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Chingu Korean BBQ
Category: Restaurants Korean Korean [Edit]
280 W Beaver Creek RdRichmond Hill, ON L4B 3Z1
(905) 763-0620
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
9 reviews for Chingu Korean BBQ
9 reviews in English
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Review from Pauline W.
Thornhill, ON
2/21/2012
Recently went with my friends to Chingu - at first I thought it was one of those Chinese owned Korean Restaurant but when I sat down, I realized it was owned by Korean people.
Price was good: $16.99 per person on week days and that's the regular menu, I believe there's one for $19.99 per person which includes salmon. I must say you get unlimited appetizer dishes (including kimchi, spicy cucumbers, bean sprouts, cold tofu and the usual). The combo also includes spare ribs, spicy pork, squid, fish, vegetables, and many more. But the great thing that's also included in your price is all you can drink Korean soup especially the pork bone soup which was very tasty !!
Service was efficient and great - they came by often to change the grill and see if we wanted to add more food.
I would strongly recommend coming here for Korean BBQ, as well they have 5 different ice cream flavors to choose from not just green tea. Good reasonable price, good service and great food !!! -
Review from Cyrus T.
Toronto, ON
3/8/2012
We've eaten at Chingu several times before and our most recent visit was on a Monday night. Only one waitress was working, but she was very attentive. Service in the past has not been as great - this particular waitress was on the ball. There is also a service call button on the table if you're having difficulty flagging down a waitress.
We opted for the regular AYCE dinner. The pork bone soup was good, the meats were marinated well with the chicken falling a little short in comparison. The appetizer dish selection was relatively varied, with about 8 dishes offered. Raw, unseasoned vegetables are available for BBQ, but I preferred the flavourful vegetables in the appetizer dishes.
In terms of atmosphere, nothing special. There are two floors, and a tv on the ground floor that plays Korean pop music videos.
All in all, a tasty, meaty AYCE meal at an affordable price. -
Review from Mena K.
Vaughan, ON
5/13/2012
I have same experience as Steven M. from North York. Today is Mother's Day (Sunday). I just came back from this restaurant's all-u-can eat lunch with my son. Initially we wanted to go to Wasabi restaurant which is in the same plaza. It was a long line up there so we looked around the plaza and saw Chingu Korean BBQ. We did see there were 2 versions of the menu, Regular ($16.99) and Utlimate($19.99). Since we like salmon, shrimps and california rolls, we opted for the $19.99 version.
This is the first time we were in a Korean restaurant doing this kind of all-u-can-eat grill. I asked if there was anything we need to do to the ordering and also how to handle the grill. The waitress said, "We will bring everything in the menu to you. If you need more, just let us know. We have the grill on for you and you just cook your food". I thought that's easy. But the food was burned and stuck to the grill in no time. Towards the end of our meal, I looked around and saw every table had a bottle of water to pour on their grills to lower temperature but our table had none. It all depended when the waitress dropped by to put some water in for us. Few times they turned off our grill without telling us while we are still eating.
Our salmon and california rolls did not come after we finished all the chicken, beef meat stuff. When I inquired if there would be more food coming, I was told "that's it". So I asked what about the california rolls and salmons on the menu. The waitress said "that's special order. You have to tell us so that we bring to you." There were so many things listed on the menu which I did not remember what else were supposed to be included in the menu and the waitress took away the menu as soon as we told her that we were opting for the Utlimate version of the buffet. Salmon, shrimps and california rolls were the major one that we remembered. However, the deep fried shrimps (2 pieces) and dumplings (2 pieces) came in one plate with the other meat dishes. I found out later that the shrimps and dumplings are considered to be special items but we did not know why they came without us making a special order. When the dish arrived, one dumpling dropped on the floor. The waitress picked it up and took it away with her but she never returned with another dumpling to replace the dish.
When we asked for the salmon, they gave us 4 slices. When we put them on the grill, the meat stuck to the grill so much that eventually it got cooked like salmon salad; all in crumbs. The california rolls were even ridiculosu! They were mini beef rolls. The waitress said "These are Korean California rolls." When my son and I were close to the end of eating, I asked the waitress if ice cream dessert considered to be a special order as well. She said sacarstically, "Of course. How do we know what flavour of ice cream you want?" So I asked her for the menu again because I did not remember what kind of ice cream the menu listed.
