*On the Dak is now closed but due to reopen in new premises soon*
THE AMBIENCE
The latest Korean hotspot from the fabulous Linda Lee – brains behind the hugely popular On the Bab (one of our favourite spots for soft-pillowy bao in London) – On the Dak is all about fried chicken (dak means chicken in Korean). Found on the corner of stylish Monmouth St, it’s bright and fresh and fits a lot into a tiny space. There are only a few seats in the window, so not the place if you’re looking for a sit-down meal or you don’t want to be seen with soy glaze running down your face. This is proper Korean street food with heart – noticeable by the cheeriness of its staff and the glorious smell as you peer over the counter to the open kitchen.
THE FOOD
Truth be told, it’s chicken or chicken. But boy, the ways you can have it take some beating. There are four types of fried chicken – the soft garlic version was our fave – served with crispy cabbage salad, chicken in a bao bun, chicken noodle soup, and chicken bibimbab-style rice, and not forgetting the chicken dumplings on the side. Veggies are also catered for in the form of the mush bab – gorgeous mushrooms with rice, seaweed and butter (why have we never mix butter and rice before?), plus there are sides of kimchi, from original to coriander, to tomato. We had the coriander variety, which while nice, was too heavy on the coriander and not heavy enough on the kimchi for us, so next time we’d opt for the original.
THE PRICE
Small boxes plus salad, start from £5.50. A bargain considering the quality of the ingredients, and the super location.
WOULD WE GO BACK?
Absolutely. We think the chicken is better than On the Bab (it’s a different recipe apparently) and not greasy in the slightest. Plus, the best bit for us… it’s boneless so while it’s a sticky finger food, there’s no waste on your plate.
On the Dak
1 Monmouth Street, London, WC2H 9DA
