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Nak Won
Category: Restaurants Korean Korean [Edit]
5594 Yonge StreetNorth York, ON M2N 5S4
Neighbourhood: Willowdale
(416) 590-1435
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
22 reviews for Nak Won
Review Highlights
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"The side dishes come in a great variety and are very tasty." In 4 reviews -
"GamJaTang table cooking 19.99." In 2 reviews -
"Those "safe" items + the appetizers are a great..." In 3 reviews
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22 reviews in English
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Review from Shereen C.
5/10/2012
Love the side dishes here. Great variety. And a few of them are very tasty. Especially love the cool cellophane/bean clear noodles (not sure what to call them).
Kalbi is pretty good. Sometimes it seems overcooked, other times perfect.
Spicy chicken was tasty too.
Service can be slow. It may be hard to get a server's attention.
They sort of take reservations, but only sort of. I think you need a large enough party and you have to be right on time.
3.5 stars -
Review from Derrick A.
Toronto, ON
3/18/2012
After recently moving to Toronto, this was the first Korean restaurant me and my fiancee tried - there was a lot at stake as I had promised her the Korean food here in Canada would be authentic which she never believed... Well Nak Won delivered the goods and the nagging has stopped! In fact, we were back again the next day for to order up another one of their lunch specials.
Everything we have ordered here was very good, the place is tidy and nice inside and it is busy during lunchtime for a reason and full of Koreans (always a great sign)... The only reason this doesn't get 5 stars is the service which is acceptable - more smiles would be nice, but hey, when the food is this good, you can live without it! -
Review from Henry L.
North York, ON
2/20/2012
I come here occasionally for Korean food; definitely one of my favorite's in the area. The wait times on Friday and weekend nights can be quite long, don't expect to get immediate seating if you come during dinner time. Even when you are seated, don't expect to be served until you wave them over or if they are trying to kick people out to get more people in-line seated. (Look for an electronic bell on the side of your table for your convenience!)
The food is pretty good (but I've had some Korean friends say otherwise) and the prices are excellent. It's definitely not high quality Korean cuisine but I think it will satisfy most people. One noteworthy mention is their free side dishes; from all the Korean joints I've been to, this place has the biggest selection of side dishes and they all taste pretty good.
Overall I recommend this restaurant if you are looking for good Korean food at a good price. -
Review from Sara-Yan Y.
North York, ON
1/22/2012
It has been a year or two since my last visit to Nak Won. We had always went to the Markham location but it is a huge hassle to get to. I remember liking Nak Won, mainly for its large variety of side dishes. Plus they were refillable :) When I found out they had a location at Finch and Yonge, I was excited but I left a bit disappointed.
First of all, we went on a Saturday at around 7:30 and I expected there to be a line up. There was only one party in front of us and we quickly got a seat. I really like the décor of the restaurant, it had a homey, cozy feel to it with all the wooden furniture. There were rows of booths, which we liked because it felt more private.
I ordered #36 Dolsot Bibimbap because I read good reviews on it. Bimimbap is vegetables/meat on top of rice and you basically mix the ingredients together before eating. And the result is a yummy and balanced spoonful for your mouth. The presentation was very nice, everything was organized with the fried egg on top. I can't handle spicy so I opted to not to add in the spicy sauce. The Bibmibap tasted a bit bland and was not flavourful as I hoped it to be. I then tried to add the spicy sauce into a small spoonful and unfortunately it did not help. The spicy sauce is actually not that spicy and had an odd taste so I didn't add any more. It was still decent but bland. My friends ordered beef in a stone bowl, some fried fish and pork bone soup. They all seemed to like it. I tried the beef and it had a sweet taste to it which is I found quite pleasant.
I came to the restaurant fully expecting poor service and that is what I got. The servers did not smile, say 'you're welcome' or even acknowledged us when we said thank you.
I have to say that the side dishes were my favourite part of the meal. We loved the noodles, seaweed and sweet potatoes that we kept asking for more. I would come back just for the many yummy side dishes. -
Review from Jimmy L.
Richmond Hill, ON
4/15/2012
Terrible terrible service. Having sat there for 30 minutes without being served wasnt the bad part, the bad part was waiting for our food for a good 40 minutes with no water or tea after asking for it several times. Food was mediocre, hence the two stars.
