Restaurant Review: Your Mum's Kitchen

With months of Covid disruption — and lockdown 2.0 now underway — the restaurant industry has been hit hard. Pi Media’s Max Raphael sets out to shine a spotlight on foodie hotspots across London, in an effort to increase exposure, recommend, and review. This fortnight, Your Mum’s Kitchen takes centre stage.

Image by Max Raphael.

I’ll be honest with you — this review has been giving me some grief. Usually I’ll sit down to write about a restaurant and have no problem pumping out 800 words on how the atmosphere was a bit weird, or how the waiter smelled like they had a can of Lynx Africa permanently firing off in their pocket (this has happened), or how much I hated the food. But this one is different. This one is hard. 

You see, as a food writer, a big part of my job is telling you about some of the best places to eat around London (freshers, I am your friend). That said, there are certain spots I’d actually rather people didn’t find out about — spots that are so lovely and special and perfect as they are that I wouldn’t want to change anything about them at all. They’re my spots.

Here’s the thing though — with the restaurant industry in its biggest crisis in, well, forever, I’m forcing myself to write about one of my favourites. I don’t want this place to be my little secret anymore. Even if one person reads this and goes along to try it, I’ll have done my bit in keeping it alive. So without further ado, let’s get on with it.

If you get the tube three stops from Euston Square to Finchley Road Station, head straight out past Waitrose and right down a cosy street called Goldhurst Terrace, you’ll find a small shop called ‘SK Mart’. At a glance, it doesn’t look like much (the sign is in Comic Sans for crying out loud), but, if you venture inside you’ll notice something. It smells amazing. That’s because in the basement of this tiny Korean supermarket is an absolutely fantastic little restaurant.

Image by Max Raphael.

Your Mum’s Kitchen lives up to the name: it’s warm, welcoming, small (there’s barely space for 15 people down there) and somehow makes you feel right at home the second you step through the door. The joint has a distinctly family-run feel, reflected not only in the wonderful service, but also in the menu: a surprisingly varied collection of dishes that represent the best of hearty Korean home cooking. 

I went twice last week before writing this, and I think it’s safe to say I’ll be back before too long to explore the delicious depths of the dishes on offer. Starters are simple, but executed very well indeed. Plump, flavourful dumplings; fresh, piping-hot Japchae noodles; kimchi (of course), and an absolute must have, Haemool Paejon, a crispy pancake filled with squid, prawn, and octopus — if it lives in the sea, chances are it’s somewhere in there. I really can’t say enough good things about this particular dish. It’s a plate of big, big flavours, and yet it all comes together harmoniously.

On to the mains, and it only gets better. Beef bulgogi as good as you’ll find anywhere in Korea, perfectly crispy yet tender Katsu, just-spicy-enough stir-fried squid — this place is definitely worth a visit for any calamar-ophiles (is that a word…?). For me though, if you’re coming here, you’re coming for two dishes. One (my personal favourite) is the Jjajang Tteobokki, a magnificently salty plate of soft, flash-fried rice cakes in black bean sauce, served with stir-fried veggies, seaweed, a meat that I’m pretty sure is beef, and a boiled egg. It might not sound like haute cuisine, and that’s probably because it’s not. But that’s exactly what I love about it. The egg especially, when paired with that oh-so-rich black bean flavour, is something else. The kitchen is open, and looking at this meal being piled high onto its plate, waiting impatiently for it to make its way to the table, is torturous. The other dish, Yukgaejang, is a wholesome, comforting spicy beef soup perfect for a bitterly cold winter’s day, full to the brim with hearty vegetables: a warm hug in a bowl.

So there you go. My secret is out. If you’re looking for properly tasty, heartfelt fare served with a smile, you’ve found a new spot. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention — it’s dead cheap. Nice.

Your Mum’s Kitchen (NW6) 

Price range: ££

Food: 8

Value: 8

Service: 7

Atmosphere: 7

Score: 7.5

Image by Max Raphael.

This article was published as part of a series of restaurant reviews, written by Pi Media columnist Max Raphael.