If your idea of Korean cuisine is the bi bim bap listed at the bottom of your local sushi joint’s menu, then these restaurants will blow your mind
For fans of Korean comfort food willing to pay extra for slick, downtown decor, Swish by Han is a revelation. The seafood soon dubu is a spicy broth of tofu, shrimp, scallops, mussels and calamari. A raw quail’s egg adds buttery richness. 38 Wellington St. E., 647-343-0268.
The north Toronto grilled-eel specialist Jang Uh Plus offers subtle tastes rather than Korean cuisine’s usual boldness. Its chili-zinged eel is crispy and fatty, and completely fun to eat when rolled in a perilla leaf with raw garlic and jalapeños. 9625 Yonge St., 647-258-1000.
The cooks at Cho Dang Soon Tofu, a ridiculously cheap, homely mom-and-pop shop, make custardy tofu with unparalleled expertise. Stone-bowl stews are made with sweet kimchee broth and come with a raw egg you crack and stir in at the table. 5130 Dundas St. W., 416-234-1161.
Tofu Village in Bloor Street’s Koreatown serves crisp, golden, glorious pajung (seafood pancakes) with bits of shrimp, octopus and scallion for bite. The chap chae, sesame oil–doused sweet-potato noodles, are perfect cold-weather sustenance. 681 Bloor St. W., 647-345-3836.
Loungey Koko Share Bar is a pricier people-watching place with quality Japanese-inflected dishes. The roasted pork bossam—a lettuce wrap of meat in kimchee with tangy-salty condiments—pairs beautifully with a soju cocktail. 81 Yorkville Ave., 416-850-6135.
(Image: The soon dubu at Swish by Han, by John Cullen)
Been to 4 of the 5.
Only 1 should be on here. Why does Toronto Life generate these inauthentic “manchu wok” listings? Total misdirection…unless you’re a connoisseur of “chicken balls” type food. Yes I said balls.
November 4, 2011 at 12:07 pm | by k_specialistYou list two places with soon du bu but neglect to mention the most popular soon du bu restaurant in town. Bok Chang Dong at Bloor and Clinton. They also have a location uptown near Yonge and Finch.
GO GET IT IN YOU.
November 4, 2011 at 3:15 pm | by alltogethernowWhat’s *your* list, k_specialist?
November 4, 2011 at 3:51 pm | by JerryAgree with K_specialist and alltogethernow… Toronto Life should be called Downtown Toronto Life. All their recommendations are so downtown-centric. When I read the title of the article, I thought, “for sure they will point to some locations in Northern parts of Toronto”…. NOPE! Too bad.
November 4, 2011 at 5:36 pm | by sHmm…. well one of the picks is in Etobicoke and the other is in Richmond HIll. Hardly downtown.
November 4, 2011 at 6:58 pm | by howisbabbyformed?I’m Korean, I eat a lot of Korean, have eaten at lots of good Korean places including in Seoul, and I don’t have a huge problem with this list. It’s not downtown-centric, and at least for 4 of these places (haven’t been to Koko) they are not unauthentic and hardly the chicken-balls kind of offering. Swish by Han may be more modern and less traditional, but I still like the place despite its service inconsistencies. Favourite is Cho Dang Soon Tofu.
November 5, 2011 at 12:18 am | by boobooBeing new to Toronto and unfamiliar with Korean food I just want to know…what is that called in the photo and where can I get it? Looks amazing!
November 5, 2011 at 9:33 am | by JTThat’s a version of soon tofu, which is a hot pot stew with soft tofu. The stew comes served to your table in the stone bowl it was cooked in, with a spicy broth (intensity can be adjusted), soft silken tofu, veggies, and either small amounts of shellfish or beef (they can often omit this though). When it comes to your table bubbling hot, they give you an egg to crack into the stew so it cooks in the soup. Cho Dang Tofu in Etobicoke does this best, but I also like Bok Chang Dong Tofu in Korea Town (Bloor and Manning).
November 5, 2011 at 7:13 pm | by boobooThese picks are a little odd to me as well. I find myself clicking on Toronto Life’s lists of the top eats/shops to squeeze in a laugh. rather than naming these pieces as “The Best…” articles like this would more aptly be titled “5 Korean Places…:
“…my friends told me about recently.”
“…I found out about while shopping for a romper (but have yet to try).”
I don’t know. We need more comprehensive reports and better writing again at Toronto Life. The one on Fried Chicken a while back was great–it was informative and more in depth (actual pics, prices, descriptions of recipe). If I were a tourist who’d never been to TO before and picked Koko Share Bar for the “people-watching”, I’d be disappointed to find out that it’s in a basement (and so doesn’t offer the kind of people-watching that a Cafe Nervosa would offer).
TL has resorted to using stock-phrases and cliches to paint its different and varied areas into corners. I miss the old TL!
November 7, 2011 at 2:44 pm | by LAVI’m native Korean and have eaten almost all the Toronto korean restaurants since I’ve moved here. I agree with kspecialist…this is not that good of a list.
November 7, 2011 at 4:55 pm | by dobu_heartis the broth for soon tofu meat-based? or can vegetarians also partake?
November 8, 2011 at 12:30 pm | by veggieClicked on this article with great interest & I think this is really good list! Swish by Han and Koko are fantastic, authentic, & quality driven places with owners who take pride in Korean cuisine. I travel back and forth to Seoul for business & most Korean restaurants in Toronto are stuck in time. Coupled with lacklustre produce sourcing and (embarrassingly) bad service, most Korean restaurants in Toronto fall way below “acceptable” range. Sad to say seems most patrons are in no place to pass judgement on what’s good based on comments above. Perhaps it’s worth noting that both Swish & koko are recent transplants from Seoul to Canada. Does anyone else miss the “old” San? Where are you Monica Chang!!
November 8, 2011 at 7:02 pm | by intense paletteSariwon is by far the best Korean restaurant in the GTA (and probably the closest to Seoul you’ll ever get), followed by Seoul House (either Dufferin or Yonge/Steeles version).
Of course, as Koreans themselves wouldn’t rely upon a Toronto Life list to decide where to dine, my guess is that the list itself wasn’t geared towards those who eat Korean on a regular basis. ;)
November 8, 2011 at 7:48 pm | by koreanNo one is every going to agree with “Best Restaurant” lists and I said before that I don’t have a huge problem with the list because the places listed, that I’ve been to, are decent enough. And you’re really not going to bump into a lot of these restaurants while shopping for a romper; Cho Dang Tofu is not anywhere near a decent shopping neighbourhood and I only know about it because my (Korean) parents live in the neighbourhood and frequent the place. And the soon tofu broth is most likely not vegetarian. It is often either made with seafood or beef broth.
November 9, 2011 at 10:42 am | by boobooMIga in Missisauga is still my favourite! Little pricier than other place but I think you pay for what you get.
November 10, 2011 at 11:56 pm | by a savvy korean gal