Korean-American chef Judy Joo is the woman behind this fried chicken joint in the food court of the Westfield shopping centre in Shepherd’s Bush. The menu of Korean comfort food has been designed by Joo, in collaboration with her long-time friend and fellow chef Andrew Hales and has a particular focus on Korean-style fried chicken.
The signature Seoul Burger consists of a toasted bun filled with Korean fried chicken in a soy and gochujang glaze, topped with kewpie mayonnaise, red onion and iceberg lettuce.
Elsewhere on the menu, you’ll find Korean fried chicken tossed in a citrus soy dressing and served with red cabbage, daikon, onion and carrot, or flame-grilled chicken which has been marinated in soy, sesame and Korean spices. If you’re not in the mood for chicken, you can instead enjoy bibimbap bowls and side dishes such as truffle and seaweed tater tots, kimchi mac ‘n’ cheese or fried cauliflower in a gochujang and soy glaze.
Drinks also take their inspiration from Korea, with Seoul Bird serving iced tea in flavours such as sweet plum and yuzu, as well as Jinro Chamisul Fresh Soju, an alcoholic spirit which is popular in the country.
Judy Joo’s career as a chef began when she decided to ditch a US banking job to work in several Gordon Ramsay restaurants, including Pétrus and Maze. She then went on to open JinJuu in Soho in 2015, which served a mash-up of American and Korean cuisine. Joo left JinJuu in 2018, and alongside running Seoul Bird, she can be found presenting cooking show Korean Food Made Simple, which airs on both the Food Network and the Cooking Channel.
Seoul Bird is part of a growing stable of decent restaurants in Westfield, which has swapped out the typical high-street chains for the likes of Tapas Revolution and burger favourite Bleecker.