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Sariwon is one of my fave place for Kbbq in North York! I used to come here a lot in the summer (during covid times) and sat on their terrace/patio with the beautiful patio lights. First time coming back for dine-in, and they were able to accommodate large groups inside (we were a group of 8, and was split into 2 tables of 4, side by side, and with 1 grill per table). Making a reservation was very simple over the phone. The lady asked if we are doing kbbq, and she will reserve tables with built-in grills as supposed to regular tables. To start, our waitress gave us complimentary appetizers aka banchan; they are refillable! For our table, we opted in for 2 cuts of marinated beef for the kbbq, and side orders of green onion pancake, pork bone soup w/ rice, and a dumpling + rice cake soup. It was the perfect amount of food, and the meats also came with a soon tofu soon and 2 bowls of rice. We also ordered their housemade makgeolli to share. Cheers to a delicious meal, great service, and great company!
4 stars. There is a huge parking lot further south but be aware there is no underground parking here The staff here are super friendly and answer very quickly to the bing bong door bell. The foods are well marinated and cooked very well. The baNchan was non ending and constantly topped up Will come back for more great eats
My favorite restaurant for BBQ , very high quality food, price is little high, super friendly staff, big clean place good for family dinner
KBBQ | LLBO | Dine In | Cash discount Vaccination required, covid protocols in place Been coming here for years. The last time I came it was only patio dining due to covid. Now I'm back for a dine in experience. The food is amazing as always. Service was good. I was surprised to see their rating went down over the year. Got my usual 2 meat choices BBQ, soju and YukHwae. There were more side dishes than normal. I also got a fully loaded soy bean soup. Amazing food and experience. Will always be a supporter. *** AUGUST 2021 *** KBBQ | LLBO | Patio Authentic Korean dishes and BBQ Great service and food quality. I've been here for years and due to covid it was my first time to eat at their second level patio which was cute and cozy. I enjoyed my every visit. The servers were sweet and polite. Overall I'll always come back. Please note that some items on the BBQ meat selection does have a minimum 2 order requirement.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When seeking Korean food, go where the Koreans go! Sariwon is one of those spots uptown for an authentic quality KBBQ experience. Better yet, they now have an impressive patio to offer diners who wish to enjoy the rooftop. Location is just north of Yonge/Steeles where there are many Korean restaurant options. This family owned restaurant prides itself on top notch quality cuts of meat. After scouring the menu of various Korean cuisine items, we settled on SamGyupSal (sliced pork bellies) & DwaeJi Galbi (marinated pork ribs) as a BBQ meal for 2. The thick pork belly cuts once caramelized went well with lettuce wrap & salty soybean paste sauce. The galbi akin to pork chop came pre-grilled and was an easy chew. Good BBQ starts with good meat. For our order, a decent spread arrived including Japchae, Nokdu-Muk (mung bean jelly) along with more typical Banchan side dishes & salad. The complimentary Soybean Stew was well-seasoned despite the lack of spiciness. For the hot day, MulNaengMyun (cold beef noodle soup) was refreshing tho I always find buckwheat noodle slippery to chew. We tapped out with our bellies full and leftovers aplenty. Service was excellent for our patio dining. While we were in the patio, we received frequent checkups, and their insistence to cut & help grill our pork bellies. Wonder if we've been cooking it wrong all these years. Others' gripes seem to be about the higher price point but we thought it was fair for a pleasant dining experience. Hey, whatever floats your boat!
Decently flavourful. I found the steamed egg and stew to be a little bit on the saltier side. Otherwise great experience and food!
This place is extremely overpriced for what it is and not worth it in my opinion. We came here for Korean BBQ because they looked popular for their BBQ. The first negative was the waitress who annoyingly hovered around us for the whole time we were deciding to order, trying to insert her opinion. She kept telling us to order the Galbi and didn't recommend anything else. Even when we just wanted to flip through the menu, she would flip us back to the bbq page. We went with the JuMulLuk, which according to the menu is beef seasoned with Korean sesame sauce. The side dishes are pretty good and you get a variety of them. I like that they include japchae as a large side dish. The beef, which was supposed to be the star of the meal, just fell flat. It wasn't really seasoned at all, which was such a disappointment because even the much cheaper bbq places have great marinated meat. The texture of the meat was rather chewy and overall there weren't that many pieces for a meal that costed around $80 for two people.
