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Kim Bo Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Vietnamese Vietnamese [Edit]
358 Bathurst StToronto, ON M5T 2S6
Neighbourhood: Little Italy
(416) 603-7817
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
21 reviews for Kim Bo Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"...this place teaches me about myself: Seven courses of beef." In 4 reviews -
"...the wrapping your own rice paper rolls with beef cooked in..." In 6 reviews -
"...that with the rare beef pho which was equally delicious." In 5 reviews
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19 reviews in English
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Review from Laura P.
1/7/2012
New Years Day was moving day for me, which was definitely a test of endurance. Amidst the laborious duties of changing homes, I would let my OCD get the best of me (cleaning, organizing, situating), and it wasn't until the haze of a moonlit hour that I realized I was A) famished, B) with an empty fridge, and C) in a new hood where it was all about 'first times'.
Hmm... something close that wasn't MacDonald's or Tim Hortons (scowl) should do the trick. I was flexible and less fussy than usual, and this 'Kim Bo' spot was the wildcard for me. Popping into its humble abode, I spent a hard 5 minutes scouring the menu for something veggie-friendly I could eat. Lots of meat, lots of BEEF, but simple rice and veggie options were listed. No extraordinary dishes a la veg, however.
I went with the spring rolls and veggie rice dish. Classic.... easy... DELICIOUS! They happily offered a no-eggs option! I'd go as far to say these spring rolls were fiiiine, and the greasy gates to heaven in my mouth. The rice dish was a large portion, one that I felt I could save some for later; however it was taken care of in one sitting. It came with some kind of buttery sauce which I'm still uncertain of its make-up, but was a nice addition.
I will be back for more spring rolls. A tasty surprise and an encouraging first pitstop in my new hood. Hooray! -
Review from Susan C.
Toronto, ON
3/23/2012
Dirty utensils. Slow service. Rude waiters.
Never returning back. -
Review from Vivek S.
3/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Kim Bo is a Vietnamese restaurant situated in that weird, dull intersection of Dundas West and Bathurst. Whenever anyone mentions these cross streets I instantly YAWN (you will too) and struggle to maintain consciousness. There is absolutely nothing there. Nothing that is... except BEEF.
I visited on one of Lauren M's (apparently many) seven-courses-of-beef (Bò 7 món) extravaganzas. It's a wide array of food, but not as beefy as you might think. The courses come out at a reasonable pace, and there is an assortment of bovine mini-adventures, from a hotpot course, to stubby sausages that resemble mini cigars, some crumbly but delicious beef and veg meatballs, soup, and salad.
Method for the un-initiated (like me): you are given a stack of dry rice paper and a bowl of warm water. You soak those bad boys for no more than 13 seconds and then place them flat on your plate. I found that the wet rice paper continued to soften even out of the water, so don't over do the soak. Then you cram them full of boomshakalaka. For wrapping tips see: https://skitch.com/viv...
The food was amazing but I was not sated after this meal. And getting another serving would have put us over the edge. Strange dilemma. Maybe I've just got "the hunger"? At any rate, solid eats and service. Kim Bo finally gives Torontonians a reason to visit this Godforsaken intersection.
Obligatory Title Pun: KIMBO's a real SLICE. (Lauren M will get this one.)
Menu Readability: Very photographic and informative.
Need to mention: Prices are very reasonable.
What this place teaches me about myself: Seven courses of beef? Make it eight. Do I hear nine? Ten! Ten courses of beef, going once...Listed in: Pleased to meat you
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Review from Sandra T.
Toronto, ON
4/2/2011
Sorry :(
Came here for the Bo 7 Mon and was really disappointed ...
The cost is $25 for two people. The meal boasts 7 beef dishes but each dish is really tiny ... like 4 slices of paper thin beef is considered a dish.
Bo 7 Mon is one of my husband's favourite meals but he was kind of silent all throughout the meal - I think from disappointment.
The side plate of veggies and noodles for wrapping was a little sparse. According to my husband, there were enough noodles for one of his typical rolls - of course he was exaggerating but we both were very polite and tried to pace ourselves. Not enough veggies either - we really tried to pace ourselves so we wouldn't take more than our fair share.
The nuoc mam was a touch on the sour side.
The rice paper rolls were a little smaller than what we are used to too. We like the huge diameter rice papers because we like to make biiig rolls!
Each dish was kinda mediocre ... the congee was not particularly flavourful, the bo la lot was kind of sad, the big meat ball was not that great, etc. And finally, the last dish was some sort of beef stirfry with celery and carrots - that is not traditionally part of the Bo 7 Mon!
