Full disclosure? I don’t eat out often while being in the UK. I usually cook all my meals and meal prep ahead of time. It’s mostly because I enjoy cooking and testing new recipes, but it’s also a lot more expensive to eat out. But sometimes it’s nice to try different things and to know there are options available when missing the foodie scene in Hong Kong. Not that what’s available in Guildford can even compete with the amazing food in Hong Kong or even London (no offense), here are a few of my personal picks for places to eat out in town to tide you over until your next visit home.
Hanki: Best Korean Fried Chicken!!!!
I was never a big Korean Fried Chicken fan, but Hanki has become my celebration meals with friends after a long week, after mid-semester assessments, or even for birthdays. I usually go for half-half chicken, spicy soy sauce and original flavour. I also like mixing and matching with other dishes such as tteokbokki, kimchi pancake, or japchae. Hanki does sushi as well, but I tend to go for their salmon poke bowl when I get cravings for raw salmon or sushi type of food. You can either dine-in or do takeaway. I tend to do Deliveroo, just because it’s much more convenient and because they don’t have that much seating at the store.
Atto: Korean BBQ with friends
Great dine-in option. They’ve got a set which includes banchan, lettuce and other vegetables, as well as a few mix-and-match meats which are all very good. As far as Korean BBQs go, this is really quite good, especially in the UK. This is more of a splurge meal and one for Friday nights/weekends, as Korean BBQs are not a quick and easy affair.
Thai Terrace: Thai food with a view
Located on a rooftop, this is more of an upscale dining option. Their food tastes quite authentically Thai but with less spiciness, and their cocktails are pretty fun. Again, a good Friday night or weekend option, or even for special occasions like birthdays.
Rumwong: Another Thai food option
Another great option for Thai food, and also tastes pretty legit. I usually mix and match a few items when ordering outn with friends, such as their curries and stir fries. Their dine-in location is a bit far from the bus station, but it’s worth the little walk to get to this location for good food.
T4: Legit bubble tea
I cut the habit out for a few years, but since coming here T4 has been my once a month treat. The flavours available are very similar to the shops you tend to find in Hong Kong, so nothing wild and crazy and overly sweet. Grass jelly milk tea (微糖走冰) is my personal favourite, as it’s refreshing and just mildly sweet enough to tickle my tongue. The tea is great, nothing too fancy, just plain old milk tea. The shop is located across the road from the main bus station at The Friary, and right next to the Chinese supermarket. To save time, I sometimes order my bubble tea, then pop to the Chinese supermarket to buy things, and back to the T4 to pick up my order before heading home.
Pho : Hot soupy noodles for cold days
I love good pho. I also love hot soupy noodles. Pho has a good list of hot soupy noodles to fill an empty belly on cold days, especially during long winter months. Their raw beef noodles hit the right spots, and the flavour is pretty legitimate.
These are just some of the restaurants that come to mind at the top of my head. There are many other Asian food places around Guildford, like Sushi Nara, Wagamama’s, Giggling Squid, The Ivy Asia etc., but I’ve never had them before. Let me know if you’ve had these!
Sadly there aren’t that many Chinese food restaurants around Guildford. There is Beijing, but I find their food more catered to western flavours and northern Chinese cuisine rather than Cantonese. Best bet for Cantonese food is to go to London China Town.
If all else fails, do hotpot to curb your cravings. I tend to have hotpot at least once a month, and more so during the cold winter months! You can get all the hotpot ingredients at Chinesemart or SimplyFresh at University, and it can be a nice social gathering affair with friends!
Happy eating!
