ONNURI Korean Restaurant-chicken — Restaurant in Toronto

Was really looking forward to the patio dining here, but the experience was overall disappointing, especially since it was my visiting friend's last dinner in town. The food was decent on average, but the lack of service means I won't be coming back. It's too bad because I enjoyed takeout from here before, but there' plenty of good Korean restaurants all over the GTA.

PROS:

-Front patio is small (about 6 tables) but very nice. It's covered and well-lit. -Food came out fairly quickly. -Food was pretty good, though some dishes were better than others. My friend really enjoyed her kimchi jigae, and seafood pancake was delicious. Stir-fried squid and vegetables with rice was a touch bland - needed more spice and salt. The original fried chicken was only ok - batter was uneven and there were spots of dry meat. Agree with other reviews that wonder what the big deal is. KFC from Galleria is much better.

CONS:

-Serious lack of service. Being on the patio, it was like we didn't exist. It took forever for them to bring water, then to take our orders. We asked for a refill on our kimchi and it never came. They appear to be understaffed and there were only two servers taking care of indoor and patio dining, as well as packing a high volume of take-out orders. I get they are busy and that can be forgiven, but what was not cool is the unfriendly vibe to our table (they were joking with each other and other tables so it didn't appear they were in a bad mood) and being dismissed even when we managed to catch their attention. When I expressed this to the server when paying, she defended herself by saying she came to our table 3x to drop off containers to pack our leftovers. It's a weird reply/denial because she only came 2x, and she didn't even bring the bill, which we asked for. We ended up getting up to leave and I paid at the counter. -Even though we dined in, all the cutlery and dishes were plastic and styrofoam. We have not encountered this at other restaurants we've been to lately. Guess it's because of COVID, but seems unnecessary and wasteful. Our "plates" were the same 4"x4" styrofoam trays the banchan came it. The small size made eating awkward. -Unsanitary handling of straws/containers. The servers handed the unwrapped straws to us from bare hands, and they were touching the inside of the take-out containers (parts that touch the food). I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that they wash their hands regularly, but the practice seems at odds with their...

Pros: Good variety in menu Homey feel to restaurant

Cons: Nothing will amaze you here

My wife has been into watching a lot of Korean content on youtube and has developed a craving for Korean food lately. Scarborough doesn't have a ton of options for Korean so when we do find a place, we definitely try it out.

Onnuri is tucked away in a small plaza that you would normally pass by without a thought. There is ample parking in the back. However, it does share a lot with a banquet hall so if you come during a function of any sort, it might be tough to find parking.

I like the feel of this restaurant. It really has a nice homey feel. The tables aren't too close to each other. They're nice and big so you never feel squished. The washrooms were kept very clean and spacey as well. It was a restaurant, but it did it's best to not make you feel you were in one if you know what I mean.

The menu has a wide variety of Korean dishes to choose from. On the walls, there are daily specials to choose from as well. There's also some mix and match combos that you can pick if you want more than just one entree. Big eaters like me will appreciate that.

The food is here will get the job done. That's the best way I can put it. Nothing we ordered really amazed us. It will fulfill your needs but I think you will find better versions elsewhere. In the end, if you're craving Korean, this place is not a bad option at all.

If you live around Pharmacy and McNicoll, this is a pretty good option for Korean. It's probably the only option for that general area as well. It won't be the best you've ever had, but a solid option...

very poor service. I've come to this restaurant twice. Both times food was good. But the server is very rude, on both occasions. She's a middle aged Asian woman. I simply asked her what was the side dish she placed in front of me. She responded very rudely with "I'm too busy". I have food allergies and was curious what it was. Turns out it was a fish cake type side dish. I have a shellfish allergy so I avoid all seafoods when I eat out just to be safe.

But worse than the service, is the bold demand for tips. I paid $100 for a simple dinner for my partner and myself. I prefer to tip cash. On this particular day I didn't have that amount of cash with me. So I put the dinner on my credit card. I had a $10 bill in my pocket and as I was putting my cards away and was about to get that bill, the server goes to me, "This bill is just for the food. There is no tip included. I see you have cash".

I'm all for tipping especially in a restaurant setting. But I can't afford to tip $20, or made to feel uncomfortable for not being able to. Especially with the cost of the meal. But looking into someone's wallet? Immediately confronting me before I even had a chance to put my cards away? Very rude, very unprofessional. A tip is necessary yes, but there is a way to go about it. Forcing someone to tip a certain amount is wrong. In this economy especially, I know many Canadians can't afford to leave tips...