The Che Ba Mau (tri-coloured bean dessert) was average.
Service was really nice though. The waiters were attentive without being overbearing and had really gentle eyes and smiles.
We both left hungry (and prior to coming to the restaurant I already had two bowls of cereal and a big glass of mango juice) but didn't feel like trying anything else on the menu.
There is free parking on the residential side streets. -
Review from Lauren M.
I came to Kim Bo Restaurant specifically for the "Bò 7 món" (in English "7 COURSES OF BEEF")
OMFG. Why hadn't I heard about this before! I came across this dish listed on menus in many Vietnamese places in San Francisco so I was desperate to try it. Kim Bo Restaurant seems to be the only place in Toronto that has it.
Bò 7 món courses are:
1. Bò nhúng dm: Raw slices of beef to be cooked in a heated broth
2. Bò nng hành: Strips of beef rolled around a piece of scallion
3. Bò nng m chài: Ground beef rolled in caul
4. Bò lá lt: Ground beef rolled in a Lolot leaf
5. Bò ch ùm: Beef patties served with rice crackers
6. Gi bò: a stir-fry made with carrot, daikon, and celery salad with small cubes of beef
7. Bò ch ùm: Beef patties served with rice crackers Cháo Bò: Beef Congee
All this is served with a big plate of greens, bean sprouts, cucumber, carrots, vermecelli noodles and rice paper. The first 6 dishes can be assembled (DIY style) into rice paper rolls. You also get a small hotpot of broth to cook the first dish.
I am simply amazed. ALL 7 dishes were good. Number 6 was my least favourite, but it was still decent. The other 6 dishes were ALL tasty. Number 2, 3 and 4 were my favs. Yum.
As a bonus, this feast costs $25 and feeds 2-3 people. They will allow you to add an additional "half" order for an extra $10, so 3 of us yelpers feasted for $35 plus tax and tip.
I'm surprised others referred to this place as a "dive". Honestly - for a typical Vietnamese restaurant in downtown Toronto, the decor was okay and it was very clean inside. Quite spacious too. Service was friendly and effecient. Quiet inside on a Friday evening.
5 stars for the 7 course beef because it was delicious and extremely unique in Toronto. I will be back, but there's no way I'm trying anything else. Don't be stupid and get pho, you can get that anywhere! -
Review from Lynn C.
6/1/2011
It's a tad hard to describe the food here since I don't really understand the language but my friend tried this place, loved it, and took us here. We started with the wrapping your own rice paper rolls with beef cooked in a hot broth, then with sausages. The giant beefball with shrimp chips was probably my favourite. There was also Pho, and beef congee, and stiry-fried dice beef. Was that 7 dishes of beef yet?
The food was great though and I wish I was more hungry and didnt have so much beef on the days before hand. Service was okay, and the place was extremely quiet. I would have thought this place would attract more customers. -
Review from Elaine K.
1/16/2011 7 photos
Fantastic experience and delicious food.
Came here with Lauren and Tony for their 7 course beef menu, which was incredible.
The restaurant is unassuming, and the only other table in the place was a multi-generational Cantonese family. Already, I knew this was going to be good.
For the meal, you basically get beef served 7 ways, served with rice paper rolls, rice noodles, basil, mint, sprouts and nuoc cham. You roll it yourself, which was a little challenging at first, but we all did better once we figured out that you can't over stuff it (except for Tony, who's skills degenerated with every course somehow)
It was a ton of fun, and delicious. I'm planning on returning with my friends and my own multi-generational Cantonese family. Also, the price was under $20 with tax and tip! -
Review from Janna S.
2/28/2011
I came here for the 7-course beef extravaganza and I'd return for that reason again. I wasn't sure what to expect (for some reason i pictured 7 slabs of steak), but I was happily mistaken! I could not get over the mountain of fresh greens that came with our order; I'm a big fan of any place that serves up this much basil! I had a great time assembling my rice paper wrappers, which seem to make everything taste more delicious (maybe all the flavor is just saturated in a more condensed format?!)
Overall the service was very good and the price was reasonable. The beef isn't served in overwhelmingly large portions, and every course is distinct and delicious on its own. I'd come here again but only to order this.
The bathrooms here are not insulated and the plumbing is a little sketchy, but they were clean enough. -
Review from Tony F.
1/7/2011
This place is Kimbo Slice Beef madness FTW!
Thank you Lauren M. for introducing me to this place. It was a fantastic dive where you get your hands dirty assembling viet rice wraps in the 7 courses of beef. It was all beefy goodness as you can see with Elaine's (soon to be posted) and Lauren's awesome photos.
