Dotori

Kate2

Authentic 1st April 2009

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I love this place - am often found there for lunch. Get there early and you get the place to yourself. Delicious fresh sushi. Favourite restaurant in Finsbury Park!

themire

12th March 2009

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This is good.

guihnz

nice, nice place 10th March 2009

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would like to go back soon.

happyneko

Most authentic Japanese/Korean in London 21st February 2009

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Having lived in Japan for several years I'm keen to try new restaurants claiming to sell Japanese food. Frequently, as in the case of Wagamama, Itsu, Satsuma etc I'm left dissapointed.
But not so with Dotori.
Finally! A truely authentic restuarant which would not be out of place in Tokyo or Seoul. The small restaurant can't hold more than around 25 people or so at a time, but it is a cozy informal 'izakaya' style restaurant which actually does offer good value for money.
I've eaten there around 5 times since as its local to me, and I've been impressed every time that the owners haven't succumbed to greed in pushing up the prices and compromising the ingredients. Always fresh, always delicious.
My personal recommendations are;
Gyoza (meat & veg dumplings)
Korean pancake - with seafood or just veggy
Fried tofu (even tofu haters will be surprised)
Bibimbop (Korean rish dish served in clay dish with veg, egg and meat. Continues cooking in the pot so you get that gorgeous crispy rice stuck to the side of the bowl going on - mmm)
Bulgogi - The most delicious beef you will ever try.

The beer is very reasonalbly priced at around £2 per bottle of Asahi and soft drinks are cheaper than in the Tesco metro opposite at around £1 for a small bottle of water.

In total per meal expect to pay around £20 each for a huge fill and plenty of beers.

The husband/wife owners make this a really comfortable family setting and they obviously put an awful lot of effort into providing an authentic and enjoyable experience. In my opinion they succeed and I wish them every success in this coming difficult year.

claire3t

Dottori 18th February 2009

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Absolutely superb Japanese/Korean restaurant just by Finsbury Park station. The food is faultless and for Japanese, the prices are astounding - you can eat, and drink your fill for £20 per person. Really, really recommended. Warning - it's tiny and you may be wise to book as every time I've been in, people have been turned away due to it being full.

JoH1

Best local restaurant in Finsbury Park 5th February 2009

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We saw Dotori when it first opened and didn't look like much - on the rough end of Finsbury Park but next to the station. Going in, you are welcomed and the food (both Korean and Japanese) is consistently good. I'd never tried Korean before and really enjoyed the hot sizzling dish of raw beef, egg, veg, rice that was mixed at your table, cooking it perfectly. We've tried both the Korean and Japanese and it is the best food we've had in Finsbury Park and probably in my top 3 places to eat in London as its always tasty, good service and good price. Last time we were there I had the starter of king prawns in spicy batter - I was not sure what to expect but it was fantastic - even my boyfriend who doesn't eat fish tried some and grudgingly agreed it was pretty good. Highly recommend.

intoxicating

Plates out of Patriotism 12th January 2009

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I REAPED the benefits by taking a Korean to a Korean restaurant. Almost from the start, bright, expressively flavoured appetisers or ‘Banchan’ found their way to our table for free. These included glossy, chewy, slightly syrupy ‘kong ja ban’ beans, Wotsit shaped, spicy rice cakes and fine, glassy noodles, which looked like elvers (baby eels). All authentic, according to my Korean envoy. I doubt a token English in an English restaurant would receive such generous treatment…

Finsbury Park’s ‘Dotori’ has been open fewer than five months. For some reason, I got it into my head that it takes its name from a small island lying midway between South Korea and Japan. Although a fanciful notion, no doubt spurred by an aperitif of ‘Soju’ (a coarse but compelling rice distillation capped at 20p/c) I like my story. It summarises the culinary intentions of a restaurant delivering both Korean and Japanese food. In reality it means ‘chestnut’. Korean’s traditionally describe something small as ‘dotori’, and having only seven tables, it seemed a suitable soubriquet.

Despite the ‘Asahi’ sponsored placemats, I got the impression that the Korean family who run it most enjoy coaxing the flavours of their homeland. The highlight was the ancient speciality: kimchi, or fermented, seasoned cabbage. Laden with vitamin C, and attributed an almost sacred status, when chilled, the moist, moreish, pistachio green leaves evoked savoury ice cream. I also tried ‘Bindaetteok’, a thick tortilla like pancake made with ‘mug bean’, more kimchi (Koreans scoff 40lbs of it per person, per year) and garlic. This hearty dish is apparently best enjoyed with rain...

My ‘Haemeltung’ (fish stew) arrived full of promise, still sizzling. Excavating its contents was a pleasure: all sorts of crustaceans and cuttlefish emerged from the depths of the thrillingly spiced, tofu topped granite basin. Rice was gluttonous. I was gluttonous. Brittle, dried, seaweed plates, darker then spinach, smelt of fish food and worked well when crimped against the rice.

A floral, fleshy aloe vera drink toned down the chilli, whilst a medicinal tasting, sweet plum potion provoked it. The latter also began to help me understand the hangul alphabet printed on the rectangular lampshades.

Whilst I am about as far from being an expert on culinary Korea as a dog is to becoming a domestic pet on those shores, I found the food first rate. Given the enduring flavours we sampled, it came as a surprise that the owner comes from a profession poles apart from cooking. He used to monitor production of L.C.D. televisions for ‘L.G.’ in the U.K. until British workers were deemed too slow. We finished a set every 11 seconds rather then the requisite 10.7. Freeloading loafers! L.G. since exported their fickle factory to Eastern Europe.

Apart from good taste, I learnt a couple of other facts over dinner. Apparently there were street riots when the U.S. pressed the country to accept its beef (Times). And, unlike the Japanese, Koreans consider it bizarre to replace chopsticks in their holsters at the end of a meal.

That seems less peculiar then the fact that this excellent, inexpensive chestnut (£74 for four heavyweights) doesn’t dare to go it alone and promote its core culinary genre. Maybe they are worried that by ditching the Asahi and order by picture sushi, potential customers will give this succulent corner of Korea the cold shoulder…

drunkmusic

best restaurant in finsbury park 1st December 2008

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Good quality food
good service
food is amazing. especially the bibiba? bibimba?...dont know how to spell this
but tastes awesome!

gingerbeardman at 10/12/08

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bibimbap

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gingerbeardman

A new contender 6th November 2008

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This is a new contender for the best restaurant in Finsbury Park/Stroud Green.

It's a Japanese/Korean run by a family of friendly Koreans. The food is excellent and the atmosphere is really friendly. Excellent menu and very friendly help form the owner if you're not too clued up on the food.

If I could fault it - the place is too small and is always pretty full.