Came here after the lunch hour and it was basically me and another two diners. Service was great, waitress was very attentive and friendly. In terms of food, I ordered the seafood soon tofu and it was okay. What I didn’t like about it was that the tofu was cold once you bit into it. Soup was mediocre at best, probably because the other foods were their better known. However, seafood was actually decent, could’ve been better if they were cooked longer. On the bright side, the side dishes were really good, possibly one of the few places I’ve been to that had good side dishes. The brown rice was included in the dish, which was nice. Their black sesame sauce on the salad was a nice change from the usual salads I’m acquainted with. Overall I wasn’t too impressed with what I ordered but it does warrant another visit for their other menu foods.
Ad L.
Tu valoración: 4 Oshawa, Canada
The opportunity presented itself and I absolutely had to try the samgeytang(ginseng chicken soup)! Restaurant size: Comfortable! Along one side of the restaurant are several booths which can seat around 4 each. On the other side is one long wooden-wall bench and separate tables. Portion size: Great assortment of banchan(appetizers) in the form of… kimchi, seaweed, spiced cucumber, sliced potato(?) and lettuce w/black sesame dressing(?). The actual mains(samgeytang for me and hot soup tofu for my friend) were very adequate in filling and warming us up. Food quality: Very good in my perspective! The samgeytang wasn’t salty(there is salt available for you to add), and I was able to enjoy the delicious ginseng taste. The chicken was ultra tender and was falling off the bones, making it a pretty easy meal. Service: Friendly staff, coming at the exact perfect times. One of the servers came by to check if we wanted a refill of banchan(YESPLEASE!). Since I ordered a dish with lots of bones, a mini waste basket was provided to use. Final thoughts: Making the left turn back onto Leslie will be a struggle, but before that time enjoy some delicious samgeytang and other Korean dishes! I’d definitely come back again to try dishes recommended by others! Hrmm… maybe it’ll be my new Monday place?
Will T.
Tu valoración: 3 Toronto, Canada
3.5-stars review. Been here a couple of times including dine-in and take-out and have a mixed review. There are certain items we love and some we don’t like as much. Service: I found most of the servers were here on a working visa(overheard from an over friendly customer who was chatting with them). Their English might not be great but they are friendly. What we like: Appetizers — They offered a good varieties of panchan. The kimchi was very flavourful. I really like the black sesame dressing on the salad. The signature dish here is the Koryo Samgeytang(traditional ginseng chicken soup). I was feeling under the weather one day and decided to order a chicken soup for my soul. The chicken was very tender and soft but the ginseng was very subtle unless you get to the sticky rice filling where you find the ginseng, korean date, and chestnut. The server told me they kept the soup bland on purpose so that you can add salt on your own according to your preference. For me I like to keep it bland as I didn’t have to drink overly salty soup. Hot Stone Bibimbap The bibimbap was hot and there were loads of toppics. At $ 10.99 it is pricier compared to other Korean restaurants. Bulgogi Dupbap Ordered it as take-out. It was ready within 10 minutes and the pick-up was quick and easy. The sliced beef was tender and it was flavourful. The take-out didn’t come with any appetizers. What we didn’t like: Spicy pork Dupbab Also ordered it as take-out. The pork was on the very spicy side and I can eat spicy. At the bottom of the rice was a full layer of oil. It would be so much better if it wasn’t as oily. Beef Noodle Soup The beef broth was very bland. There weren’t a lot of beef in the noodle soup. I was expecting Korean noodles but it was rice noodle(the thin kind of phở noodles) so that was a bit of let down. Also the price for take-out special has increased from $ 6.99 to $ 7.95 recently. The take-out special menu is posted at the door. They said they couldn’t keep the price because the ingredients are getting expensive. Sad to lose a cheap take-out option!
Jo-Anne L.
