Top 5 Korean BBQ in Toronto
Published October 7, 2024 at 4:49 pm
Korean BBQ isn’t just a meal, it’s an event. It’s an especially good option for celebrations since it’s an activity as well as a cuisine where you cook your own food right at the table.
The most enjoyable KBBQ experiences start out with beautifully presented plates of raw meats and side dishes, and then you’re guided through a ritual of grilling the meat right at the table. If you just want to sit back and enjoy the ride, servers can help you out with cooking, and you’ll still get to enjoy a fiery spectacle. Eating feels like choosing your own adventure as you wrap proteins in lettuce wraps with your choice of additions like soy bean paste, kimchi, pickled radish, onion and so much more.
Beef and pork reign supreme at these restaurants so they’re great for carnivores looking to try lots of different cuts, but you can also often find seafood and veggies at these places. No matter what, wear your stretchy pants, as there are minimum ordering policies at most of these spots, with pre-set combos available. Most importantly, all Korean BBQ is best accompanied by a couple drinks.
Here are a few great places in Toronto where you can experience a Korean BBQ feast.
5 – Korean Village
This neighbourhood institution that’s been open since 1978 is a great all-round Korean restaurant no matter what traditional dishes you’re craving, and that includes Korean BBQ.
All BBQ meats are marinated for over 35 hours, and all BBQ orders come with side dishes, miso soup, lettuce, and bean paste dipping sauce. The meats definitely have an enhanced flavour and juiciness thanks to their long marination process.
4 – Mapo Korean BBQ
Walking into this classic restaurant feels like stepping into a miniature street market, with each booth surrounded by wood on all sides with little roofs with fake signs. You’ll also see Korean magazines and empty bottles decorating the space, giving it a party feel that comes alive at night.
The table grills here have sections for corn cheese and fluffy egg, and side dishes might include options like salad, cucumber, kimchi, jalapeno and onion, bean sprouts, radish, and unlike some other spots, pasta salad.
There are lots of good options for beef and pork here, and the honeycomb pork belly is an especially tasty choice. It’s sliced in a criss-cross pattern that lets the fatty meat crisp up nicely.
3 – The K BBQ
Here, you’ll find some of Toronto’s prettier Korean BBQ. Some combinations of meats even come served on a tall tower. Side dishes here might include bean sprouts, radish, kimchi, cabbage salad, soy potato and sweet potato, and you also get soup on the side.
Opt for the thinly sliced beef brisket, and you can get it expertly unrolled, cooked and evenly torched for you at the table by a server. Once it’s cooked, it’s the perfect balance of crispy and juicy.
2 – Daldongnae
This might be one of the most widely known Korean BBQ restaurants in Toronto with locations in multiple neighbourhoods. It’s a great option for first-timers, as much of what you need to know to try Korean BBQ is spelled out for you on the menus and instructional graphics on the tables.
It’s also some of the most aesthetically stunning Korean BBQ you can find, with table grills with separate sections for egg, hot kimchi, corn and garlic. The side dishes laid out along with the meal are also as colourful as they are tasty.
Here, you’ll receive a rainbow of pumpkin salad, bean sprouts with soy sauce, acorn jelly with soy sauce, pickled cucumber and seaweed with hot sauce. You also receive a big bowl of soybean paste stew. For dipping and/or wrapping, there’s sliced red onion with house sweet soy sauce, house soybean paste, and salt, pepper and sesame oil.
1 – Takja BBQ
This newcomer to Toronto’s Korean BBQ scene is putting a modern spin on the old tradition. It’s especially fancy seeing as all BBQ is grilled at the table for you by a server, and the atmosphere has a slightly more sophisticated vibe, with meats displayed in full view of the dining room.
You’ll find very high quality meats here, like A5 Wagyu ribeye, and for pork, coppa and Iberico secreto. There are even scallops available to grill. You can also start your meal off with a bang with a seafood tower, shrimp cocktail and oysters, with luxurious optional add-ons like uni and caviar. This restaurant also offers a special option called “hansang” meaning “a table full of food” where they fill up the table with a smorgasbord of Korean delights.
The side dishes are just as impressive as everything else here, and all BBQ comes with scallion salad, lettuce ssam, pickles and condiments. The fact that a server grills everything for you means that everything comes out perfectly cooked, and you can tell all the meats are high quality due to their depth of flavour.
It’s no surprise this place is amazing, as it’s from the same people behind handroll bar Omai and a takeout sushi spot just down the alley next to Takja called Oroshi.
