Looking for a little piece of Korea in London? Come check out the New Malden High Street, lined with a great selection of Korean restaurants, cafès and grocery shops. New Malden, a 20 minute train ride from Waterloo, holds one of the most dense populations of Koreans outsite of Korea itself, and a quaint little community has formed in the area.
The Place is a cafè right in the middle of the High Street, about a 5 minute walk from the train station. The decoration is modest but cosy, and there is a good selection of seats, if you prefer window seats, tables and chairs, or getting comfortable in one of the sofas. There are plenty of sockets, making it an ideal hangout for students as well as others just looking for coffee and enjoying the soothing piano music on the speakers and nice atmosphere. It tends to get busy around lunchtime and on saturdays, so make sure to time a visit well around this.
The menu is simple and traditional western with selections of paninis, bagels and toasts along with a variety of cakes and croissants. We particularly reccommend trying the Avocado and Chicken panini, or for breakfast: A bagel with jam and cream cheese does the trick.
But what you really need to look out for is the delicious selection of Bingsu – or shaved ice. Patbingsu can be found anywhere you turn in Korea in summertime, when people are looking for a little refreshing cold to help in the humid heat of Seoul summers. Popular flavours include the original red bean, a sweet and perhaps a little aquired taste. For newbies, play it safe and delicious with some crunched oreos or a fruity blend with your ice.
For drinks, The Place serves a great selection of hot and cold juices, blends and frappes, but the true frontliner is their monmouth coffee blend. A caramel latte, hot or iced, is always a favourite when I stop by and it never disappoints. The flavour is full and tasty with just enough caramel to sweeten the bitterness of a regular coffee. Have it alongside a piece of the delicious greentea cake, and sit back to enjoy!
If you are a cafè lover like myself, spending hours and hours at a cafè reading and enjoying the mood, or just a student in need of somewhere peaceful with a wifi signal, The Place is, literally, the place for you!
The Place is open most days until 6, but is closed on sundays.
