Hama, Oakwood: 'I tried the food at Leeds' newest Korean restaurant - and now I want more'

From the success of the Netflix thriller series Squid Game and the Oscar-winning film Parasite to the K-pop phenomenon, this compact east Asian country has been basking in the global spotlight.

Its cultural reach even stretched as far as Strictly Come Dancing where a few years back former Labour MP Ed Balls made headline news with his unique take on the hit single Gangnam Style, though perhaps the less said about this the better.

Joking aside, this is a country punching above its weight in the culture stakes. And it doesn’t stop there.

Korean food, or ‘K-food’ if you’re into abbreviations, is very on trend right now.

There is growing evidence that fermented foods can improve gut health and in recent years nutritionists, doctors and foodie influencers have been extolling the virtues of kimchi, a traditional Korean side dish made with fermented vegetables (trust me, it’s nicer than it sounds).

It’s certainly helped make Korean food popular right now, including here in the UK. And Leeds is no exception.

A decade ago, you would have been hard pressed to find many places serving kimchi pancakes or hot bowls of bibimbap with spicy gochujang sauce, but now there are a growing number of Korean restaurants popping up in the city reflecting, perhaps, its diverse student population and our own desire for vibrant flavours and unfussy, affordable food.

Places like Hama, on the edge of Roundhay Park in Leeds.

This family-run Korean restaurant, which has a sister all-you-can-eat BBQ buffet in the Merrion Centre in Leeds city centre, opened at the end of 2023 and has been earning plaudits for its own take on Korean cuisine.

As with several other north Leeds suburbs, Oakwood has become a flourishing little spot over the last decade or so, where you can find Italian, Indian, Syrian and Korean restaurants all within a short walk of one another.

Of these, Hama is housed in the most distinctive and baffling building.

A stone’s throw from Oakwood clock, another local landmark, it is nestled almost among the woodland canopy and looks like a cross between a modern treehouse and some strange, marooned boat.

It was home to Café Sylva, a café and deli by day and bar by night, that closed in 2019, before being taken over by Chophaus, a smart steak restaurant, which closed two years ago.

Hama’s owners will be hoping it is third time lucky.

It may be a slightly incongruous building but lit up with fairy lights strung along the outside terrace it gives off a warm and welcoming vibe, one that is matched inside.

Set over two floors, the ground floor is given over to the part-open kitchen and a bar area with diners seated upstairs.

I came here when it was Café Sylva and Chophaus and this is the busiest I’ve seen the place, which augurs well.

As with any restaurant, though, it’s the food that matters most. There’s an extensive choice of starters and mains and if you’re new to Korean food the affable young staff are happy to offer suggestions.

We shared a couple of starters, Chicken Kanpungki (deep fried chicken) with “special sauce” as well as assorted tempura.

I’m always a bit sceptical whenever I see the words “special sauce”. I know it’s a bit of a catch-all phrase and can be a way of not giving away secret ingredients, but it could probably do with a bit of rebranding, and this goes to all restaurants that use it.

Aside from this minor gripe it was a cracking little dish. The batter was crispy, the chicken succulent, and the aforementioned sauce was a tangy flavour bomb with just the right amount of spice.

The assorted tempura also hit the mark. A medley of vegetables doesn’t on the face of it sound very exciting, but sometimes the simplest dishes can be the trickiest, and tastiest.

There is a school of thought that everything tastes better battered (just ask our friends north of the border), a theory backed up here as it seemed to bring out the sweetness of the vegetables.

If the starters set a high bar, it was more than matched by the main courses.

Dolsot Bibimbap is a popular Korean rice dish served in a hot stone bowl, and we opted for the beef version which came with vegetables topped with an egg.

It might sound like a strange concoction, but it worked a treat with each mouthful different to the last and a classic case of a dish being greater than the sum of its parts.

The sea bass teriyaki was just as good. The fish was expertly cooked, the crispy skin spot on, and the teriyaki sauce was rich, sticky and moreish.

We finished by sharing a wedge of Yuja cheesecake. Yuja is a citrus fruit popular in Korean cooking and here it’s turned into a marmalade-like jam generously spread over a thick, creamy cheesecake.

It may have blown the lid off my daily calorie count but it was worth every naughty, but delicious, spoonful.

The total bill, including service, as well as two beers and a couple of glasses of wine came in at £93.99. It’s rare to eat this well for under £100 these days which makes this such good value.

The staff, too, deserve a mention. They are unfailingly friendly and polite, qualities that are sometimes underappreciated but actually matter a great deal.

I’m not an expert on Korean food, nor am I an influencer of any kind, but I know a decent plate of food when I eat one and if this was a typical taste of Korea then I want some more please.

Welcome 4/5

Food 4/5

Atmosphere 4/5

Prices 5/5

Hama, Princes Avenue, Oakwood, Leeds. LS8 2FA. Tel: 0113 294 1177. www.hamakrestaurant.com