VICTORIA PREST enjoys a bit of a DIY meal at a Korean restaurant in York

THE narrow street of Fossgate has, for a few years now, been in the midst of an eating and drinking transformation.

Bars, restaurants and cafes are springing up right and left, and the street has a strong claim on the title of York’s foodie centre.

One of the street’s eateries, however, predates this revolution and, hidden down a narrow side street, could too easily be overlooked.

Oshibi Korean Bistro has been in York for more than a decade, and in its current home in Franklin's Yard for four years. Its front door is hidden intriguingly up two flights of stairs and turning off the bustling Fossgate on to the quiet lane feels a little like heading to a secret club.

Visiting on a busy Friday night – and quite unintentionally at the end of a week when Korea dominated the world news – we headed up the stairs that lead to Oshibi’s attic home.

One simply decorated room houses the tiny kitchen and half a dozen or so tables, and although the restaurant does have more space on the lower floors it’s the second storey room that feels like its heart.

I had booked ahead, online, and was greeted by name as we arrived – “You must be Victoria” – a welcoming and warm touch that set the tone for an evening of friendly and relaxed service.

The menu stretches from a traditional Korean barbecue to speciality dishes such as bibimbap – a bowlful of rice, vegetables and sometimes meat – and Korean stew jigae.

Settling down with a couple of bottles of Korean beer, we followed the owner's recommendation, we went straight for the barbecue option. We were served with a dozen bowls of sides and sauces – pickled “kim chi” vegetables, wasabi, Korean vinegar-rice and lettuce – along with sesame beef and teriyaki chicken to be cooked on the table’s built-in barbecue grill.

You might feel it’s cheating to order food in a restaurant and then cook it yourself, but I loved the informality and the messiness of it – it’s great for sharing and tonnes of fun. The flavours in the sauces and pickles were distinctive and sharp, the meats simple but appetising, and the staff helpfully stopped by to demonstrate the best way to parcel it all up in a lettuce leaf.

At £19.95 per person, the barbecue could easily make a decent meal in itself, but we opted for one between two and then moved rather greedily on to another course of deep fried tofu bibimbap (£10.95), and kim chi jeon (£11.95) – seafood pancakes made with the vegetable pickles that are distinctive to Korean cuisine.

On the front of Oshibi’s menu and taped to the entrance is a short explainer “Korean style dining is very informal, dishes are usually shared and our guests are encouraged to order ‘as little as you like and as often as you like’. If you would prefer a more conventional sequence of courses please let us know.”

True to that, the dishes arrive separately as and when they are ready, so it’s much better suited to a communal shared meal than a formal affair, but it’s a great way of trying plenty of different tastes

The bibimbap was a colourful bowl of rice, vegetables and tofu that was hearty and varied, and considerably more filling than it looked.

The seafood pancakes– although tasty – were perhaps on the heavy side and not quite as inviting as the rest of the dishes.

Tucked away in a garret off a side street, Oshibi is a true escape and the husband and wife team behind it – Ross and Seongho – have created a menu and an atmosphere that can take diners thousands of miles away from the street outside.

It’s the kind of place where new customers instantly feel at home, and what it lacks in sophistication and gloss, it makes up for in its warm welcome, informality, honesty, fun, and simple but delicious food.

Oshibi Korean Bistro & BBQ

9 Franklins Yard,

Fossgate,

York

YO1 9TA

T: 01904 593649

W: oshibi.co.uk

Food: Distinctive 3/5

Ambience: Party 5/5

Service: Friendly 4/5

Value: Decent 4/5