Odd Seoul

I am surprised at the people complaining about the service, because we found the service to be fine. Especially given how busy and cramped it was. There were no tables, but they got us seats at the bar. The music was maybe a little loud, but I enjoyed the 90s throwback that was happening. The place looks like a dive, it’s a total hole in the wall, with no signs to speak of, but I liked the weird atmosphere of weird, old «ghetto blasters» on the walls and pics of Arnold in Terminator. It’s random, just go with it…
But the food… OH the FOOD! We were told that the squash poutine was a must have, so I ordered that and the bulgogi cheese steak, while my friend ordered the poutine and the mackerel. The mackerel was served first. It arrived raw, on a platter and a torch was taken to it to sear the outside and that was it. My friend allowed me a bite and it was so fresh tasting, with a delicious marinade. Next came by bulgogi sandwich. Fresh, delicious bread and amazing bulgogi. Was very pleased. Finally the «poutines» arrived. I should say that it was not what we were expecting. I assumed it would be squash on top of fries. But in fact the squash was the fries. THey were lightly fried and covered in a variety of sauce «gravies» and scallions and some other stuff that I could neither make out, nor even see clearly (dim lighting). It doesn’t matter okay… this stuff was HEAVEN! Both my friend and I took a bite and looked at each other… and proclaimed our new favourite food.
Other people in our party got the wings, which looked amazing and they said they were and The Loosey, which was also proclaimed as delicious. So basically there were no wrong moves. The drink menu was very adventurous… more so than we were, because we didn’t take the plunge, although it was fun sitting at the bar and watching the bartender creating them. And splitting the bill for my friend with two others (her birthday), my two «tapas» and a generic alcoholic beverage came to just under $ 30. The prices are extremely reasonable… and honestly once you try this stuff… I mean, I don’t want to give them any ideas, but I would have paid more for that fine, fine food. I will be back. Need me some more of that poutine!

The atmosphere of the place was the average bar feel, very loud and crowded… But it was a bit too crowded for my taste. The tables and seating arrangements are very limited and very compact. You were very close to other people’s tables and when needed to get up, it’s almost as if you have to rub yourself against other people to get by which isn’t pleasant for you nor the people being rubbed on. That being said, the place has quite the wait due to the size of the place, so make sure to make reservations.
The food was overall good. The squash poutine was probably the best dish I had, hence why it’s one of their most popular dishes. So it is a definite must try. The kimchi fried rice was meh. The added hot sauce to it was too overpowering for the dish and was too much. It took away from the actual taste of real kimchi, in my opinion. The portion size was actually very big which was great! So if you really enjoy spicy/​hot dishes you’ll probably like it! So definitely check it out! I also tried the cheesesteak sandwich which was really delicious.
Oddseoul was reasonably priced and a great experience and will go back to try more, for sure.

Odd Seoul Hack: How to Pig Out On Korean Tapas And Keep Your Dignity Too
1) Spot the Hidden Restaurant: Like many hidden bars and restaurants in Toronto (Track & Field, Apt. 200, 416 Snack Bar), the seductive beauty about Odd Seoul is first in finding it. To help you navigate, when you’re at Bang Bang, peer across the street for an unmarked storefront. They open 6 PM-​2 AM, Monday to Saturday, closed Sunday.
2) Seating: The small space adds charm and character to Odd Seoul, seating less than 50 hipsters. There are seats at the bar, 1-on-1’s, or group tables (5 – 6 friends). No reservations, so you’ll have to add your name to the list upon arrival. Waits can be 30 – 45 minutes (but np, head to Communist Daughter/​Get Well for a drink while you wait).
3) Service: Cool/​chill but never discourteous. It can be slow, but this is easily mitigated when you know what you want to order (a must try: the sinful and borderline criminally delicious pork neck; see below). Because this place is so popular, I do recommend being mindful of others waiting in line. –Nobody wants to miss out on the pork neck while you take baby sips of your drink and listen to you whine about how you couldn’t get tickets to Adele’s 2016 sold out concert.
4) Vibe: A dive bar with hip-​hop and funk music, usually full of late 20’s to 30’s peeps. Hipster attire and moustaches are rampant. Wooden tables illuminated by Einstein light bulbs, which set a retro mood with a line of sight view into the kitchen (where the real magic happens).
5) Food and Drinks: Hands down, we come here for only one thing: the off-​the-​menu pork neck platter ($ 25). It is a succulent, sweet-​spicy-​smoky roast pork sections that are marinated in daeji gogi (Korean) spices, with a side of fresh and tangy bean sprout salad — perfect for 2 people. You’ll feel like royalty when this platter comes out, and then…
–Fair warning #1, the pork neck does take about 30 – 40 mins to prepare. Fair warning #2, picture the scene from the Walking Dead, where the zombies feast on some gory guts. Yes, the best way to enjoy this mouth-​watering dish is to shamelessly eat with your hands — and nobody will judge! –Other snacks are $ 5 – 20, and drinks range from good lagers and IPAs to crisp cocktails.–
Odd Seoul, a cloaked, Korean-​American snack bar along the Ossington strip, is one of the most beloved restaurants in Toronto. Whether you are a local hipster, Unilocal Elite, or new to Toronto, come here to eat Korean tapas and merry-​make; the flavours of the pork neck are out of this world.