Looking for a Korean restaurant with patio seating isn't easy but we able to find this place in this area. Large authentic Korean restaurant with two floors and second floor patio in a plaza with ample parking. Service was fast and friendly. Menu extensive and all the Korean specialties. We were not in the mood for so it yourself bbq so we ordered everything a la carte. Tried the beef bulgogi, spicy seafood noodle, Korean seafood pancake, bibimbap. Everything was tasty and authentic. My only comment is compared to other Korean places taste was less refined. Didn't try the bbq this time. Overall great Korean restaurant to try in the area.
Lovely rooftop patio with parasol, perfect for ordering BBQ, hot pot or grilled items without having all of the smoky smell all over the clothing, especially during COVID19 time. I am surprised how extensive their menu is! I ordered a soup option, while my brother and beau had grilled meat with rice and classic bibimbap in stone pot. Then we all shared a seafood pancake. Everything tasted great and I really like how there is eggplant instead of the usual caramelized potatoes, since I am trying to eat less carbs. Service was adequate as it was a one-woman team for the patio experience. She worked diligently, checked in on us and refilled our water from time to time. Everything was sanitized down before and right after each service. This will be my new go-to place for Korean food until there is a vaccine out. I prefer going out for patio only, hopefully the weather cooperates for a little bit longer. I love supporting local yet globally inspired restaurants. Many diners were older Koreans and some young couples, so I know the food is quite authentic.
Good a la carte KBBQ restaurant although it could get busy especially on the weekend. We ordered pork belly and sirloin. Quality of the meat was good. Also came with a stone bowl stew and rice. The seafood pancake was huge, thick and fluffy, but lacked seafood. Sweet and sour pork came on a huge plate - flavourful but a tad dry and got soggy if not eaten quickly. The amount of food we ordered stuffed 4 people. We could have ordered less but we wanted a variety. Decent price for the portion sizes you receive and fast service despite it being busy. Large menu so there's plenty of dishes to try.
Great cuts of meat and excellent service. The waitresses most times offer to cook and cut up the meat, so you can relax (and take a break from eating! Lolol) since they can control the heat. Fast strong heat and good ventilation. Also very generous when we asked for seconds on some sides, sauces and garlic. A perfect place for large groups and families, many seats around as we came for dinner. I liked that they play soft piano covers and bmgs, which is suitable of their more casual sophisticated dining. Saying again, great cuts of meat especially the pork belly (samgyupsal) was very fatty. The fresh beef ribs (saeng galbi) was delicious too. Good tea. We liked that our soybean stew had a nice spicy kick and some side dishes were nicely seasoned. I def think some side dishes could be improved or added. A long-standing and even favourite Kor BBQ place for groups larger than 2. If not, more options around the area or order the regular dishes instead, it could total to be a little pricey..
MEAT! MEAT! Tons of MEAT! Great Tasting Meat! If you have picky friends that have a certain of standard of where and what they are dining.. Sariwon certainly is the place to go. If you have friends that want to smell like a piece of meat after having Korean BBQ, don't take them here! Since Sariwon has such awesome ventilation system.. they will be disappointed! If you have friends who enjoys good services, book a table at Sariwon.. they would think you are awesome and you know where to go! Back Ribs! I would have just ordered the back ribs ($24.95)... and I would be happy eating the whole thing by myself and more!! Sirloin in Sesame sauce ($25.95) was not bad either! Pork Belly($18.95) was such a disappointment... avoid since it was just sliced pork with no marinate.. I have to confess that I would not be a vegetarian in the near future... Where is my MEAT??
