Gaya Korean Restaurant — Restaurant in London

Living off the past glory of Cah-Chi restaurant which changed hands to Gaya more recently. Reviews are from before the changeover. Don't be fooled into thinking it's the same quality service. Hugely disappointed to turn up to Gaya for the second time in recent months and find staff so dismissive and disinterested in our custom. Resrved tables that end up not reserved so that we end up in naf corridor tables next to toilets and kitchen serving, staff who take 5 minutes to even say hello, 15 minutes to get a menu, a complete lack of any friendliness or appeciation for custom overall. We aren't particulary demanding people but being just round the corner from New Malden (huge number of Korean restaurants) we know what good Korean hosting is so for the much pricier and smaller portions that Gaya offer, it's just not of interest. Too busy with locals like us who have such a lack of decent restaurants on the high street that it has become a go to after a long day rather than being amazing because of the exceptional food and service offered. Put Gaya amongst competitors and I'd be amazed if their business was still...

My friend had been wanting to try this place for a long time, and we finally got round to going for lunch last week. Some dishes are pricey, but the lunch menu was very affordable.

We ordered seafood bokkeum-udong and cheolpan with pork & vegetables for mains, plus kkanpunggi and pork gun-mandu to share. Everything, and I mean E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G (except the plain rice), was SOOOOO tasty, especially the kkanpunggi which was covered in delicious honey, garlic and chilli. I even ate the mushrooms in my cheolpan, and I usually hate mushrooms!

We were also served a selection of pickled vegetables & steamed dumplings while our food cooked, and the attentive staff were quick to clear empty plates throughout our meal so that our small table wasn't unnecessarily cluttered.

We left after an hour with our bellies full (and a takeaway box for my friend's leftovers), ready for an afternoon nap. Needless to say, we'll be...

Stopped by here after an exhausting day when I was in quite a sour mood and came out smiling and relaxed, asking my husband if he wanted to move to the neighbourhood. Prompt service and excellent food with a taste of home; perfect portions, nothing overseasoned or overcooked, and dishes advertised as spicy are ACTUALLY spicy, which made my Indian heart sing. I kept wiggling in my seat from how happy I was. Lovely multigrain rice accompanied my stir-fried squid, and the yukgaejang (tender shredded beef and vegetable soup) had a really pleasant kick and an aroma of fresh veggies. The free banchan provided added the right sweet and sour elements, and my ginseng tea came in a beautiful porcelain cup that stayed warm for the full hour we ate. Despite the quick service and late hour, we weren't ushered out. A truly comforting experience. I don't live anywhere near London, but I will return just...