We found the service was rude and it's a long wait for service. We ended up paying $21.99 per person instead of $19.99. We were not told of this when we were given the menu. Then as Steven M. said, there is a 15% service charge included, plus 13% HST. Total came to $56.30 for 2 people. With this price I can have better meal elsewhere. The food was nothing extraordinary. I have a feeling that I was not given some of what they called "special order" food on the menu and still paid for the price. They should explain clearly in the beginning how the menu is charged and also which components of the menu required special order. They should either have a menu choices on paper for customers to select or leave the menu with the customers to select throughout the meal. I deeply felt that I was cheated in this restaurant. I paid the exact $56.30 since 15% service charge had already included. I swear I will never go back again and will tell everyone not to go. This is the worst Mother's Day lunch I will never forget and Chingu ruined my day. -
Review from Steve M.
North York, ON
8/8/2011
Went to Chingu last night for dinner (Sunday). After reading reviews from YELP I thought the place would be decent. I was actually grossly misinformed. First of all, they have two options for All You Can Eat Dinners. The first is the "Regular" (16.99), which includes everything except Salmon and Cooked foods from the kitchen. The second is the "Ultimate" which has 6-7 more menu items from the kitchen, added on for people who want to leave the cooking to the pros (19.99).
Because I had a friend who had special dietary needs (Religious) he couldn't eat any meat except the Salmon. So we ordered the Ultimate menu since it offered the better option for our "Chingu".
Despite the fact we were willing to pay $3 more for our friend, it was actually a really big mistake. The Ultimate menu is a trap and money grab. Honestly it's nothing special. They didn't have two of the things on the Chef's Menu (out of 6). The first was Salmon Teriyaki, which was what attracted our friend to the Ultimate menu. This didn't really surprise us that much (it's a Korean establishment), but it was disappointing since we should've been told from the start. Surprisingly they also didn't have JapChae (with beef and veg), which was again advertised on the "Ultimate" menu. I was extremely concerned that a place RUN by Koreans didn't have JapChae.
With regards to banchan, there was nothing special. They didn't even have the Fried Tofu, or Honey Potato, the seaweed salad was decent, and the kimchi was not spicy. Ironically they did have this cheap version of Japchae as a banchan, with absolutely no ingredients besides the noodles. By the way, when we ordered something that wasn't on the menu their response was "We Don't Do That Anymore".
With that said, when I asked the servers what type of "Fish Fillet" they were serving, they said they had no idea, and seemed satisfied with that answer. Again this was because my friend has special religious needs and has to know what type of fish it is. I had to get them to ask the kitchen (It was Basa, a type of Catfish btw). Then when I ordered a "Kimbap" (which is what it says on the menu) the servers had no idea what the heck it was. "Could you say it in English please?". Funny enough they put in brackets (California Roll), but their was absolutely nothing California about it. It was a normal BEEF Kimbap.
The AYCE Soup portion was alright. Pork Bone, Soft Tofu, Soybean and Kimchi Chigae were all good, and if you didn't finish the broth it wasn't a big deal. For me this was the best part of the evening. With that said, other Korean restaurants do soup much better (Owl, Nakwon, etc..) but it was certainly the right flavour and the meat was good.
In terms of BBQ Meat, everything was bland except the marinated beef and chicken. They give you the lettuce wraps (and rice if you want), but only provided one dipping sauce, and it was just chili pepper paste. The quality of the meat was alright, but certainly not any better than other Korean BBQ's that I've been too (at a lower price).
Dessert was your standard fare, ice cream. There was also a "Crunchy" option, which was just corn flakes and sprinkles, which provided no additional flavour.
The Service was a mixed bag. They were eager to help us, and checked on us regularly which I appreciated. However they also gave us a ton of attitude. We were told to constantly put meat on one of our grills to prevent it from burning, and when we told them that we couldn't mix our meat with the salmon and veggies because of our friend's religious background, we got a glare. Overall the service was attentive, but the restaurant barely had any customers.
Finally let's get to the tab. First of all they charge an additional two dollars on Weekends, but they don't offer anything special as consolation (Like competitors do). Our bill was 21.99 each for honestly average food, and menu items that were advertised were not provided. They added HST, and THEN they added a 15% service charge. They told us if we paid cash we would get 10% off.
At the same time, a young waiter also told us about how the Service Charge (15%) doesn't actually go to the servers, and that the owners pocket it themselves. This shocked all of us. He told us if we wanted to tip the servers, we had to tip on top of that 15%. Unfortunately the tab ended up being so high (and way higher than what we expected), and judging by the food quality, we didn't care to tip them on top. Also he told us not to complain to the boss. Apparently last time he got into huge trouble because a customer complained on his behalf.
