Arisu – Authentic Mouth-Watering Korean BBQ
Koreatown and the Annex are crowded with Asian restaurants. In search of authentic Korean barbecue? Look no further than Arisu on Bloor at Markham St. While many Japanese selections including sushi are also available, the focus here is on authentic Korean barbecue..
There are many elements that make this restaurant of over four years stand out from the rest:
1. Both owner James Lee and head chef Daniel Yoon hail from Korea. Lee says, "Having a Korean owner and chef matters."
2. According to Lee, Arisu is currently the only restaurant in Koreatown to serve authentic barbecue, both in ingredients and method.
3. It’s also the only destination in the neighbourhood outfitted with Korean barbecue tables.
4. Much larger than the majority of Korean restaurants in the area, it accommodates 140 guests inside, with room for 58 on the new patio.
Authenticity is key
Lee came to Canada from Seoul 27 years ago, after majoring in dairy science at university, but his love of Korea and its food remains.
"Some Korean barbecue is not authentic. It’s about the right self-ventilation of the barbecue - air moves to the right or top - and the types of marinated meat used are important. It should be quality meats such as pork belly and Korean beef short ribs. Some restaurants are serving squid and lamb, which are not authentic, and their marination is not known. We immerse our meats for a minimum of two to three days in a marinade of soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and Korean pear," he says.
Grilled beef short ribs come off the grill tender and juicy, pork belly is sliced so thin that it’s crispy like bacon, and vegetables such as asparagus and enoki mushroom can be done as little or as much as you like, as you control the 'cue.
Beyond bulgogi
In the dining room, a stunning sculpture and table mimics a wood oven used back home. The booths come with a button that you press for service, also very traditional in Korea. But it’s his food that truly makes him proud. Many dishes popular in Korea can also be found on the menu. Lee says, "Korean food is much more than pork bone soup and bulgogi."
Fermented Soy Bean Soup, a bubbling concoction, satisfies without being heavy. Addictive Ssam Bap boasting thick slices of pork belly enveloped in soybean paste is interactive - you add a ball of nutty, chewy multigrain rice and wrap it in your choice of fresh-from-the garden lettuce leaves - boston, head, green leaf, endive, and radicchio. And watch as buckwheat becomes your favourite noodle thanks to the Black Cod Soba ($25), served warm with green tea. While the noodles have heft, they are by no means heavy. Served with buttery sablefish and green tea, it’s a delectable, well-rounded meal.
Health is wealth
Asmore traditional food and drinks continue to be added to the long menu of table hot pots and ssams, hot and sizzling stone pot dishes, and Hallah, Baek-Du and Secret Garden selections, Lee is trying to reflect the Korean philosophy of "food is an expression of medicine, coming from the same source." By choosing certain items, you can better your health, Lee says. "Our body and atmosphere is supposed to be the same."
Which is why he’s a proponent of local and seasonal foods. Meat is purchased from The Butcher Shoppe, and in the works, Paradise Farms. More local and grass fed selections will be added to their current roster of bison, Black Angus, and Kobe-style beef.
While many dishes boast healthy ingredients, Lee recommends eating as the Korean do and consume cold noodles after a meal of Korean barbecue. "It remove fats and cleans your system. This is why after eating buckwheat noodles, you should eat sliced pear or radish.
Raise a glass
In addition to lunch and dinner items - available in a three course set menu (Sunday-Thursday $29.99, Fri & Sat $34.99) as well as à la carte - you’ll find a number of Korean specialty drinks such as honey citrus tea, five flavour berry, red ginseng and Korean-style cinnamon punch. There are also cold aloe drinks, shochu, and Korean beer. (Hot tip for whisky lovers: While not Korean, a nice find amongst the lineup: Oban, not currently available at many Toronto restaurants, especially Korean ones.)
To finish the meal, Lee recommends a cleansing rice wine and honey citrus dessert, chef Yoon’s own creation.
Better than New York?
Lee travels the globe to research dishes. On a recent trip to New York City, he was not impressed, even with high-end restaurants in Manhattan. He says, "Ours is better. Theirs isn’t authentic.”
See for yourself.
Arisu
584 Bloor St. W.
416-533-8104
Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Also available: take out, delivery, catering and private function bookings.
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