The Famous Owl of Minerva — Restaurant in Toronto

Updated Review for Dine-in experience: (End of December 2024) When we arrived at the restaurant, we were pointed to a table to sit at. Menus were placed on the table, and we were asked if we wanted tea or water. That was essentially the extent of the service we received during our visit.

We ordered two dishes of bulgogi—one soup and one not. The first dish, along with the sides (bean sprouts, kimchi, and cucumber), came out quickly, but the second dish arrived about 10 minutes later. Both dishes were bland and overly salty, with very little meat and mostly vegetables, which was disappointing given the price.

As we were eating, the water jug provided to us was only half full. Because the food was so salty, we needed more water, but we had to go up to the counter to ask for a refill ourselves (we were being ignored). When we were done eating, we needed a takeout container for the soup. Again, we had to walk up to the counter to ask for it. We went to sit back down, as they instructed us to do, only for the staff to wave the container at us from the cash register, leaving us to fetch it ourselves. We also had to go to the counter to retrieve the bill and then also to pay (cash). Essentially, we served ourselves for almost everything except having the food delivered to the table by trolley.

There was also an expectation to leave a minimum 15% tip at checkout, and they made sure we did. To be clear, tipping in Ontario is not mandatory—it is entirely at the customer’s discretion and is typically a reflection of the service provided. Under Section 14.1 of Ontario’s Employment Standards Act, 2000, tips are intended as a reward for service. In this case, we didn’t feel any service was provided beyond delivering the food.

Overall, the experience was disappointing. Between the lack of attentiveness, salty and bland food, and the expectation of a tip for essentially no service, it’s not a place we would recommend.

Original 3 years ago review: (gave 3 stars): Ordered off of an app. Packaging was good, portion was good and food was ok. My Kamjatang though was very salty, only had one small potato (about a cubed inch), not a lot of vegetables and mainly just bone (not a lot of meat).

I do wish that instead of the cucumbers they gave kimchi. Even if it is a small portion. Korean cuisine especially Owl is known for their kimchi. There’s no option online to add a small side to order either.

This place was a good first time try via ordering online delivery. It’s nothing like the in-store experience prior to Covid. I’ll most likely only come here again for the in-dinning experience, once Covid has settled. Their in-dinning...

Dishonest restaurant. If u r a non-Korean, be careful about ur food. U may get a simple version of ur order.

I am an old customer. I like their cold needles, it comes with pieces of beef, veggies, half egg, and noodles. I almost go there every week.

Recently, I find an interesting thing. They may “forget” to put beef in your cold noodles. Last time I was with my friend, I recommended cold noodles to my friend, so we both ordered it. When I blended my noodles and realized there was no beef in it. I asked my friend to check her’s too, she didn’t get any as well. I talked to an old waitress about it, at first she pretended didn’t understand my words, I explained “cold noodles should come with beef”and then she went back to the kitchen and got the beef and apologized to us with “a professional big smiling face”. I felt not comfortable but I let it go.

Today I ordered the same thing. As my experience, I checked it before I ate. Again , No beef. I called a waitress(different one as last time), I said “there is no beef in my cold noodles”. She tried to fool me “Oh, we don’t serve beef in cold noodles ”. I said“I come here very often, I always order cold noodles”, I showed her my reward card with many stamps from this restaurant. Then she said “Oh let me asked the kitchen”. I waited for a while and she came back with 4 pieces of beef and apologized to me with “a big smiling face”. At that moment, I find their smile very fake and annoying. U don’t know what indeed they are thinking behind that smile. I didn’t say anything, and I paid tips as well, but, “one time is a mistake, two times is dishonest”. I like their food, but don’t like to be fooled. Won’t visit again. I ll give out my rewards card. If u r a non-Korean, be careful about ur food. U may get a simple version of ur order. When they give u a “big smiling happy face” service, check...

This place used to be a family favourite. I was a regular here for lunch with my mom, then later, with my dad. Though everyone here who comments here, English isnt their first language so I get it. I still empathize with their reviews. The issue here is their audacity to pretend to not understand the words that are coming out of customers' mouths when ordering and the consistency in seasoning their foods. It's either too salty or too spicy to our liking that we cant enjoy the order altogether. Regardless if you are native Korean or not, you come to this restaurant to fill your stomachs for brunch or dinner; not get the wrong order or seemingly selective orders (like how the one customer got the cold beef noodles with no beef because they "forgot"). How many years has this franchise been open? I thought by now they'd improve and learned from their mistakes, but I guess they just really take it with a grain of salt and ignore it because it's a family business at the end of the day and they couldn't care less about serving anyone who's not Korean. You're selling food to feed people while maintaining a business, not being racist and chasing away customers by being selective and rude to the entire Scarborough city. I remember that I always have a habit of speaking in Korean whenever I go inside Korean restaurants because I actually do know Korean and can understand dialogue. I just don't use it often and stutter a lot. I know the staff can tell I'm not a native but there is no reason for you to be scrutinizing me or bully me for accidentally saying something the wrong way or using the wrong term for something minor. I'm not pretending nor am I mocking you. I have severe social anxiety and I notice EVERYTHING in regards to voice, so one major criticism can ruin it for people like me to ever even try to communicate with you. WE ARE...