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Review from Elaine K.
12/16/2011 2 photos
I wasn't really blown away by the food in the place. It was pretty good, but nothing special. We ordered a combo for two people: Korean bacon cooked on a grill at your table with soy bean soup. I really enjoyed the side dishes, which had a really great variety, but kind of small servings.
Also, the servers didn't crack a smile once, which I found kind of off putting. They sort of wordlessly put food down and picked up plates. Not what I've come to expect from most Korean places I've been to.
The place was clean with comfortable booths, so other than the service it had a nice ambiance to it.
I don't think I'll be back here again, there's too many other places to check out in the area. -
Review from Belinda I.
North York, ON
8/7/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Excellent Korean food. I love the food at this resturant, this is one of the major reason why I moved from downtown to North York! I've been here at least 30+ times in the past 3 years. I think they have 3 locations now? But the food is the best at the finch and yonge location.
Personally, I think the side dishes are the best amongst all the Korean restaurants at yonge and finch area.
They are always under staff, so the staff aren't necessary the friendliest.
Also, please don't go on a date after eating here, cause your hair and clothing will smell like BBQ!!!! I have to run home and shower everytime after I go there. :) -
Review from Robin D.
7/13/2011
A special person to me likes this place.. needless to say its good.
soondubu -
Review from Cindy L.
Toronto, ON
11/2/2010
I have been here a number of times but last night was terrible. The service was below average and one of the servers were rude.
Appetizers were good though and the food- my friend and I ordered Soon tofu soup (seafood) (pork). We also ordered rice cakes; we originally wanted the one with the noodles but they didn't realize what we wanted so they said next time to order it.
Our meal cost 25$ in total. I would rather have gone elsewhere for better service but food was decent enough I would go again. -
Review from Pascal P.
Toronto, ON
12/19/2011
I went to Nak Won with the help from Yelp. Everyone in the restaurant was Korean so that is a good sign. The food itself was very tasty but there were some downsides. I was a little disappointed because I wanted the table BBQ and I thought that they had it, also the kalbi ribs weren't served with lettuce wraps. We ordered the kalbi ribs and japchae. both were yummy. The ribs were amazing.
-
Review from Zina J.
Brampton, ON
12/2/2011
This is my favorite korean restaurant - I would give it a 5 but the service is horrible. I've been here more than 15 times and each time we have to ask multiple times for things like hot sauce, more tea, more appetizers because the first waitress would forget/ignore our order - even at non busy times like 4.30pm.
The food is delicious though and good price for it. The appetizers are a good selection and it is really nice of them to give us refills.
I've had mostly the bbq, spicy beef stew & bimbambap and never been disappointed with my choice and never had friends complain about their order.
If you get there between 6.30-7.30pm - there is always a wait so be prepared to wait... but well worth the wait and the line moves fast! -
Review from Zuowen Z.
Maple, ON
9/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is the original one of the chain. Now they have 3 opened including this one. Great food, cheap price. It is coward so make sure you get there early.
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Review from WaYnE c.
Maple, ON
4/28/2010
Walking into this location I felt the decor was much more welcoming and suitable than its sister location at First Markham Place. It didn't have that OPEN emptiness and pretentious feel.
The SERVICE was just as good as their sister location, which isn't really a COMPLIMENT unfortunately and if it was some impatient unsatisfiable customer they would definitely be in a contest with the wait staff to see WHO can piss who off more.
Tip #1 - The service bell can be HEARD by everyone in the restaurant except for the staff working here. Simply wave to a wait staff and ask but DO NOT expect a response or smile however your request will be satisfied.
The Pork Bone Soup came out FAST and the portion size I'm quite happy about. The MEAT was falling off the bone however in comparison to the soup of other places it lacked the additional seasoning but was still flavourful and spicy.
The Seafood Pancake was the last to come out and like the same item from other restos, it is just as DELICIOUS as ever and I will always order this wherever I go.
The Dolsot Bibimbap I'm just going to say it was nice. I'm not much of a RICE person so I cannot comment on it extensively. I have nothing bad to say about it at the same time its the same thing I've had anywhere else.
