Location Review72 Steeles Avenue West #6
Thornhill, Ontario
(647) 678-8000
MENU
I always find the Galleria Supermarket near Yonge and Steeles to be a good quick fix for all my Korean food needs, but that was before I knew Song Cook's Authentic Korean Restaurant (@SongCooks)was a mere 20 steps away.
I came here on a chilly winter day with the family to celebrate my sister's birthday. After we parked I wanted just to run inside to the warmth. From the outside, nothing really striked me as unusual. It seemed like the typical small, quaint, and cozy Korean joint with limited seating. To my surprise, it was quite the opposite. This may very well be the largest Korean restaurant I've been too!
Song Cook's Authentic Korean Restaurant
If you're here just for food porn, you're free to scroll down straight to the goodies. I decided to split the food into "good" and "not so good" categories, because I found everything to be a hit or miss kind of draw. But before I get into the food, I want to talk a bit about the decor. I was simply amazed at the size of the place. There are plenty of private rooms, different dining spaces, and even an area with raised floor seating. And get this, the floors are heated! Definitely a plus for those cold winter nights. Not only that, they also had a really elaborate decor. My eyes were kept entertained by the display of Korean artifacts, bamboo plants, and other suitably placed objects. But my favourite were definitely the table of rice cookers!
Floor Seating
Rice cookers all in a row
Near the kitchen are a row of rice cookers, each with a different kind of rice inside. I thought this was really cute how they put them on display like that! :)
Types of Rice
On the table place mats you can read up on all the different types of rice you can order.
Menu
I think it's also worth mentioning that the servers are some of the best in any Korean restaurant I've been too. So polite, attentive, and helpful. When we were about to order, the waitor advised is that we might have too much food, even for a family of 8. Was nice of him to say something, because most servers would careless to advise it's patrons of ordering too much.
Kimchi and other sauces
THE GOOD
F14 - Five Spices Jokbahl ($21)- tender seasoned pork hock, served with sliced garlic and peppers
Song Cook's seems to always have promotional and seasonal menus, serving up items that are not on the regular menu. A "Fall Special" menu was offered to us at our visit, consisting of dishes to combat the cooler weather. We decided to go with the Five Spices Jokbahl from this menu. It's served with large leaf lettuce, garlic cloves, and special sauce. We got the impression that it was meant to be assembled consumed as lettuce wraps, but the meat tastes just as good on its own. The portions are generous and definitely was more than enough meat to share. We actually had to order an extra side of lettuce leaves ($4) to finish up the dish!
G1 - Dol Sot BiBimBap ($9.50) - vegetable, beef, and egg on rice
The Dol Sot BiBimBap is a solid order, but in my opinion, it's quite difficult to make this terribly without purposely trying to do so. Its just an unmixed bowl of rice, vegetables, meat, and sauce! Good none the less.
F7-Jim Kalbi ($24) - marinated steamed beef ribs
The Jim Kalbi braised ribs were delicious! they were probably stewing for a while because the meat was so tender and infused with flavour. Its quite home style and Reminds me of the rib stews that my dad makes. Of course I'm obligated to say that my dad makes it better, but this comes close to second best.
B3-Gan Ja Jang ($10)- fresly made black bean sauce and pork on noodles
If there is one thing you have to try at song cook, it'll have to be the Gan Ja Jang. The noodles are the perfect chewy texture, and the bean paste is infused with flavours without being overly salty.
The Gan Ja Jang after it's mixed
THE...NOT SO GOOD
F1- Pork Tang Su Yuk ($18) -Korean style sweet and sour pork
I never thought I'd have bad things to say about fried chicken. but I wasn't too fond of this Pork Tang Su Yuk. It got soggy very quickly, and the flavour of the sweet & sour sauce didn't do much to compensate. I've definitely had better elsewhere.
F10-Hae Mul Pa Jan($18) - Seafood and green onion pancake with vegetables
F10-Hae Mul Pa Jan($18) - Seafood and green onion pancake with vegetables
The Hae Mul Pan Jan was also a bit underwhelming. It was palatable, but not very balanced between flour and other ingredients. Not enough seafood, too much fluff. It's a gigantic pancake that will serve as a filler for sure, but one I would've been happy to pass this one up.
The Damage: $118.09
There were some hits and misses, but I think I would definitely come back for the Gan Ja Jang and Jim Kalbi. A meal leaving 8 people fully and satisfied, for only $118 is also quite an incentive to come back!