Came to Toronto and had dinner with husband's high school friend and his girlfriend. This is the place they eat last time when my husband was here, he thinks it's sooo good, so he made the dinner at this restaurant again this time. We ordered tons of beef for BBQ, very nice and taste very good and tender. The chicken on lettuce is super crispy and nice. All the small dishes also very good, the best is the potato! The potato glass noodle dish is also very delicious! We are tons of food, very satisfying.
YOooooooo I came to Sariwon a long time ago and it was just ok (I think that was in 2021 - when I just moved back to Toronto from Ottawa). I tried it again with my mom today and that was absolutely gas. The side dishes were phenomenal. The food was fresh and filling, albeit a bit pricey. It was worth it doe!!! read more
1 year ago
I must say, I was pleasantly surprised on this visit that Sariwon has really upped their food game. I read from other reviews that the ownership had changed since my last less than satisfactory visit and it really showed in the quality of the food and service. We were a large group wanting to BBQ and also sample the regular menu, so we ordered 2 portions of galbi and honeycomb samgyupsal for the grill and mackerel and soup with "healthy" pot rice as well as an order of donkatsu dinner. There were lots of complimentary offerings, from kimchi pancakes to a much larger variety of well-prepared banchans which the server happily refilled multiple times. The service was much more attentive as the server actually came to grill the meat and changed the grill multiple times without attitude which was very much appreciated. The portions were quite good and we were all stuffed by the end of the meal. This visit has definitely improved my opinion of Sariwon and I may even revisit to give their lunch another try soon. read more
It's been a very long time since I came back here for KBBQ, but I do order regular food from their menu. I have visited many KBBQ places, and this would be my second choice, as it is quite expensive, but their marinated short ribs are delicious. Their pork belly was just average. The service was great; they helped us cook the meat so we could eat and feed the baby. The servers are really nice and attentive. The noise level is normal for a restaurant, not too loud. They have a small private room on the first floor, and I think you can book their upstairs if you have a party with a lot of people. Overall, if I ever crave their short ribs, I will be coming back. read more
2 years ago
Sariwon is one of my fave place for Kbbq in North York! I used to come here a lot in the summer (during covid times) and sat on their terrace/patio with the beautiful patio lights. First time coming back for dine-in, and they were able to accommodate large groups inside (we were a group of 8, and was split into 2 tables of 4, side by side, and with 1 grill per table). Making a reservation was very simple over the phone. The lady asked if we are doing kbbq, and she will reserve tables with built-in grills as supposed to regular tables. To start, our waitress gave us complimentary appetizers aka banchan; they are refillable! For our table, we opted in for 2 cuts of marinated beef for the kbbq, and side orders of green onion pancake, pork bone soup w/ rice, and a dumpling + rice cake soup. It was the perfect amount of food, and the meats also came with a soon tofu soon and 2 bowls of rice. We also ordered their housemade makgeolli to share. Cheers to a delicious meal, great service, and great company! read more
4 stars. There is a huge parking lot further south but be aware there is no underground parking here The staff here are super friendly and answer very quickly to the bing bong door bell. The foods are well marinated and cooked very well. The baNchan was non ending and constantly topped up Will come back for more great eats read more
KBBQ | LLBO | Dine In | Cash discount Vaccination required, covid protocols in place Been coming here for years. The last time I came it was only patio dining due to covid. Now I'm back for a dine in experience. The food is amazing as always. Service was good. I was surprised to see their rating went down over the year. Got my usual 2 meat choices BBQ, soju and YukHwae. There were more side dishes than normal. I also got a fully loaded soy bean soup. Amazing food and experience. Will always be a supporter. *** AUGUST 2021 *** KBBQ | LLBO | Patio Authentic Korean dishes and BBQ Great service and food quality. I've been here for years and due to covid it was my first time to eat at their second level patio which was cute and cozy. I enjoyed my every visit. The servers were sweet and polite. Overall I'll always come back. Please note that some items on the BBQ meat selection does have a minimum 2 order requirement. read more