The Big Beef Rib(Kalbi) dish #46 (approx. $19) was tender and tasty however it was a bit out of the norm of my expectations for the same item. This one was on a Hot Plate with 2 Rib Bones mostly meat removed and with Meat Chunks scattered on top.
I love seeing this dish at other restaurants with BIG pieces of meat ATTACHED to the RIB bone itself. It also has a bit of a Soya Onion Sauce/Slurry. I think their sister location does it this method that is more common. 2 different methods but I love them all the same without bias.
I have to say it was a BUSY place for a Tuesday night and we even saw guest waiting at the doorway which is nothing like their First Markham Place location could ever imagine.
TIP #2 - They provide each guest with a glass of watered-down Tea which you'll drink often to clear your tastebuds from one dish to another however if you remember the service, you should ask for a TEA POT of Tea so you can serve yourselves rather than wait to get their attention and for them to take your cup inside to refill.
Would I return? I probably would now that I have the KNOWLEDGE and ARSENAL to make my own experience more enjoyable. Sometimes I just like to TORTURE myself but at the same time good service can be just as scary.Listed in: Hanguk
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Review from Jannies L.
Brampton, ON
3/30/2011
This used to be at least a 4 1/2 star for me, every time I was in the area I'd convince family/friends to meet me here! introduced quite a few Korean food newbies lol Their service was great and GamJaTang was really really yummy and good portions.
BUT recently the few times i went the GanJaTang was horrible (one time was to introduce two friends to it, I was embarrassed) Gunky, and tasteless and there was maybe 3-4 pieces of small bones. The service was definitely not as good as before (I wonder if they changed cooks or owners)
FINALLY, the last time that made me decide- :( to never go back- was for my brother's 27th birthday, there was 9 of us and they put us at the biggest table, in a semi private enclosure. This would have been fine because they had a bell we can ring for service, except the servers seems to have a knack for ignoring it.
It took us so long for us to wave down the server each time to:
1. order
2. get water
3. ask for more gas in our canister
4. remind her of the fact we are still waiting for new gas canisters (while raw meat is half cooked on the grill) which was suppose to be table cooking style but because she was so busy, she dumped the whole plate of meat on the table grill and left it sitting there before we realize they started cooking but wanted us to finish cooking. I had to stand up and stare her down outside our room so she would remember that we were still here waiting for our food. At which point she still took 2 other tables orders and served one table before coming back to us??? It would have took her 1 minute to refill it in the first place when she removed the other one and we could have been eating for that 15 minutes while she forgot.
5.To get us cutlery for the cake that the SIL brought for my brother.
6. to get the bill
7. to get change for the bill
The service from this lady was just horrendous, we had NINE people for dinner and we had a cake so we asked her for cutlery she brought FOUR spoons and FIVE bowls?!?!?!?
She was never rude at any point but the carelessness is what made me even more upset, everyone at the table was starving and trying to make the best of it and it just got worse and worse. got to the point where we were pressing the bell continuously for 2 minutes and nothing!
So I'm sad that one of my favorite staples in Young and Finch is no longer on my go-to list, but hopefully if they revamp the service and food in the future I can come back with an empty stomach ready to chow!
GamJaTang table cooking 19.99
Beef table Cooking 27.99 (not worth it at all, bad cuts of meat and we didn't get to cook it)
2 different tofu soups, which was only ok 8.99-10.99
Rice cakes which my sister loved 7.99
Bibimbap which looks good and my brother seem to enjoy it a lot. 10.95 -
Review from Z W.
North York, ON
7/15/2011
Very bad service. This lady who served us kept giving us looks/attitude. Like what was mentioned in other posts, our server was very careless and unfriendly. Long wait for services too. However, we noticed that she was very friendly with the other group beside us, who were Korean speaking customers. Not sure if anyone else noticed the same.
I won't go back. -
Review from Monica K.
North York, ON
2/19/2011
This is another place I've been eating at since High School, and it's always clean. With that said, Nak Won is great for some good comfort food. What I like the best about this place is their appetizer salad that they serve you before any dish you order. I'd really like to know the secret to their dressing, in fact I'd probably order a whole dish of their salad if I could because it's soo YUMMY! Mmmmm~~~
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Review from Jacob L.
