9 Restaurant

As much as you want to like this place… it just doesn’t work out. Cool décor and hip music, a sweet and well-​intentioned waiter. Sadly, the food just wasn’t good at all, and you know it is going to be that way from the very first bite. Kimchi fries were cold and had only a measly fleck of kimchi. Bibimbap roll was like every other bland California roll you’ve ever regretted ordering. Mixed fried seafood plate was over-​crumbed, over-​deepfried and partly chewy and inedible. Fried chicken was the quality of bad-​to-​average, greasy, deep-​fried Chinese food and excessively drowned in sriracha. The cocktail we had was watery and completely lacked booze. Overall, the room and the menu look fun, and you want it to be good when the friendly waiter tries so hard, but the kitchen didn’t deliver. Sorry folks.

Small portions and on the pricier side. Sweet potato fries are wayyy to skinny and have little flavor. Tried the 24 miso cod and was delicious but again, serving way to small… Calamari didn’t have any special flavor. Service was nice and friendly though. Overall, not what I expected for Korean fusion /​tapas and would try other places before coming back.

Loved the eclectic décor & atmosphere… loved the food presentation.
We ordered quite a bit & loved everything.
Pork belly, wings, korean pancakes, sushi & Korean maki rolls, sweet potato fries, black cod, & kalbi… what a wonderful feast!!!
This place is hip with great food!!!

Loved the décor… Poured concrete walls very unique. Friendly staff. The glass noodle dish and macha crème brûlée were really good.
Definitely worth a look see.

My boyfriend and I were looking for a tapas place outside our downtown core bubble and thought 9 Restaurant was a cool restaurant to check out. It’s tucked in the corner of Roncesvalles and Queen West, right across from the Howard Johnson hotel. It has a big «9» sign on the outside that is hard to miss.
I was not sure how busy this place was so I called in advance to make a reservation. Once we got to the place, I was pleasantly surprised to see that it wasn’t packed. Perhaps, it’s due to it’s location (although it is still accessible by TTC). The place has a pretty cool interior; a mix of modern and grunge. There were communal style long tables with a bar that spans the length of the restaurant. Therefore, if you’re coming here for a date, expect to share a table with other people.
Their tapas menu is broken into seafood, meat and vegetable sections. We ordered the Korean Fried Chicken with the signature sauce, grilled Kalbi steak, the Korean glass noodles and a salad. We initially ordered the black cod since it sounded delicious. Unfortunately, they were out for the night. I found their portion size pretty big in comparison to other tapas– style restaurants. I also liked the way they served their dishes. Wooden boards provided a rustic feel to the dishes which I thought was pretty neat.
Out of all the dishes, I enjoyed the glass noodles the most. It’s flavourful but not overpowering. It was a light side to the meat dishes we got. My bf loves fried chicken so we ordered the KFC with their signature style sauce. To be honest, I think their sauce tasted similar to the typical orange sauce used in sweet and sour dishes. I think the garlic and soya souce flavour might have been a better option. Lastly, for the grilled Kalbi beef, we originally ordered it medium rare but was cautioned by the server that it might get pretty bloody. I’m glad we did since the beef was cooked the way I wanted it. The beef came with miso-​flavoured sauce and kimchi. However, I think it could do without it since it was already seasoned well.
I would definitely recommend stopping in and checking out 9 even if it’s outside the downtown bubble!

9 is a stylishly designed restaurant, located just north of the corner of Roncesvalles at Queen Street West. Interior has a balance of rough industrial plywood on one wall, higher end reclaimed wood on the back wall, and then Japanese inspired wallpaper along the bar side. I’ve seen pictures online and the plywood never photographs well, but in person it actually looks well put together and snazzy.
The menu is broken into a few sections: Appetizers, Sea, Land, Vegetables
We dabbled across the board, only skipping the sea section, and overall enjoyed what we had. Stand-​out items included the Bulgogi Poutine and Prime Rib which was actually a bit more like a short rib meets brisket pulled beef vibe, but delicious. Spicy pork belly was tasty and well prepared in that it was still fatty but not overly chewy as some places end up with. The korean fried chicken was okay but seemed like the worst value out of the plates we had.
Overall, the food impressed and there wasn’t anything that was what I would consider to be a «miss».
Drinks menu was less impressive though. We started with what I believe they call a «Soju Hurricane» or something like that. It’s essentially a concoction of beer and soju which was very underwhelming as first of all it was like a 10oz glass, and it really just tasted like Sapporo and not really anything else which made me question how they could charge $ 8 for it. After that wasted attempt we switched to their beer menu which is basically a handful of tallboys and Sapporo on tap.
I’m not sure if Roncesvalles is the target demographic for a Korean fusion restaurant, as the place seemed pretty slow for a weekend, but 4 drinks, 2 apps, 3 land and 1 veg items came to just over $ 100 post-​tax/​pre-​tip which is pretty satisfactory as we left full and even with some leftovers. I hope this place does well, as its a nice option to have some variety in a street otherwise heavy with Canadian or European influenced food.