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. When seeking Korean food, go where the Koreans go! Sariwon is one of those spots uptown for an authentic quality KBBQ experience. Better yet, they now have an impressive patio to offer diners who wish to enjoy the rooftop. Location is just north of Yonge/Steeles where there are many Korean restaurant options. This family owned restaurant prides itself on top notch quality cuts of meat. After scouring the menu of various Korean cuisine items, we settled on SamGyupSal (sliced pork bellies) & DwaeJi Galbi (marinated pork ribs) as a BBQ meal for 2. The thick pork belly cuts once caramelized went well with lettuce wrap & salty soybean paste sauce. The galbi akin to pork chop came pre-grilled and was an easy chew. Good BBQ starts with good meat. For our order, a decent spread arrived including Japchae, Nokdu-Muk (mung bean jelly) along with more typical Banchan side dishes & salad. The complimentary Soybean Stew was well-seasoned despite the lack of spiciness. For the hot day, MulNaengMyun (cold beef noodle soup) was refreshing tho I always find buckwheat noodle slippery to chew. We tapped out with our bellies full and leftovers aplenty. Service was excellent for our patio dining. While we were in the patio, we received frequent checkups, and their insistence to cut & help grill our pork bellies. Wonder if we've been cooking it wrong all these years. Others' gripes seem to be about the higher price point but we thought it was fair for a pleasant dining experience. Hey, whatever floats your boat! read more
3 years ago
2 years ago
7 years ago
This place is extremely overpriced for what it is and not worth it in my opinion. We came here for Korean BBQ because they looked popular for their BBQ. The first negative was the waitress who annoyingly hovered around us for the whole time we were deciding to order, trying to insert her opinion. She kept telling us to order the Galbi and didn't recommend anything else. Even when we just wanted to flip through the menu, she would flip us back to the bbq page. We went with the JuMulLuk, which according to the menu is beef seasoned with Korean sesame sauce. The side dishes are pretty good and you get a variety of them. I like that they include japchae as a large side dish. The beef, which was supposed to be the star of the meal, just fell flat. It wasn't really seasoned at all, which was such a disappointment because even the much cheaper bbq places have great marinated meat. The texture of the meat was rather chewy and overall there weren't that many pieces for a meal that costed around $80 for two people. read more
5 years ago
Looking for a Korean restaurant with patio seating isn't easy but we able to find this place in this area. Large authentic Korean restaurant with two floors and second floor patio in a plaza with ample parking. Service was fast and friendly. Menu extensive and all the Korean specialties. We were not in the mood for so it yourself bbq so we ordered everything a la carte. Tried the beef bulgogi, spicy seafood noodle, Korean seafood pancake, bibimbap. Everything was tasty and authentic. My only comment is compared to other Korean places taste was less refined. Didn't try the bbq this time. Overall great Korean restaurant to try in the area. read more
Lovely rooftop patio with parasol, perfect for ordering BBQ, hot pot or grilled items without having all of the smoky smell all over the clothing, especially during COVID19 time. I am surprised how extensive their menu is! I ordered a soup option, while my brother and beau had grilled meat with rice and classic bibimbap in stone pot. Then we all shared a seafood pancake. Everything tasted great and I really like how there is eggplant instead of the usual caramelized potatoes, since I am trying to eat less carbs. Service was adequate as it was a one-woman team for the patio experience. She worked diligently, checked in on us and refilled our water from time to time. Everything was sanitized down before and right after each service. This will be my new go-to place for Korean food until there is a vaccine out. I prefer going out for patio only, hopefully the weather cooperates for a little bit longer. I love supporting local yet globally inspired restaurants. Many diners were older Koreans and some young couples, so I know the food is quite authentic. read more
Good a la carte KBBQ restaurant although it could get busy especially on the weekend. We ordered pork belly and sirloin. Quality of the meat was good. Also came with a stone bowl stew and rice. The seafood pancake was huge, thick and fluffy, but lacked seafood. Sweet and sour pork came on a huge plate - flavourful but a tad dry and got soggy if not eaten quickly. The amount of food we ordered stuffed 4 people. We could have ordered less but we wanted a variety. Decent price for the portion sizes you receive and fast service despite it being busy. Large menu so there's plenty of dishes to try. read more
