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- Hours:
Mon-Sat 9 am - 10 pm
Sun 9:30 am - 9 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Alcohol:
- No
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
29 reviews for PAT Central Market
Review Highlights
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"I will be back for more of their kimchi and other goodies." In 9 reviews -
"...Zojirushi rice cooker, the Rolls-Royce of rice cookers." In 2 reviews -
"...A great place to find all your Asian cooking needs." In 3 reviews
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28 reviews in English
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Review from shyni y.
4/6/2012
I could not live without Korean food, as it is ingrained into my DNA. I have physical withdrawals when I don't have Asian food at least once a week - the powerful craving for kimchi and the like cannot be ignored...for long (we're talking like, 3 days).
I don't think I would survive without this store -it doesn't matter which end or part of the city I live, I visit it at least once a month to stock up on my supplies of premade food where you need to just add rice (like the bibimbop) - perfectly healthy and cheap lunch options -and side dishes. It's true that the side dishes don't come in huge servings but you're not supposed to eat the side dishes in one sitting or anything. I usually spend about $80 here and the supply lasts me about a month - I'd say a good deal overall.
I love the fact that they have prepared packages and also have the ingredients available for those who are more - apt in cooking. Korean food I find, is hard to cook for one, since it's mostly made in batches, and are time consuming - so I appreciate the packaged goodies. There's a decent selection for the more health consciousness and some prepared cooking "kits" which I love for days when I feel like "cooking."
As a Korean that can't really cook - I love this place. It has everything I ask for, without going to Korea. -
Review from Laura H.
Toronto, ON
5/1/2012
Big, clean with a great selection of meat, produce, and Asian foods, mainly Korean. I got sushi making stuff, kimchi, and bibimbap at great prices! They also had asian pears, dragon fruit and those giant Korean apples!
Also, a great selection of soysauce, sesame oil, seaweed, etc. at decent prices. Free parking too. -
Review from Maheen M.
9/28/2011
I have a soft spot for grocery stores, when I realized that there was a Korean and Japanese grocery store in the Koreatown - I had to visit.
I was impressed by their selection of produce and Japanese products. I bought some of their in-house kimchi and it is pretty darn good. I can't stop adding it every meal I have.
Like more Asian inspired groceries, cramp aisle ways but it was fairly clean inside.
I will be back for more of their kimchi and other goodies!Listed in: Grocery Stores, Koreatown
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Review from Howard H.
8/29/2011
This is an excellent spot to stock up on your favourite Korean and Japanese staples.
The depth of Japanese products is impressive although some of the pricing on them seems a bit steep. This could be due to the current value of the yen skewing the ratios as I remember them. Still, I was pretty thrilled to pop open a can of Pocari Sweat (worst named best sports drink EVER) on a particularly hot day. They also maintain a pretty good selection of the Japanese snack crack, Pocky and Pretz - including the hard to find Coconut/Chocolate Pocky! Oh yeah - I meant to say "crack" not crackers - try them - you'll see...
Their Korean product selection is comprehensive, and they seem to have upped their game vis-a-vis the prepared foods lately. While you may still come across the occasional miss in that department, the hit ratio is waaaaay up from just a year ago.
While Bloor St. Fruit just across the street is my "Go To" produce place, P.A.T. does have some excellent pricing on certain items - 2 packs of Enoki mushrooms for $1.79??? I was using them as noodles at that price! They are essentially mushroom heaven at this point; a reliable source for King Oyster, fresh shitake, and other versatile varieties.
The store is clean (cleaner than any No Frills or Price Chopper I've strolled through...), well stocked, and the staff is actually quite friendly and helpful. It is now a major stop on my weekly shopping tour! -
Review from Amelia C.
Vancouver, BC
10/22/2011
The other reviewers have covered most of the stuff (great variety of Korean foodstuffs, not-the-best produce section, frozen everything), but I like PAT Central Market because it carries items for more health-conscious Korean food eaters: Everything from additive-free soybean paste to brown rice powder for making rice cake to mugwort powder - stuff I haven't been able to find at the shinier, sparkling H Mart.
I like it! -
Review from Laz C.
Toronto, ON
1/11/2012
This is my go-to place for everything from an infinite variety of noodles and sauces/oils/pastes to kitchen gadgets and frozen treats. Need a new pan with which to fry up the enoki mushrooms that you just bought for .99? Try a wok for $20-30, maybe a rice cooker or sushi mat? PAT Central has you covered, and at a good price. I buy most of my produce across the road but they do have awesome deals from time to time on items that you're unlikely to find in your standard grocery aisle. Check-out is always enjoyable as the cashiers are super friendly and seem to genuinely appreciate the customers, a vibe that I do not get from the large chains I occasionally visit.
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Review from Helen Y.
