Besides the popular choice of Korean BBQ, I haven’t truly explored all that is Korean cuisine. It wasn’t until I stepped foot into Ka Chi Korean Restaurant that I explored the many other options that Korean cuisine has to offer! Located at 8 St Andrew Street, this secluded spot is truly a hidden gem.

I actually liked that Ka Chi was situated in a house, only because when you enter, you were not only greeted by the savoury aromas of the food, but a feeling of home. I was personally greeted by the owner of the restaurant, Alyssa, who welcomes my guest and I with a smile on her face and proceeded to take us to our table. I could see that she would interact with all her patrons in the restaurant and make sure that everyone was satisfied with their meals, which is always a great thing to have! I realize a lot of restaurants don’t really have its owners interacting with their customers too often, but those who do definitely create great rapport and add to the dining experience for anyone visiting or living in Toronto!

When we were seated, immediately some hot tea was served to the table in a decently sized tea kettle. We were also served traditional Korean soda pop called Milkis, which we got in Strawberry flavour along with Milk and Yogurt flavour. I really enjoyed these because it tasted similarly to Cream Soda pop and Sprite, all of which are my popular choices for pop!

Just like in Korea, the utensils were all metallic and enclosed in their own little box – the cutlery was polished and the restaurant in general was very well kept. Once my partner and I had placed our order, we were greeted with some side dishes and traditional Korean rice. The sides included my favourite bean sprouts, seaweed, potatoes, kimchi and glass noodles. All added some beautiful colours (as well as tastes!) to the table that night.

Shortly after, we were served our two soups for the night. Boiling hot in temperature and appearing visually stunning, our Pork Bone Soup and Spicy Beef and Vegetable Soup were delicacies during our time at Ka Chi. The Pork Bone Soup had the perfect taste, and I am always a fan of clear soups in general. I also really appreciated the freshness of the vegetables that were in the soup, along with the potatoes which added a nice touch to the textures of the dish. However, I was not a fan of how large the Pork Bone was, because it took up a large portion of the bowl, which may have ruined my experience later on while eating because I was so focused on maneuvering around the bone to eat (there was also a lot of meat to go through as well on this bone!). Overall though, this soup was definitely a treat!

On the other hand, my partner’s bowl of Spicy Beef and Vegetable Soup held no complaints. Having this soup was a plus for him, especially because he was feeling rather sick from the cold we were having in Toronto! Ka Chi’s Spicy Beef and Vegetable Soup really hit the spot on this cold night in Toronto.

On the table as well, we had also gotten Stir Fried Noodles with Beef and Vegetables along with a famous dish of Bulgogi. I must say my favourite selection at Ka Chi was the Stir Fried Noodles – something about it truly made my night! The udon noodles stir fried were very tasty and had good proportions of vegetables and meats in my opinion. It also helped that it was served on a hot plate, because it kept the temperature of the noodles high – an important element for stir fry!

In addition, the Bulgogi was done very well, holding delightful flavours and having the perfect texture for chewing. However, the one thing that I would say was a fault for this dish was the rice-to-bulgogi ratio; there was just far too much rice on the plate considering the amount of beef that was given to us.

All in all, Ka Chi was truly a treat. Not only was service friendly and the food arrived at a very speedy pace, but it was overall delicious! I would definitely recommend my fellow Foodie Utopians to try out Ka Chi at St. Andrew Street if you’re looking for a traditional variety of Korean food as oppose to your grilled Korean BBQ style dinner.

For more information on Ka Chi and what they may have to offer – take a visit to their website: https://kachikoreanrestauranttoronto.ca/

Ratings

Plating – ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ 

Ambiance – ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡  

Taste – ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡   

Service – ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