Great cuts of meat and excellent service. The waitresses most times offer to cook and cut up the meat, so you can relax (and take a break from eating! Lolol) since they can control the heat. Fast strong heat and good ventilation. Also very generous when we asked for seconds on some sides, sauces and garlic. A perfect place for large groups and families, many seats around as we came for dinner. I liked that they play soft piano covers and bmgs, which is suitable of their more casual sophisticated dining. Saying again, great cuts of meat especially the pork belly (samgyupsal) was very fatty. The fresh beef ribs (saeng galbi) was delicious too. Good tea. We liked that our soybean stew had a nice spicy kick and some side dishes were nicely seasoned. I def think some side dishes could be improved or added. A long-standing and even favourite Kor BBQ place for groups larger than 2. If not, more options around the area or order the regular dishes instead, it could total to be a little pricey.. read more
15 years ago
MEAT! MEAT! Tons of MEAT! Great Tasting Meat! If you have picky friends that have a certain of standard of where and what they are dining.. Sariwon certainly is the place to go. If you have friends that want to smell like a piece of meat after having Korean BBQ, don't take them here! Since Sariwon has such awesome ventilation system.. they will be disappointed! If you have friends who enjoys good services, book a table at Sariwon.. they would think you are awesome and you know where to go! Back Ribs! I would have just ordered the back ribs ($24.95)... and I would be happy eating the whole thing by myself and more!! Sirloin in Sesame sauce ($25.95) was not bad either! Pork Belly($18.95) was such a disappointment... avoid since it was just sliced pork with no marinate.. I have to confess that I would not be a vegetarian in the near future... Where is my MEAT?? read more
Came to Toronto and had dinner with husband's high school friend and his girlfriend. This is the place they eat last time when my husband was here, he thinks it's sooo good, so he made the dinner at this restaurant again this time. We ordered tons of beef for BBQ, very nice and taste very good and tender. The chicken on lettuce is super crispy and nice. All the small dishes also very good, the best is the potato! The potato glass noodle dish is also very delicious! We are tons of food, very satisfying. read more
7 years ago
5 years ago
I've been to different Korean BBQ place but this is the biggest portion I've had. The taste is great and for me the price is reasonable. I put 4/5 because we don't like their pork bone soup. read more
"It's so good I don't even want to talk right now..." What time we arrived/Wait time? We arrived on a Monday at 7pm. It was busy; filled with families and larger group gatherings. Atmosphere? It's loud here and the waitresses are always running around. The place is lively and always cooking BBQ. Be prepared to smell after you leave this place haha. It's a higher end Korean BBQ place and the interior is quite nice and big. I believe you can host wedding receptions upstairs and other big events. It's nice. Service/Staff? The service is quite good here. I speak Korean so that helps a lot. I was observing the staff at how they treated non-Korean tables and they were very good at listening and checking up on them. I appreciated that because some Korean places treat you just like a money maker and not a human if you don't speak their language. Food/Menu? Ok here is the lowdown. I've been coming here since I was a kid. We always order the same thing and it is the yangyoem galbi. It is 40$ a person basically and pretty expensive. It is SO good though, comes with the soybean soup and all the side dishes. Amazing and that meal in itself is worth 5 stars in my books. The reason I took a star off is because I have tried other meals here and it wasn't thaat good. Maybe it's just this one thing their good at (KBBQ), but maybe don't try the other stuff on the menu? I only get the BBQ here and would highly recommend that alone. read more
This place is more of an open concept when compared to Kobi, and a bit nicer decor. Their food is excellent, and their cuts of meat were premium. Service was just OK - Not particularly friendly. My only gripe was that one of the wait staff gave us the biggest frown when we asked for more kimchi. I suppose she was annoyed because we asked for more kimchi a few times, but we're a table of 6 and spent over $700 and gave way more in tips to cover the kimchi. I'd probably come again for the food, but won't be helping them promote their restaurant. read more
