Miga may be new, but the story behind it is a multi-generation, continent-hopping epic.
It starts back in ’70s-era Seoul where the family’s grandma started to sell her own recipe ox-bone broth, propelling her to become one of the “top three chefs” in the city. Her son then started training with Japanese master chefs in the ’90s and opened up his own highly rated restaurant in New Malden. A couple of decades later, and he’s continuing the legacy of ancestral excellence by opening Miga in Hackney with his two sons.
And given how good the place is, if his sons have children of their own, we can only assume that they’ll probably open the world’s first Michelin starred lemonade stand.
But back to Miga. You’ll find it on the edge of Regent’s Canal where it slices through Mare Street, in a small, single-story space that looks like a lonely appendage glued to the side of a towering edifice. On the outside you can read the family’s story, which is painted onto the wall (and you can understand why they’d be proud of it), while on the inside you can feel immediately immersed in that story thanks to the warm aroma of broth and the steady chatter of guests.
The food is absolutely some of the best Korean cuisine in the capital, with a reassuringly short menu of just a dozen or so items total that all appear to be supremely well-honed. Some of the standouts include the silky sweet potato glass noodles; the king prawns which came immersed in a robust & fiery gochujang sauce; and the soy-braised short ribs, which come nested with pear, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms in a coat of caramelisation so rich it almost feels like a savoury version of a sticky toffee pudding. In a good way.
Their cooking > our food photography
Drinks-wise, they’re still operating on a BYOB license, but you’re only a stone’s throw from Noble Rot’s Shrine To The Vine on Broadway Market, or any one of the dozen corner shops that will supply you with a couple of tinnies or a bottle of the finest screw-top.
The one drink you absolutely need to get though? Is a post-meal shot of ox-bone broth.
Grandma would insist.
NOTE: Miga is open Tuesday to Sunday. You can make a reservation via this booking link.
Miga | 3 Mare St, London E8 4RP
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