Cibo Wine Bar King West

Cibo Wine Bar is one of Toronto’s popular Italian restaurant. Their menu focuses on old-school rustic Italian dishes featuring traditional and modern staples along with a vast variety of wine that are displayed in their glass cellar in the middle the room. The modern and casual atmosphere of the place has made it one of Toronto’s popular nightlife spot. 

Grilled Octopus CA$24 | 8.5/10

Mixed Greens, Raddichio, Purple Potato, Green Beans, Fried Capers, Lemon Juice.

The octopus was nicely cooked with firm texture but still soft and tender. The meat was very easy to cut and chew and has that hint of smokiness from the grill. The seasoning was also nicely done with the flavors blending together quite well. For the veggies, the purple potato and green beans were also well cooked and seasoned. The highlight of the dish for me was the fried capers. The crispy, salty and vinegary capers gave a really refreshing kick to the dish.

Pizza Americana CA$22

Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella, Pepperoni, Mushroom, Green Peppers.

My friend ordered this pizza and I didn’t get to try it. But he finished the whole pan so I’m guessing it’s probably good.

Seafood Linguine with Tomato Sauce CA$30 | 7.5/10

Fresh Clams, Mussels, Calamari, Tiger Shrimp, Light Tomato Sauce.

The pasta was al dente, the seafood was fresh, and the sauce was light and not too heavy.

Seafood Linguine with White Wine Sauce CA$30 | 7.5/10

Fresh Clams, Mussels, Calamari, Tiger Shrimp, Light White Wine Sauce.

The pasta was al dente, the seafood was fresh, and the sauce was light and not too heavy. The pasta portion was pretty generous too. I ended up having some leftovers pasta because I was so full. 

Service was pretty great at this place with the food being served not long after our order was placed. Our server was friendly, periodically checking in with us if we need anything. The place is a bit loud though with music blaring in the background (it’s a bar after all), but the ambience of the place is pretty nice with plenty of seatings available around the restaurant.

 

Cibo Wine Bar King West

Address: 522 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1L7, Canada
Telephone: +1 416-504-3939
Hours: Mon-Wed 11:30am-12:00am | Thu-Fri 11:30am-02:00am | Sat 11:00am-02:00am | Sun 11:00am-12:00 am

Instagram: @cibo_winebar
Menu

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Ido Gomtang • 이도곰탕 계동 직영점

Ido Gomtang (이도곰탕 계동 직영점) is a Korean restaurant that specializes in Korean beef soup (한우곰탕). If you’re not familiar with this particular Korean dish, gomtang (곰탕)—or beef bone soup—is a Korean hearty soup made by slowly simmering various beef parts on a low flame. The result is clear beef broth with a rich and hearty taste and served with thinly sliced beef and rice. Gomtang is commonly eaten with kimchi and kkakdugi (깍두기 or cubed radish kimchi).

The secret recipe that Ido Gomtang uses is supposedly made by a Doctor of Oriental Medicine who was the 18th grandchild of King Sejong and has been passed on through three generations (at least that’s what’s written on the ‘About Page’ of the restaurant on Naver). As a result, the soup of their signature Hanwoo Gomtang (한우 곰탕) is a clean and rich broth with deep flavors.

Located 175 meters away from the famous Cafe Onion Anguk, Ido Gomtang’s entrance is quite hidden from the main Gye-dong street. But after you turn left on the alleyway where it’s located, you’ll immediately see the entrance to the restaurant in front of you (see the last photo of this post).

The interior of the restaurant is pretty simple and modern. The kind of place that office workers frequent for a quick, no frills, healthy lunch where they can just come, get their food quickly and go back to their busy day. And I’ve actually encountered many people from this certain group during the multiple times I was there. 

Their menu is pretty straight forward too. There are only 3 items on the board:

1. Gomtang (곰탕) :  Thinly sliced beef served in clear beef broth with chopped onions.
   Regular Gomtang with Rice (곰탕) ₩13,000
   Large Gomtang with Rice (특곰탕) ₩16,000
   Regular Gomtang with Rice Noodles (쌀면곰탕) ₩13,000
   Large Gomtang with Rice Noodles (특쌀면곰탕) ₩16,000
   

2. Beef Suyuk (수육) ₩49,000 — Thin boiled beef slices served with mushrooms, chives, and Napa cabbage in a pot of broth. Served with a side of the Spicy Raw Pollack Salad (명태회무침).