I finally checked out this place with my girlfriend and her sister on Valentine’s Day and was quite disappointed. I don’t mean to harp on the waitress but she didn’t speak English very well and sometimes took awhile to get basic drinks to the table.
Also, the plates we ordered came twenty minutes apart. That was very frustrating and annoying. I would have been happier if they’d just forgotten the second plate so we could have gotten a break on the over-​priced bill. The steak had about a table spoon of salt on it — my mouth was burning.
Overall, I’d stay clear.

Location/​Environment:
— Found this place through a buytopia deal. it’s a little hidden on the east end. parking is available usually on the streets
— Interior is very hipster & trendy. using traditional Korean renovations and mixing with some modern themes
— Service is also nice though there was only one waitress during the time we were having dinner (~6:30pm)
Food:
— Note: most portions are a little small (hence tapas).so order a few more dishes to fill yourself up
— Sweet Potato Poutine: taste pretty much like a regular poutine. but not a deep fried/​greasy/​oily french fries kind of style. You can really taste the thin slices of sweet potatoes and the little bits of bulgogi in it, which was really good
— Beef Tartare: if you like raw food, this is a must try. It’s usually found in other Korean restaurants and it can’t go wrong. The raw beef mixed with the egg goes well together.
— Kimchi Fried Rice: one of my favourites I ordered. It’s not too spicy for non-​Korean eaters to handle. The pot was hot enough to make some of the rice crispy if you prefer that. Everything was mixed well together and the kimchi were little bits again so it brings out the flavor.
KFC13: also one of my favourites. It’s similar to what you get when you go to Korean Fried Chicken places. Juicy, sweet, boneless and full of meat. It also complimented well with the sweet pears.
Overall it was a very nice first experience — will probably come back again during the summer when it’s warmer. I think it will be a lot more lively with nice music and maybe patios too.

Found 9 by doing a Google search of restaurants on Roncesvalle and decided to check it out based on the menu and photos of the food. I went as a party of two and arrived there at around 8:45. I was pleasantly surprised that it was not very busy and the ambiance was chill and relaxed with the noise volume being at a minimum. It was actually nice to be in a downtown restaurant, where we could speak to each other in a normal volume, rather than having to scream at each other over the loud music or the talking of people around us.
The restaurant décor is unique, with its’ mason jar chandeliers, industrial piping shelves and bar lights, along with the family style reclaimed wood tables. Overall, the restaurant exhibits its’ own unique style of combining industrial pieces with Asian influences.
The menu was well laid out and grouped according to sea, land, starters, etc. The food selection is one page and from our experience, food was cooked well. We had five dishes from the menu and everything was cooked perfectly. The Oyster Po’boy done 2 ways was amazing. The bun that they served it on was light and airy and didn’t take over the taste and texture of the Po’boy like a heavy dense bun would. The grilled kalbi steak was cooked perfectly with the outer part of the steak slightly cooked and the centre being pink, but with no blood oozing out. It literally melted in your mouth! The KFC8 was crispy, crunchy and sweet all at the same time and combined with the acidity from the pickled white radish, created a flavour sensation that was just amazing. At first,
I was skeptical about ordering the deep fried seaweed rolls, but then they came and the textures created in your mouth were absolutely crazy. The mixture of the deep fried skin combined with the soft glass noodles inside was perfectly balanced. In my opinion, the end pieces were the best because they had the most crunch to them. The bulgogi fries were well seasoned with the sweet bulgogi sauce and yes like other reviews, the order does come with match stick fries that are thin, but we enjoyed the way that they soaked up the sauce and gave the fries additional flavour. I guess it didn’t help that we enjoyed the dish so much that it didn’t really have that much time to sit and become very soggy. We enjoyed the sauce so much that we dumped the match stick fries from our Po’boy order into the leftover bulgogi poutine sauce. For drinks, we ordered the sojito and the red soju sangria. Both were done very well and since soju can be a very strong alcohol in both taste and alcohol content, it was well balanced. The strong alcohol content and taste didn’t overpower the other flavours in the drink, as well as leave an after taste in your mouth.
I will say compared to other downtown restaurants that I have been at, the service when I went to 9 was beyond comparison, the best that I have received in a long while. The servers were extremely knowledgeable and friendly and were extremely attentive to our needs, without being intrusive. Something as small as bringing us glasses of ice water to our table, without asking us and constantly discreetly refilling them when it got low to telling us what each dish was that we ordered before placing it down on the table. If the level of service continues to this level, I believe many customers would be very happy. On a side note, I’ve read other reviews about 9, where people have commented on the English language skills of the servers and I feel I need to say that yes, at times, the language is difficult to hear but all of the servers that we encountered, all worked very well as a team and if they were unable to describe or fully communicate with us, they immediately got someone else to help assist. In their defense, we shouldn’t be faulting people due to the fact they they are learning a new language.
After having our meal, we were given a surprise dessert from who I believed was the owner of the restaurant. He gave us a dessert made from Japanese crackers, white chocolate, cheese and drizzles of chocolate sauce, all cooked in a brûlée. It was a small one bite dessert but the flavours that came from it were very strong and impactful. A nice way to end our meal and let’s be honest, it’s always nice to be given something on the house!
I would definitely go back again and recommend this hidden gem on the outskirts of downtown Toronto!

