Dotori: Japanese & Korean cuisine in Finsbury Park (the dodgy end)
Thursday, August 12, 2010 at 9:53PM It is thanks to my friend Alex (aka Blumenthal's biatch), a former chef, that I was introduced to this little gem of a restaurant. The fact that he is a former chef is important because it means I value his opinion on food. So when he told me that this tiny shop front:
... which is on one of the most unpleasant stretches of road in Finsbury Park:
(second only to Fonthill Rd, where the reflection of neon shop lights on patent leather is so bright you have to put your sunglasses on to go inside) was one of his favourite restaurants, rather than just nodding politely and never thinking of it again, I found myself requesting further information.
Dotori serves an interesting mix of Japanese and Korean food. I say interesting because it initially seemed strange to me that the restaurant should serve two such distinct cuisines under one roof. My first thought was that there might be some historical connection, that perhaps Korean food had been influenced by the Japanese occupation of Korea between world wars I and II, but Wikipedia soon quelled that theory:
Meals during the Japanese occupation were monotonous ... Fulfilment rather than quality was most important in meals. Those in the lower economic levels were likely to enjoy only a single bowl of white rice each year, while the remainder of the year was filled with meals of cheaper grains such as millet or barley.
So I asked one of the waitresses whether there was a reason and, as it turned out, she was just the right person to ask:
“I am one of the family here, we are Korean. When we opened this restaurant 2 years ago people in Finsbury Park did not know Korean food. Everyone knows Japanese food, so we thought maybe they would come here because of this.”
Good plan, they certainly aren’t short on customers. And I was interested to see when I looked around the restaurant that many of the patrons were eating off the Korean menu. I am embarrassed to admit that I am one of the uncultured plebs who has been enticed in by the sushi and so have only tried 2 of the Korean dishes. In my defence though, the sushi and tempura came highly recommended by BB, so I was just following the chef’s orders, "Yes, Chef!"
Of those two dishes, the more memorable was the samgyeopsal (£6.50), which is strips of grilled pork belly served with red bean paste and salted sesame oil for dipping and lettuce for wrapping the meat. The pork was not as tender as it could have been, but the condiments were great, in particular the sesame oil which I would not have thought to use in this way (they also get a big tick from me for salting the sesame oil, which as it turns out is so commonplace in Korea that they have a name for it, gireumjang).
Just for the record, the sushi on the table mats is not the actual menu
On the Japanese menu I have 2 favourites without which a trip to Dotori would be incomplete. The first are the tempura prawns (£7.00), so light and crisp that they flake and crumble all over your plate when you take a bite. Tempura is a notoriously difficult dish to get right, so often too heavy or too oily, but get it right they do and consistently so. My dad is something of a tempura aficionado, tempura oysters having long been a popular feature of his party repertoire, a specialty he prides himself on. Imagine my surprise when he not only conceded that Dotori’s tempura was better than his own, but declared it the best he’d ever had! High praise indeed.
The second favourite is the spider roll (£8.00), a futomaki roll filled with soft shell crab which has been freshly fried (it is still warm), cucumber and chive and served with the usual condiments: soy, pickled ginger and wasabi. The California roll (£6.00), an uramaki roll, is also very good and comes laced with flying fish roe and green tea mayonnaise. I can also recommend the sashimi (£4.50-6.50) which is just as it ought to be: extremely fresh, high quality fish, the texture so soft and silky that you barely need to chew before it is sliding down your throat.
If you are in a group, you may prefer to go with the a few of the set sushi menus (£9.00-25.00), which should have something for everyone and so avoid the polite back and forth that inevitably comes with trying to make decisions in numbers. They also do bento boxes, which is a great choice if you are on your own.
There is not really a wine list to speak of (two choices, red or white) so I stick to beer. This is probably just as well, since there is little time for lingering; they are well frequented and usually need the table back within an hour. For this reason, booking is advisable, especially on weekends.
The bill is usually about £20 per head, including a few beers each, which is great value in my book. Service can be a little brisk, but always comes with a smile. They are also happy to answer any questions, although in some cases the language barrier leaves you more confused than before you asked.
So Blumenthal's biatch ain't just a pretty face, his unlikely recommendation came good and I am ever so thankful that I listened beyond the where to find out the what and the why. That old adage ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ springs to mind.
Dotori: 3 Stroud Green Road, N4 2DQ; 020 7263 3562
Tues-Sun: Lunch 12-3pm, Dinner 5-11pm
Mains £6.50-£32, Set lunch £6.50-£7 for 2 courses, Set meals £9-£25
Reader Comments (10)
Yum this makes me so hungry! Think I'm going to have to go out for Japanese tonight. I've never even seen that pork dish on any menu it looks amazing. A special trip to London might have to be on the cards!
Now that is true dedication! Yes, yes, come and visit. If only I had known about Dotori when you came last year. x
The sashimi, etc. looks amazing and sounds like it tastes amazing too. have to give it go sometime.
Hi,
This restaurant looks great, I live quite near it so am definitely going to go check it out. That's certainly the best restaurant review I've read in a long time.
Just wanted to say how good the rest of your blog is too. My friend Julia Waring told me to check it out, and now I'm hooked.
Good work! x
I've just read your excellent critique and I am glad you liked my little tip. You have a great talent for making food reviewing less anal sounding and more accessible and fun and for describing the actual food in prose that is deliciously naughty.
Good on you xoxo
Thanks Shahel, Natalie and BB for your comments. Great to get feedback on the site, especially of such a positive nature.
Reviews really are the hardest thing to write I am finding, as BB says, finding the balance between being fun/accessible and critical/informative, without sounding wanky/anal is quite tricky. Glad you think I am getting there, though I am no A.A.Gill yet!
I came across your blog whilst looking for reviews of Dotori, a restaurant which I've been planning to visit for some time as it is very near my flat. It caught my eye on the google search because of the unflattering description of its location, i.e. of the area I live in.
Your critique of the restaurant reads well, but for me you've totally undermined yourself by sounding like a pretentious snob, who would rather stay in your own sheltered part of town, wherever that may be, than venture out into the "dodgy" parts of London. Finsbury Park has some cracking restaurants, my advice to you would be to get over yourself and check them out.
Hi Jonny, I apologise if I offended you, but I feel like I am allowed to say those things cause I LIVE IN FINSBURY PARK TOO! I love it! I love that it can be both dodgy and classy, grimy and glossy, seedy and sexy all at the same time :) It adds character. I doubt I would feel more at home anywhere else in London, not least because of all of the awesome restaurants and bars. (See my North London post, which recommends a number of them).
Vix, I love your blog. I just came across it, like I'm sure many people do, as I was doing a Google search for Dotori which I am visiting tonight (mmmm, can't wait!) I agree with you about Finsbury Park/Stroud Green and surrounds - it's great. Such a melting pot of different cuisines and cultures. Brilliant for food fanatics that aren't bothered about glossy exteriors and the like (which, quite frankly are irrelevant). Anyway, I just added you to the blogs I like section on my own blog. Will be reading regularly! :-)
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