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!
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