Sometimes it’s easy to forget how far the process of gentrification of Stoke Newington has progressed over the past decade or two. At the same time, despite the obligatory signposting of a Gail’s, ‘Stokey’ still retains enough rough edges to make the busy main drag of Church Street as entertaining and comfortable as a three year old pair of Sambas. And that’s how the locals like it. Erase all the fecund life of this east London neighbourhood and you may as well move to an homogenous suburb at the end of the Piccadilly Line – you’d lose more than you’d gain. Except for off-street parking. When it comes to where to eat well Stoke Newington is better served than many parts of London. Rasa, and Perilla are two restaurants which immediately spring to mind, also the late lamented Pidgin which flew the Michelin star flag there till a couple of years ago. So I was intrigued to visit Calong to see what Joo Young Won, formerly head chef at the Michelin starred Galvin at Windows, perched on top of the Hilton on Park Lane was getting up to so far from those kitchen brigade and formal dining heights.
Calong sits modestly on a busy stretch of Church Street populated with shops, cafes, restaurants. It is relatively compact for a restaurant seating perhaps 30 people at wood or zinc topped tables. White walls, exposed brick and the menu on a blackboard give a sense of casual comfort. Calong is also a family affair, Joo heads the kitchen, his wife Sujin the front of house, a formula which it seemed from my visit to work well. the award this year of a Bib Gourmand by the Michelin Guide which recognises restaurants which ‘serve high-quality food at great value’. The dishes my lunch guest and I tried all demonstrated Joo and his team’s skill and attention to detail.
We kicked off by sharing a number of starters commencing with some very good kimchi fritters with chilli mayo. In some restaurants these can be rather sweet, here they retained just enough of the fermented peppery kimchi flavour. You could happily snack on these fritters with cold beers all day while watching Formula One TV; I would if I was allowed to. The bluefin escabeche with soy and lemongrass was also a winner. The line fresh tuna flavours combining so well with the dressing. The fried chicken which is a Korean restaurant staple was perfect. A thick crunchy well-seasoned batter coating generous amounts of perfectly cooked pieces of chicken. Again something one would be happy to eat all day if you didn’t mind having the body shape of a Tellytubby. A hefty sliced piece of medium rare onglet with a bulgogi sauce was another easy crowd pleaser.
My friend had the cod joorim, a fat fillet of sea fresh cod poached then crowned a crust was also pronounced a winner. The mushroom and aubergine sot bap with yolk butter, a more traditional Korean dish was a ‘can I have some more?’ moment. Sot bap is a deceptive dish, a clay pot of rice topped with in this case mushroom and aubergine, plus some flavourings and garnishes. Here it was elevated through the lovely balance of flavours and textures. Finally, the homemade crackers with the cheese plate were another indication of the care about detail at Calong. Throughout the lunch the service from the young front of house team was informative, friendly and efficient.
Calong’s Korean x European fusion works, it’s simultaneously an exciting and comforting combination of cuisines, especially when handled by an highly competent a chef as Joo Young Won. Prices at Calong are reasonable for the quality of cooking, ingredients, and good portion sizes, with all main courses in the £24-27 range, and well worth it.
Calong is by any measure a very good restaurant, I only wish it was in my neighbourhood – I’d want to go there once a week.
Calong, 35 Stoke Newington Church Street London, N16 0NX – Calong – 020 3561 4948 – [email protected]
Lunch: Friday and Saturday 12 – 2.30; Sunday 12- 3.15
Dinner: Wednesday and Thursday 6 – 9.15; Friday and Saturday 6 – 9.30