Makkal Chon

First time I tried this place out, it was on a Tuesday around 640pm, it was packed to the tits. I waited about 20 minutes to be seated at a table for 2; you’d think that this would annoy me, but it only excited me more — it’s got to be a good sign, right?
I got the pork bone soup, extra spicy, and it came out in 10 minutes. You get a bowl of rice, the broth was full of flavour and there was a ton of pork bone and broth. I wasn’t disappointed at all.
The sides (banchan) came out first, there were 6 little plates. We ate and loved every single one of them; our server never hesitated to refill any/​all we asked for.
The service was great, for a small restaurant, they accommodate to your requests and they’re friendly. I made a lame joke, today, and my server laughed. Automatic points; I’m hilarious.
It was so good that I came back, today, which was only 2 days from my first visit. This time I got the Pork Bone Stew for 2. There was more meat, 7 side dishes (banchan) and rice. Only thing was that there wasn’t as much broth, but we had a jug of water that we kept pouring into our pot; you’re probably thinking «wouldn’t that ruin the broth?» Nope, the broth was so potent that it was still delicious! Needless to say, I made that stew my b*tch. The
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Definitely worth trying this place. So glad I found an amazing pork bone spot in the GTA (not everyone wants to drive out downtown or to North York).

Delicious pork bone soup for $ 10.99.
My friend got the udon soup — wouldn’t recommend this as its too simple and bland.
Came with an assortment of side dishes as well.
Ample parking space in the plaza.
Staff were friendly.
Would definitely come back again. :)

I came to Makkal Chon on a Sunday afternoon around 1:00pm. They had just opened around 11:00am. We were one of the three tables that were occupied. The server came and gave us water. I asked for tea. The friend i was with has allergy to spices and everything they had were spicy. So my friend got a pork cartillage soup that was non spicy and i ordered gam ja tung. Our friends were hungry so they asked for the house side dishes. They only refilled 3 of the 6 sides. At the end, my friend complained that her soup hardly had any meat inside, only just broth. The waiter asked me to pay for tips when they didnt even serve us that well.

Had dinner here tonight and really enjoyed the delicious and authentic Korean meal. Their service was also very prompt and friendly. Located near Warden and Lawrence, there is ample parking. The restaurant is cozy and taking the advice of other Unilocalers, I decided to head there early with my family. Now to the food, their flavours are delicious and they seem authentic. There was a lot of care in the presentation of the food which had fresh ingredients and provided you with a generous portion. The seasoning in the various broths (my sister ordered a dish with chicken broth) was very flavourful. They provide many appetizers including rice cakes, seaweed salad and eggplant which I thought was a bit different but I enjoyed. I ordered their pork bone soup, having tried many others, this was my favourite. The meat was tender and fall off the bone. The prices are a tad higher than other places but the flavours are there and definitely worth a visit.

Makkal Chon is a homey, highly authentic Korean restaurant that serves up amazing food. At this time, I can easily say it is one of the best, if not the best Korean restaurant in the GTA. I haven’t enjoyed Korean food to this degree nor have I eaten so much Korean food in one sitting before! It was that good.
First thing I notice is that this is a small and cozy restaurant and therefore there was only one waitress. We came on a weekday for lunch and it wasn’t that busy. A common complaint was that the food took a while to come out and while that was partly true, it wasn’t that bad/​long. But I suppose that’s because of the time we went.
We ordered the wrap combo A and the grilled fish (which is turbot). Each $ 30 and can easily fill two people, the sweetest part is that these meals included rice, soybean stews, and stuff like lettuce and greens for the wraps combo. And they don’t skimp out on the amount they give you, as there was plenty of lettuce for the wraps. I can easily say this place has the best ssam I have had. You get your choice of two meats in the combo and we went with the grilled pork and bulgoggi.
You can definitely taste the quality here, and everything was so fresh and flavourful. You can tell they were delicately made just from how they look. The side dishes are phenomenal, no idea why the table beside us got oisobagi and we didnt… but every single one of them was great. Eggplant was my favourite. The grilled pork and bulgoggi were pretty standard but luckily they had some ssam sauce — very garlicky and soy bean paste based. Eating the ssam was a mess but a good mess! Sauce dripping everywhere, hands messy so try to eat that thing in one bite.
The turbot was massive and was delicate and flakey. The red pepper sauce complimented the grilled fish perfectly (although it can be pretty overpowering — so you might not want smother it all over and remove some before eating). Now if you happen to order ssam and the turbot as we did, I highly recommend eating the turbot as a ssam as it was phenomenal. But if you don’t like fish. then don’t try this.