3. Spicy Raw Pollack Salad (명태회무침) ₩9,000

*There has been a ₩1,000 increase in price for each menu since I took the photo below.

Gomtang (곰탕) ₩13,000 | 9/10

The menu that I always order is the regular gomtang. The regular portion is pretty generous and enough to fill my stomach for one meal. The broth of the gomtang is light yet savory with that deep beef flavor you get from boiling beef for a long period of time. It’s very comforting with subtle hints of the chopped onions mixed in the soup. 

Unlike seolleongtang (설렁탕 Korean Ox Bone Soup) which you have to seasoned the soup yourself before eating it, gomtang’s soup is already seasoned when served. It’s more like galbitang (갈비탕 Beef Short Ribs Soup) but without the hassle of taking the meat off of the bones. And Ido Gomtang’s soup is always nicely seasoned and served pipping hot with soft and tender sliced meat and well-cooked rice. They also provide you with dipping sauce and wasabi on the side for you to dip your meat into (and yes, you should dip it if you want to add another layer of flavor into the dish).

Also, a little bit of disclaimer, if you came from Southeast Asian countries, the flavor of gomtang might not be as strong or bold as soups in your country since Southeast Asian food tend to have bolder seasoning and flavor profile in my opinion.

Their kimchi and kkakdugi are also really good. They are on the spicier side for my personal taste, but the flavors are wonderful and they give a nice acidity to the bite when eaten with the gomtang.

Ido Gomtang Gyedong is probably one of the restaurant I visit quite often every time I’m in Seoul. Due to its location, I usually ended up frequenting this place when I have to meet up with family or friends who are visiting Seoul for the first time since it’s close to Anguk Station (안국역) and Bukchon Hanok Village (북촌한옥마을, a popular tourist spot for first-time visitors in Seoul). This restaurant has also become one of my go to place every time anybody ask me for a restaurant recommendation around Bukchon Hanok Village. And pretty much everybody—both adults and kids—who I’ve taken or recommended this place to said they like the gomtang. If you go with a big group, I would also recommend the suyuk since it’s also delicious.

If you’re looking for a simple, hearty and comforting meal around Anguk Station, Cafe Onion Anguk or Bukchon Hanok Village, I would definitely recommend you to check this place out. 

 

Ido Gomtang (이도곰탕 계동 직영점)

Address: 서울 종로구 계동길 33-8
Telephone: 02-762-0524
Hours: Mon-Fri 10:00-22:00 | Sat & Sun 10:00-21:00

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PAI Uptown

PAI is a Thai restaurant chain in Toronto that serves menu which focuses on authentic northern Thai cuisine with international influence. The chain is run by Thai-born chef Nuit Regular and her husband chef Jeff Regular who own multiple Thai restaurants in the city. The duo are considered as the pioneers who popularized Thai cuisines in Toronto. Following the success of their first eat-in downtown location, they opened PAI Uptown in late 2020 at Yonge St.

When you enter through the unassuming door on the street level, walk up the stairs to the second floor and you’ll find yourself inside the spacious PAI Uptown restaurant. You’ll then be greeted by the host who will lead you to the dining area where yellow lantern-like lamps that are hanging from the high ceiling, giving the restaurant a warm glow and a somewhat intimate atmosphere. The restaurant is decorated with wooden floorings and furnitures with colorful walls and faux facade of buildings decoration surrounding the space. The setup makes you feel like you’re dining at a busy festive outdoor night market, especially with the live band playing on the stage at one corner of the room. The casual, laid-back and quirky vibe of the place makes it a great hang out spot to catch up with friends over some Thai food and a drink or two.

Spring Rolls $14 | 8/10

Three deep-fried vegetarian wheat paper wraps filed with mushrooms, glass noodles, and carrots, served with a sweet and spicy Thai chili sauce.