Nice place, food was good but a pretty screwed up ordering system, with one of the first to order not getting food for over an hour for their FIRST dish (most of us had TWO dishes by this point!)
FIX THIS

Korean fusion is hard to pull off and here is another restaurant trying out this trend. This place is ³⁄₅ stars as this place is a work in progress regarding food, service and overall customer service.
I had a deal from TravelZoo for 2 starters, 2 entrees and 2 cocktails. I made reservations for this past Saturday and it was confirmed by phone that it was OK. Upon arrival, they did not have my reservation and were fully booked for the evening. So, I guess the person I spoke with did not write down the reservation or there was miscommunication. Another couple came in with the same problem.
Fortunately there was a table available as the next reservation was at 8pm — we finished eating by 7:15pm.
Ordered the following:
Bibimbap Roll
— Fresh ingredients, very delicious.
Calamari
— Perfectly fried and lightly battered.
Prime Beef Takaki
— Average in both flavour and texture.
Grilled Octopus
— Fresh but it wasn’t a standout dish.
Soju Sangria
— Tasted slightly bitter but overall was enjoyable ^^
Roncey’s Rum Runner
— Tasted OK but had strong ginger flavour.
Overall, the food was a hit and miss. Bibimbap roll and calamari tasted good but the other two were meh. For the price and location, I rather go elsewhere where they succeed at fusion.

I really wanted to like this place, as they are clearly trying their best and aim to please. While the menu is well-​intentioned, the items were hit and miss. Communication was also an issue, as we had a hard time understanding the servers (one also lurked around without saying anything the entire evening).
On the plus side, the Seoul Mule (Vodka, Soju, Gingerbeer, Jasmin Syrup, Lime, Lemon Grass) was well prepared and refreshing. The KFC8 (Korean Fried Chicken) was also a solid winner.
Other dishes were less impressive. While the bulgogi in the Bulgogi Poutine was well seasoned, the matchstick fries became too soggy, way too quickly. The Bibimbap Roll and One Day Black Cod were fine, if not stellar. (The portion of the latter was wee.)
We were craving some dessert after, and was informed that the Honey Butter Chips (listedn under Starters) were our only option. We passed and went for ice cream down the street.
Fusion is hard to do well and unfortunately, there are too many other restaurants that I’d return to before this one. I hope this place is able to tighten up its execution quickly, otherwise it may get lost in the sea of other options in Toronto.

I’m never sure how I feel about fusion places. I think I prefer non-​fusion cuisine (just stick to your roots dang it) but I’ve heard interesting things about this place and I’m always good for trying new things out so off we went.
Ambience and service were good. Not bad, not stellar. Just OK.
Now the food. See this is where I have issues with fusion. Is it supposed to taste like Korean food but not really? Or something totally different? Fusion or not, bottomline is food must taste good eh? And I think they are a (weak) ³⁄₅ on that front.
Kimchi Fries — We’ve had the kimchi fries at Banh Mi Boys and those were AWESOME. These were not. They were just salted fries, that’s all.
KFC8 — Tasted like sweet and sour chicken. Like those you get at fast food places at the mall. Definitely too sweet and sticky for our taste.
Poboys 2 ways — What was a Po’Boy doing in a Korean fusion restaurant you ask? Well that was our question too. It was good, just out of sync with the menu I guess.
Sangria — Isn’t this Spanish?
I think this place has potential and people who like (and understand!) fusion might like it. But sorry Nine, we’re not going back. We prefer our bibimbap and kalbi beef unadulterated.