Yummy ! This place is super good.
Small place and no resos here so the 30 – 45 minute wait on an impromptu Saturday night visit was expected. Went for a drink next door at bellwoods and they called us back in 25 minutes.
We sat at the bar which was kinda crammed but ok for us. One thing they could improve is to add hooks under the bar for jackets and bags — holding a big winter jacket and your purse while sitting on a bar stool while trying to eat can be a challenge.
The squash poutine is a must try. The mandu are so-​so. The kimchi fried rice was pretty good and a huge potion. The loosey was the star of the night. How can you go wrong with buttered grilled bread.
Cheap stiegl pints and friendly enough service. The bill was very reasonable (especially for the ossington strip).
Would go back!

Great late night spot. Hip hop music and the best bulgogi I have had in a long time.

Consistently delicious, the go-​to dishes being the Lucy, squash poutine, cheese steak sandwich. I usually walk out of there having spent $ 25 on myself and feeling satisfied.
Not 5 stars because: can be long wait, especially if more than 2 people. If it’s a busy night the servers sometimes try and rush you out. Service is hit or miss.

Came here a few times with some Co-​workers. Place has a cool vibe but a little tight for big groups. Music is loud and the bar was surprisingly not busy when I’ve been there. PBR’s on Ossington is a bit overplayed but it goes well with snack food. There food sometimes ventures off the path too much, but I guess it’s fitting with their name. Had squash poutine and wings, both amazing. Also shared the pork neck platter. I admit, I loved this dish. but the price?! If you even remotely know how much pork neck costs then you know what I’m talking about. That aside, I’ll come again.

This place is a tiny whole in the wall bar. But very unique. They have an interesting selection off their menu. All types of fun Korean eats!!! The portions are small but filling. The first time I went I had the prawns, very delicious. My friends had the loosey sand which which smelled great but too bad I don’t eat beef! All the dishes are very saucy. We got the squash poutine, very yummy. We also got the chicken tempura which was ok. Drinks were good.
I find the servers to be inconsistent. One
Girl was super nice but the rest are unfriendly and unwelcoming. Half of the dining experience is the service !!
Another good thing about this place is that they are open late and located right in the heat of ossington!!!