Crispy thin wraps with generous fillings. The fillings were nicely seasoned as well and tasted pretty authentic. Really enjoyed this appetizer as the opening of our meal.

Shrimp Pad See Ew $25.5 | 7/10

Stir-fried hand-cut rice noodles with sweet soy sauce, Chinese broccoli, egg and shrimp.

The dish is nicely cooked but the flavor profile was a bit different from what I usually have back in Asia. I think the flavor is on the lighter side and not as bold for my personal preference. But the individual ingredients were fresh and it still tasted good. Plus the portion was pretty generous.

Chef Nuit Shrimp Pad Thai $25 | 7/10

Red-flame stir-fried rice noodles in a house-made tamarind-palm sugar sauce with shrimp, beansprouts, tofu egg chives, long leaf coriander, shredded cabbage, fresh lime, and house-roasted peanuts.

Same comments as the Pad See Ew for the Pad Thai as well. Nicely cooked dish with fresh ingredients, flavor twist and generous portion.

Chicken Gaeng Massaman $22.5

Chicken in peanut and tamarind curry with coconut milk potatoes and white onions and topped with deep-fried crispy shallots. Served with steamed jasmine nice.

This was actually my friend’s order and I didn’t get to try it. But it is his favorite menu to order every time he came to visit. Their curry is supposedly good according to my friends who frequent this place. 

Overall, the food tasted good but you can definitely taste the international influence on these northern Thai cuisines. I’m by no means an expert on Thai food, but I’ve had my fair share of Thai food in Asia and the flavors are a bit different. And not necessarily in a bad way, it’s just different. But if you’re like my friend who’s missing a little taste of home, PAI Uptown can definitely satisfy your cravings.

 

PAI Uptown

Address: 2335 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4P 2E6, Canada
Telephone: +16479465226

Hours:
Monday 4:00 pm–9:30 pm
Tuesday-Thursday 11:30 am–9:30 pm
Friday & Saturday 11:30 am–10 pm

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798 Hwa Ro Grill Hongdae • 798화로 홍대본점

Located less than 200m away from Hongdae Station Exit 7 is 798 Hwa Ro Grill Hongdae (798화로 홍대본점), a small restaurant that specialized in grilled meat. The restaurant has 24 seats available, mostly table of fours except 2 tables that sits only 2 person. Each table has its own smoke exhaust pipe which help get rid of that smoky smell that you usually find inside a meat grilling restaurant. 

I found this place when I was browsing Naver looking for a meat restaurant around Hongdae just because I was craving meat. Didn’t have anybody to go with that day so I tried searching for a more low-key place that’s not too crowded or loud. After looking at the pictures previous patrons of this place have uploaded online, the vibe of this restaurant seemed pretty chill so I decided to go and give the place a try. 

Their main menu consists of different cuts of Hanwoo (Korean Beef) with set menus available if you want to try a couple of different cuts. They also have a pretty solid of side menu that you can order to pair with your meat selections. 

Set C C세트 (400g) ₩59,000

Wet Aged Hanwoo Sirloin, Short Ribs, Chuck Flap Tail, Top Blade
한우숙성등심, 꽃갈비살, 살치살, 부채살

I ended up ordering Set C which consisted of 4 different cuts of meat: Wet Aged Hanwoo Sirloin, Ribs, Chuck Flap Tail, and Top Blade which were served from left to right in that order. If you were to order this set, I would suggest to eat the meat from right to left because that way, you’ll start with the more leaner cuts to the juicier ones. But if you like leaner cuts more, then you should start from left to right.

Wet Aged Hanwoo Sirloin 한우숙성등심 | 8.5/10

I personally prefer juicier meat so my most favorite cut out of the four was the Wet Aged Hanwoo Sirloin (한우숙성등심), which is the very left one on the plate. The meat was the most tender and juiciest out of all the cuts and I really enjoyed this one. 

Short Ribs 꽃갈비살 | 8/10

My second favorite was the Short Ribs (꽃갈비살). This was also tender and juicy, but not as juicy as the Wet Aged Hanwoo Sirloin. But it still tasted good though. 