8/27/2010
Dishes we had:
1. Gam Ja Tang (Pork Bone Soup)
2. Kim Chi JJi Gae (Kim Chi Stew)
3. Hae Mul Pa Jun (Seafood pancake)
Decor: Acceptable korean restaurant decor, not romantic. You are gonna leave smelling like Korean food. (Good or bad, depending on your prespective). As others have noted, service is somewhat lacking here. Seems like they are a little understaffed.
Ban chan (korean "appetizers"): Good variety, all were excellent.
1. Gam Ja Tang (Pork Bone Soup): Fantastic and delicious. Huge portions left me stuffed (and I can chow down). This dish really seems to be a specialty of korean restaurants in Toronto. Compared to other restaurants serving the same, a little stronger on the ginger, but not in a bad way.
2. Kim Chi JJi Gae (Kim Chi Stew): Again, tasty, slightly different from other korean restaurants. The Kim Chi used seemed very fermented as opposed to the kim chi served as appetizer, which was quite new. It was good, but didn't blow my mind. (Then again, I've appreciated many Kim Chi Jji Gae's w/o it blowing my mind)
3. Hae Mul Pa Jun (Seafood pancake): My only slight complaint. This was a thick, beastly dish. This was huge in diameter and thickness, explaining the strange high cost (compared to the hot stews, etc). This would have been much much better if they had made it half-thickness, with more of a crispy edge (it was thick and almost doughy. WAAY too much carbs for our modern diet).
Overall, it was awesome, and I would come here again. -
Review from Rosie S.
Toronto, ON
11/11/2009 3 photos
This place is good for Korean food on the cheap or when you just have a craving for Korean food. It's pretty busy which is a good sign. Most dishes are less than $10 and you get a bounty of complimentary side dishes along with your meal. Apparently they are refilled free of charge but I've never had the urge to refill as I want to eat/enjoy the food that I order. Service is really fast and the food has been consistenly yummy the handful of times that I've been.
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Review from K V.
Thornhill, ON
4/23/2010
I really enjoy dining in Nak Won, the service sucks sometimes but the food makes up for it for sure. I think everyone in North York knows about their gamjatang, which is hot and delicious. The side dishes come in a great variety and are very tasty. They are open until 2am so if you feel hungry in the middle of the night that's the place to go. Me and my friend always manage to get our tummies full for under 20 backs. Long live Nak Won!
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Review from ness y.
Toronto, ON
10/24/2008
I heart Nak Won! Particularly for lunch or dinner, dine-in (they also do take-out).
If ever you are super-duper, keel over and hold-your-stomach hungry for some spicy goodness... GO! As soon as you order, an array of little appetizers will arrive to stave your hunger and get your stomach ready to digest (kimchi is always among the apps).
The only reason I didn't give Nak Won a full 5 stars is because, after having sampled the entire menu, I just think they're sub par when it comes to beef ribs and soon dubu. Their prices reflect this, I suppose. But with so many options for Korean food in the area, you're bound to have a place or two that area especially good for these items (i have my favs, check for future reviews).
This place is good for guests who are doing Korean food 101. I've often brought friends and suggested they order some meat katsu, bulgogi, kan poong ki (sweet & spicy chicken) or bi bim bap (veggies, rice, beef, fried egg, & spicy sauce). Those "safe" items + the appetizers are a great introduction.
As far as I know, they don't serve dessert. -
Review from Wai Ching C.
North York, ON
12/16/2008
Nak Won is a place I go often. Reason for that is because they have A LOT of side dishes( u can refill it as many times as u want) and for their reasonable prices!
One thing that makes it an *A-OK.* ranking is because of their customer service attitude. When you go during rush hour, the service there are not as good. Maybe because they wont have enough waitress. Anyhow, its still a place of good food and great value. -
Review from J L.
Richmond Hill, ON
10/20/2010
Love this place. Food here is great. Authentic Korean dishes. I really enjoy appetizers, and I recently found out that you can ask them for refills free of charge. They will gladly give you more. It's usually busy, but worth the wait. I will definitely come back.
