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Ka Chi
Category: Restaurants Korean Korean [Edit]
612 Bloor St WToronto, ON M6G 1K7
Neighbourhoods: Koreatown, Seaton Village
(416) 533-9306
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 10:30 am - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
33 reviews for Ka Chi
Review Highlights
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"Pork bone soup is really, really good." In 12 reviews -
"I enjoyed a good meal of my favourite, seafood tofu soup." In 3 reviews -
"the bibimbap is AMAZING, as well as the spicy pork." In 8 reviews
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33 reviews in English
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Review from Aydin T.
East York, ON
1/1/2012
This is my go-to for a quick, authentic Korean lunch. It's small and kind of cramped (or cozy), as the 1-2 seat tables are very close together, but the staff are friendly, they bring you enough tea/water, the service is quick, and the food is a VERY good value!
I've been to this location, as well as the one near Spadina at least 10 times total. I usually get a bibimbap with bulgogi or spicy squid - sometimes in a hot stone bowl, sometimes in a regular bowl, depending on my mood. I often will pig out and ALSO get the hot tofu stew with vegetables.
I almost always go for the seafood pancake appetizer too!
The only thing keeping it from 5 stars is the fact that they don't make kalbi (beef ribs), which is one of the dishes I most crave when wanting Korean food. -
Review from Catherine S.
Scarborough, ON
5/14/2012
OVERRATED AND DISHONEST FOOD. Even for a place known for cheap eats, there should be some standards.
Wow, I'm shocked by all the rave reviews for the pork bone soup here. We had the pork bone soup (my non-korean husband's staple when we go to a new korean place) and their so called "korean" potato pancake.
First of all, the pork bone soup is a sad excuse for authenticity. What's up with the lime wedge that comes on top of the soup???? There is nothing "korean" about lime. Secondly, the meat was tasteless as if it had been boiled in unseasoned broth. As far as I'm concerned, pork bone soup should be cooked for literally hours in well seasoned broth more or less flavoured with Korean miso, perilla leaves, ground wild sesame powder...etc to name a few key flavours. The meat bore none of those flavours and the broth! oh the broth....was let's say, missing the flavour that can only come from hours spent on stove top. I would never pay to eat such a crappy pork bone soup ever again let alone call it one of the best in the city.
Then there was the potato pancake. What they served us was a pancake that resembled rosti, dripping with oil on parchment paper. Are they serious? Do they even know what a Korean potato pancake is supposed to look like??? This really pissed me off. At least know the food you're supposed to be serving. Korean potato pancakes are made from hand grated potatoes mixed with more potato starch giving it that signature chewy texture. As far as I'm concerned, if you're not willing to do the work to serve up a dish, then don't bother having it on the menu.
Their MSG laden banchan were equally disappointing. Overall, the food served here can only be summed up as products of necessity. The food was cooked by someone who needs to run a restaurant to make a living, not by someone who has any pride in what they serve their customers. I would never return to this restaurant. -
Review from Maheen M.
9/26/2011
On my first official night out to Koreatown, we had to make the pilgramage to Ka Chi, a well known food establishment for great and affordable korean eats.
They have a good selection menu, with various stews, soups and entrees - all Korean of course! I was taken back at the quantity of food the partons would recieved at the cheap prices.
I ordered based on the suggestion of my date to get the spicy beef and soft tofu stew. We shared pan fried dumplings. My date got the squid and vegetable bulgogi. All the dishes were excellent. I could not stop eating the dumplings. Service was quick. The meal was perfect for the rainy weather that was outside that night.
I definitely have to come back and try out the other items on their menu.Listed in: Cheap Eats in Toronto, Koreatown
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Review from andrew m.
Toronto, ON
11/16/2011
Korea town has several restaurants like Ka Chi; simple, affordable, home cooked style meals. The place is fairly busy.
You get a few small bowls of appetizers, to begin your meal... and when you get the cheque, you'll be blown away that you didn't spend a fortune on something that tasted authentic to the region.
This isn't a 5star restaurant in terms of culinary excellence or artistry. It gets a 5 star because its an affordable meal for when only Pork Bone soup can sooth your soul. -
Review from Darren L.