The Chuck Flap Tail (살치살) was on the leaner side so it was just okay for me. The Top Blade (부채살) in particular, the texture was a little bit tough for my personal preference so I didn’t finished all of it. This cut was the one I enjoyed the least. 

Spicy Beef Ramyeon 소고기얼큰라면 ₩6,000 | 9/10

I also ordered the Spicy Beef Ramyeon because I was craving ramyeon that day and this ramyeon was actually better than what I expected. The broth was really flavorful with deep flavors and smokiness from the beef. And the toppings and portion were pretty generous. I did request a less spicy version (which just meant less red pepper powder) since I can’t really eat very spicy dish and the chef accommodated my request which I really appreciate. Definitely recommend this Beef Ramyeon if you ever come to this restaurant.

The place wasn’t too busy when I was there on a Wednesday night. There were maybe 3 or 4 other tables that were occupied other than mine so it wasn’t noisy inside the restaurant. There are photos of celebrities visiting the restaurant stuck up on the wall which led me to think that this place might be busier on the weekends. During my visit, there was only 1 staff working who assumed the server and chef role at the same time. But still, the service was pretty quick so it’s pretty impressive for a one man show. And oh, you have to grill the meat yourself at this restaurant. But all and all, for a random find, the food at this place was pretty good. 

 

798 Hwa Ro Grill Hongdae • 798화로 홍대본점

Address: 서울 마포구 와우산로29마길 6 반지층 b01호
Telephone: 0507-1362-0798
Hours: Everyday 17:00-23:00 (Last Order 22:30)

Instagram: @798grill_official

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Wui Tea House & Restaurant • 웨이 티하우스 앤 레스토랑

Wui Tea House & Restaurant (웨이 티하우스 앤 레스토랑) is a Chinese restaurant that serves Hong Kong cuisines that is located in Yongsan (용산) neighborhood. Stepping into Wui feels like being transported to one of the Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong. The dimly lit space is filled booth seatings for two and four, providing an intimate atmosphere and privacy for patrons. It feels like a place where a spy protagonist of a movie might be having a secret meeting to devise a grand plan for something greater. 

Staying true to the restaurant’s concept, the interior is decorated with green neon hanja sign, mahjong tiles, Chinese books and liquor bottles, and a projector that’s playing scenes from old Hong Kong movies on the wall. All these things will certainly remind you of Hong Kong and a nice touch to the overall dining experience.

First time I visited Wui was when I was craving for some Chinese food near the end of my two months trip in Seoul. Missing a little taste of home, I searched for a Chinese restaurant when I was exploring Yongsan neighborhood and found Wui Tea House & Restaurant on one of the search results. The menu looked interesting and has some things that I wanted to eat so I ended up giving the place a try.

I arrived at around 8 pm and the place was pretty busy. It wasn’t a full house but the majority of the tables were occupied with patrons that were sharing meals with their dinner companions over animated conversations and soft jazz music that can be heard around the room. I was immediately seated at one of the booth for two in the middle aisle of the restaurant and given the menu to look over. Their menu is designed looking like a newspaper and I have to say it’s pretty well-designed. I really like the overall layout and typography and it feels very on brand with the aesthetic of the restaurant.

Their menu is pretty extensive and even though there were so many interesting things I wanted to try, I ended up deciding on three menus to order.

Cold Chicken with Chili Sauce 구수제 (닭고기:국내산) ₩25,000 | 9.5/10

Sichuan-style cold chicken breast in spicy chili sauce and cucumber salad.
닭 가슴살에 매콤한 소스를 곁들인 사천식 냉채 요리

The chicken was tender and juicy and the chili oil was super delicious. It was spicy and salty and the dish was nicely seasoned. It was a bit on the spicy side for my personal preference (since I can’t really eat spicy food in general), but the spice level was still manageable for me since I ate it with rice. This was the first dish that came out and honestly I was really impressed.

