Kor.deli is another shining example of how quickly the foodie scene is growing outside of the Cambridge bubble. Towns like St Ives are becoming real hot spots for diverse and interesting places to eat with no sign of slowing down.

Kor.deli is a Korean restaurant located on Merryland Street that offers authentic Korean dishes. The restaurant is very easy to miss but you can recognise it by its white and red colours which make it pop from the surrounding buildings. It is quite small but they do well with the space offering a few seats and lots of shelves with numerous selections of Korean food, including noodles, sweets, and of course, kimchi.

The menu here is limited but there is a good variety. There were around 10-11 options available in total during our visit, ranging from Korean fried chicken, spicy pork, kimbap (sushi), bibimbap, and mandu (dumplings). Prices were really competitive, ranging from £4.50 to £9. Most dishes hovered around the £7-8 mark.

I had been foaming at the mouth to visit for a while now but for some reason or another life kept getting in the way. So, I decided to splurge while I had the opportunity. We started off with Mandu. This consisted of 4 vegetarian Korean dumplings that came served in a cup. I presume that the cup was given as there is little seating inside, so most people eat them on the go.

The Mandu was excellent and well received by everyone eating with me. I was particularly fond of the spicy sauce that really brought it to life. The soy sauce also made them pop quite nicely. Despite being vegetarian (so forgive the term) I found them quite meaty, meaning that they were very packed and substantial.

The Korean Fried Chicken (K.F.C) was the standout favourite of our visit. This was, as the name suggests, fried chicken. This was the most expensive option on the menu at £9 but was worth every penny. It was sticky, sweet, and juicy. If this was served in barrel portions I would have been ok with this. Marvellous!

My wife had the bulgogi with rice. This is stir fried beef with carrots, onion, spring onion, sesame seed and oil, all marinated in sweet soy sauce. This was nice enough but we found it a little dry. For £7.50, we felt that this was a fair price but it did not particularly inspire.

This is the iconic Korean dish, bibimbap. A rice dish served with mixed vegetables, a fried egg, all served with gochujang. This came to £7.90 but was more one of the more balanced and substantial meals on the menu. Considering that Yori in Cambridge sells this for £10-10.5, I would consider this a bargain. This would make a great lunch on the go, especially because it was served in a pot with a plastic lid.

The spicy pork was absolutely excellent. This is marinated pork with onion, chopped spring onion, with sesame seeds and oil. This came with an underlayer of rice which gave me a very filling meal for £7.50. The pork was succulent, juicy, and full of flavour. One of the highlights of the meal and something I highly recommend trying.

It would be a crime to visit a Korean restaurant without trying kimchi in one form or another, so we ordered kimchi fried pancakes. These came to 3 for £5.50. I must admit, I really struggled with these. I have tried for years and years to enjoy kimchi but I just can’t get into it. With that said, these pancakes were very substantial, a good size, and full of flavour. I could really tell that a fan of kimchi would enjoy these, as the pancakes were well done.

I am delighted to finally have visited kor.deli and it was really worth the wait. It offers something truly unique in St Ives and the rest of Cambridgeshire (outside of Cambridge). The dishes are all great value too, which is a refreshing change in this economic climate.

Kor.deli isn’t the sort of place you can really dine in for a special occasion but it is aimed more at people on the go or quick lunches. The service is friendly, fast, and everything is cooked fresh in a delicious home cooked style. I highly recommend the KFC and spicy pork.

Thanks for reading!