Spicy Grill London

Epic Korean Grill: London's Hidden Gem

Stumbling upon Spicy Grill in what I presumed to be a Tauck Tours-sponsored corner of Golders Green, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. With a mosaic of reviews running the gamut from love letters to fiery denouncements, this little eatery sits like an enigma wrapped in authentic barbecue aromas. From the moment I stepped inside, it was as though I'd been transported to a zany film set with its cacophony of laughter and sizzle of meats, contrasted by a somewhat bewildering service pattern akin to catching trains governed by Wile E. Coyote.

Once seated, we decided to navigate the menu by daylight — a mix of evident hits like the famed Korean fried chicken and less adventure-bound lots. The chicken arrived first, cloaked in soya glaze whispers and born aloft pureed spices, disappearing promptly between my increasingly greasy fingers. Venturing into the shadows of sweeter tones, dishes like Galbijjim sang unsolicited ballads for sugar aficionados alone, leaving a lagging undertone for others to ponder. While a melange of inefficiencies danced in the peripheral, the mood remained deliciously electric and oddly magnetic. Spicy Grill might miss some high notes on the varnish, but its authenticity-endowed imperfections form a tablature with nuggets of charm luring back even skeptics for trestles of old-world pearly bops. — Clarissa Cuisinier