Tu valoración: 5 Toronto, Canada
Decided to try out this place after reading the reviews on Unilocal — I would never have found it otherwise, since it’s located in a plaza that’s basically in the middle of nowhere. The interior of the restaurant is quite nice though, and because it’s fairly small it never got extremely loud even during busy hours. I ordered the raw veal bibimbap, a dish I’ve never seen in other Korean restaurants. It was quite good! I really enjoyed the texture of the meat, and it mixed extremely well with the vegetables and spicy sauce that came with it. The banchans were praiseworthy too — there was a wide range of flavours, from the spicy kimchi to the salty seaweed to the sweet potatoes. We asked for refills of all the dishes and got them with no complaints :) However, given the relatively high price point of this place, I expected slightly better service than what we received. Of course, no one came to check on us during our meal, but it shouldn’t have taken 10 minutes to get the attention of the waitress. Why didn’t I take off a star for that? Because we were there for over 2 hours and they never bothered us either, so I guess I don’t deserve to complain haha. All in all, a great restaurant to eat at with friends or even alone for the food! I will be back to try their legendary samgyetang :)
Wing C.
Tu valoración: 4 Manhattan, NY
What a better way to battle the Canadian cold with a pot of ginseng whole chicken soup? I didn’t think I had the appetite to eat this alone. I mean really! — it’s a whole young chicken stuffed with sticky rice and chestnuts. Somehow I polished the entire pot by myself with no traces or resemblances of what I ordered. The soup — aromatic with a hint of ginseng flavor. Since the young chicken barely had any body fat, the soup itself was not one bit greasy. I especially loved that I was given the option of salting the soup myself. Although I enjoyed my pot — I had the seafood version which came with scallop, sea cucumber, shrimp, and mussel, I’m going to stick to their regular chicken soup next visit since I thought the amount of seafood given was not justified with the cost difference. I got one shrimp, one mussel, 3 baby scallops, and 4 pieces of chopped up sea cucumber. It was about 7 dollars more! Nevertheless the chicken soup itself — the chicken was so silky and soft — I’m craving another one already! Overall — solid choice for ginseng chicken soup! Will definitely return to try out their famous raw beef bibimbap too!
Ariette H.
Tu valoración: 4 Toronto, Canada
More pricey/upscale in price point and ambience than your typical Korean joint, but the flavours are so potent and authentic! The servers are so kind. ^^ We ordered the ginseng chicken soup, the spicy pork hot stone bowl and the beef bulgolgi hot stone bowl which came with soup and rice. All were great! Bit bummed they didn’t have gamjatang on the menu but it was nice to try something new. :) As for the interior of the place, it is clean, crisp and classy. It is on the small and narrow side, so its best for 1 on 1 or small group meals.
Diliny C.
Tu valoración: 5 Richmond Hill, Canada
I’m not Korean. My parents aren’t Korean. BUT when faced with a decision of where to dine for a family birthday — my father’s first choice was Koryo on Leslie Street. This restaurant has a beautiful interior. Like the interior, the food as well is clean and crisp. The servers were very gracious and polite. Prices are reasonable and the portion of food is modest. The food is delicious. The menu is easy to navigate. The spicy pork tastes home made. In addition, they are good with children. There is a baby seat and they provide additional plates and cutlery as needed.
Mike D.
Tu valoración: 4 Toronto, Canada
As per the name of this place, we ordered the gingsen chicken soup and veal bibimbap. The price range for the chicken soup($ 16) and bibimbap($ 13) was a bit higher than your typical korean joint, so we were expecting some above average quality. And this place fid not fail to disappoint. Their side dishes were good, and included seaweed, kimchi, turnip, lettuce salad witg sesame dressing, etc. The chicken soup had about half a chicken and the broth was really clean and light in flavouring. The chicken itself was stuffed with rice, dates, and ginseng. The bibimbap had raw veal and mushrooms with all the other typically bibimbap ingredients. Overall, this is a great experience if you want some quality korean food!
Susan L.
Tu valoración: 5 Toronto, Canada
This review is long overdue. Moved to the neighborhood earlier this year and wanted to check out this place because of all the positive reviews and it’s the only Korean place close to me outside of the North York Yonge St. area. I’ve only had the Gingseng Chicken soup. The chicken is organic, stuffed with sticky rice on the inside and comes with a small side of rice noodles which you can place in the soup. It is delicious and has a subtle gingseng taste. My spouse has had the bibimbap and tofu soup, both of which were great. The menu is small. I wish they offered pork bone soup and kalbi beef. The prices are slightly higher than other Korean restaurants. Service is always friendly. I’ve been to this place about four times now and will definitely be a regular. Highly recommend!
