| rev:text
| - Never listen to a non-Korean when they rave about a Korean restaurant. This isn't like Italian food that is so pervasive in our "Canadian" diet that ethnic background really doesn't matter. Korean food is something you need to have been immersed in - not necessarily raised on, but immersed in. If you are not Korean, but spent two years fully engaging in Korean food and cultural activities in Korea, then your word counts. The reviews received here for all dishes other than this places known favourite: naeng myun, were most likely non Koreans who saw the line up in the summer and thought it had to be a good place. Why else the line up, right?
Honestly, the naeng myun is good if you are into that. Anything outside of the naeng myun is just ok but nothing to wait in line for. So why the 1 star? The Korean restaurant experience is not only about food but the service. Koreans are of a culture that elevates the guest to a position of honour and respect. As such many Korean restaurants will provide little extras or "service" (free sides) when you are a patron.
However, I have never been to a Korean restaurant where the ownership was so stingy that they held back on the banchans unless your order made financial sense for them to offer the most standard and customary of these dishes. Don't believe me?? Read the fine print. They actually have it written down on the place mat at the bottom in small print. It basically states if you order certain dishes they will not provide you with anything but "select" banchan sides. I have never been to a Korean restaurant like this ever. And I've been to Korea, to LA and New York Korea town/restaurants. At first my partner and I thought we were being discriminated against because we spoke English. So I spoke Korean and asked why the table next to us and behind us had so much more ban chan than we did and the waitress pointed to the fine print an told me to read their policy. I couldn't believe my eyes! I went from curious to fuming. So with one look I must have said everything that I was thinking because a few moments later she came back with a full try of ban chan. A little too late. The damage is done.
This type of service ruins any good taste the food might contain. No offense to my lovely and charming Chinese brothers and sisters but this type of Scrooge tactic is something I expect at a Chinese establishment NOT at a Korean joint. If you think I am going to spend my money here for average Korean fare at premium prices and be treated like a North Korean being given food rations, then you have got to be kidding. I am not the smartest cookie but I am not that dumb either. For the rest of the people who choose to frequent this place thinking its the best Korean food in the gta , you go ahead and live that dream. I for one want nothing to do with these poor representatives of my people!
***UPDATE to REVIEW - May 30, 2013***
Sean P - the owner - sent me this:
"We gave you the side dishes after your complaint because on your prior visit, you complained then about not receiving side dishes. Please understand the culture before making accusations on a public forum about being " stingy", "cheap" and "discriminating". We personally do not care about the stars on Yelp as you will always have a disgruntled customer followed by many of the happy customers. Our volume of customers (often regulars) speaks for itself. I just felt compelled to respond to your outrages claims and hopefully shed some light on the tradition of eating Naeng Myun and why we did not serve you the side dishes you would have received with a rice entree. This is the first time I have ever posted a comment on a guest's review but I felt I needed to defend our restaurant's integrity and the Korean tradition. I really do hope that you will join us again now understanding our policies and the reasons behind them."
My thoughts on this:
1. He mentions a "prior visit" where I supposedly complained. This never happened, so it's clear others aren't happy either.
2. To clarify, I never said this restaurant discriminates to non-Koreans. I said at first that was what I thought.
3. My partner and I ordered Naeng Myun, Kal Bi and Tonkatsu. Even with tokatsu and kal bi ordered, the waitress still pointed to the house "policy".
4. He writes about how the unqiue taste of Naeng Myung can be affected by certain banchans. Then why not put in the fine print something to the effect of: "The house does not recommend...but, will serve should the customer wish it so"?
My review stands. Cho Sun Ok's menu is as diverse as that of Im Ga Nae, Ogeul Bogeul, Jung Soo Nae. The only difference is Cho Sun Ok won't give you banchan when you order tonkatsu or naeng myun while the others will. Cheap? Stingy? I have my opinions. You decide.
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