Han: a Korean bar in New Malden, London

As mentioned in an earlier post, New Malden is the UK's capital of Korean cuisine. But it doesn't just stop at food; there's a Korean bar called Han along the High Street too.

Han is strictly a restaurant, karaoke venue and bar - so I wouldn't be doing it justice by simply calling it a bar. It has a full food menu and six karaoke rooms, for example. But during my last visit to Han, I didn't eat or (sadly) do karaoke, so it was very much a bar for me.

They serve Hite, apparently the top-selling beer in South Korea, so no surprises here. I'm no beer expert, but it tastes fine to me - nothing particularly bad or good about it.

Most of our group (including me) were driving, so we stuck to the soft drinks after that. Han excelled in this department - check out my Passionate Cooler virgin cocktail! It certainly tasted as good as it looked.

This is what we all had (and seemingly in height order): Ice Tea Soju (alcoholic), Apple Mojito (virgin cocktail), Passionate Cooler (virgin cocktail) and a Crapple (virgin cocktail). All took a while to arrive, but the staff are friendly and the guy with the long hair who greeted us - possibly the manager - is very hospitable, so we didn't mind. Plus my friends all liked their drinks.

The full drinks menu can be found here.

Next time I really want to try Han's food menu and, if I can persuade my friends, sample one of the karaoke rooms! Looking forward to it already.

Closest station: New Malden
Address: 1 High Street, New Malden, London, KT3 4DQ

PS I found a picture of the interior on their website; this is what I mean by the exposed wood...

Source: Han

The Pelt Trader: Pizza and Beer in the City of London

If you like beer, you like pizza and you work in the City of London, then check out the Pelt Trader near London Cannon Street.

They have 16 beers on tap and a selection of giant pizzas - all 18 inches of it (12" also available). It's as simple as that.

We ordered the pepperoni, chorizo and red onion pizza. The GF and I couldn't finish it (I let myself down), but the bartender was kind enough to provide us with a takeaway box to ensure none of it was wasted.

They also do 'beer sticks' - dried meat in stick format, which are perfect for snacking on while you sip your drink. I certainly wouldn't mind going again to try some of the other pizzas.

Nearest Tube: Monument, Bank, Mansion House
Nearest station: London Cannon Street
Address: Pelt Trader, Arch 3, Dowgate Hill, EC4N 6AP