Melody C.
Tu valoración: 3 Markham, Canada
so I came here about 3 times already. The first time I came for the ginseng chicken soup. It was delicious, except there was no STICKYRICE. I asked the waitresses about it and they were nice to give me a bowl of rice as replacement. The second time I came here I ordered hae jae tang. Personally I wasn’t a fan. The spiciness took over the soup taste. There wasn’t much flavor to it. The pigs blood was over cooked. And the third time I came was a few days ago. I walked in. I was brought to a seat. I sat down for 15 – 20 minutes. No tea. no service. I think they didn’t notice us since we were in the corner. Finally, they placed our order. It wasn’t long after the food came and ONCEAGAINNOSTICKYRICE in my ginseng chicken soup. Why oh why. Must it be the 2 times I order the soup there is no STICKYRICE… Honestly I am so disappointed, I was really excited to try the sticky rice. Anyway, I was hoping that it was just a once a while STICKYRICE slip out from the chicken. But I’m assuming this happens pretty frequently. Hopefully the next time I come, it won’t happen AGAIN. Since paying $ 20 for a chicken soup.
Theresa W.
Tu valoración: 5 Mississauga, Canada
Despite the strange shop name, it serve more than just Ginseng Chicken and Bibimbap. There isn’t much selection(my dad was like«where’s the pork bone soup?»), but what they do serve is fantastic. Their bibimbaps are out of this world — piping hot and so flavourful. I also really like the beef soup meal. The soup stock is light and unsalted — you can salt it yourself. Plus, the side dishes! So many, so plentiful, so yummy! And while I haven’t yet had the Ginseng Chicken, it’s the go-to dish for my friend who swears it’s amazing. A small little shop, so come early because there seems to be a line up here during the lunch hour rush.
Mandy P.
Tu valoración: 4 Mississauga, Canada
Came here for lunch on a Sunday afternoon– there were only two servers working and service was a little slow but they were very nice and apologetic about it. The food: — Banchan: the are very generous with the appetizers here, the little spicy cucumbers and japchae are my favorite 4⁄5 — Beef bone soup: dumplings/rice cake/egg white drop in a milky beef bone broth soup 4⁄5 — Dolsot bibimbap: so many toppings! There wasn’t as many crunchy bits at the bottom of the stone bowl, however, probably one of the better bibimbaps I’ve had in the GTA so far 3⁄5 Tip: don’t shy from using that big tub of salt on the table– you will have to season some dishes yourself(ie: beef bone soup) Looking forward to coming back to try the other menu items. Will definitely go out of the way to come here!
J S.
Tu valoración: 5 Markham, Canada
Came here for lunch on a Thursday, around noon. Wasn’t too busy. One of the best places I’ve gone to for bibimbap! Delicious side dishes. I got the beef and mushroom bibimbap. It came steaming hot and was steaming hot til my last bite. Very tasty and flavourful. Nice décor, friendly staff. I would most definitely go back.
Joey C.
Tu valoración: 3 Toronto, Canada
«Delicate and light» is how I would describe their food. The infamous Korean Ginseng Chicken soup is very light in flavour with only the slightest hint of ginseng. The chicken is super tender but did not have a whole lot of flavour either. The dish as a whole seem to lack a bit of salt and the flavour profile is subtle. I can describe the bibimbap and other items in the same manner. The portions are on the slightly smaller side for your typical Korean fare and the prices are on the higher end of the spectrum I would say. However, you can really taste the quality and freshness of the ingredients that they use in their cooking. Their menu is also smaller than most. I would say this place is definitely worth a try.
Brandon C.
Tu valoración: 5 Toronto, Canada
Pretty unique menu offerings here. I ordered the ginseng chicken soup. I totally recommend this place just for this dish. A tip would be to use the salt provided at the table to bring out the flavours in the soup. I guess this is a hidden gem in a quiet neighbourhood. They say to drink this soup in the summer 3 times for health benefits — once beginning, middle and end of season.