Scarborough, ON
11/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
The best korean food you can find. It is the real deal. In fact, I was the only non-asian in the restaurant. I ordered the spicy Bulgogi and they were worried that I could not handle it. I barely could. Was very good. They serve large portions at a low price.
If you are anywhere near honest eds, you need to try this place. -
Review from Mariko M.
Updated - 8/20/2011
A hit or miss w service I think.
Came today for a nice Saturday lunch.
Service was awesome.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/11/2011
Came here today for lunch because my friend spoke so highly about this place. She's written a review… Read more »
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Review from Melinda M.
Toronto, ON
5/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Sort of industrial divey looking place, but it had a big crowd and no one else in Koreatown would serve us food at 10:30 on a Saturday night.*
I would agree that this place isn't fantastic, but it's good for the price. The restaurants which rejected us because their cooks had already gone home would probably have cost us 3X as much.**
We ordered some really good pan fried beef dumplings and some squid with veggies, a couple of beers and of course, the kim chi. This was by no means the best food I've had in the neighborhood, but it was good and it came REALLY FAST!
In conclusion, I may not go out of my way to visit Ka Chi, but I would visit again.
*If a restaurant's hours are listed until 11pm, then damn straight they should be taking food orders until 11pm. #fail.***
**I mean you, Korean Village!
***I am not even in twitter and I feel a need to put a hash tag in front of fail! -
Review from nila b.
Scarborough, ON
3/20/2011
That's right! 5 shiny red stars! I love KA-CHI. I brag to peoples about how it only costs 7 bux for a bowl of rice, a complete small side dish, and a huge hot stone bowl full of meat, egg, and other goodies.
YEAH - for $7 you get all that! I found KA-CHI in a cold cold Saturday afternoon with a friend. We were walking in the cold, starving and then all of the sudden we smelt heaven in the air, and decided it was coming from across the street. so we went in. the place was PACKED! like really...packed. We were lucky then cuz we didnt have to wait forever for a seat, we got a seat in front of the heater (nice! i was turning blue)! They gave us hot tea, and handed us the menu. Menu looked good- lots of options for foods-sometimes it/s a good thing to have plenty of options.
So, i ordered the spicy chicken hot stone soup- something like that. The side dishes came, and the food follow. It was good- it was sooo goood! OK-so yes, i was hungry maybe that factored into the equation. but really- i went back back to ka-chi for the 2nd time 2 weeks after in a non-starving mode, i thought it was still so gooood!
so my bill came up to 7 bux and some change =D i left ka-chi carrying my stomach cuz i was full and satisfied =D
just to warn, lunch is busy--busy busy... so wait till about after 1ish. it dies down then. it's worth it. you cant get ne better for 7bux. if you think u rather have booster juice for 7 bux- think again and go for a complete meal even more for the same price =D -
Review from Elaine K.
12/24/2010
I was having another pork bone soup craving last night, so I came here with a friend.
Service was fine, and they had beer, so yay!
The pork bone soup was adequate. It was spicy enough and the broth was pretty flavourful, and the potato wasn't too huge. The pork on the other hand, was kind of hard to get off the bone (that's what she said) and kind of tasteless. It tasted like most of the flavour had boiled away.
My friend had a rice cake dish which he enjoyed.
The place was full when i got there at 7, most people had hot plate dishes. Perhaps I'll try that next time. -
Review from Alex K.
Toronto, ON
6/13/2011
I've been here tons of times, including yesterday. Here's the lowdown on Ka Chi:
Pros:
- Pork bone soup is really, really good. Despite the annoyance of having bones in the soup
- Side dishes are pretty good
- Food is cheap
- They play really bad "modern rock" over the stereo. Theory of a NickleCreed type stuff. Don't get me wrong, I hate this kind of music, but I find it hilarious that this is their choice of music for some weird reason.
Cons:
- Service can be a little spotty sometimes
- Food can be very spicy (even for Korean food). Not really a bad thing, just be aware of it
- If you get any pork bone soup on your light coloured clothing, you will never get it out.
