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Sariwon Korean Bbq Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Korean Restaurants Barbeque Korean, Barbeque [Edit]
7388 Yonge StThornhill, ON L4J 8K2
(905) 881-5103
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11:30 am - 10:30 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
21 reviews for Sariwon Korean Bbq Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"...and I ordered that and Pork belly which was also in the 20..." In 3 reviews -
"This place has the best traditional korean bbq in Toronto." In 4 reviews -
"Thanks to Karl for the ride to the restaurant, and Neil T." In 1 review
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21 reviews in English
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Review from Johnny H.
Toronto, ON
5/22/2012
Sariwon's kalbi doesn't offend anyone. The meat is prepared and marinated with precise math. The smell of meat on the grill literally makes you drool. When you finally eat it, it has nice soft texture with juicy sweet flavor that explodes in your mouth. However, the strong taste of the sauce does overpower the beef, and the natural flavor is lost. Actually, the traditional way to eat kalbi is to wrap it in a piece of lettuce with bunch of other toppings with strong flavors. So complaining about deeply buried flavor of meat is really an overstatement.
As for the famous Korean side dishes - banchan -, they are edible. Kimchi feels like it can bring the dead back with its cool, invigorating, spicy taste. And it doesn't have the sour aftertaste. But it definitely has the factory-made, store-bought taste. Other dishes have soggy and spongy texture with pungent smell. Not sure how fresh they are. The soup is a bit salty, but I couldn't stop eating it. Rice is on the sticky side. Chilli sauce - the final piece that completes Korean food - is store-bought.
Service is pretty snappy. Servers are quite attentive. Tables are large. But as soon as sidedishes show up, you run out of space. There are just enough space between tables to give you privacy. The place can get loud when it's crowded. And the ventilation system works really well - you don't really smell what people next to your table are eating.
I once went to Sariwon with my friend to have dinner. We just ordered drinks first to have a conversation. We were constantly pushed by "are you ready to order?". After 15 minutes or so, we were told that we have to place an order now, or we would be billed for the drinks we were having and lose the table. And after the meal, we tried to have a conversation but we were asked to leave so other customers can take the table. That wasn't quite nice. -
Review from Mitchell G.
Toronto, ON
11/28/2011
I've been here twice, now. This is far and away the best Korean BBQ I've had in the Toronto area.
Everything that I've tried on the menu so far has been excellent. The price is perfectly reasonable given the quality of the food and the quantities served. Furthermore, the restaurant is spacious, clean, and the wait staff are super-helpful if you're unfamiliar with Korean BBQ.
This restaurant comes highly recommended to all my friends. -
Review from Max K.
Vaughan, ON
3/24/2012
Just arrived home after a visit to Sariwon Korean BBQ Restaurant.
Experience: Awesome
Food Quality: Great
Service: Could be better, not horrible though
Flavour: Great mix of flavours, lots of very different blends that i wouldn't have thought of prior to coming to this restaurant
Atmosphere: Somewhat modern, very nice to sit in. Korean themed (obviously). Not as modern as competitor Choko BBQ
We ordered both the plain rib and the marinated rib. I personally preferred the marinated rib however my father preferred the plain rib with the salt and pepper sauce. Really enjoyed sealing off wraps of lettuce with everything on the table. AWESOME!
Visit this restaurant if u get the chance. -
Review from Leeor J.
9/17/2011
Well, seeing as how I have 99 reviews now, I must write one more to get to 100!
I went to this place for my birthday with a few friends after a Korean co-worker of mine had told me this is the best Korean place in the GTA.
This place is a cut above any of the other Korean places I've tried. They do Korean BBQ and other a la carte Korean dishes. We did the BBQ. We did a mixed plate for 3 (they charge 25 per person with a minimum of 2 orders I think). It included a few kinds of pork, and prawns. Meat was high quality and all the sides were very good. I especially liked the little appetizer with the salted smelts and crunchy peanuts. They give you lettuce cups for the meat and you're supposed to make little cups with meat, sauce and salads. We struggled a bit, and it was pretty comical watching the server trying to instruct us.
One confusing thing was that we couldn't figure out whether we were supposed to do the grilling or the server. When she first brought the meats to the table she put them on. Then every now and then she would come back and flip things. But it became clear she wasn't coming often enough so we had to take over. I think she was just doing us a favour because she thought we didn't know what we were doing, which we didn't. My only other complaint was that she took away the rib bones before I had the chance to grill them and suck the last meat off! that was a bit annoying. next time i would be more on top of that.
I'de go back but it's a trek. It's in Thornhill. -
Review from Vivien L.
