Imonay House Restaurant

Came here for the (Cold Soybean Soup) a hard to find summer speciality. Absolutely delicious! Also tried the (Spicy Cold Chewy Noodles) which were also fantastic! The place is small but on the plus side we were served quickly and the sides were good as well.

Somebody took me here after researching korean restaurants that a vegan can eat at (so sweet, right?!). They even have a vegetarian menu at the front with all the meatless options (some are not vegan, so just be careful what you choose)
The banchan were all standard, and the girl working was extremely sweet and caring. She told me specifically which ones were vegan friendly and which ones weren’t, because if you didn’t know, kimchi is NOT. She made sure to check on me several times throughout the meal, which was unnecessary but definitely a nice gesture nonetheless.
The veggie dumpling soup I had was warm, filling and hearty. I loved it and was so happy to find a place that served vegetable dumplings! That is seriously something I rarely find outside when eating. My dining companion ordered the gamjatang and said it was just ‘okay, nothing special’
Generally, I’m super impressed about all the options for vegetarians at this restaurant. It’s kind of a small place and I can definitely see it being filled up quickly during the rush.

Reminiscent of the low level style buildings in off the beaten path food districts in Seoul, Imonay restaurant is also in a similarly designed building on Bloor St in Toronto. The unassumingly simple architecture almost looks like a pop-​up style restaurant that you might see in California or along a beach front, and that’s part of the charm of it: simplicity in its design.
I was introduced to this place by a friend who told me of the meaning behind the restaurants name. It means «Like your aunt makes it». Sounds like Korean home cooking!
The menu is pretty simple and straightforward, it’s no frills. It’s separated into apps, sizzlers, hot pot and soups and stews. I’ve typically ordered the Bulgogi, Kalbi (beef ribs), and Japchae noodles. The food is great. It is more expensive than the average Korean restaurant but the quality of food is amazing. Presentation also gets top marks, as does the service. Friendly and hospitable, there does not seem to be a weak point in their offerings. The fact that the restaurant is small only makes it a cozier experience.
This is the real deal. Go!

It used to be very homey Korean food with kalguksu (knife cut noodles) and chungukjang (smelly soy bean stew). It had gone thru few changes in owner and the taste isn’t the same as before and price has gone up over the years…

Crisis! My partner and I have been going here every two weeks, sometimes more for years. They are now under new management, and the quality has taken a dive. The chef and the menu are different and most importantly our dear Imo isn’t there anymore.
The side dishes aren’t as good and less plentiful, the dishes didn’t have that home cooked quality, and many of our favorites are missing. Not sure where we will go now but it’s time to find a new staple for sure! A sad day folks.

This was our FAVOURITE place, until recently. Apparently the place has new management since last week. We used to go here at least once a month, but do not plan to go back. They’ve jacked up the prices, aren’t offering half of the things (that are still listed on the menu), and the quality is awful. The side dishes used to be homemade and made with care, and now you can tell they are store-​bought. They aren’t nearly as friendly as Imo was. It’s really sad! This used to be the best place, but now, the overpriced, low-​quality food is just not worth it.

So disappointed, this used to be my favourite Korean place. When we arrived, we heard the waiters say there was new management/​owners. That’s not always a bad thing, but it is in this case. There were half the usual side dishes (which were okay but not as diverse as normal), and my favourite seafood pancake was soggy and the ingredients weren’t evenly distributed. My army stew didn’t have the right noodles, either. The usually helpful staff I was used to seeing were replaced by so-​so people who didn’t fill our water. To top it all off, their card machine was broken when we went up to pay.

Korea Town. You don’t know what good Korean food is if you eat outside of Korea Town :) And this place is one of the Top 3 in K-​Town. Small, but clean. Usually crowded, but the lady will do her best to sit you and make you feel comfortable. You can smell the amazing food inside.
The pork bone soup is out of this earth. If you don’t eat pork — your (great) loss :) The chunk of meat on the pork bone is enough to fill you up by itself. The Kalbi ribs are so good you keep gnawing on the bones after you’re done: D An entire spread of side dishes, and they all taste amazing and fresh, unlike some other places. The Kimchi Soup is probably one of the best you will ever taste outside of Korea! And they hand-​make all their noodles!
Amazing place! If you don’t like it — it is on you for having skewed expectations :)

Definitely a great restaurant and I don’t even know where to begin. As soon as I walked in, I was greeted politely and shown to the table. Tea and water was offered immediately from being seated. Decided to go with the hot pot pork bone soup with the Korean noodles.
Side dishes arrived quickly with the gas grill set up. The grill pan filled with the pork bone soup arrived quickly after filled with pork ribs, noodles, potatoes. Most Korean restaurants that I have ordered the pork bone soup usually came with very little meat, but was I pleased with the amount of meat in this dish. The noodles were unique as I’ve never had this type of noodle before. The noodles help the soup flavor well and gave of a bit of a chew which was nice. Side dishes was standard, but the only draw back was that it was not an all you can eat side dish (not unlimited refills). Service was extremely attentive as a server came to watch the gas stove constantly to make sure the soup didn’t dry out or boil out of control.
Will definitely be coming back to order the same dish.

