De Chou — Restaurant in Toronto

Food Quality: 5 Stars Customer Service: 4 Stars Restaurant Ambience: 4 Stars Value: 5 Stars Overall: 4.5 Stars

If you're in the Greater Toronto Area and looking for a Korean restaurant that offers exceptional food, reasonable prices, and a welcoming atmosphere, look no further than De Chou Korean Restaurant. Tucked away in a small plaza on Clark Avenue, this restaurant is a hidden gem that offers a wide variety of Korean cuisine that is sure to delight your taste buds.

Upon entering the restaurant, you will immediately feel at ease with the cozy, traditional Korean decor. The ambiance is relaxed, warm and welcoming, with dim lighting that sets the mood for a comfortable dining experience. The seating is comfortable, with well-cushioned chairs that allow you to enjoy your meal without feeling rushed. The tables are also well-spaced, providing ample room for you and your dining companions to enjoy your meal in peace.

The service at De Chou Korean Restaurant is top-notch. The staff is friendly, attentive, and always willing to go above and beyond to make sure your dining experience is perfect. The menu is well-explained, with staff members willing to make recommendations based on your preferences or dietary restrictions. But of course, the food is what makes De Chou Korean Restaurant a standout. The menu is extensive, with a wide range of traditional Korean dishes that are both flavorful and satisfying. Each dish is made to order, using only the freshest ingredients and traditional Korean recipes.

One of the most popular dishes is the Bibimbap, which is a traditional Korean dish made with rice, mixed vegetables, and a choice of protein. The dish is served in a hot stone bowl, which gives it a unique and satisfying texture. The presentation of the dish is also excellent, with the ingredients artfully arranged in the bowl.

Another standout dish is the Naengmyeon (Cold Noodles), which is a cold noodle dish made with glass noodles, mixed vegetables, and spicy sauce. The noodles have a delightful texture and are flavoured with a sweet, spicy and savoury sauce that is sure to satisfy your cravings. In addition to the main dishes, De Chou Korean Restaurant also offers a selection of appetizers, such as the popcorn chicken, which are crispy and flavourful.

The portions at De Chou Korean Restaurant are generous, ensuring that you will leave feeling satisfied without breaking the bank. The dishes are well-priced, with most entrees ranging from $10 to $15 CAD, and the portions are large enough to share.

The only complaint about the restaurant is the limited number of side dishes offered. Customers are served only three side dishes, but they are all tasty and well-prepared. The Kimchi, which is a traditional Korean side dish made with fermented cabbage, is a standout. The other two dishes, the sweet potato and fish cakes, are also quite good.

Overall, De Chou Korean Restaurant is a must-visit for anyone looking for an exceptional Korean dining experience. The ambiance is cozy and welcoming, the staff is friendly and attentive, and the food is nothing short of amazing. Whether you're a fan of traditional Korean dishes or are looking to try something new, De Chou Korean Restaurant is sure to exceed your...

This place is super close to me and I’m really glad I got to try it out! Their menu is extensive and the restaurant is very spacious - good for any group or size 🙂

We got the Chicken Bibimbap, Cold Noodles + Dumpling combo, Jajangmyeon (black bean noodle) and tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes). Everything was super flavourful and fresh 👌

After we first sat down and ordered, they came out with a variety of side dishes (banchan). We really liked how they served a small noodle soup dish as an appetizer, and all of the other banchan were really tasty! My personal favourite was the broccoli and the potatoes.

The cold noodles were on the sweeter side, but they provide you with vinegar + mustard on the side if you’d like to adjust to your liking. 8/10

The jajangmyeon (black bean noodle) was super filling and even came with chunks of pork! Most restaurants will only give small pieces of ground pork, so we were surprised to see the big pieces. 9/10

The tteokbokki was one of my favourites. There was a bunch of ingredients like fish cakes, egg, and veggies, and they all mixed well together with the sauce. They also don’t skimp out on rice cakes as there was so much! 9/10

The chicken bibimbap was super homey as well, all the flavours combined were so good and the hot stone is a great touch. 8/10

I’d love to come back to try their soups as Korean soups and stews are my favourite!

We also met the owner or one of the workers there, and they mentioned how they are still under renovation and will be opening a BBQ section & cafe! Super excited for this.

I’ll definitely be back and highly recommend checking them out. I think this will be my new go-to Korean...

I was genuinely excited to try De Chou after seeing it pop up on TikTok. We headed over around 9 pm starving, but the moment we walked in, something felt off. The place seemed empty up front, and the only person I noticed coming out was a server lugging a mop bucket. When we said hi and asked for a table for two, there was no warmth in their greeting and she barely replied and silently led us to a table.

We ordered the jajangmyeon, the chadol doenjang-jjigae, and the popcorn chicken “deep-fried karaage.” The noodles were a standout! They were perfectly cooked, flavourful, and easily my favorite thing we ordered. The chadol doenjang-jjigae was decent, solid enough.

But the popcorn chicken was a letdown. I was expecting larger, traditional karaage style pieces not tiny, KFC style popcorn bites and definitely not worth a $12.99 price tag for that.

We never once saw our server again. No check ins, no “do you want more sides?”, no “how’s everything?” All she did was take the empty plates and felt like I was bothering her if I was to ask for something. It felt like we were there strictly to eat and leave not exactly what I think of as hospitality. Which is a shame, since I had built it up based on hype.

All in all, I wouldn’t recommend it based on my visit. Maybe it was just an off night, but the whole thing.. cold greeting, one and done service, pricey tiny chicken left me wishing I’d gone elsewhere...