Vancouver, BC
11/1/2011
below average everything
meat and produce low quality, my dduk tasted like freezer burn..
been here numerous times only bc of the convenience of location to buy some korean goods, but i really am not planning on going back any time soon. -
Review from Sandra T.
Toronto, ON
1/19/2011
I'm sorry. I really wanted to like this place and was super excited to visit, especially based on all the positive reviews. Unfortunately it just didn't live up to my expectations.
The prices seemed a little high for the prepared foods ... a serving of premade bibimbap was around $5. The serving was small, there was only a small dollop of red bibimbap sauce included, the vegetables looked kind of wilted and sad, and I don't remember seeing a packaged on or expiry date. This is kind of expensive considering you can get a much larger serving of fresh bibimbap with unlimited red sauce and unlimted (depending on where you go) side dishes for $8.
The pickles and sides section was disappointing too ... a very small container of assorted sides i.e., fish cake, marinated and prepared tofu, etc was around $4 - $5. It really does seem like more is served in the restaurants ... for free! I did walk away with a plastic container of kimchi but for $5 I was hoping for more. Oh well.
Checked out the marinated meats - raw and marinating in their bulgolgi and kalbi sauces - but there was no "packaged on" or expiry date either :( So, we left those alone.
The produce section is not bad ... but not great either. Prices don't seem particularly cheap and the produce that night didn't seem that great either.
Looked around for a good 10 minutes for a squirt bottle of red bibimbap sauce but didn't see it anywhere ... I am sure it was there but we were in a bit of rush so we didn't have a chance to ask any of the friendly looking gloved ladies.
Briefly checked out the frozen foods ... particularly the seafood ... and it all seemed a little over priced :(
There is free parking in the back but space is surprisingly limited! The lot itself is relatively generous but there were only two free spots on a cold, rainy Tuesday night - 1 hour before closing time. Not sure what the situation would be on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
Really disappointed and had super high hopes since I love korean food and pretty much all things korean related - especially their chopsticks. Unfortunately there was only one style to choose from and I didn't like that particular style.
Sorry! -
Review from Susu H.
Toronto, ON
4/5/2011
Oh man, PAT Central Market, we have just met but I love you.
While I am not all that familiar with Korean ingredients and food aside from the basics, your ample supply of Japanese ingredients and foods makes me extremely happy (especially since J-town is so far away and Sanko is very expensive).
I have begun to try some of the prepared/frozen foods: the Korean version of dashi-maki tamago, your delicious varieties of kimchee, and various dumplings, and so far I'm loving all of it.
PAT Central Market, you're my hero. -
Review from Lauren M.
PAT Central Market is a lot of fun, especially if you are white (because you can browse the aisles wondering WTF everything is!)
I come here more to browse than to actually buy much, but I do stock up on my fav Korean ingredients (Korean hot paste, kimchi, bulgogi meat, etc). I also sometimes come in here when the white people grocery stores are closed to pick up essentials like chicken breast and fruit/veg.
I'm sometimes not impressed with the overall cleanliness of PAT, sometimes it seems a little grubby/unclean, but this seems to be normal for most Asian grocery stores I've been to (with the exception of that giant superstore one down by the Docks) -
Review from Amena E.
2/29/2012
Aaaahh all different types of daifuku!!! Also try Kevin's taiyaki! YUMMMMMY
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Review from Johan K.
Toronto, ON
5/16/2011
I've frequented this place a lot recently (now that I moved not too far away) and its a great place to stock up not only for Korean products, but there are a lot of Japanese products on offer.
The staff are very helpful and everytime I visit I see more non Koreans frequenting the place. Though there's plenty of great produce (fruits and veggies) there seems to be more and more competition from the place across the street. But again...this is a Korean grocer! Great varieties of sweets and kimchis of every sort. There's also home-made stuff which lists if one uses fish sauce or does not (helpful for the vegetarians) for the generic napa cabbage kimchi. -
Review from Julianna C.
Calgary, AB
12/5/2010
...aka 'The Korean Store'.
It's all about the pickles. Who knows you could pickle so many different things?
Love the variety of dried noodles and spices (red chili powder), too.
Rows upon rows, shelves upon shelves... ready to explore! -
Review from Chris I.
Toronto, ON
1/15/2012
If you're not korean/japanese it can be a little confusing, try picking a bag of rice from a wall of like 20 varieties with about 2 words in english! Still, lots of fun for adventurous eaters, get a honey dew Melona ice cream bar and you will not regret it! Free samples of noodles or dumplings is always a bonus and the red bean waffles at the front are delicious. Produce can be hit or miss so double check bloor fruit across the street before you do any major purchases.
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Review from susan c.
7/29/2009
Oh, PAT, with all your kimchi and pickly delights, you put a spring in my step and a stank in my fridge.