10/18/2011
This place is sooo yummy and authentic! The meats were very good quality (we got the spare ribs and pork belly) and they provide you with so many things to put into your little lettuce wrap.
There were so many dishes that we couldn't even see the table. There's the lettuce wrap, all the side dishes, some sort of lettuce salad slaw thing, garlic, hot peppers, and more I can't remember. Another plus about this place is that the ventilation is very good and the place doesn't feel stuffy.
Service-wise we were able to communicate with the servers but having my Korean friend there helped a lot. Also, they were more than willing to give us refills of the sides and we were never rushed to finish up and leave even though they were close to closing for the night.
The meal ended with a sweet cinnamon tasting tea that was pretty amazing. Overall, I cannot wait to come back here! -
Review from Thuy T.
Woodbridge, ON
The food was good, but the service must improve.
Rating:
0(Too Sad), 1(Horrible), 2(Poor), 3(Ok Lah), 4(Good), 5(Excellent)
Food: 4
Clean: 4
Service: 1
- Servers speak very little English and spend most of the time serving the ones that speak Korean X_X
Atmosphere: Casual
Will I Return? Maybe
Keep in mind all food postings is according to personal preferences and taste buds. Therefore, it's best to try the places out for yourself and see if it suites your taste. -
Review from Tong J.
Upscale Korean BBQ joint, I love it!
Love everything from the greeting at the entrance, the cleanliness of the built-in grille, the superb friendly service, and most of all ... the awesomeness of the ventilation that prevented me from smelling like a piece of meat.
Love, love the teriyaki-like marinated short ribs. It was so flavorful. The sweetness from the marinade and smokiness from the grille, oh so divine!
Flipping meat over the grille and sharing them with good friends, now ... this is my kind of joint! -
Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
MEAT! MEAT! Tons of MEAT! Great Tasting Meat!
If you have picky friends that have a certain of standard of where and what they are dining.. Sariwon certainly is the place to go.
If you have friends that want to smell like a piece of meat after having Korean BBQ, don't take them here! Since Sariwon has such awesome ventilation system.. they will be disappointed!
If you have friends who enjoys good services, book a table at Sariwon.. they would think you are awesome and you know where to go!
Back Ribs! I would have just ordered the back ribs ($24.95)... and I would be happy eating the whole thing by myself and more!! Sirloin in Sesame sauce ($25.95) was not bad either! Pork Belly($18.95) was such a disappointment... avoid since it was just sliced pork with no marinate..
I have to confess that I would not be a vegetarian in the near future... Where is my MEAT??Listed in: You can get EVERYTHING you…, Lunch Specials in Richmond…, Mashi-e-sawyo! Korean…, Naengmyeon! Korean Cold…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/30/2010
Recently Sariwon Korean Restaurant names are appearing a lot in the Chinese Magazine... Their Korean… Read more »
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Review from Alvin V.
Toronto, ON
5/24/2011
There are so many Korean BBQ joints out there so it's hard to differentiate what is good sometimes. But after trying this place, one can really begin to appreciate that quality meats come at a price.
Just like how All you can eat sushi places will always have sub-par quality when comparing to a la carte sushi restaurants, the same can be said in the Korean bbq scene.
The meats:
So like I said, you get what you pay for. To give you a baseline, one order of beef ribs is 24.95 or something. To feel contently full, my friend and I ordered that and Pork belly which was also in the 20$ price range. I'm sure I could have ordered one more dish but that might have been overboard for me.
The meats they provide are thick and juicy (not the thin crap you get at all you can eat bbqs). They come pre-marinated or just fresh. Beef ribs come with a bone and a long slab of meat attached to it. You can either cut it into pieces before grilling or grill, then cut. After you grill your meats, you're provided with lettuce to wrap the meat up in accompanied with a great sauce. Magic!
Of course, all the usual fixings accompany the meal like kimchi and the other small dishes I will not name simply because I dont know the names. (better to admit you're clueless then try and just look plain dumb)
Also, not that it matters to me much but they could perhaps expand their bbq selection to include more fish and chicken but I wouldn't be ordering it there anyways.
Your CLOTHES...........
...do not smell afterwards!! yay! hahah that's a big vice for me. Each table is ventilated well.
Service:
very friendly. I love traditional Korean mannerisms. The host came to each table to check on people to see if they were having a good time and enjoying the food too!
Overall:
Awesome quality Korean BBQ place! Always better in a bigger group so you can get more of a variety of meats to try but still good regardless. Forget all you can eats....put some grade A meats in your belly! -
Review from French C.
