Being in an area with a lot of Koreans, we cannot help but try out different Korean restaurants—higher end, lower end, and everything in between. Even the fast food stalls at the Korean grocery were not spared. However, the places we go back to are those which give us good value for money. One has even earned the title, “my favourite restaurant” from the kids. Here are three Korean restaurants we love going back to. These are not in any particular order as going to one of these would depend on what we feel like having.
1. Buk Chang Dong Soon tofu (North York)—perfect for a cold, winter day. Parking is a bit of a challenge at the North York location. If you park at the back, be prepared to have your meal interrupted while you go out and move your vehicle (or go back to get someone else to move theirs so you can leave). Don’t be discouraged by the line-up to get a seat, as service is quite fast. There are only 8 items on the menu consisting mostly of soon tofu soups, hence the name. Nothing costs over $10. Soon tofu is a savoury broth with soft, custard-like tofu and meat or veggies. They also offer dumpling and kimchi soon tofu soup. The soon tofu dishes come with a raw egg. This is cracked open onto the boiling soup and is promptly cooked. One can also select the level of spiciness of the soup from white to hot.
Each order comes with the usual banchan (appetizers) of Kimchi, bean sprouts and beans. Hubby prefers the Combination Soon tofu (meat and seafood) while the girls and I usually have the Bulgogi soup. Their Bulgogi soup is a great comfort food for me. It has just the right sweetness, a good serving of beef and nicely-cooked noodles. As well, you get a hot stone pot rice with your order. The waiter scoops out purple rice with dates onto your bowl and adds hot water to the stone pot. Hubby likes to eat this leftover rice with water, whereas I am usually already too full to have this. He claims it cleanses his palate. It may be true, because honestly, that one is quite tasteless.
2. Korean Grill house (Richmond Hill)—when we are craving all-you-can-eat bbq. Again, for under $10, you can have all-you-can-eat bbq. Their basic bbq has pork, beef, chicken, fish fillet and squid. For additional $3-6 you get more choices of fish and meat. Of course, you also get your banchan ( Kimchi, bean sprouts) and rice with your meal. Half the fun is cooking, but be ready to have your clothes smell like the grill. The meats are lightly seasoned and are fresh. They are served in small square trays stacked on top of each other. You can request for additional meats and side dishes as you go along. The last time we went, we managed to consume 15 of these 5”x5” trays! My tip would be to start cooking the chicken first as this takes the longest to cook (we usually don’t get pork). The beef is thinly sliced and cooks the fastest.
3. Song Cook’s (Vaughan)—the kids’ favourite restaurant. This is our go-to place for everything else Korean. You have the choice of being seated on the regular table or the matted, elevated section. We love sitting on the mat for that authentic Korean feel—even if our legs cramp after a bit! Be prepared to remove your shoes! You sit on a cushion and eat over a low table. The kids enjoy it as it is an experience in itself. The Kimchi comes in a huge serving with scissors for cutting. I often order the LA Kalbi and the marinated sliced meat and they are both yummy! The meat is tender and the sauce wonderful. The girls usually have the Seafood udon. The noodles are well-cooked and nice to the bite. The big serving is shared by the girls with left over to boot! Hubby prefers the Black Bean noodles (noodles tossed in black bean sauce) in any combo meal. He tries a different one each time. Dishes are also about $10.
I would say that it is the total experience which makes us come back--whether it is eating left over rice on water in a stone pot, cooking your own meal, or sitting on a heated platform and cutting your kimchi with scissors. Throw in good service and great, under $10 meals, and you will definitely have more than one favourite restaurant!
No comments:
Post a Comment