Finally found a decent Korean cuisine in the Scarborough area! Everything on the menu is affordable, the pork bone soup was $ 10.99 and the side dishes were big portioned compared to a lot of other Korean restaurants. Everything was flavourful, definitely will be back!

I came here during dinner time after seeing such great Unilocal reviews, but holy crap the wait for long. I can’t blame them because it is quite a small (but cozy) restaurant. The poor waiters were running around like mad men, please tip them well if you go :(. The food was pretty average, it wasn’t anything super awesome but it wasn’t bad either. Their side dishes are impressive though.
I only one star less because we were starving but they kept forgetting to give us our side dishes before our food came. So we sat there for about 15 – 20 minutes with our tummies growling. Good thing it was quite loud or that’d be embarrassing: D the food is actually a bit pricier than other Korean restaurant, but I guess their extra side dishes and purple rice makes up for the cost. Any Korean restaurant that serves you purple rice automatically wins in my book

More like a 3.5
I came here with my boyfriend on a Friday night before the dinner rush started. We got the vegetable wrap combo that came with the soybean paste soup and two sizzling plates (we ordered bulgogi and grilled pork). The meat was great, no complaints there!
The vegetables offered were nice, huge assortment and plenty left over after we finished off the meat. I have to say, despite what the other reviewer said, I did not get any perilla leaves? I also notice that some people got bok choy based on some pictures listed here. What I got were romaine lettuce, green leaf and red leaf lettuce. Boiled cabbage, kale and, I think, rosemary? I guess what vegetables they offer depends on what’s in stock. I would have liked to try the perilla leaves.
For side dishes, the server arranged it into a nice 7 pattern. I was pleasantly surprised to see dubboki! I love it but normally refrain from ordering it when I go out because it’s usually overpriced on most menus.
The soybean paste soup was kind of bad. Really bad.
Atmosphere wise was really nice until the dinner crowd showed up. Because we were seated pretty much right next to the door, I kind of felt like I should rush and hurry instead of enjoying my meal. I think it would be smart if they set up a fold up partition or fake wall next to the door so the waiting crowd aren’t right there staring and a bench outside so people can sit and wait.
Overall, I think I’ll come back to try it again.

This place is a favourite for my friends and I for Korean food. Only place in Scarborough to get authentic Korean food. Though the service is slow due to it being family-​owned, it is worth the wait. The signature dishes to get of this restaurant are the wraps combo where you can get 2 or 3 meat dishes with the lettuce wraps. It also comes with a spicy tofu soup on the side. The best meat dishes to get would be the grilled pork and the mackerel. We have tried the bulgogi and spicy squid and pork. The beef bulgogi is okay but the spicy squid and pork is quite spicy for our palette. The plate of lettuce wraps also comes with a variety of leafy greens such as romaine lettuce, cabbage and kale with some other pickled leafy greens and fresh herbs. Their pork bone soup for 2 people is quite worth it and lots of pork bone for more than 2 people. We also like their dolsat bibimbab which is the Korean rice cooked in a stone bowl mixed with pork, egg, and vegetables with their signature sauce for it. It is quite good and great they make it with the purple rice which is healthier than white rice.

Found this local new comer on a whim and keep coming back for more!
I was pleasantly surprised by not one, not two, but seven, yes seven appetizers which were included in our meal for our family trio. Succulent eggplant, glass noodles, potato wedges, and seaweed, were just some of the items served before the entrée arrived.
My husband, who knows a little about this cuisine, ordered spicy Bul-​gol-​gi; a meat, vegetables and rice meal, sizzling on a iron plate. I was intrigued by the Bi-​Bim-​Bap, with a fried egg, beef, veggies and rice all served in a hot iron bowl. My daughter, who, like me was a newbie, dared to have Spicy Beef and Leek soup.
When our meals arrived, most of the seven appetizers were gone. Everything was sizzling hot and more importantly stayed on the cast iron plate and bowls. I hope this iron service catches on, as I like my food staying warm through-​out my meal!
My older daughter, who was not with us for the meal, only got the left-​overs reheated in the microwave. She didn’t miss-​out on our next visit two weeks later.