Personally I think their should be a law where "Service Charges" have to go to the waiters automatically if restaurants are going to put it on the tab.
Overall, Chingu is far from a friend, and much closer to an enemy. They definitely hide things from you, and do a lot of dirty things to grab your money. I wouldn't recommend this place to anybody. -
Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
3/9/2011 2 photos
Chingu Korean BBQ's Lunch Specials for $5.99!
7 choices for the regular menu which are 2 dollars cheaper during lunch time and there are a few bento boxes selections.
Service wise is quick and efficient.. I finished my lunch in less than 20 minute.
All lunch includes miso soup and banchans.
Bimbimbap I ordered was A-OK! Beef was tender and marinated in Korean sauce with a hint of seasame oil. Good mixture of both pickled and fresh vegetables. Though I found it better to be served in a hot stone pot but I found this version acceptable too.
I think I want to be back to try out the Kimchi/Pork Bone/Tofu soup which are all for $5.99 during lunch specials.
Good place for a cheap lunch date! -
Review from Joanne W.
4/15/2011
I've been to so many Korean BBQ places now that sometimes - I get sick of them. Mainly because it's usually Chinese-owned, and it's the same thing every single time. However, not here!
I went with my friends last night to Chingu - the first thing I noticed was that it was Korean owned! I was happy to see that.
Price was good: $16.99 per person. You get unlimited banchan (including kimchi, cucumbers, bean sprouts, the usual), spare ribs, spicy pork, squid, fish, vegetables, etc. But the great thing is this: all you can eat pork bone soup, and kimchi chigae! I was very happy to se that.
Service was efficient and great - they came by often to check if we wanted more food; they came by often to change our grills; and they came by often to add more water.
I really can't complain about this place. I would definitely recommend coming here for Korean BBQ than across the street at Korean Grill House! -
Review from Rafi N.
Toronto, ON
8/8/2011 1 photo
Chingu is a nice, fairly trendy restaurant in Richmond Hill. The service is good and so is the food. They have really good lunch specials. I came here for lunch with some coworkers.
*** FOOD ***
I had the Chicken Teriyaki lunch box.
* Chicken Teriyaki Lunch Box | $5.99 *
This was a decent meal. The chicken was well cooked and tasted good with the Teriyaki sauce. There are a bunch of sides which come with the meal, including salad. Some of the sides are not very appetizing. There were some raw bean sprouts and kimchi. The amount of chicken was too little but there's a lot of sides. I wish it were the other way around. I'm not a fan of Korean side dishes.
*** SERVICE ***
Service was good. One older woman tried to make conversation with us by telling us that the food is good. The other server didn't make conversation but was quick. Food came quickly after ordering. There is a little buzzer on the table, so you can ring for your server if you need anything and they will respond.
*** ATMOSPHERE ***
The restaurant has a modern look. The floors are hard wood, the table tops are marble/granite and there's faux brick on the walls. It's a well decorated restaurant and it's clean.
*** PRICE ***
Pricing is great!
* Chicken Teriyaki Lunch Box | $5.99 *
*** EXPERIENCE ***
Chingu is a good place to come if you like Asian food. The food is good and so is the service. The lunch specials are very well priced, so you'll always get your money's worth. -
Review from Bebe B.
Richmond Hill, ON
5/31/2011
The service here is amazing, the staff is so nice and friendly, looks like a korean family running the place. the inside is a lot bigger than it seems form the outside, it has 2 floors. The all you can eat korean BBQ is a great price, with lots of selection. you also get to choose soups (pork bone soup, tofu soup etc) there is hot menu items, dumplings, tariyaki salmon, sushi (with meat) etc besides the usual korean BBQ meats / fish. great place to come with friends and cook together, especially if your really hungry they will just keep bringing you more food!
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Review from Emily V.
Toronto, ON
11/15/2009
yummm. i recently ate dinner here because all the other korean bbq restaurants in the area had a long wait time and my friends and i were starving! the staff were very friendly and helpful and the atmosphere was relaxed. the food was delicious...our favourites were the marinated beef and the spicy chicken dish. we all got the deluxe all you can eat dinner which was $18.99, but there was also a cheaper option.
they have only been open for six months and don't seem to be too popular yet, but it's only a matter of time. Our server said her grandmother was the chef, which is pretty neat!
