MUST DO: CôBa restaurant, York Way

Damon Bui’s mum and dad arrived in Australia as Vietnamese refugees not speaking any English. Having witnessed their struggles in those early years, as well as the opportunities given to them, the eager young restaurateur on York Way firmly believes in “responsible capitalism” and supporting his employees. “So as well as 100% of the service charge going to the staff,” he says, “they are also set to share in the profits”.

Not a bad philosophy for a brand new opening in a slightly unusual location – ten minutes’ walk up from the all-consuming King’s Cross development, and a mile or so from Kentish Town, Camden and Holloway in turn.

“The price was right here,” says Damon. “Plus, it’s a great little residential area with very little options for locals to eat out. We’re more than happy to be their go-to. Actually, we love the area so much we moved in two weeks ago to live down the road too.”

The name came to him in a dream. He was back in his childhood home in Sydney and his mum was cooking her legendary butter fried chicken. “All the kids were running around saying ‘Cô ba, cô ba, I want your fried chicken!'”

“CôBa means “auntie number three”, which is what my mum is called in the family,” Damon explains. “When I woke up, it was as if I could smell the heady aromas of that fried chicken, and all that was great and comforting about my childhood came rushing back.”

And so CôBa was born.”I see it as a way to honour both my parents, the great life they’ve provided for me and my sisters, and the amazing food that mum cooked at home and passed on to me when I left to Australia to move to the UK eleven years ago.”

Three years ago, Damon started to think there must be more to life than working in a bank for twelve hours a day. Starting out small, he ran supper clubs in his flat with his partner MJ, as well as catering for parties and running the occasional street stall as Table for 10. He began by feeding friends, then friends of friends, then caught the attention of a wider audience of food lovers.

“With all the positive feedback, I thought I had something special to offer, that London needs, so I became hellbent on creating my dream restaurant.”

The menu at CôBa will offer a mix of classic Vietnamese dishes, just like Damon’s mum used to make, alongside some more modern interpretations, and is split into barbecue meats, cooked on a charcoal grill and served with a noodle salad, and soup noodles (classics such as fragrant pho and spicy beef noodles made with a 24 hour broth). The cocktail list includes a potent blend of tea-based and sorbet cocktails: all the favourites from Damon’s supper club days.

In short? Surely worth the walk to that industrial bit of York Way where leafy Camden Square meets King’s Cross.