Traditional And Recommended. E: The food at Mot Na Son was tasty from start to finish. How I ended up there in a moment, but we ended up having the Grilled Mackerel and Spicy Squid as main meals. The waitress recommended fish and seafood as the restaurant’s specialty. She even adds that, ‘being Korean I would choose fish.’ The meal, though, of course started with banchan, which is the collection of little dishes served complimentarily at Korean restaurants. Spicy kimchee cabbage, radish, noodles, cooked vegetables and of course sprouts are par for the course. Ask for a refill and you get a refill plus a smile. Being a fan I enquired regarding Mandu and receiving an emphatic nod added that to the order. The waitress initially suggested the seafood pancake noting that “foreigners usually like it.” Reacting to our incredulous (but not entirely serious) retort, she reversed herself and quickly added, “I am a foreigner, just a permanent resident.” Ironically, she was so right. Liking Korean pancakes I was considering that very dish! I wondered if they have Guljeot, but the waitress was not familiar with the item. The owner recognized the dish and shook his head.
So how was the food? Mandu, which I am fairly certain came in a quantity of eleven small pieces, was tasty if a little uneventful. I like Korean dumplings and the red sauce they supplied with them was different than other dumpling sauces to which one is used.
The mackerel was large and comprised of three almost whole fishes. The grilled fish came with the bones intact, heavily salted and on a bed of lettuce. The lettuce was probably supplied as wraps, as is often the case with Korean food. My spicy squid was very tasty, if just a tad overdone, partly owing to the light delicious sauce and the accompanying onions and carrots. It is served on a sizzling iron tray. Both dishes came with steamed rice bowls included.
Separate visit and the owner suggested more fish. The croaker was tender, flaky and had a pleasant smoky flavour. The meat easily came off the bones. The Pollack was immersed in a light but tangy sauce and came in bits akin to fish rolls. Once again, well done. The spicy pork is served on another sizzling tray and is delicious again.
Every dish was delicious and flavourful, but never falling prey to heaviness, spice overload or tastelessness. Another time I had the Pajun and it was very delicious. The staff were having it too! It was supposed to be a seafood pancake, but was dominated by the greens like green onions. The Dock ('chicken') Bok Gum (literally chicken mixed up/saucy) is also good. I had it as a mix of spicy and non-spicy. The dishes come with a side of rice and even take-out orders get banchan. Based on this experience, Mot Na Son is a recommended restaurant for traditional Korean food. That phrase, “Traditional Korean Restaurant” is the establishment’s byline. For purity and decency's sake ignore the sushi and rolls on the menu of course.
The menu is extensive and offers both regular meals and Korean BBQ choices. Naturally, the snail, cabbage and tofu are They have a number of sets. Another set also contains food plus drinks. Their specialty is gom Jha Tong or the Pork Bone Soup (tried it and it is hearty). Naturally, it resides in greatest foods section.'
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A: The restaurant is full of Korean knickknacks and ornamentation, but is essentially a homey small space with room for 30 or so people. Two TVs were tuned to Korean drama and music. On a separate visit Kpop was on the screens, but the audio was supplied from a separate source and was playing a bevy of Western elevator music. Kpop fans could be another customer base for this small restaurant!
There are lit candles on every table as are potpourri and small vases. Next to the tables the owner has placed barrels on which he has placed menus.
The restaurant is across from a small cemetery. How cool is that? Goth fans take note.
The washroom is in the basement of the restaurant. Apparently, a sign in the washroom states something like 'please put toilet paper in the garbage can and luck will come sooner or later.' Hey, let's use superstition to our advantage!
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T: The restaurant has one waitress, but is not too large for one person to handle. The owner is there as well and will step in if needed. The banchan, water and meal arrived in reasonable time despite it being a mom and pop outfit with only one cook. The owners obviously care for their clients and business. The owner even offered free fish to us on the second visit, which is something we, in the interest of fairness, would not take advantage of. Nonetheless, his passion and hospitality is obvious.
One shouldn't take advantage of a small business. Fortune 1,000 on the other hand: I would gladly steal from them and call myself Robin Hood.
The banchan refill also arrived pronto.
All requests were fulfilled quickly. Parking is a few doors up or on the street, but is not free before 9:00. Incidentally, the restaurant is open seven days a week until no less than 1:00 am.
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S: The waitress, Min, was friendly and accommodating. She loved her job and was happy to be there. She asserts, “I like this restaurant.” We were served warm tea in a flask at first. When we asked for cold water, she repeated, “warm water” They have a liking for serving warm to hot water. Could it be an autumn habit?
Different visit and Lee Eun Seong was friendly and kept up the restaurant's homey and happy standards.
The restaurant was barely busy at 7:00 PM, but was almost filled at 9:00. That was unusual for a Canadian dinner setting. The interior was almost hot by then. The customers were mostly Koreans with a majority being Korean friends or couples. Aside from us one non-Korean male entered with two Korean women. The 'An-Nyoungs' were flying around. A group of four Koreans comprised of two couples occupied a table, spoke with the waitress and the owner in English, ordered in English and went back to speaking in Korean amongst themselves.
Later the three staff members, the owner operator couple and Min who is not related to them, began dining as well before being joined by a non-customer friend.
The restaurant offers delicious food, cosy atmosphere and friendly service. I was there with a friend whom I see once a year, and who now resides in the Middle East, and as such was not certain would be amenable to Korean food. He was and so we headed to the epicentre of Korean Toronto. On this corner the choice was twofold: Mot Na Son or a “fusion” Korean restaurant across the street. Traditional Korean was apparently the right choice.
The restaurant’s name means ‘cracked hands’ and is an idiom meaning a ‘hard worker’ or ‘expert worker.’ Having received this explanation from owner Lee Chris (whose wife Sunny is the conjurer in the kitchen and like her husband is vegetarian) and judging by the food and service the monicker is fulfilled.
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