following courses highlight the famous Korean grilling techniques: Iberico pork is expertly charred and served ssam-style in a beetroot pancake and another slice is skewered and sits in a spicy kimchi jiggae sauce. For the main, diners choose between organic saltmarsh lamb or English wagyu picanha, the beautifully pink meats enhanced by spiced carrots, black garlic, and kimchi, accompanied by an umami-rich rice made with wild mushrooms, seaweed, and sea urchin. The meal ends with a bit of theatre as the black fig souffle is presented and topped with ginseng ice cream and a dramatic drizzle of honey. 

BOOK IT:

The dinner tasting menu is £195pp and Saturday lunch is £145pp. Mandarin Oriental Mayfair at 22 Hanover Square, London, W1S 1JP, mandarinoriental.com