3 years ago
Had a cousins night out so decided to go full blown Korean where we can have authentic Korean BBQ and down it with Soju! There's a big difference with AYCE Korean BBQ versus non AYCE Korean BBQ as the quality of meat given is so much better at non AYCE. Sure you won't be insanely stuffed but hopefully the quality will makeup for it. The infrared grills and the ventilation of the restaurant were excellent so the meat cooked evenly, plus you don't get the smoke all over the place. We enjoyed out our dinner here as we ordered a variety of meat and seafood but the stand out was by far the marinated kalbi ribs. Sure the non marinated was good but the marinated one was soooooo much better! The variety of banchan was also very good but do yourself a favour and ask for "muk" or "mook" which is not served in many Korean BBQ places. Great tip from my cousin! Though a bit pricy it was definitely enjoyable and would definitely come back again. 4 stars! read more
-1 star because my spicy beef soup had pretty much no beef at all, and prices are not cheap. The soup base itself is good, and the purple rice is very tasty. I also liked the side dishes. The fish to me was just normal. Good: the place smells amazing when you walk in. Very spacious interior. There are many dishes here that I have not seen in Korean restaurants before. We came here upon Korean salon's suggestions (we went to hair salon before dinner) hence I am anchored to think highly of this place. Will definitely try their BBQ next time to see whether they live up to my anticipation. read more
Amazing food, as always. The cuts of beef are so tender that they just melt in your mouth. I can't speak to the pork as I don't eat it, but I have been told that they are just as delicious. All the side dishes are great too, the kimchi cabbage has a nice kick to it, the egg and white fish have a delicate balance that doesn't leave any aftertaste, but the peanuts are the show stopper for me. Warm and slightly smokey. Mmmmmmmmm The only drawback here is the staff. The waitresses are quite cold and have a bit of attitude. It's as though they are doing you the favour by serving you when it's their job to do so. This is why I only go 1-2 times a year. While the price is higher than every other bbq place in the GTA, the food is worth it, so that isn't a roadblock. The service always has been and continues to be. read more
Walking in I quickly by noticed a number of Asian families enjoying the culinary experience provided by the establishment. I knew coming in I was at the right place. My brother and I went with a selection of meats (marinated beef, pork belly, beef rib) and it came with a wide assortment of side dishes to compliment the meal. Our hostess was very kind and took her time to explain everything if though we didn't ask. Perhaps us taking our time to discuss family stuff gave her the impression we were novices but nonetheless she was very kind and helpful so brownie points for that. The ingredients were fresh and tasty and I enjoyed my meal. Nothing is more enjoyable than cooking one's own food while chatting about with friends and family. I truly enjoy the Korean BBQ experience in all its splendor. The pork belly fell short compared to the other two and I enjoyed the beef rib the most. Price-tag is decent. read more
10 years ago
Sariwon is a decent Korean BBQ place, but it is important to know what you are aiming to eat there. Are you a pork-belly kind of person? If so, Sariwon would provide an "ok" experience, but you'd be best to visit Piggy's Restaurant instead, where thick cut premium pork belly is offered instead of the thinly sliced ones here. Are you a beef rib (kalbi) kind of person? If so, Sariwon is perfect. Their beef rib is tender, good quality and the marinate is delectable. When I came here with 3 other friends, we ordered an order of pork belly and an order of marinated beef. A delicious seafood soup and an order of glass noodles were given to us as part of the meal, along with an array of standard Korean side dishes. That was more than enough food for us. If you are not familiar with Korean-run BBQ places, you have to press the service button on the side to get service. We dined on a Friday and they were somewhat busy, so our alarm were ignored/forgotten several times. It was not a deal-breaker for us. Overall, I would definitely come here again (for the kalbi!). read more
6 years ago
6 years ago