Typhoon Shelter Style Shrimp 비풍당 ₩35,000 | 9.5/10

Cantonese style fried shrimps topped with fried garlic chips, dried chilis, and scallions.
튀긴 새우에 마늘칩을 얹은 광동식 해산물 요리

The shrimps were fresh and the size was pretty big. It was nicely fried with golden crispy batter on the outside and the texture of the meat was still chewy on the inside. The crispy fried garlic chips, dried chilis, and scallions were also really good. It’s savory and the seasoning was just right. Ate them with steamed rice and it was a really satisfying bite for me. Definitely another impressive dish that I really enjoyed. 

Hangzhou Style Braised Pork Belly 동파육 ₩19,000 | 9.5/10

Pork belly that is slow cooked in Chinese cooking wine and Korean yeast.
소흥주와 누룩을 넣어 오랜시간 조린 항주식 돼지고기 요리

The pork belly was the dish that surprised me the most. I’ve had this kind of dish before in the past so flavor wise, it was familiar flavors that reminded me of my grandma’s cooking during Chinese New Year. The brown sauce was sweet and savory and absolutely rich in flavors. Very nice and balanced sauce.

Now let’s talk about the pork belly. The dish was served with a side of scissors next to it so I was assuming that the meat might be a little tough. So I took the scissors and stuck it into the meat, expecting that it would require a little of an effort from my part to cut this thick piece of meat. But the second the metal blades disappeared into the brown sauce, I realized how wrong I was because. Oh. My. Gosh. The meat was very, super, extremely tender! They really did slow cooked this meat until it was buttery soft. Honestly, no scissors were needed for this dish because you can easily cut the meat with your spoon (although cutting it with the scissors did make the slices of meat more even and prettier I admit). The meat even fell apart when I picked it up with my chopsticks. The pork belly was definitely amazing and this was a really delicious and nicely executed dish.

Service at this place was also really great. I was served by (I think) the manager of the restaurant and he asked me where I’m from. He thought I was a Hongkonger and it led to more small talks after. During and after the meal, he ended up giving me a couple of drinks to try as well as desserts on the house. I really appreciate the hospitality and the kind gesture which made my whole dining experience even more enjoyable than it already was.

Zhuge Liang Baijiu 제갈량 백주 38%vol 빠이지오우 (諸葛亮 白酒)

I don’t know a lot about Baijiu (Chinese liquor) but this one was pretty smooth but strong for my personal preference.

Hong Kong Milk Tea 홍콩 밀크티 | 8/10

Fragrant milk tea and not too sweet. I liked it. Although I did taste a little bit of coffee when I had it so there’s a possibility that it was Yuenyeung (Hong Kong-style milk tea and coffee) instead of Hong Kong Milk Tea. Honestly, I’m not too sure. But nevertheless, it was good.

Almond Pudding 아몬드 푸딩 | 8/10

The almond pudding was silky smooth and overall it wasn’t too sweet. 

Flower Candy | 8/10

The candy was also not too sweet and has subtle flavors of flowers. Pretty interesting dessert and a good option if you prefer something light and sweet to end your meal.

The ambience of this place was pretty nice and relaxing, although it could get pretty loud during lunch/dinner rush. They also have different menus for lunch and dinner. During lunch they serve lighter dishes that are usually served at cha chaan teng (Hong Kong’s casual cafes/diners) and during dinner they serve heavier traditional Chinese dishes that can be paired with baijiu (clear Chinese liquor) if you choose to. 

If you ever want to try a great Chinese restaurant or delicious Hong Kong cuisines in Seoul, I would definitely recommend paying Wui Tea House & Restaurant a visit. Their food is one of the best food I’ve had in Seoul and I would definitely go back again next time I’m craving some delicious Chinese food when I’m in Seoul.

 

Wui Tea House & Restaurant • 웨이 티하우스 앤 레스토랑

Address: 서울 용산구 한강대로21길 25 한국여성단체협의회 1층, WUI
Telephone: 02-795-2125
Hours:
• Monday-Wednesday & Friday 11:30-22:00
(15:00-18:00 Break Time, 21:00 Last Order)
• Thursday 11:30-23:00
(15:00-18:00 Break Time, 22:00 Last Order)
• Closed on Sundays

Instagram: @wui.yongsan

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