I can shop in nearby Chinatown to stock my Asian larder with soy sauce, soba noodles, and sesame oil. But when I need a taste of the homeland, I make the trek to Bloor Street Koreatown.
If you wondered who's buying the fire hydrant-sized jars of kimchi, that'd be me. I also come here to get meat for Korean BBQ, dried anchovies for soup stock, doenjang (a miso-like paste on fermentation steroids), Korean chili flakes, and a hundred other esoteric pantry items for the Korean cook.
PAT also carries a decent selection of Japanese goods and appliances. It's where I bought my trusty Zojirushi rice cooker, the Rolls-Royce of rice cookers.Listed in: L'il Kim Chi and More, The Low-down in K-Town
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Review from Jan A.
Toronto, ON
8/17/2010
There are many great things about PAT, let me share some with you:
The Drinks Selection: My favourite thing to do is to go their and pick out a random one and find out what it tastes like. It's like an adventure in your mouth for under two bucks.
Those Melon Popsicles: They have them there by the box and if you buy one, you get to do this scratch and win type deal and if you win you get a free box. THEY'RE SO DELICIOUS!
Tasty goodness: A great place to find all your Asian cooking needs. Bulgogi? Yes please. Kimchi? Okay! Noodles? I'll take every kind!
Also, it's close to Hodo Kwaja so it gives me a good excuse to also pick up some delicious walnut cakes. -
Review from Ander R.
Toronto, ON
11/1/2011
Kinda grotty, and quality can vary widely. Alot of things were just fine
Also rather limited selection, I came with a grocery list, looking to find Korean ingredients I couldnt get nearby to me, but left with about half the items. Asked staff for help, but they were unable to help. Would come back, but not impressed. -
Review from Jason A.
Toronto, ON
9/13/2011
I generally goto P.A.T. to grab my meats and asian groceries that I can't find at a local shop. While it's a bit more expensive than Chinatown, it's certainly a lot cheaper than the typical boxstore like Loblaws.
Have also purcahsed their prepared foods and while the quality is obviously not as close as a neighbouring restaurant, the price reflects that. If you're a university student or someone on a very tight budget however, this place should be perfect for you. -
Review from Denise M.
Toronto, ON
11/9/2008
It's a full sized grocery store with great selection for all of your Asian cooking needs and very reasonable prices.
-Free Samples sometimes
-Great selection of frozen and fresh dumplings (I always have a bag or two in my freezer)
-Really cheap chicken breasts
-Big tubs of kimchi
-Affordable produce
-Very organized compared to the Asian groceries in China town
-Helpful staff
Check it out, I wish I lived closer. -
Review from Daniel B.
I know that you used to be alive and in the ocean, Mr. dried out fish.
But now you've found a much better home. A place where you're truly appreciated. A place to hang out with all of your dried fish friends.
What a fascinating store. -
Review from Matthew S.
Toronto, ON
4/29/2010
PAT Central Market is a treasure trove of Korean grocery delights. The average gwai lo won't have the faintest idea what to do with most of the stuff in the store, but that makes it all the more fun. Prices are reasonable and the store is clean and well organized.
They've got you covered for most of your East Asian grocery needs. There's an impressive variety of noodles and nori. Lots of sauces and condiments. The frozen section has a good variety of dumplings and other delights; lots of vegetarian options are available.
There's also a ton of other stuff that I've yet to try or am not really interested in. In the former category are all the Korean candies and sweets. In the latter category are tons of thinly sliced meat, frozen fish and seafood, and massive vats of kimchi.
The produce section is fairly weak in my opinion. If they upped their game in this respect I'd shop here more often and likely give them another star.
Note that this is a Korean store so, while there is some overlap with other Asian cuisines, if you're looking for specific things from Chinese or Southeast Asian cuisine you may be out of luck. For example, I find that I have to head down to Chinatown to pick up my Thai curry paste.
Things to keep an eye out for:
-Check the freezer to the right of the entrance for delicious Melona popsicles, ice cream sandwiches, and other frozen goodies
-There's a section of maple flavoured cookies and candies, which I assume is specifically meant for Koreans wanting to bring back souvenirs from Canada.
-The women at the cash always wear gloves. I've never seen this before at a grocery store. Is this a Korean thing? -
Review from poppy L.
Toronto, ON
6/4/2011
I brought a coupon for icecream once, when the manager saw it he yelled at me and told me that I couldn't use it there. First, don't yell at your customers!! Second, learn how to process coupons if you run a store.
Idiot manager ruined my whole experience -
Review from Connie T.
Toronto, ON
1/24/2009
If I lived closer to this market, I would grab every single tub of those salady pickled goodies in the back cooler and never be bored of food again.
And with the lack of English-language labelling on many items in the store, I'm perpetually intrigued by this place. Even the ice cream cooler leaves me with a question mark bubble hovering overhead.
