Location Review687 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON M4Y 2B2
(647)748-9100
Website
Opening in December of last year, Miss Korea (@MISSKOREA_BAR) is a trendy Korean bar eatery, and the newest addition to the Yonge and Bloor area. Not too long after it opened, Justine (@foodigatorJ), Vickie (@Kiki_bff) and I, came here one night for what we like to call our "Korean Drinking Catch-up Nights" (original, I know!). Like all the other eateries in this area, Miss Korea has an inconspicuous doorway leading to an expectedly narrow space. The venue is well suited as a catch up spot though, and extremely space-efficient: re-arrangeable low-rise tables, relatively high ceilings, and open-top stools which double as jacket storage space.
Miss Korea
Miss Korea Lounge
We arrive early dinner time which provides rather quiet traffic. As the dinner progressed, more and more crowds started to trickle in, making the place a more lively lounge like vibe. We couldn't help but order a couple drinks ourselves!
Party Room
On the second floor is a private room equipped with a karaoke machine and almost floor-to-ceiling windows
Beers and Makgurli
Miss Korea offers a simple menu of dishes and alcohol, but also set combos should you fancy both. A typical combo would include one dish, and a choice of Soju, 4 beers, 2 cocktails, or Makgurli.
Miss Bomb Cocktails ($9)
A really bright cocktail in both colour and taste. Primarily consisting of Redbull, this one definitely kept me up all night!
Deep Fried Chicken Ddong-Jip ($10)- Chicken gizzards, sweet and sour dip
Crunchy and hot, I think we were all very happy to have these as snacks with our beers!
Sam Gyup Sal ($15) - Grilled crispy pork belly, home made relish
At our first Korean Drinking Night way back when at Swish By Han, I remember having this dish for the very first time. Since then, I have been in love with this. While pork belly is normally very oily and greasy, this one is firm, and has a nice bounce when you bite into it. We shared all the dishes that night, but I could've ate the whole thing myself!
Kimchi Jjim (Kimchi & Pork) ($15)- steamed pork, traditional Korean kimichi, tofu
There is just something about the combination of kimchi and pork that makes it so appetizing. Presented on a long plate, you build a bite size portion of each ingredient, and eat it together. While the kimchi here is rather bland, I love the addition of tofu, which I normally don't see served with this dish elsewhere.
Cheese Don Katsu ($10)-Deep fried pork culet with cheese, signature katsu dip
Remember those pizza commercials where they pull out the slice and you see an almost impossible stretch of cheese? Well there was a definite stringy cheese moment with the Cheese Don Katsu Along with the crunchy batter and thick gravy, this is quite heavy on the stomach.
Jjamg Bbong (Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup) ($13)- Calamari, shrimp, mussels, scallop, udon noodle, onion, watercress
Definitely no shortage of seafood in this, but that was as far as it goes for highlights. It has a nice spice, but otherwise not too memorable.
Kalbi Jjim Braised Short Ribs)- Braised Short Ribs, Squash, Chestnut, Date, Pine Nuts
If there is one thing you have to order at Miss Korea, it would be the Braised Short Ribs. Trust me on this one. A stew-like dish with lots of tummy-warming ingredients like squash, chestnuts and dates. The main ingredient was fall of the bone tender, and fully soaked in the densely flavourful sauce. Order yourself a bowl of rice, because you'll probably want to lap up every last drop of that sauce!
For a catch-up session in the middle of winter, I'd say this night ended quite well. We left feeling warm from the alcohol, full from the food, and happy from the chats. Definitely a spot worthy of a visit!