Um...who died and made Karl "When I was teaching English in Korea" R. the expert on Korean cuisine? While I am still Yelping, Imma gonna be The Definitive Last Word on Korean Restaurants and Culture, thank you very much and gamsahamnida. So I brought out my special fact-checking pen for this review and sorry, Karl, it's filled with bitch ink ;) Karl R., Bijan V., and Neil T. and I gathered in Thornhill for our UYE Korean BBQ with a Translator and Driver http://www.yelp.ca/events/thornhill-uye-korean-bbq-with-a-translator-and-driver VIBE Sariwon is not your average Korean grill house nor is it one of those godawful AYCE joints run by Chinese people. It's the "luxury" kind of establishment that Korean families might flock to for special occasions and have weddings at. See that lace on the curtains and floral upholstery? That says "high class" all the way. FOOD The BBQ was outstanding. The marinade for the galbi (short ribs, $24) was well-balanced with just enough sugar in it to leave a good char on the edges from the caramelization. I also enjoyed the "ZuMuLuk"[1] (strips of sirloin in sesame oil, $26). Karl found it "a tad chewy" but many Koreans (myself included) will abide the slightly resilient texture inherent in the more flavorful sirloin, much the way some might prefer a Porterhouse or ribeye over the tenderest filet mignon. The accompanying condiments and garnishes[2] were all super fresh and appetizing. Karl questions why the ban chan (side dishes) were brought out in waves. That's because there are certain sides that accompany the meat and others that go with rice. Don't be a rookie and have rice with your BBQ; it's just going to bloat up your stomach and crowd out the meat. The rice arrives at the end of the BBQ, and at Sariwon, it was flecked with yellow dots of millet. This is when the server swarms every square inch of the table top with a dozen little plates of ban chan. You don't get these delicious freebies at those cheapo 'cue joints. The quality of ingredients is way better than what I've found in Bloor Street's Korea Town and it's got slightly higher prices to match. That said, the damage for our meal was just $24 a head including tax and tip--but no alcohol because as Karl mentioned, they were out of Korean beer so we just drank barley tea. But when Karl complains in his review that we got no water, he doesn't realize that the word for barley tea (bori cha) that the staff kept refilling for us and the word for water (mool) are interchangeable in Korean.[3] SERVICE Each table is equipped with an electronic doorbell that you ring to summon the help. This may seem odd to some but it's more gentile than the usual method; yelling out "Hey, over here!" to get someone's attention. When we first arrived and the place was empty, one of the servers would come right away. As the place filled up, it sometimes took a couple of rings to get someone running up to our table, often with a stank-face look that said, "Now, what?" Still, the service here is much better than what you find at 95% percent of the Korean restaurants in town. Hostile service is such a fixture of Korean dining that I would be suspicious of any place where the staff were too effusive and cheerful. I was very impressed with Sariwon. It was worth the 40-minute subway ride in a germ can from downtown. Thanks to Karl for the ride to the restaurant, and Neil T. for the drive back to civilization; and to Bijan V. for just showing up and being an all-around good guy. Is Sariwon the best Korean BBQ in the GTA? I'll tell you when I've tried every last one of them but for now it's 5 stars.[4] ***ETA: Don't listen to Neil.*** =================================== [1] WTF is this spelling? It's usually spelled "jumuleok" or "jumuluk" or "jumuluck" [2] lettuce for wraps, samjang (soybean-based sauce for the wrap), scallion salad, sliced garlic and chile peppers, tangy dipping sauce with chives [3] See, Karl? The Korean language is not only scientific, it is very complex. :) [4] Dang. I really meant to bring on the bitch but I held back because Karl R. is my friend. What's wrong with me?? read more
11 years ago
Sariwon is actually my favourite Korean BBQ restaurant in the GTA, so I was pretty surprised to see that it doesn't have very good reviews. After reading about people's complaints, I think I get why. The first time I was here, a few Korean friends took me here and showed me the ropes of how to eat proper Korean BBQ. Don't come here if you want to gorge yourself in meat - that would probably wreck your wallet. You have to eat piece with care - wrap it in lettuce, add some of the soybean paste, and then add a little bit of rice. If you'd like, add a bit of garlic and/or jalapeños for extra spice. You have to eat the meats that way if you want to fill your stomach, just eating the meats alone will not fill you up. The quality of their dishes are generally quite good. Their meat in particular is some of the best I've ever had. The only one