Odd Seoul was a perfect choice for dinner on a Saturday night out with my friend. Nestled in a low key location on the trendy Ossington avenue, Toronto’s favourite artistic corner chock full of bars and other hot spots easily accessible after dinner.
Luckily we got a table at this cozy 30 seater Korean fusion restaurant that does not take reservations. We ordered cocktails to start, I had the Bulleit Smash which was delicious and perfectly tart. Then we ordered a handful of the small plates to share — the Bulgogi Cheesesteak, Squash Poutine, Crispy Buffalo Tofu, The Loosey, Pork Belly Kimchi Fried Rice, spicy scallion and avocado slaw. Almost all were winners, highlights include the deliciously greasy flavourful cheesesteak and the perfectly dressed crunchy tofu. In my opinion the squash poutine was ALMOST perfect just needed a few more cheese curds (I think we counted 3) and a couple more crispy pieces of squash but apart from that it was flavour heaven. The Loosey was also a short step away from top… can’t put my finger quite on its shortcoming, but maybe the toast seemed a little dry and the ingredients a little too segregated from one another as opposed to its sandwich inspiration — the epic Big Mac.
Waitstaff was friendly and well paced between share plates… sometimes these kinda dishes get thrown at you and you’re in and out in 10 minutes. Or worse, sometimes you get 2 items super fast and end up waiting 30 minutes in between… not at Odd Seoul, they’ve got it down.
All in all we LOVED Odd Seoul, will definitely be back the next time I’m in Toronto.

Cool concept, but a very small space. I kept having to get up to let other tables in and out of their space. The service was attentive. The food was interesting and eclectic, good Korean fusion food. I wouldn’t say it’s as standout as other reviewers, but it’s well done. Nothing particularly stood out.

Korean-​fusion deliciousness in an intimate, exposed-​brick space with great music on the soundsystem? Yes please!
I’d heard many rave reviews about the Bulgogi Cheesesteak mini-​sandwich ($ 5) and I wasn’t disappointed. Thinly sliced beef paired gloriously with melted cheese on a bun. Yum Town.
Oddseoul’s menu is a mix of small plates ($ 8 and under) and sharing platters. Here’s what our table of seven tried:
Torched mackerel — if you like your fish on the pungent/​flavourful side, this dish is sure to impress!
The Loosey — like a mini hamburger on white bread (challah?) with fixins. Mmm
Wings — «amazing» said Dan, who hogged them all to himself (Love ya Dan!)
Spicy scallion and avocado slaw — Awesome flavours
Squash poutine — a revelation!
Pork Neck platter — was enjoyed by all (note: it comes with a salad that’s similar to the scallion/​avocado slaw)
Add to this a beautiful cocktail list and you’ve got yourself a winner!

Environment: Very eclectic environment, industrial themed.
Food: Such good food, we basically ordered every shareable. Our favourite was definitely the pork neck platter. I would say second were the wings. All the food is Korean inspired and was very flavourful and well presented. The mackeral was awesome cause they bring it out on a mini board and blow torch it in front of you.
Service: service was great, our server was very attentive and definitely helpful with our food suggestions, even though we basically ordered everything.
Conclusion, this little hidden place has great food, amazing music, and gets pretty packed later in the evenings. Definitely coming back!

My favourite restaurant in the city! Great price, great food, great music.
Favourite things to order include:
— squash poutine
— shrimp tempura
— O. S wings
— loosey
The avocado salad is pretty great too — it has a nice dressing. I’ve been here several times now and usually order the same thing. Last time though, we tried the buffalo tofu and it wasn’t great so I’ll be sticking to the usual!
Tried a couple of their specials a few times also, and they were all excellent. Delicious cocktails too!

Night out with the lads
Food, service, value: 4.5÷5
Ambience: 3.5÷5
Dishes Tried:
Ribs
Prawn Tempura
Bulgogi Cheesesteak
The Loosey
Among the best we’ve tried in TO this year. Everything we tried was delicious, service was friendly, ask for the daily specials.
Repeat: Yes!

Stumbled into this place before going to see a show at the theatre next door. Wow, were we ever in for a treat! We shared 5 tapas dishes, which was lots of food for 2 people. Our taste buds were exploding! Every dish had the most amazing and powerful flavour. The salad was to die for, and so were the prawns and curry sweet potato poutine. The waitress was super helpful and nice, especially since it was our first time here and the menu takes a bit of explaining. Prices are very reasonable given the quality of food.
I’m so glad we found this place. Can’t wait to be back!