Ryan H.
Tu valoración: 4 Markham, Canada
Cutest little Korean restaurant with great food! Portions are a good size, a nice variety in the menu, and excellent side dishes! Came in super late, near closing on a Sunday night and got seated right before their last call! Make sure you’re there 30 min before close for any food! Service was excellent, very attentive and friendly servers! I got the Hot Pot Japchae Dupbap and Mung Bean Pancakes, which were both very good! With both rice and japchae in the hot stone pot, the food stayed nice and hot while offering a good amount of food to fill you up. Beef was also very sweet, and excellent bowl overall. The Mung Bean Pancakes were great as well. A nice blended flavour throughout with a wonderful sauce! The side dishes were awesome though! Love it when they give you just a dish of the kimchi radishes! The salad with black sesame dressing was also really cool! Overall a nice discovery late at night! Will definitely be back for the Ginseng Chicken Soup that everyone raves about next time!
Gloria S.
Tu valoración: 4 Toronto, Canada
Food: 5⁄5 Service: 4⁄5 Location: 4⁄5 We came here on a Wednesday night and the place was quieter than we expected(for such great Unilocal reviews!). It’s located in a little plaza that I’ve passed by hundreds of times and I’ve never noticed this place! I ordered a hot stone spicy pork dupbap and it was BOMB. It came out steaming and sizzling in the hot stone bowl, with just the right about of spice. The spicy pork was slightly fatty, sliced thin, and crispy. Once all mixed together the dish was a vibrant red, just what I want to see when I’m craving Korean food. And of course we can’t forget the banchan(Korean side dishes). They had all the usual suspects: pickled cucumbers, fish cake, kimchi, potatoes. I particularly enjoyed the salad with a unique black sesame dressing — something I can’t say I’ve seen before. Overall, really tasty! I can’t believe I’ve never been here before; it’s pretty hidden unless you’re actually out looking for it. I would recommend trying this place out!
Joyce K.
Tu valoración: 3 Toronto, Canada
3.5 stars for the raw veal bibimbap($ 12.99). The seasoned vegetables(which topped the bibimbap) were fresh and meticulously prepared; some were also uncommon like the acorn jelly. But the veal itself was just okay; there wasn’t much taste to it besides the spicy sauce. And because its minced, the veal becomes non-existent when everything is mixed together.
Christine W.
Tu valoración: 4 Toronto, Canada
Located in a quiet suburban plaza. this restaurant is a cozy find. The walls are decorated with posters of drawings of the ingredients of samgyetang, and other menu items. We ordered Koryo samgyetang($ 15.99). The chicken was tender, with rice in the middle. The soup was flavorful, not too salty, and is exactly something you want on a cool day, or if you are sick. On top of that, the soup was served with a small side of white noodles, which I wish had a bit more of. That, or a side of white rice. The dish was big enough to serve two, as there was quite a bit of chicken. We also ordered dolsot bibimbap, which was good, but nothing out of the ordinary. It did consists of a lot of vegetables, colourful, and hearty. It was on the pricier side for a dolsot bibimbap($ 12.99). I would definitely go back for the samgyetang, not so much for the dolsot bibimbap. I must say though, it is quite comparable to some of the best places in Korean town!
Jennifer K.
Tu valoración: 4 Markham, Canada
You do need to order Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup when you visit Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup & Bibimbap. Koyro Samgeytang($ 15.99) uses 30 day«young» chicken from a local farm up in Orangeville was really tender. The ginseng flavour is quite subtle so even if you don’t like the smell or taste of ginseng, give this a try. Chicken Ginseng Soup supposed to be good for your health and consume especially during the hottest day of the year. But for me, any day is good for some soup especially when it is cold and snowy out! Beef Bone Soup with Rice Cake and Dumplings($ 9.99) has a nice a dedicate flavour. The broth was quite sweet, so season it accordingly. Service was attentive and our waitress is just so nice and pleasant. Highly recommended if you want to have good quality authentic Korean Food. BTW, in Korean, they do give you a complimentary bottle of ginseng wine. :)