Kim's Korean Restaurant, Bournemouth

I cannot find this restaurant on the web. But I know it exists, because I ate there. It sits in a row of shops near the train station and opposite a Staples and a Halfords. It is hedged in by a roundabout on one end and traffic lights on the other: cars scream past as I try to cross the road.

Inside, is a peaceful, tastefully decorated haven where the smells of cooking entice me further in. There is a large table to my left, at which a Korean family are having their meal. I take this as a good recommendation for the restaurant.

I am alone. There are a few smaller tables at which I can sit, but I hover. The decor makes me think the restaurant is a bit fancier than I expected. There are deep red wood, high backed chairs and stone tables. It is all very impressive, even if the restaurant itself is quite small (could seat perhaps 20 comfortably, 30 at a stretch).

A young woman welcomes me and gestures for me to take a seat wherever I will. I choose beside the door, and near to the family so that I can spy on them. I do like to observe other eaters. I feel it is necessary to look occupied, so I pull out my diary and begin to write in it.

The lower half of every window and the pane of glass in the door is covered with ideograph-printed rice paper. This provides me and my fellow diners with some welcome privacy from the busy street out front.

The young woman returns and asks me if I would like anything to drink. I ask her what tea she would recommend and she suggests Barley Tea, telling me that this is what Koreans in Korea always drink. I appreciate the qualifier. I order the barley tea and it arrives promptly in a lovely large teapot, with a cup and saucer.

I am still reading through the menu - I know what I want to eat but I would like to study the menu thoroughly, checking for other items I might eat in future. The decor and service has impressed me and, provided the food is tasty, I will return.

The barley tea is lovely: mild flavoured and refreshing, with a hint of muskiness.

The menu is extensive: it has all the dishes I would expect in a Korean restaurant menu and I see that it also does Korean BBQ. I take note so that I may drag friends there for a Korean BBQ dinner party. I love communal eating, and communal cooking.

I have barely closed the menu when the attentive young woman returns. She asks if I have eaten Korean food before or if I would like some assistance choosing. I wave her help away with an impatient "yes, yes" and proceed to order hae mul dol sot bi bim bap - seafood and rice in a stone bowl. On reflection, I decide her asking whether I wanted assistance was a lovely gesture, rather than being condescending, or worse, sycophantic. Nevertheless, she explains what the dish is to me. I listen attentively, feeling a bit guilty about my earlier impatience.

She returns to lay my table with silver chopsticks, spoon and fork. As she walks off I realise that I did not ask for a side of kim chi. I prevaricate about whether to call her back, and decide not to. If the dish does not come with kim chi, I can ask for some when the dish does arrive.

In quite a short period of time, a steaming bowl of bi bim bap arrives. There is lovely fluffy rice, sliced zucchini/courgette, and sea food, all topped with a fried egg. The mussels and prawns are tiny - but I hail from Australia so my judgement is skewed. The stone bowl is beautiful, deep grey in colour. As well as a bowl of chilli, three further side plates accompany my meal: kim chi, pickled bean sprouts, and boiled potato in soy sauce. I wait for the bowl to cool a little, and I pick at the kim chi while I am doing so. It is excellent kim chi, although I do not think it is home made.

An older woman comes to my table and smiles at me. She points at the chilli sauce and says: Hot. Do you eat? I smile and say yes. Then she picks up my chilli sauce and dumps the lot into my bi bim bap, picks up my spoon and fork and mixes everything together. I try not to look disappointed - I know she is trying to be helpful - but I was looking forward to doing that myself, when the bowl had cooled sufficiently that I would not burn my wrist if I was clumsy. There, she says when she is done. Now enjoy. And she smiles such a lovely smile that I forgive her.

My bi bim bap is delicious. Perhaps sea food was not the wisest choice, although Bournemouth is by the sea, the sea food (hae mul) in the dish was probably from much further afield. Nevertheless, it is tasty. The rice is perfect and each of my side dishes are great; I particularly enjoy the potatoes in soy sauce (so much so I ask how it is made: the potatoes are boiled first, and then stewed with a little bit of soy sauce).

Beside me, the Korean family is happily digging into delicious looking dishes, with gusto and laughter. One of them must be a special guest of the family: he seems to do most of the talking and entertaining. The children seem to be enjoying their meals too. I have no success trying to espy what their dishes are; the group table is on a slightly upraised platform. From the laughter, and the clickety-clack of chopsticks on bowls and plates, I know it is good.

I shall be eating here again.

*****
On St Paul's Road
Across the way from Staples and Halford's
Near the train station
Bournemouth

The Bridge Patisserie, Winchester

There is a delightful cafe in Winchester: the Bridge Patisserie.

On a gorgeous summer day, laden with groceries from a visit to the Hampshire Farmers' Market, I meander towards this cafe, stopping at Char Tea (and coffee) shop - which has not been open for any of the other Sundays that I have visited Winchester. I buy some jasmine leaf tea, and make a note of all the other wondrous teas that I have to buy. To my delight, the Bridge Patisserie does teas from Char Tea Shop.

There are two rooms to the Bridge Patisserie: the first that I see is a long take-away counter, enticing cakes on the outside window and sandwiches and baguettes inside, bar-stools and posters cover one wall and another wall is painted a deep blue; the second room is high ceilinged and bright, with simple tables and chairs and one delightful red sofa beside a red-floral-patterned-wallpapered wall. Unfortunately, the red sofa is occupied, so we take our seat at a table.

On each table were some origami flowers:-


On all walls there are French theatre prints, looking very art-deco.

I have boring black tea, and my companions have coffee. The coffee is Mozzo; I have had it elsewhere and know it to be excellent. One of my companions has coffee taste similar to mine (black, strong, no sugar) and he approves. My tea is fine, but you'd be hard pressed to do black tea badly. None of us have cake or food; I had a delicious mushroom buttie from Peter Mushrooms at the market, so I am much too full for anything else.

I will be back, however, to sample the cakes and the baguettes.


The Bridge Patisserie
20 Bridge St
Winchester
SO23 9BH

01962 890767

Just Another Food Blog

I am new to the South of England and this is my food blog, intended for reviewing eating out (and probably eating in via take-outs) in the South of England as there seems to be no one providing me with the information I want to know!

I have a few places to catch up on for starters.

I prefer casual, to fine dining (as I am frequently in t-shirts and jeans), and tend towards Asian cuisines.

Enjoy.