What's more is it's nicely organized, clean, and the produce is pretty good. My only complaint is having to cart everything I need all the way home. I want my own local PAT Market now! -
Review from Sandy W.
Toronto, ON
2/19/2009
Love this place! They have the tastiest onigiri for $1.50 a piece and Korean sushi that I used to buy during lunchtime when I was in highschool. Most of the drinks and candy you can get for less at T&T or in chinatown, but it's the premade foods that they carry that draws me back there. And the popsicles! Mmmm melona bars... There's also a very helpful beauty counter upstairs with very friendly ladies who will smear all sorts of magical korean skincare and beauty products all over you to help you achieve that glowing dewy complexion I call moon face.
Free parking in the back for 1 hour when you shop there. Enough time to race across the street for walnut cakes! -
Review from Brenda S.
11/9/2010
PAT Central is a big reason that I want to live at Bloor & Christie. I will say that yes, I am a white girl fascinated by Korean food, but that's a minor reason why I like this store. It's just a good grocery store. You can get nice fresh produce, noodles, rice, yummy frozen stuff, desserts, and more, and the prices are really, really good for such a trendy part of town. If I move to where I think I'm moving to, I'll miss being able to bike here.
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Review from Yumi K.
Richmond, BC
3/29/2011
I like Chinatown better
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Review from Stephen L.
Toronto, ON
9/1/2010
A grocery store on Bloor Street with FREE Parking, Kimchi by the gallon, 82 varieties of noodles, and the best frozen dumpling selection in the City?
I had me at "grocery store on Bloor Street with FREE Parking".
Yup...if that's not enough of a reason to shop here...I don't know what is.
BUT, if you need more than FREE Parking on Bloor Street, then consider this:
- they have some excellent soup and stewing bones with actual meat on them instead of the flavourless, shiny, meatless variety of a standard grocery store (ox-tail, pork neck bones, chicken carcasses, etc)
- Asian ephemera for children including beginner, novelty chopsticks
- An EXCELLENT selection of frozen, Korean dumplings, and other prepared foods
- Frozen seafood coming out the wazoo
- A great selection of exotic chilled drinks
- Asian cooking tools (rice cookers, strainers, pots, etc)
- A decent selection of vegetable matter, include large bunches of mint required for industrial quantities of mojitos
All this can be had with a cleanliness level a step up from Chinatown (doesn't take much), and did I mention FREE parking on Bloor Street??? -
Review from Andrea W.
Toronto, ON
8/18/2008 1 photo
SHOPPING LIST FOR P.A.T. CENTRAL (compiled by Andrea W. for your convenience)
-enoki mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, Asian purple sweet potatoes
-daikon, baby bok choi, chili peppers, bags of peeled garlic
-marinated bulgogi, marinated kalbi, thinly sliced meat for shabu-shabu
-fresh and frozen gyoza of all descriptions, shumai, edamame
-frozen fish, clams, shrimp, chicken parts
-frozen mochi, ice cream (red bean, green tea, ginger...), imported frozen treats
-beans, soy beans, fermented soy beans
-senbei, rice snacks, rice cake, shrimp crackers
-gyoza flavoured potato chips, BBQ squid flavoured potato chips, edamame chips
-fresh chapchae, packages of freshly prepared bibimbap ingredients
-fresh local kimchee and imported kimchee
-a dozen different locally made pickled side dishes (soy bean, daikon, seaweed, bamboo shoot, fish cake, potato...)
-dried mushrooms, dried fish, dried seaweed all and sundry
-rice, noodles (udon, soba, ramen, vermicelli, transparent)
-50 varieties of packaged instant noodles
-Korean style metal chopsticks, sushi-making equipment, Asian kitchen gadgets
-7 spice powder, soup base, tinned vegetables, Japanese curry packages
-tofu, tofu noodles, konyakku, quail eggs
- tea (green, black, oolong, barley...)
-okomomiyaki mix, chijimi mix
-ponzu, soy, okonomi sauce, teriyaki sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, bean curd paste, miso soup paste
-fresh onigiri, fresh inari and maki sushi
-Pocari Sweat, C.C. Lemon, Calpis, glass bottled ramune, iced tea
-Korean energy drinks in tiny bottles
-mushroom-shaped chocolates, bamboo shoot-shaped chocolates
-Meiji chocolate, Moringa chocolate, Milky candy, Pretz, Fran
-Pocky, Men's Pocky, strawberry Pocky, marble Pocky, coconut Pocky, almond crunch Pocky, blueberry Pocky, matcha Pocky and Brazilian pudding Pocky
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I have made it a personal mission to introduce as many people as possible to the joy of P.A.T. Let me know if you become a fan!Listed in: Never Let Me Down
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