- They play horrible "modern rock" over the stereo -
Review from john l.
Toronto, ON
12/28/2011
Good cheap eats...lots of students (or people whoo dress like students, i.e. like it's their living room) and seems to be liked by Koreans so that's usually a good sign! :)
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Review from Mauricio A.
Toronto, ON
6/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Go there with friends for our bi-weekly Korean craving and have been there dozens of times. I am all about the Pork Bone soup ($7), while most of my friends go for the Bibimbap or other soups. Had the BB a few times and it is alright although a few of it's elements are sometimes are a bit dry.
Honestly I really like this place, it`s good, it`s cheap and I have good memories of the place which I will make not to bias my review.
Is it the best? No. (Ha, no bias at all!) However I would consider it a great "Korean Starter," to get your friends who are not into on Korean to try out. The soup/broth is constantly good and dependable, and God knows I have had much, much worse. The side dishes are an alright mix, I am a fan whenever they have seaweed, which is often unlike other places.
The locale itself if a bit of a dive but that is part of the charm with it's high school-like interconnected tables and chairs which remind me of a grade 9th science class. Service is alright, most of the servers never know how to speak English, but then again in most Chinese restaurants, they hardly ever do. One of the best compliments is that I see the odd Korean here and there, which means that at least they are getting some of the stuff right.
However, I am first and foremost about the food and I say Ka Chi is a pretty decent quality place for the price, close to the TTC and I can honestly say that I will go back, but there are better --but by not too much.Listed in: My Reviews
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Review from Cnn F.
12/5/2010
I came here a couple time and could never remember what this place was called. I finally did some research so I could inform all of you yelpers about this glorious place. This is my favourite Korean joint.
4 STARS for the restaurant: It a decent size. I love how they accommodate solo eaters. The place is pretty clean and the people are pretty friendly.
5 STARS for the food: they provide you with little side dishes to eat with your meals, which are all pretty yummy.....the bibimbap is AMAZING, as well as the spicy pork!! -
Review from Lauren M.
Been meaning to write up on this one for awhile.
Once or twice a year I go through a month of "pork bone soup" craze, where I absolutely have to get my Ka-chi fix once a week or so. Usually this takes place when the weather is cold, rainy and a bit crap.
I go here solely for the pork bone soup. It's damn good. It's very spicy so if you can't handle the spice - make sure to ask them to ease off. I personally lurrrrrrrrrve it
WARNING - Do NOT wear white or any light coloured clothing item if you are ordering pork bone soup! The spice is deadly, if that broth touches your clothing it's not coming off, you're f*cked! Sometimes the broth sloshes over the bowl when the server sets it down, or you could splash it around a bit trying to get the meat off the bones.
The soup itself is not always consistent, I'll admit. I would say 80% of the time I get a "good" one. Sometimes the meat seems under cooked and I have trouble getting it apart, or sometimes the soup has too much/too little meat altogether. Otherwise it's always delicious and tasty, with lots of cabbage/sprouts on top, a big piece of potato and the tastiest broth ever.
I've recently ventured across the road to try out Thumbs Up! which seems to have equally good pork bone soup (see my review).
The bibimbap here looks "meh" and it's expensive ($4 more) compared to the Buk Chang Dong down the road which is the best. I don't order anything else off the menu here.
The side dishes are decent, I love their kimchi.
The place gets packed and the servers are not always the friendliest. The owner is sometimes very friendly and sometimes a bit rude; he's hit or miss. The seating can be a bit cramped. Don't show up with a group because it can be a hassle to be seated. 2 is best or 4 they can usually manage.
Overall, I just go here for the cheap pork-bone soup ($6.99) which is addicting. Everything else is just average.
PS - Don't take home leftovers. Pork bone soup does not look appetizing the next day and my friend mentioned feeling ill after eating day-old pork bone meat. -
Review from susan c.
6/9/2009
Not great but decent for the low price tag. Ka-Chi reminds me of the cheap lunchtime eateries around Seoul where you go in for a quick bite and the surly middle-aged lady with a bad perm hands you your check as she throws down your meal. At least the teeny-bopper servers at Ka-Chi are nice to you.
