Jin Dal Lae korean Restaurant – 647 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M6G 1L1
Country: South Korea 
Seating: Only indoor seating. 
Must-try dish: Spicy Pork Bone Stew (S3. Gamjatang)
The high: All the dishes are traditional South Korean.
The low: The restaurant is a very stressful environment in the evening around 7p.m. We recommend going earlier at 6 p.m. or later after 8 p.m. The servers are too busy to help guide you, we recommend having an idea of what you want before you go and watch the trends on the tables around you.

Full disclosure: Mandrea Bike either individually, and especially as a pair know very little about the mouth-watering cuisine of South Korea aside from the obvious fact that we both love to eat it. A solo mission without more knowledgeable guests was just what we needed to learn a little, and eat a lot in one of Koreatown’s most authentic places to eat. 

Despite the dinner rush, we asked our server for recommendations and were happy to learn that all the dishes on the menu are traditional South Korean recipes. She also was helpful in guiding us away from the more popular dishes for Canadian dinners (S17) Ttukbaegi Bulgogi – a marinated beef dish often grilled on the barbecue. We decided to be a little more adventurous and ordered the (D5) Beef Short Ribs Jungsik (for 1), which are meaty ribs dressed in a sweet and savoury house-made sauce accompanied with a bowl of rice. We ate the beef alongside the classic South Korean side dishes that are always promptly delivered to the table. These included Kimchi, a Cucumber Salad, Marinated Bean Sprouts, and three other bowls that were mysterious but delicious. 

The dishes came one after the other, giving us time to savour each one without distraction. The (B1) Bibimbap comes either hot or cold, and would be on the safer side of the dishes on this menu as it’s essentially a bowl with a rice base, vegetables and then topped with a protein. The eel was most appealing as it’s a lighter protein and tastes incredible after being grilled. Finally, the (S3) Spicy Pork Bone Stew was both the favourite of the night and the most exciting in flavour. A honking bone with slow cooked meat is the centre-piece in a sea of red, spicy broth. This would typically be a dish for the cooler months, but there were absolutely no regrets, and nothing left at the end of the meal! 

In case you were wondering, the infamous Korean alcohol Soju is available to drink, but it wasn’t in the cards for us on this warm Tuesday night in the city. 

Jin Dal Lae Korean Restaurant doesn’t take reservations, and appears to be consistently busy daily from the early evening until closing time. The crowd is a healthy mix of regulars, students, friend groups, and food bloggers, most of which seemed more familiar with the menus and the dishes than we did. 

Although we were happy with our order, we already have plans to return for more, our recommendation is to take a few minutes after being seated at your table to check out what the other tables are ordering. A popular dish that the majority of tables ordered is (AL4) Ohjingeo Bokgeum, which is stir-fried squid in a spicy sauce with vegetables. It looked and smelled tasty! 

A dinner back is certainly required with a larger group to taste a few more dishes. But until then, 빨리 너랑 먹어 (eat with you soon). 

Mandrea Bike
(Mat & Andrea)