Cho Sun Ok

As a big fan of Korean food, I had no issue whatsoever driving out to Thornhill (AKA Koreatown North), where some of the best cuisine in the Toronto area apparently resides. Open since 2005, blogTO named Cho Sun Ok as the #1 Best Korean Restaurant and I was willing to do whatever it took to give them a try.

We rolled up early on a Saturday evening, hoping to avoid a busy restaurant... We were too late. The place was already lined up out the door! However, I took this as a good sign. They have a pretty effective system where once you enter the restaurant, you approach the counter, tell them how many people are in your group, and you are given a number. Then you simply wait for your number to be called. Our wait was about half an hour, but if anything, this only fueled my anticipation.

The dining room itself is fairly simple, clean, and modern. There isn't much for decor, however the decently-sized space feels fresh, with dark-coloured booths and pale stone accents. When we were finally seated, I certainly appreciated the friendly and kind demeanor of every server who assisted us.

I have always loved Korean food for it's big, bold, and often spicy flavours. The cuisine never seems to hold anything back and I've always appreciated that aspect. I mean, gochujang alone says it all. (A deeply red and dangerous Korean hot sauce.) We were automatically deposited at our table with a pitcher of water and a pot of complimentary tea. I'm always so happy to sip on a warm cup, especially when it's included. We perused the menu over tea and formulated a game plan. I wanted to sample a good variety of what Cho Sun Ok does best. You'll find appetizers, entrées, and hot pots which feed two people. But nothing is more famous than their naengmyeon (cold noodles). Once our order was placed it did not take long for our Banchan to arrive. Otherwise known as "side dishes," almost all Korean restaurants will serve several complimentary dishes of banchan to begin the meal and along side of the meal itself. This is typically when you'll be served kimchi (on the left) and other various fermented or marinated vegetables. These tend to serve a lot like a palate cleanser in many cases. In other cases they provide a kick of heat, just in case you needed a little bit more. I was impressed by the quantity of banchan at Cho Sun Ok - I don't think that I've ever been served so many different dishes before (typically it's more like three or four). Each one was different and I loved trying them all. Delicious! The menu states that "side dish refills are limited," and personally I have never asked for a refill of these ever before. However, several of our servers reminded us that they would gladly provide us with more should we want some. They were so generous and kind.

Our food arrived quite quickly and all at once, despite the fact that the restaurant was a packed house. We gazed over the colourful bowls and plates and began to dig in, sharing everything that had been placed before us. Starting with the Naengmyun + Dumplings (Cold noodles with a side of fried or steamed dumplings - $19.95). I had personally never tried this dish before and was very curious to experience something entirely new. This soup is made with thin arrowroot noodles in a slushy broth. Yes, slushy, as in icy. Naengmyeon is served in a large stainless-steel bowl with a tangy iced broth, julienned cucumbers, slices of Korean pear, thin wide strips of lightly pickled radish, and a boiled egg. Traditionally, the long noodles would be eaten without cutting them, as they symbolize longevity of life and good health. However, servers at restaurants usually ask if the noodles should be cut prior to eating and use scissors to do so - this was done at Cho Sun Ok. I had no idea what to expect and this soup was like nothing that I have ever tried before. I was immediately blown away by the overall delicious bold flavour of fermented spiciness. The slushy cold broth somehow worked incredibly well, in such an unexpected way to me. The broth possessed such an incredible depth of flavour, which I didn't think could be possible with a cold broth (for some reason). I loved the ultra-thin noodles, which stayed loose and were never sticky. The layers upon layers of flavour, texture, and sheer uniqueness made this a soup that I will never soon forget. I'm already craving more!

As mentioned above, our naengmyeon was served with dumplings. This seemed like a great way to get an appetizer while having it included with something that we were ordering anyway. Between fried or steamed dumplings, we selected the Goonmandu, which is the fried variety. I was looking for a bit of crunch. Perfectly golden and served with a dipping sauce, these were delightful. They seemed to be stuffed with some type of meat and were crispy on the outside and deliciously savoury and tender on the inside.

Lastly, we had to delve into the world of bibimbap - because how could we not?? We ordered the Dolsot Bibimbap ($14.95), a favourite. Between fried or steamed dumplings, we selected the Goonmandu, which is the fried variety. I was looking for a bit of crunch. Perfectly golden and served with a dipping sauce, these were delightful. They seemed to be stuffed with some type of meat and were crispy on the outside and deliciously savoury and tender on the inside.

