Daldongnae Korean BBQ - Sheppard — Restaurant in Toronto

Food: 4 Stars Service: 4 Stars Ambience: 4 Stars Value: 4 Stars Overall: 4 Stars

Our visit to Daldongnae Korean BBQ was an enjoyable experience, marked by some unique aspects that made the evening memorable. We chose to dine upstairs in the patio area, which provided a charming and intimate atmosphere. The patio was well-designed, offering a pleasant dining environment that was both airy and comfortable. A standout feature of the setup was the exhaust system positioned above each table, which effectively cleared the smoke from the grill. This thoughtful touch ensured that we could fully enjoy the grilling experience without being overwhelmed by smoke, which is a common concern in BBQ restaurants.

One of the highlights of our meal was the complimentary refills on the side dishes, or "banchan." These small dishes are a staple in Korean cuisine, and it was great to see that they were generously replenished throughout our meal. The variety of side dishes provided a nice balance to the rich flavours of the grilled meats and added depth to the overall dining experience. The assortment included everything from fresh kimchi to marinated vegetables, each bringing its own unique flavour to the table.

Our waiter played a significant role in making our dining experience smooth and enjoyable. As it was our first time at Daldongnae, I needed some time to understand the menu, which offered a wide range of options. The waiter was incredibly patient, taking the time to explain the different cuts of meat and how best to cook them. His guidance was invaluable, especially when we were unsure of what to order. This level of service really stood out, and it’s worth noting for anyone who might feel a bit overwhelmed by the variety of choices.

For our main course, we ordered an assortment of meats, including beef, pork, and chicken. Each cut was of high quality, and it was clear that the restaurant takes pride in sourcing good ingredients. The grilling process was both fun and engaging, allowing us to cook the meat to our liking. The flavours were robust, and the meat was tender, making for a satisfying meal. However, while I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, I couldn’t help but compare it to Japanese all-you-can-eat BBQ places like Gyubee or Shinta, where the value for money is more apparent, especially with the option of unlimited meat. These establishments offer a similar interactive dining experience but with the added advantage of not worrying about how much you’re consuming.

Daldongnae does offer a more curated and traditional Korean BBQ experience, which has its own charm and appeal. The focus here is clearly on quality over quantity, which might be perfect for those who appreciate a more refined approach to BBQ. However, for someone like me who enjoys the variety and freedom of all-you-can-eat options, especially when considering the price, I find myself leaning towards the Japanese BBQ spots for future outings.

In conclusion, Daldongnae Korean BBQ is a solid choice for those looking to enjoy authentic Korean BBQ in a well-appointed setting with excellent service. The upstairs patio area is particularly inviting, and the exhaust system ensures a comfortable dining experience. The free refills on side dishes and the quality of the meat are definite pluses. However, if you’re looking for a BBQ experience that offers more value in terms of unlimited options, you might prefer Japanese BBQ establishments like Gyubee or Shinta. That said, Daldongnae still provides a memorable and satisfying dining experience, and I would recommend it to anyone looking to explore Korean BBQ in the...

!!! DO NOT GO UNLESS YOU WANT RUDE SERVICE AND BLAME FOR STAFF’S MISTAKES !!! Me and a couple of friends went as a gift exchange and as I sat down one male waiter came to us and asked us for our order, we had just started to figure out what we wanted and he was hard pressed on rushing our orders out of us. After we gave out 2 side dishes and two meats he RUDELY interrupted me by telling me that we “didn’t meet the requirements to do order”.. huh? We tried to explain that because not all of our company was here and we were planning to order a few more later but he kept pressuring us into ordering more expensive items (most likely to squeeze tips out of us). After we received our initial raw material the male waiter AGAIN pressed us into ordering more food, with other staff placing many of the plastic plates near the heat source. Once we started trying to enjoy ourselves we noticed the plastic items were melting, and we went to alert one of the girls helping our table and instead of replacing it or anything remotely helpful, she started BLAMING us! The whole time it felt like the staff wanted us to leave and were breathing down our throats to turn off the heat and leave. Even after one of the female staff turned off our heat unprovoked, we had asked for them to turn it back on (as we were not done eating), the male waiter had framed it as him doing us a favour that he turned back on our heat. Excuse me? How can your staff turn off our heat and then pretend like he’s doing us a favour by giving us something we are paying for? Excusing all of that, once we went to pay the male waiter had to loudly announce how to pay via card and had embarrassed us in pretending like we were idiots in how to operate a simple machine. Even once I started paying he kept staring over my shoulder at the amount I was tipping (which I rarely don’t tip but did not want to in this case as this establishments staff had blatantly insulted us repeatedly), and audibly sighed when I wouldn’t give him my money for sub par service. Truly the staff here make you feel unwanted and make you feel like you’re an inconvenience to ask for any proper service. Ive been here multiple times and the staff had been decent but if this is who you guys hire then SHAME ON YOU! I will NEVER come here again because that experience had put an extremely sour taste in our mouths and I hope you get rid of the staff who handled our table because your staff treated us with nothing but vitriol. SHAME ON ALL OF YOUR STAFF AND YOUR...

EDIT 7/27/22

I came back with my mom & went upstairs. Service was great. I didn't mention my previous google review. I will be glad to come back again. :)

I proudly brought my friends here yesterday for the first time.

I've been to different Daldongnae locations & other grilled BBQ style restaurants, however, my friends have not experienced it yet, so I thought of bringing them here as I've had pleasant experience with other location at the same time, this was the closest one to us yesterday.

Food was great. Portions were decent. We got extra corn & cheese and bean sprout as requested. Truly happy about that,

HOWEVER, my concern is the female server/waitress. I'm assuming this is the same person described in the less than 5 star reviews below.

When we arrived, I asked her for a 4 person table, she was giving me the table by the door, which by looking at it, accomodates only 2 people or 4 VERY PETITE people. I asked if she has a bigger table as there are 4 of us. She walked us further to a table convenient for 4 people.

While asking for more meat, we were snobbed couple of times. We gave the benefit of the doubt, she probably did not hear us, but the whole time she was serving/assisting us, she just had this unpleasant mood.

The male server/waiter was fantastic. He had a terrific/enjoyable mood. He was entertaining us, when we asked for recommendations, he described each option available. His service was very prompt & professional.

Lastly, when I paid via card, she did not even ask if I want a copy of the receipt or not. So I asked before I left for the receipt. I asked the lady if I can get my receipt paid via Master Card with number ending is XYAZ (specific number). She still got it wrong. I have the incorrect receipt. I left & did not bother asking for the correct one as I was just done with her.

I would still love to come back to this branch. I just hope the manager can train his/her staff to give a professional & pleasant service. I felt embarrassed that I recommended this to my friends(who still tipped well) and they had a subpar experience.

I'm not the one to leave such negative & unfair reviews but I put this out here hoping my concern can...