I've had their mandu, dukbokki, bibimbap, and kimchi jjigae on different occasions. They were exactly what I expected for the price and standard of restaurant. I mean it's not Momofuku for chrissakes.
Main dishes are about $7 and include free side dishes which is cheaper than me schlepping over to PAT Market and buying the ingredients to make the meal at home.
You're not impressing your dates or looking for a memorable dining experience at Ka-Chi but if you find yourself in K-town looking to fill your gullet on the cheap, this is one option.Listed in: L'il Kim Chi and More, The Low-down in K-Town
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Review from Robin D.
10/10/2010 1 photo
Nothing stood out for me. I enjoyed a good meal of my favourite, seafood tofu soup... but it was missing the clams I enjoy. We were also given a variety of appetizers, but they were in minuscule amounts!! My favourite sugar coated tofu appetizer was disappointingly below average.
Still got a decent meal for a decent price. -
Review from Connie T.
Toronto, ON
1/3/2009
If the clatter of metal chopsticks and large groups don't get your mind a-buzzing, then the food will -- all in a good way, of course.
Ka Chi's one of my favourite urban dining holes in the city, mainly because it offers really cheap and tasty food (a good meal for $10, including tip), but also because it's feels lively and urban, like a little chunk of Korea just teleported itself to our city.
It's fast food, but without the North American fast food traits: the food is actually good and reeks of home-cooked flair. Mm. Though I wanted so badly to try the pork bone soup, my friend recommended the spicy beef stew, which was a great boneless replacement with noodles and a side of rice. It came to the table bubbling like an inferno.
They even did the pickled items well -- the radishes were particularly nice, not only pickled but immersed in hot chilies. Fantastic. -
Review from Sunny V.
Toronto, ON
10/13/2010
I never like pork born soup until ate at Ka-Chi. This place not only make good pork bone soup they make AWESOME pork bone soup.
Been here almost every Thursday night after work for the past 4 months. 10 out 10 times I order Regular Spice pork bone soup. Oh man, what can I say. Taste so good even my ass agrees to it the following day.. :-) -
Review from Fiona F.
3/20/2009 1 photo
Overcrowded and OVERTATED.
sure, the food is quite good, but of the dishes that I had here before (dolsot bibimbap, yukgaetang, bulgolgi and squid stir fry, mandu) I can't see what makes this restaurant distinguishable among others. service is OK but not the friendliest. don't expect to sit and chat either, you'll be out the door about the same time it takes for the food to get to your table, which is very quick. -
Review from Martin W.
1/10/2011 2 Check-ins Here
The pork bone soup here is pretty good. I also like the reasonable prices. I would say the service was ok, not the greatest. The place was not busy when I went yet it took a long time to get my order, my food, and then the bill. I would eat here again.
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Review from C F.
Toronto, ON
8/13/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Spicy Chicken Bulgogi was so, so good - service was a bit slow but was friendly... Hubby was disappointed in his Bulgogi (on a hot plate - dry and a bit overdone) but my son liked his, the regular bulgogi ... Would definitely go back!
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Review from Steph L.
11/17/2009
When it's cold out, I often crave Korean food.
This spot is pretty busy and reasonably priced.
Bibimbap is alright... nothing spectacular.
Pork bone soup is popular and one of the better dishes here.
I was pleasantly surprised by the seafood pancake.
It's a bit crispier and greasier than other places with large bits of seafoody goodness. -
Review from Grayce Y.
Calgary, AB
12/17/2010
I went here for the first time a few days ago and ordered the Kim Chi stew with pork and sausage. I eat quite a lot of Korean food but i'm really picky with my kim chi and how it's fermented. The Kim Chi stew I had was really good. It was spicy with flavor (not the painful spicy).
The only thing I was not too happy about was the service, it took a really long time to flag down the waiter to get seated, it took even longer to have my order taken and even the food took a while. But I guess that's what happens when a restaurant is really crowded.
I would give it 4 stars for the food but 2 stars for the service. (That's why I gave it 3 stars overall) -
Review from Ernest C.
