Korean Omakase in London That Is Only £12.85 - Gaya

There’s a reason people say eating out in London is expensive.
Most of the time, they’re eating in places designed for speed, scale, or spectacle.

But occasionally, you come across somewhere that opts out of all of that.

In Raynes Park, there’s a Korean restaurant serving a lunch set based on ordinary home cooking.
No courses. No staggered pacing.
Everything arrives at once. Rice, soup, and a table filled with side dishes.
Because that’s how the meal is meant to be eaten.

The price: £12.85.

The Kind of Meal That’s Slowly Disappearing, Even Back Home

In Korea, meals like this used to be everywhere.
Now they’re not.

Rising labour costs mean many restaurants rely on pre-made side dishes instead of cooking everything themselves. It’s faster. It’s cheaper. And it slowly changes what everyday food looks like.

That’s why this place stands out.

At Gaya, the side dishes are still made in-house.
Not because it’s easy, but because that’s the point.

Planning Starts Days Before You Sit Down

This isn’t food that’s decided on the morning of service.

The lunch menu is planned two days ahead, ingredients are prepared carefully, and cooking starts early so everything is ready fresh by lunchtime.

The menu changes daily, with kimchi as the only constant.

Most days, there are around a dozen dishes on the table, sometimes more. On days when there’s a chicken soup special, portions increase and the spread adjusts accordingly. Nothing about it feels fixed or rigid, because it isn’t meant to be.

This isn’t a "concept". It’s simply a meal.

Small Decisions That Tell You Everything

There’s a small detail here that says more than any review ever could.

The owner removes excess chicken skin, not for presentation,
but out of consideration for health and cholesterol. Whoever sits down to eat, she wants them to leave feeling better, not weighed down.

That way of thinking runs through the entire menu.
Tofu, vegetables, eggs, and light seasoning make up most of the table.
It’s food designed for people working nearby who want something comforting at lunchtime without the kind of heaviness that slows the rest of the day.

There’s no single hero dish, because home-style meals don’t work that way.

Two Months Open, And Lunch Is Already Full

Gaya hasn’t been around long, but lunchtime already feels settled.

Tables fill up not because of promotions or campaigns, but because people recognise effort when they taste it and keep coming back for it.

This is another small business doing things without a safety net, relying purely on word of mouth and repeat customers.