Lastly, we had to delve into the world of bibimbap - because how could we not?? We ordered the Dolsot Bibimbap (Rice topped with an assortment of vegetables, beef and egg yolk served in a hot stone bowl - $14.95), a favourite. The dolsot type is my preference because of the way that the extremely hot stone caramelizes the rice and other ingredients within the bowl. It always arrives sizzling, daring you to take a premature bite. I always add a healthy douse of spicy gochujang sauce and stir everything together, dispersing the egg yolk and creating a good mix. This version was right up there with the best bibimbaps that I've ever had. The vegetables were fresh and we got such a satisfying crust going on the bottom of the bowl. It was an ideal situation. This dish was also served with a small bowl of clear, hot soup, which seemed a bit unnecessary alongside the rest of our dishes, but tasted nice nonetheless.

I loved all of the food and my entire experience at Cho Sun Ok. Even the prices seemed exceedingly reasonable! If there was one thing that I found myself longing for, it would be more bokkeum options. I enjoy wok-tossed dishes with authentic Korean char-aroma spices on a sizzling hot plates. But this seems minor given the amount of happiness that I felt about this meal overall. I can't wait to visit again!

AMAZING Korean food. Well worth the wait. The place closes at 10 pm, we got there are 9:20 and there was still a line-up. And rightly so, the food comes quickly, and it's top-notch quality. Had the dolsot bibimbap and the kalbi. They supply you with scissors so you can cut the beef, which is quite handy. The bibimbap was perfect and I seriously can't get enough of the sauce. Highly recommended.

Favourite cold noodle spot! I've had Korean cold noodle at many other places and nothing compares. Their noodles and slush are perfection. Be prepared for long waits.

Whenever summer rolls around, the first dish that comes to my mind is mul naengmyeon 물냉면, a Korean cold noodle dish. Many, if not all, Koreans either seek out restaurants that offer naengmyeon or make it at home to cool them off in the summer heat.

I am very picky about my Korean food and this is my favourite Korean restaurant in the city. I find them to be quite consistent. Be sure to try their cold noodle soup (Mool Naengmyun). Their kimchi braised pork tenderloin dish is also really surprisingly good (Kimchi Jjim). The pork bone soup isn't their strong suit though.  Their kalbi is good, but not the best in the city. Still, overall considering all of the dishes I've tried, I think they're still the best. At the more expensive Korean restaurants, where the kalbi has been amazing, the other dishes were poorly done, so I always go back to Cho Sun Ok. Before you go, be sure to check out their photographic menu (with descriptions) on their website to help you figure out what you want to order. Also note that this restaurant is quite small and they fill up very quickly during peak mealtimes.

We went on Friday lunch time and was able to get a table right away. The restaurant is busy and the parking lot is full, you have to wait quite a while for a parking spot. We ordered cold noodle which is their signature dish. Noodle has a chewy texture, the arrow root slushy soup was nice as well, it has a mild fruity taste and is quite refreshing. We also ordered pork bone soup and it was nice as well, not as salty as other Korean restaurants, the meat falls off from the pork bone easily. Unlimited side dish was also a bonus. I don't find the food to be exceptionally good as others who had reviewed the restaurant. But overall, the service was quick and the food was good.

Food is decent; slightly on the higher price end. I recommend trying the soondae blood sausage and the cold noodle. They specialize in their cold noodle! You get a variety of side dishes but they didn’t really stand out to me. Place gets really busy, so be prepared to be on a waitlist once you get there.

It was my first experience with a Korean restaurant. We ordered Bul Nak Jeongol (#40 on menu). The fun part was that they serve it with raw material and the heater, so that you will experience the food being cooked in front of your eyes. The staff and the restaurant manager will visit your table every now and then, stir the soup and provide you tips on how to cook it.

I had the Mool Naengmyun for the first time and I LOVED it. It’s a cold noodle soup. This picture shows it after they cut it for you because the noodles are very long. The soup was delish. Noodles were sweet and savoury at the same time. Wasn’t spicy at all. The portioning is also quite generous, I was full after my one bowl. Great for a hot day, definitely coming back to share this spot with others. Also if it’s your first time there, there’s a wait list sheet on the host desk. They leave it up to you to sign up yourself so make sure to get your name down. We were behind 3 other tables in line and the wait was probably 5-10 mins. Seemed very quick to us despite how busy it looked :)