The food was five stars. Really excellent. Everything’s as good or better than it sounds. Slightly pricey, but not a bad value for the delicious factor and the ambience. The décor is fantastic. I love it — not pretentious, but very intelligently designed. Everything looks great. Fancy but comfy, perfect, rock solid reclaimed tables, and neat steampunk light fixtures. The service was very polite, fair, and everything was great in the end, but I have to say, the waiters were overwhelmed. No one was lined up out the door or anything,
but the staff were not working as a well-​oiled machine. Everything was fine, but it was kind of like a fire drill. I’ll come back and give it five stars when the waitstaff get some more experience. I look forward to it because the food was really good.

Excellent service with carefully prepared foods. Price for portion was good. Staff clearly care about their work. All around great time!

We took a friend here for a birthday treat.
We pretty much came to try the rice cocktails (Yuzu, Lychee and Pomegranite and Vinegar) and they were super — the best one was the weirdest; the Pomegranite and Vinegar one!
We also shared the pork belly, the KFC8 and the ribs (sorry I can’t recall the names of all the dishes. I should have written the review earlier). All three were super delicious!
I think ultimately we enjoyed the drinks and the strange hipster-​bunker-​esque mason jar lighting, tube thingies and stuff. Yeah the décor is pretty interesting (we couldn’t find the jellies. are there even any in the tank?).
I’m not sure how authentic the Korean food is there but we all agreed we’d be back for sure. ;)

Definitely worth discovering. A modern unique environment with great staff and even better food. I had the Gin Gin Mule cocktail to start and the bartender has done a great job to create a refreshing blend of lime and ginger ale with an ice cube surrounding a mint leaf. Attention to detail is evident and important in this place. The Tuna Tartare was more than tantalizing and memorable enough to order again. A sweet complex sauce was slathered on the prime rib begging for a spoon to savour the last drop. I’m declaring this place a success. I would be surprised if you rate this place less than a Nine! Which makes it easy to remember at Roncy and Queen.

Tried out Nine, and it was all pleasant but nothing I’d rush back for.
Instead of doing «korean fusion» like they describe, it felt like they’d taken Korean food and dumbed it down and made it safe. E. g the «kimchi fries» were pleasant enough sweet potato fries (not squash as described on the menu?) smothered in garlicky tsatsiki but not a hint of kimchi. The «KFC8» (korean fried chicken) was tough pieces of crispy chicken with a goopy over sweet sauce — it was just crying out for some heat and acidity to cut the sugar. The «skewer» was pleasant, but so is anything wrapped in bacon :-)
The grilled octopus was adequate — slightly tough but curiously tasteless — again it was just crying for something to perk it up.
The interior (and exterior) is a sort of post-​apocalyptic bunker chic. The much mentioned jelly fish tanks were lifeless and grimy and kind of grim. But the staff are cheerful and eager.
If they actually do Korean fusion I’d be first in line.

Great to see this creative restaurant add to the (slowly) increasing number of Asian choices on Roncesvalles! Fiancé and I shared tasty, unique tapas and enjoyed the overall experience (which it didn’t break the bank either). I definitely recommend giving this place a go.
He had a beer and I tried one of their rice wine cocktails – green tea for something a little different. It was more delicious than I hoped it would be and was not overly sweet or at all milky like you might suspect. It was a really nice blend of flavors. I would have been compelled to return just to have this drink again.
We shared: bacon-​wrapped treats like little bushels of enoki mushrooms (so good with the bacon) and other veggies; squash kimchi poutine, which was really good and a nice mix of flavors/​textures; a mixed steak and veggie plate; and an awesome fish/​avocado tartare. Fiancé got himself a plate of boneless wings, reported to be outstanding. The menu is very well done – an interesting execution of Asian fusion appropriate for small sharing plates. Even if your affair with tapas is fatigued, this menu is likely to reignite the spark.
This is a new place and the service was extremely attentive as staff were doing a bit of mentoring. The ambience has a lounge-​y feel to it, a low-​lit, small overall area with large wooden tables for groups, a neon-​lit fish tank, etc., etc. There is nothing remotely similar to 9 Restaurant in the Queen West/​Roncy area (their lunchtime selection of bibimbap variations looks super tempting too) and even among other places like it in Toronto, the food and drink totally hold their own. Go try!

Brand new concept Bar