Montréal, QC
11/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
My mouth is watering just writing this review. I was introduced to Korean BBQ a few years ago by a colleague of mine and since then OMG gotta come in Toronto more often. I tried several places around Canada and the US and Sariwon ranks in the top tier.
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Review from Rudy W.
2/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
the food were ok, the service were a bit slow.
but over all, they are OK.
IMHO, the portion is very stingy for the price you pay.
I guess I have to find another good korean restaurant around. (must be somewhere, I saw a lot of korean restaurant here)
I ordered the regular food.
Kalbi, Bulgogi, the spicy pork and noodle. -
Review from M W.
Markham, ON
5/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
Love the BBQ here. One of the best Korean BBQs around! The meats are really fresh, wrap it with the fresh lettuce and you get instant yum!
They finish your meal off with a cold ginger tea, absolutely refreshing!
Great dinning experience. -
Review from Ann K.
North York, ON
11/5/2011
OK. So I may be a little spoiled being Korean and from NYC. But this place was AWFUL!
Friends said it was very high-end and great korean bbq, so we went one night, thought we would give it a try. We had a pretty large table + the night started out ok. The side dishes were not bad but nothing special. The meats were decent but the portions seemed smaller than I'm used to. We ordered marinated beef + pork belly for bbq, some stews + soju.
I thought it was a little odd that the server put on the marinated beef on the grill first but hey, we were hungry so I went with it. After that was done, she started to put the pork on the same grill - HOLD UP. That's a no no. So I asked her in Korean if she could change the grill - I didn't want the flavors from the beef to be on the pork. She said, not a problem + walked away. Then the "manager" came over with a new grill and asked if we wanted it changed. Yes, that's kind of what we asked for. She said, we don't normally do this unless the customer asks for it. Well, we = the customers were asking for it. I didn't understand why the conversation was still going on. She was extremely rude + had so much attitude that it ruined the mood at the table. Then she proceeded to stand at the table + ask if there was a problem - still coping the attitude... ??
Needless to say, I will never be eating here again + can't say I would recommend this restaurant to anyone else...
Oh and the man who seemed to be the owner of the place, sat at the front of the restaurant with his shoes off. That should have been the first clue that this wasn't a high-end place.
Another thing that I found odd - the server started cooking the meat for us + then walked off, not tending to the grill. And the place wasn't that busy at all. Is this normal in Toronto? -
Review from susan c.
12/17/2009 1 photo
Um...who died and made Karl "When I was teaching English in Korea" R. the expert on Korean cuisine? While I am still Yelping, Imma gonna be The Definitive Last Word on Korean Restaurants and Culture, thank you very much and gamsahamnida. So I brought out my special fact-checking pen for this review and sorry, Karl, it's filled with bitch ink ;)
Karl R., Bijan V., and Neil T. and I gathered in Thornhill for our UYE Korean BBQ with a Translator and Driver http://www.yelp.ca/eve...
VIBE
Sariwon is not your average Korean grill house nor is it one of those godawful AYCE joints run by Chinese people. It's the "luxury" kind of establishment that Korean families might flock to for special occasions and have weddings at. See that lace on the curtains and floral upholstery? That says "high class" all the way.
FOOD
The BBQ was outstanding. The marinade for the galbi (short ribs, $24) was well-balanced with just enough sugar in it to leave a good char on the edges from the caramelization. I also enjoyed the "ZuMuLuk"[1] (strips of sirloin in sesame oil, $26). Karl found it "a tad chewy" but many Koreans (myself included) will abide the slightly resilient texture inherent in the more flavorful sirloin, much the way some might prefer a Porterhouse or ribeye over the tenderest filet mignon. The accompanying condiments and garnishes[2] were all super fresh and appetizing.
Karl questions why the ban chan (side dishes) were brought out in waves. That's because there are certain sides that accompany the meat and others that go with rice. Don't be a rookie and have rice with your BBQ; it's just going to bloat up your stomach and crowd out the meat. The rice arrives at the end of the BBQ, and at Sariwon, it was flecked with yellow dots of millet. This is when the server swarms every square inch of the table top with a dozen little plates of ban chan. You don't get these delicious freebies at those cheapo 'cue joints.
