Like omma used to make
What’s better than a home-cooked meal by mom (omma)? Restaurant Hwang-Kum (temporarily closed) is a great option for a taste of home. It serves the best haemul pajeon in the city—a wok-fried pancake stuffed with seafood, scallions and shredded vegetables. Mon Ami is another solid option with multiple locations for traditional Korean food. You’ll find classic dishes on the menu, from stews and soups to grilled meats. Located in the heart of Chinatown, Chez Bong has been a crowd pleaser for years serving up hits like japchae – a stir-fried noodle salad and jajangmyeon (noodles with black bean sauce).
Where there’s smoke, there’s BBQ
Korean cuisine is synonymous with table-top grilling. With a variety of meats, vegetables and awesome side-dishes (kimchi and different pickles), Korean barbecue is a definite hit with everyone. HOHO BBQ Coréen is a popular BBQ hot spot in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (NDG) to sip your favourite flavoured soju and get your grill on. Check out Seoul Chako or Sota BBQ in the heart of downtown – located across the street from each other - for their all-you-can-eat (or grill) menu and late-night menu available until 2:30 am. Kalbi Korean BBQ in Chinatown or Hoshi BBQ Coréen in the West Island that offers an all-you-can-eat BBQ that includes sushi as well!
KFC – Korean Fried Chicken
If you’ve never had authentic KFC, then these restaurants are a great place to start. DaWa is the original Korean fried chicken hot spot in Montréal. This modest little eatery offers a handful of varieties, but most notable is the “Korean Tao”—a Korean version of General Tao chicken. Off the beaten path, located in Verdun, Comon offers six different kinds of fried chicken – order the chicken in sweet sauce topped with scallions. Les Crazy Chickens in the South West offers a variety of fried chicken dishes that include, sandwiches, baos (sandwiches made with steamed buns) whole chicken and boneless tenders.
Quick bites
If you’re looking for something more casual, there are some great options of Korean quick bites around the city. Resto Mukja has all the Korean street food you’ve been dreaming of, from ramyeon to bingsu, they’ve got it all. Sam Cha often sees lineups at peak hours, but the food is worth the wait. Stone bowl rice dishes and stews are available but get the DIY specials. BBQ, chulpan (mixed rice) and JeonGol (hot pot) meals for two people are a fun way to dine between friends. Opiano is an ultra low-key casual spot steps from McGill University with counter-style ordering. It’s got the classics on its menu: pork rib soup, budae-jiggae “army stew” and kimbap, to name a few. Lunch specials and bento boxes are a hit amongst the students and office crowd.