Boyf was craving Korean (which he’s been doing a lot recently), so we did a little research and Odd Seoul popped up. Since pork bone soup sounded ZERO appealing to me with the recent heat we’ve been having, I was totally on board with Odd Seoul’s take on Korean cuisine, particularly the small plates/​tapas aspect. I love being able to order and try several things in one visit, although I will say I was a little jelly of the people who ordered the larger options as they looked AMAZING coming out of the kitchen.
Now for our visit! First, we almost walked right past since the ONLY signage is the little ‘I passed my Health Inspection’ sign in the front… very bizarre. We ordered the Squash Poutine, Bulgogi Cheesesteak, SO Wings, and Pork Belly Mandoo. The food was excellent, particularly the cheesesteak and the poutine — the unique textures and flavour combinations of both were fantastic. And all of this for under $ 50! If you’re looking for something a little different, Odd, if you will, I would highly recommend giving this place a try!

LOVE this place! I have been here three times already! You would easily walk pass it though. There are no signs or anything! Its a great place to hang out with friends. I just love the atmosphere!
As for the food, its great. Its one of my favourite places in the city to get small dishes. We ordered a couple of dishes.
TORCHED MACKEREL: The torch was pretty fun for presentation. The Mackerel was alright, it wasn’t my favourite dish of the night.
SQUASH POUTINE: So Good. The squash is crispy on the outside but o so soft in the inside. The curry on it is great and the green onions. Everything just works together in this dish
«THE LOOSEY»: I love this! its the perfect amount. I swear, they perfected the Big Mac sauce.
The only downside is the wait time!

exceed my expectations!
I was kind of worried about going here because of the different variations to the food, but everything I tried was amazing!
it was worth the hour+ wait since we had a group of six and needed a larger table.
we shared some of the food, and my favourite was the poutine! definitely will return again!
ps — the service was amazing, on point, very friendly staff!

This is the hipster heaven in Queen West.
My friend and I came here hoping to get some food after an evening of chilling at his place near by.
We shared the ribs. They where not bad but not great, a lot of the connective tissue was still intact and they where difficult to break apart.
The selection of drinks was not bad. The service was reasonable.
I would not come here unless craving intense hipster contact.

3.5 stars!
My absolute favourite things at this place was the Tempura Chicken with Devilled Eggs ($ 14) and the Spicy Scallion & Avocado Slaw ($ 5). The tempura chicken was so crispy and tender and the devilled egg was whipped to perfection. It was nicely paired with a bed of lettuce on the bottom and a creamy caesar like sauce. You did not need the sauce because the chicken had a sweet sauce on it already, which tasted amazing. The slaw was sweet and savoury. It definitely had a slight kick once you ate a lot of it, but it wasn’t really spicy at all (I am a weak sauce when it comes to spices).
We ordered the Loosey ($ 5), which was a petite grilled sandwich with beef, pickles, lettuce, and a creamy sauce. I think there were other ingredients, but I can’t remember. I felt the sauce overpowered the other ingredients and it tasted like a Big Mac to me!
Another thing we had was the Smoked Pork Belly Mandoo ($ 8) aka fried pork dumplings. I could have gone without this one. Nothing special at all. We also ordered the Kimchi & pork belly fried rice ($ 10). This was my least favourite dish. There wasn’t much pork belly, mostly rice and it wasn’t as flavourful to me. However, if you want to be full, the portion of this dish is really big so it will definitely fill you up.
One thing I got to say is that they had good attention to detail when plating food — e.g. they put little peppers on the devilled eggs etc.
For drinks, we ordered an odd fashioned ($ 11) and a keystone ($ 5). If you like a strong alcoholic drink that tastes like bourbon, but without the bourbon then an odd fashioned is for you! Keystone was nice and light.
Overall, the price was great and I would definitely go back to try the squash poutine, buffalo fried tofu, tempura pawns, and soju infusion. The place was very small, but the ambience was very hipster. However, if you go on a friday, expect to wait up to 40 minutes for a table or spot at the bar. They had this games area downstairs with a jits table and a darts board. I’m not sure if you could hang out there, but it’s definitely really cute. The washrooms are co-​ed. The service was okay. The staff wasn’t very chatty or overly friendly, but they got the job done.