The quality of ingredients is way better than what I've found in Bloor Street's Korea Town and it's got slightly higher prices to match. That said, the damage for our meal was just $24 a head including tax and tip--but no alcohol because as Karl mentioned, they were out of Korean beer so we just drank barley tea. But when Karl complains in his review that we got no water, he doesn't realize that the word for barley tea (bori cha) that the staff kept refilling for us and the word for water (mool) are interchangeable in Korean.[3]
SERVICE
Each table is equipped with an electronic doorbell that you ring to summon the help. This may seem odd to some but it's more gentile than the usual method; yelling out "Hey, over here!" to get someone's attention. When we first arrived and the place was empty, one of the servers would come right away. As the place filled up, it sometimes took a couple of rings to get someone running up to our table, often with a stank-face look that said, "Now, what?" Still, the service here is much better than what you find at 95% percent of the Korean restaurants in town. Hostile service is such a fixture of Korean dining that I would be suspicious of any place where the staff were too effusive and cheerful.
I was very impressed with Sariwon. It was worth the 40-minute subway ride in a germ can from downtown. Thanks to Karl for the ride to the restaurant, and Neil T. for the drive back to civilization; and to Bijan V. for just showing up and being an all-around good guy.
Is Sariwon the best Korean BBQ in the GTA? I'll tell you when I've tried every last one of them but for now it's 5 stars.[4]
***ETA: Don't listen to Neil.***
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[1] WTF is this spelling? It's usually spelled "jumuleok" or "jumuluk" or "jumuluck"
[2] lettuce for wraps, samjang (soybean-based sauce for the wrap), scallion salad, sliced garlic and chile peppers, tangy dipping sauce with chives
[3] See, Karl? The Korean language is not only scientific, it is very complex. :)
[4] Dang. I really meant to bring on the bitch but I held back because Karl R. is my friend. What's wrong with me?? -
Review from Karl R.
A nicely appointed Korean BBQ that's actually Korean owned/operated. Everyone -- Korean and those not so blessed -- is greeted effusively at the front door by the owner/manager. Tables are comfy, each featuring a gas powered cooker built into the table. When I say tables are comfy, that's code to old hands as "no oddly arranged natural gas pipe that actually makes sitting at the table nearly impossible for all guests".
Decor is modern, clean and reminiscent of Swiss Chalet.
In Korean tradition, each table has a little door bell that summons the wait staff and one should feel free to press it. It's not like that stewardess call button that you're strongly encouraged NEVER to press in coach as it will summon the most pissed off flight attendant who will sternly explain to you union rules require her to only respond to the call button in the event you're experiencing anaphylactic shock . And you won't get your tomato juice.
Service is still of that "guilty but with an explanation" level you have to typical grin and bear at K-joints. We tried to order the Korean beers on the menu (OB and Hite-uh) but they were apparently sold out. Soju seemed to be plentiful. The waitress said she'd check their mekjoo supply. We left instructions "if not Korean beer then water". We got neither.
The place can be a bit hard to spot as its sign is written purely in the Korean hangul script. Do you know hangul? It is very scientific. If you don't know hangul or that Korea has four distinct seasons, just look for the restaurant with the big red ^ (caret) character on its sign. The ^ is actually the letter S in hangul. So you can see it is a very scientific alphabet. Despite the perfusion of Korean in use (at a Korean restaurant no less.... what gives?) the staff seems to work well in both white dork and English.
Parking is pretty atrocious. Despite a nearly empty restaurant (as well as the empty Akki restaurant next door), we had to drive up and down the narrow lot to find an empty space. Maybe there are a number of small businesses in the strip that use the parking for employees. We got there about 6 pm on a Wednesday. I suppose that it's undeniably winter and a few spots are now taken up with plowed snow might contribute to tighter parking conditions.
The food. Well the food is pretty good and well worth the uncertainty you're going to be beered or you have to take a running start at a snowbank with your little Pontiac Firefly to wedge it in to a spot.
We ordered kalbi and strips of sirloin. The kalbi was spot on although the sirloin was a tad chewy.
The banchan (the side dishes) are plentiful but don't seem to come out all at once. They mostly arrived mid-meal. Given this appears to be an all you can eat BBQ house, it would be to their advantage to first bring out the veggies and kimchi so you can fill up on that first.
The meal ends with a kind of sweet iced cinnamon tea with some pine nuts. That might be a seasonal thing. Koreans have an almost homeopathic approach to food/season pairings (ie like cures like). Cold foods are served in winter. Hot foods are served in summer. The belief is that errr. Well, it's a belief. -
Review from Neil T.
Toronto, ON
12/17/2009 3 photos
By now you've probably read Susan's review of this place and decided that it's so fantastic. Not so fast! Let's hear from one of us meat-loving non-Korean, never been to Korea types -- that's me.