that is marinated is the one that explicitly says "marinated" kalbi (probably my favourite), the rest of the meats aren't and it's not supposed to be. That's how you eat Korean BBQ. Korean Grill House is not proper Korean BBQ, so don't expect your meat to be drenched in sauce. It is quite pricy, I spent about $35 per person for their marinated kalbi, and you must order a minimum of two. Why? Because they give you quite a bit of stuff along with the meats - lettuce, salad, 6 side dishes, soy bean soup, and a small cinnamon drink at the end as a dessert. If you're not full but don't want to spend more money, just ask for more side dishes and keep eating that along with your meat - you should be ingesting your daily intake of vegetables anyway. Now I do see that service is a problem. Had I not come initially with friends, I would've been confused as to how I'm supposed to eat everything, and the servers are not all that patient in explaining what to do (partly because of their English proficiency). The service seems to be less attentive when the manager/owner is not there - usually they cook everything for you if they're on top of the service, but if they're busy or lazy, they just put the meat on the grill for you and expect you to do the rest, so you might be sitting there wondering when the meat is done. If they leave you alone, just cook the meat on each side until you don't see any more pink, then cut it into bite sized pieces with the scissors they give you. I came here yesterday on a Sunday night and I was a bit annoyed that instead of serving one of just two tables in the restaurant, they were busy feeding themselves and making their own kbbq - at least it's nice to know that they're willing to eat their own food too. There is a button by each table that you can press to get their attention - but don't expect them to come smiling and willing to help, they're just not that friendly (minus the manager who's always greeting customers with a smile and asking how the food was). I would've given them 5 stars if the service yesterday was a bit more attentive, oh and they started charging for extra lettuce - which makes no sense with the premium price you're already paying. Nevertheless, if you are here on the right day with proper staffing, it will feel more like a 5-star experience, and the food is always consistently good - that's what's brought me back here many times over the past 7 years. Just don't be so nit picky about the service, and eat the food the way they're meant to be eaten and you should have a great meal. read more
By now you've probably read Susan's review of this place and decided that it's so fantastic. Not so fast! Let's hear from one of us meat-loving non-Korean, never been to Korea types -- that's me. +++PROS+++ 1. Ingredients are definitely better than the AYCE joints, food is fresher 2. Nice decor. When I start to put decor as a 'pro' for a review, you know I am trying to be nice. 3. Don't listen to Susan, eat it with rice. Way better that way (screw tradition, it tastes good). 4. Lots of trimmin's ---CONS--- 1. I could have eaten double what I ate. Though I didn't leave hungry, I didn't exactly leave satisfied. That's what I get for going with a bunch of pansy eaters. 2. If you're going to be a 'classy' Korean restaurant, you might want to fill up my tea within 40 minutes of me requesting it (did you not hear me the first two times?). 3. They have service bells there too that you just ring for service. It doesn't work, they won't come. They were nice, there just wasn't enough workers or they weren't very good at their job. I've had much better service at Xe Lua on Spadina. Not kidding. 4. Anything north of Eglinton (let alone Steeles!) really involves a fucking monumental trek. Is it worth the trip to Thornhill from downtown? No. 5. Parking lot is too small for the plaza, and it wasn't even busy. I imagine it being a disaster on weekends (think Pac Mall). read more
Upscale Korean BBQ joint, I love it! Love everything from the greeting at the entrance, the cleanliness of the built-in grille, the superb friendly service, and most of all ... the awesomeness of the ventilation that prevented me from smelling like a piece of meat. Love, love the teriyaki-like marinated short ribs. It was so flavorful. The sweetness from the marinade and smokiness from the grille, oh so divine! Flipping meat over the grille and sharing them with good friends, now ... this is my kind of joint! read more
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7388 Yonge St
Thornhill, ON L4J 8K2
Canada
Thornhill
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(905) 881-5103
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https://sariwonbbq.com
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