Reasonable, tasty and friendly. Made my winter stay in Toronto so much better. And they give you a lot of appetizers :)

Had the kimchi stew here and it was quite good. Got it spicy and the spice level was manageable (although I could probably go a notch lower next time). I like that it comed with mixed purple/​white rice.
8 side dishes! My fave is the seaweed followed by the cucumber dishes.

Hands down the friendliest restaurant I have ever been in, like walking into a Koreans mom’s kitchen.
Authentic food and side dishes. Enjoyed pickled cucumber with the right amount of spice, all dishes we enjoyed were seasoned perfectly.

This place provided authentic Korean cuisine and relaxed atmosphere for costumers. It seems to be a family-​owned restaurant and all the staffs worked with each other nicely. But the menu was not as various as many other Korean restaurants in Korean town and the price was not competitive enough.
My friend and I came there at Friday lunchtime. It was not busy but full. We ordered one pork bone soup and one kimchi stew. Both served quickly and had 8 side dishes for each table. We all love the side dish — fish cakes, but other dishes were just so-​so. Pork bone soup was not very delicious and my friend thought some other places do better. My kimchi stew was not bad. I love the sour flavour of the soup but it was a little expensive than other places.
Overall, it was a good place to go but not worth coming back.

I really wanted to give this restaurant a 4-​star, but I was just so repulsed by the flies flying around me during dinner yesterday! It really ruins the ambience when you have 4 flies (yes, I counted) flying over your food and you have to keep fending them off. The possible cause of this could be the warm temperature of summer; the owners did not turn on the A/​C and have the fan on instead. The amount of flies made me question the sanitary conditions in the kitchen…
I ordered a small pork bone soup (they have two sizes — small/​regular), and the soup and the meat were tasty. Even though it came in a smaller bowl (because it was a small), the amount of meat was decent (I was still stuffed after the meal). Instead of plain white rice that a lot of other places give you, I was impressed that they serve black rice (the kind that looks purple).
Do you like side dishes? If so, they give you 8 different kinds! And like many places, you can ask for refills if you want.
Final verdict: I would go back, I really want to try their other dishes (such as the knife noodles mentioned here), BUT only when the temperatures have dropped and there won’t be flies flying around the table! :)

Best vegetarian bibimbap I’ve tried in Koreatown. Serving is bigger compared to other restaurants and comes with way more vegetables! The servers and the owner are incredibly sweet. The place is clean, but doesn’t have as much seating as other restaurants. It looks cute though, and it’s cozy. The décor isn’t so harsh, I find that other restaurants paint their walls a really striking colour and have intense bright lights. This restaurant is comfortable. Suitable fore dates, going out with friends or family. I will be back.

I’ve only had the pleasure of eating here once so far, but every time I walk past, they smile and wave through the window — they’re such sweethearts.
They have a lot of vegan and vegetarian options here, which is not common in Koreatown, and that they have so many good dishes is SO greatly appreciated by me, also it seems if you make it clear that you want a vegetarian meal, the banchan will also be vegetarian, something that doesn’t happen at other places. I have never had jjol myeon before so I have nothing to compare it to… except I know that I found it delicious, wonderfully spicy and very fresh tasting.
I came during the afternoon so it was quiet and the food came very quickly. I think what really makes it for me is the fact I felt like I was being served dinner by the Korean aunt I never had. Her niece also works here and is very sweet. Atmosphere is charming!
I have been talking everyone’s ear off about how much I loved this place, and I’m constantly craving another visit!

Guaranteed Hansik, in all its exquisiteness.
Real chonggukchang chigae … pieces of natto flavouring the whole ttukbegae …
Spouse’s pork kimchi chigae was very good — depth of flavour.
Panchan — «pan-​pan» (50 – 50, not overwhelming but its the food I am after, not the panchan per se).
Nice wait staff, quiet ambience, my kind of place.

I had the joy of dining here today and ordered the Gamjatang (pork bone soup), the meal came with 8 side dishes (fish cakes, kelp, radish, leafy greens, zucchini, cucumbers, bean sprouts and nappa cabbage kimchi) and a bowl of rice. I particularly enjoyed the kelp sidedish, but all were wonderful. The pork bone was tender and meaty, and the broth was well seasoned. Staff were very friendly as well. Would definitely come back!

I love this place. The service is always friendly and they make very wholesome Korean dishes. Very cosy and everything I’ve had here has been delicious. I love a good bibimbop and their version of the dolsot (hot stone bowl) is a winner for me. I’m very picky with Korean food because a lot of places use MSG which makes me feel really ill but I never feel bad after eating here so I know it’s all natural. I’m so happy this is only a few blocks away from where I live!

This was my second time trying Korean food. My first wasn’t so great, but this redeems korean food for me!
The glass noodles was delicious! The vegetarian pancake was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The noodle soup was good and steak and mushrooms was yummy!
Overall I think i’ve found my place for korean when Im craving it.