+++PROS+++
1. Ingredients are definitely better than the AYCE joints, food is fresher
2. Nice decor. When I start to put decor as a 'pro' for a review, you know I am trying to be nice.
3. Don't listen to Susan, eat it with rice. Way better that way (screw tradition, it tastes good).
4. Lots of trimmin's
---CONS---
1. I could have eaten double what I ate. Though I didn't leave hungry, I didn't exactly leave satisfied. That's what I get for going with a bunch of pansy eaters.
2. If you're going to be a 'classy' Korean restaurant, you might want to fill up my tea within 40 minutes of me requesting it (did you not hear me the first two times?).
3. They have service bells there too that you just ring for service. It doesn't work, they won't come. They were nice, there just wasn't enough workers or they weren't very good at their job. I've had much better service at Xe Lua on Spadina. Not kidding.
4. Anything north of Eglinton (let alone Steeles!) really involves a fucking monumental trek. Is it worth the trip to Thornhill from downtown? No.
5. Parking lot is too small for the plaza, and it wasn't even busy. I imagine it being a disaster on weekends (think Pac Mall). -
Review from Jonathan W.
Calgary, AB
4/12/2009
Not your usual cramped, smoky Korean BBQ joint, this place is open, airy with large banquet seating. It is slightly more pricey but allows one to eat in comfort especially when you've got so many small plates your lap starts to become part of the table.
Here are a few pointers because unless you speak Korean, it may be hard to get a good handle on the menu from the waiters.
BBQ - order the short ribs and boneless beef (both are awesome) and if you're thinking about ordering something else, consider getting a second order of the same (they are that good). Avoid the pork.
Bibimap - great dish, goes well with the soup
Seafood pancake - like a giant scallion pancake, this comes HUGE, like a whole other entree, but very solid.
That was more than enough for four people. I'll come back and try the bulgoki. Overall, a great setting to enjoy the meat fest of Korean BBQ and about as authentic as you can get in Toronto. You smell like BBQ when you leave but who wouldn't want to smell delicious.Listed in: Good for Groups
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Review from Erwin M.
5/10/2010
This was my first foray into Korean fine dining as we entered this place in error not realizing how expensive it was. Just looking for a Korean cuisine fix I really wasn't prepared to pay 17$ for bulgogi which I can get for less than half the price at some food court somewhere.
After the transition from denial to acceptance I was finally able to focus on the food as it arrived. It was outstanding! The side dishes they give you are enough for a whole meal and the quality of the food was way better than what I was used to. It was quite a memorable experience. This place is now my benchmark for Korean food.
I'd give a 5 but i'm factoring inthe fact that the price is 3-4 times what I normally spend while the food is probably twice better. Not really sure if I can quantify my rating like that but what the hell. -
Review from Micah A.
North York, ON
5/28/2009
Since we have a baby we definitely have to x-out all of the smoky BBQ joints, although we do love good food anywhere we can get it. Sariwon was large and clean, which is definitely a plus. The Pahn Chan (side dishes) were OK. For some reason they didn't give us kimchi, which is always the best measurement of a good Korean restaurant. My wife and I ate the Nengmyun and the Seafood Pancake. The Nengmyun was not bad and the Seafood Pancake was so huge that we took it home and ate it for three days afterwards. The service was just OK but then when you have a baby you are always in a rush so maybe it was us.
I would go back to try the BBQ and other meat options.
-- I went back to Sariwon and ordered the bulgogi dolsut (marinated beef hot pot) and I was disappointed. Also my wife ordered the pressure cooked beef hot pot and was disappointed as well. The final straw was the fact the restaurant manager couldn't find a baby seat in a reasonable amount of time and the owner was hacking next to the cash register behind our table. I will not go to Sariwon again :(. -
Review from David G.
Toronto, ON
2/27/2010 1 Check-in Here
To be honest, if there was a way to give 2.5 stars, I'd give it, but I think others' reviews praise this restaurant a little too much.
To sum it up, if the dishes were half price, I wouldn't consider going back from a value standpoint.
That's not to say the food was bad, it was.......acceptable. It wasn't anything spectacular, what you would expect a 4 or 5-star restaurant to offer.
The portions of meat per order of BBQ are small when you consider how much you're paying for it, and even though they do give you a lot of side dishes, they're not of top quality.
I don't think I'd be able to honestly recommend this place to others, there are far better in the Christie & Bloor intersection in Koreatown. -
Review from Corinna L.
Markham, ON
7/5/2011 1 photo
This place has the best traditional korean bbq in Toronto!!!!!!! Nice restaurant, nice service, reasonable price!!!!