This was carnivorous heaven, and I was in it.
Would I go back? You betcha.Listed in: Omnomeriffic Yum! (TM), Date night, Pho-get-about it.
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Review from Eric L.
3/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came here for their 7 courses of beef extravaganza. This meal is just fun to eat. Every course is different and requires a "hands on" approach. You share with friends and chat in between courses.
Very impressed with the overall cleanliness compared to other Vietnamese resto's. The staff was friendly and speedy with refilling our glasses. Judging on the quality of the 7 courses thing, the rest of their food is probably pretty good. -
Review from Nick A.
Toronto, ON
7/5/2010
Kim Bo, hidden behind a thick wooden door, is a somewhat typical Vietnamese restaurant in a rather atypical place. It's located right across from Toronto Western Hospital and just down the street from a funeral home, so the clientèle can be a bit odd. One time while my friend and I were having dinner there, a bunch of older biker dudes started telling us about their friend who had just passed away. They were very nice and it was a nice moment, but it's not something that happens often when I go to get pho.
The interior was just recently renovated and is fairly spacious and nice for a Vietnamese place. The prices are good, ranging about $8 - $15. Personally I'm all about the Pho and it's definitely worthwhile here, although I have had better. My roommate always gets the Spring Rolls on Vermicelli which he seems to enjoy.
Basically it is pretty good food for a good price, in a somewhat strange (not in a bad way) environment. -
Review from Paul R.
Toronto, ON
10/8/2011
Food was tasty. The place was empty and our server ignored us during the entire meal.
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Review from Andrea W.
Toronto, ON
1/20/2010
Kim Bo is the only pho within lunchtime walking distance of my office. If there were any other choices, I'd never go there. But sometimes, you just need pho, you know?
The interior is dark and cluttered. The service is quick-ish and the prices are cheap. I usually get the standard rare beef pho, and it is nothing remarkable. Last time, I ordered a spicy noodle soup (was it Hue style? I forget) and it looked and tasted like they had simply dumped a liberal amount of chili oil into the regular pho. The flavour was harsh.
Kim Bo is apparently a satisfactory choice for doctors and nurses on break from Toronto Western Hospital across the street. But who says medical professionals have great taste in restaurants? I expect their choices are also limited by a short lunch hour schedule.Listed in: College and Bathurst Lunch…
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Review from Helen Y.
Vancouver, BC
2/22/2011
holy sh*t.. so yummy
have to try the seven course beeef -
Review from Barb G.
Toronto, ON
5/8/2011
I went to Kimbo last night and it was amazing. Yeah, the decor is not going to win any awards but the staff is super friendly and the food quality for the price is great! To start I had the shrimp cold rolls whch came with an amazing peanut sauce, and I followed that with the rare beef pho which was equally delicious. I like that it came with a pile of sprouts, basil and hot peppers that you can add at your discretion. It was a ton of food and when the bill came my share was $15 (I had a DC)! I will be going back soon...
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Review from howard d.
York, ON
1/15/2011
Been coming to this restaurant for well over 10 years
The lady already knows I always ask for fish sauce and brings it without even asking, that's good customer service
Been greeted and remembered as well as amazing food always makes me go back when the urge for the 7 beef dish arises
This is the ONLY place to have 7 beef dish in Toronto, any other restaurant just sucks for it -
Review from Aurora L.
Toronto, ON
11/3/2011
The best dish to try at this restaurant is undoubtedly the Bo 7 Mon (beef in 7 styles). A nice assortment of beef cooked in different ways to be wrapped and eaten in rice paper rolls, a beef ball to be skillfully eaten with the shrimp chips, beef congee soup to warn you up and little beef cubes nicely mixed with white onions, carrots and celery bits. I have eaten this dish about 10 times in the past 2 years and it is fantastic! Depending on your company, it can either be 2 people per order (each order is $25) or 3 people per 2 orders. Never a letdown. It's surprising how they thrive since every time we dine, the restaurant is most empty...the most we've seen is maybe 5 tables at one time. But nice and friendly service in a quiet atmosphere. Well done!
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Review from rob d.
Toronto, ON
9/17/2009
Best Vietnamese food I have ever had...Kim Bo will not win any awards for it's decor...but that is part of the charm...everything I have ever tried on the menu is fantastic.
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Review from Jenny T.
Toronto, ON
7/21/2010
Kim Bo is famous for their 7 different preparations of beef and I would definitely return for that. I tried it out last Monday since about 10 years ago and became a fan. They serve an abundance of the side veggies for your rolls of self-cooked beef slices in the hotpot.
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