Toronto, ON
10/29/2008
It's not five stars like New York Times five stars, it's five stars because it delivers consistent food at super cheap prices. There is actually another Ka Chi in Chinatown. The default dish to order is the pork bone soup (Kam Ja Tang), and you can have it non-spicy right up to super spicy; it costs $6 or $7, and you get a bowl of rice, a big bowl of soup with potatoes, kimchi, bean sprouts and of course pork bones with some meat attached. It tastes like it sounds like. In winter time I will call ahead for pick up a couple of times a month. The other menu items are decent but what's the point?
There is another place called Thumbs-Up across the street; it used to be our favourite for Kam Ja Tang but they seem to have fewer ingredients in the soup nowadays (like no bean sprouts or something) and the meat is sometimes tough and the soup thinner, like maybe it wasn't simmered long enough. But we will give Thumbs-Up another chance, as they have served us well for many a year... -
Review from Jason C.
Scarborough, ON
6/22/2010
Chant with me: Pork Bone Soup! Pork Bone Soup!
Consistently tender pork, and lots of it, and a flavorful soup keeps bringing me back here. I used to frequent Ka-Chi 2-3 times a week with my wife when we were living downtown, and now that I live uptown, I drag myself and anybody with me in for a meal everytime I'm close by.
Where else can you dine for about $10 a person? Love it! -
Review from Alexander L.
Toronto, ON
9/10/2010
Given that I live 45 seconds away, and eaten here 4 / 5times since moving here 6 weeks ago, I think I'm now qualified to review. If you want a decent selection of Korean food at a low low price come here. If you want silver service go elsewhere. Still in two minds as to whether this place is better than Thumbs Up - toughy. Whilst you can get a beer here (unless you sit outside), there's something about Thumbs Up that I prefer... however, I end up going here more often - how does that work?
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Review from Angel S.
Toronto, ON
11/25/2011
one of the best korean restaurants in the k-town. yummm
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Review from Sam C.
2/7/2010 11 Check-ins Here
I hit up this spot at least once a week, sometimes more. By far one of the best places in the city to get "Gamjatong" or pork bone soup. The other favorite dishes are the soft tofu soups, BiBimBap, and seafood pancakes. But honestly everything on the menu is good. It's definately a very affordable place with just about every dish under $10. During th evenings it's usually very busy but table turnovers are very fast. Great spot to warm up on a cold winter night.
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Review from Melanie H.
Toronto, ON
1/21/2010
There is no doubt in my mind that this korean place offers the best hot pot in town...but watch out it is really spicy. I sweat buckets and buckets and I could tell that the food would stay with me for a while and it did. I also tried the bibimbap, which was pretty good but not enough of the rice crusting at the bottom. Both dishes were generous servings at a bargain price. The service was fine, friendly, the washrooms were clean, and all in all a good experience, I would go back soon in fact now that i have been here I think I can pretty much phase out the other Korean spots around Bloor and Christie.
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Review from Brian C.
Toronto, ON
3/27/2010 1 Check-in Here
Just another catchy name. Food is average, cost is low, service is terrible. It is better than many of the other Korean joints in the area but you can find better without much effort.
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Review from Sharondia P.
10/1/2009
The food is fabulous. This little restaurant took me to Busan, South Korea all over again. A place where you can have a good meal and a good price to match. Traditional Korean cuisine that takes you home to oma's table. Kim chi jjigae, fried dumplings, pork bone soup, and bulgogi with all the side dishes (japchae, seaweed salad, Kim Chi, and bean sprouts). Definitely good eating!!!
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Review from art f.
Toronto, ON
7/13/2010
yes, ka-chi is cheap, but not nearly cheap enough to excuse the mediocre food and the atrocious service. you don't have to look hard or far to find similar food and a thousand times better service.
if you've time, check out the following comments: http://chowhound.chow.... -
Review from Melissa Y.
6/17/2009
All you need to get at this place is the pork soup. It was sooo good I drool when I think of it! Definately a good deal. The 3 of us ordered 3 entrees and an app and it was only $30. Next time I go back to Toronto I'm going to order 2 of those soups just for me!