I came here with my friends because of all the Unilocal reviews. First off, I thought it was easy to find — it’s right next to PAT. So get your groceries done then go eat? (Or vice versa).
I ordered the ox tail soup. It’s what I typically order at Korean restaurants. Why? Because it’s delicious! Try it next time. It’s tasty!
I was sad to not see any clear noodles in my soup. I don’t know if it’s «supposed» to be in there, but in previous Korean restaurants, they all had it in the soups. It’s chewy and yummy so I wish they would add it one day! They gave us 6? Or was it 7 side dishes… which were also delicious.
Aside from the food, the restaurant seems small because it’s so busy. (Or maybe it is small). There was a line up almost out the door. We were sitting near the entrance so we had people nearly hovering over us, which was an unpleasant experience.
I will still go back to eat your food because it’s delicious.

Wow! Best Pork Bone Soup ever. The seasoning in the pork bone soup is intense. Bold, flavourful and rich, this is one of the best Port Bone Soup I’ve eaten in Canada. However, the ginseng soup was only on par, wasn’t too special.
This restaurant is small in size so be expected to wait if you are coming during a busy time but it’s worth the wait. The atmosphere and ambience fits an authentic restaurant, and servers were busy yet respectful.
The appetizers were tasty! They had a total of about 7 appetizer dishes which was plenty. We enjoyed the sweet potato and eggplant appetizer the most.

If you are looking for a Korean joint in Scarborough this is the place to check out. A friend told me about this place and the first time I went I was hooked.
There is a good selection of food here from diy wraps, pork bone soup, bimbimbap, grilled pork, korean short ribs and the list goes on. The food is great and easy to share.
Along with your meal various side dishes are also added. You may not like everything offered but you will find something you like.
Staff is nice and helpful.

Brought my parents here for my dad’s birthday and my parents have very particular tastes, so needless to say the expectations were high. Considering they are the only legit Korean restaurant in this part of Scarborough I was really excited to try their food.
There was a line up for a table, clearly this is a popular spot, and we ended up waiting 15 – 20 minutes for table for 3. Not a bad wait considering we didn’t make reservations and it was a Friday night. From here, the service slowed down a bit. I get it, they only had two people working and the restaurant was full but it was still frustrating as I had wanted this to be a really nice dinner for my parents. Thankfully, the food was delicious, I mean, really exceeded mine and my parents’ expectations.
We ended up ordering the Pork bone soup (the pork was fall-​of-​the-​bone good and broth was flavoured well), the kimchi stew with pork (not my fav), the Bulogogi vegetable wrap, and the grilled beef short ribs which I could eat endless amounts of. After I accepted the service was just going to be slow, I was able to really enjoy the food. So if you’re going here and they’re having a busy service just be patient. It’s worth it, I swear.
I wouldn’t recommend this place for big groups, unless you’re able to reserve a spot. The prices here are pretty decent as well.

Took my friend here for lunch for the first time. We both had the Pork Bone Soup and Bibimbap. Food was great. Only reason why I wouldn’t give this a 5 star is simply because it took them 15 mins to give us menus at the beginning. Pricing for food was a touch more expensive compared to other Korean restaurants.
Other than that, definitely a great place in Scarborough.

people tend to say it’s very hard for Korean food to be phenomenal, which I do agree but i must say i really enjoyed my dinner here on the weekend.
The side dishes here are amazing! I love the variety! It’s also very smart of them to serve different ones for each table — just noticing the different ones others got compared to mine made me want to come back next time to try the other ones. I’ve never been to a korean restaurant that serve 7 different side dishes, and yet still have a variety of others to offer.
Veggie wrap with spicy pork ($ 16)
This was really good! I loved the assortment of the Veggies served — it wasn’t just lettuce, but also kale and cooked cabbage as well. The spicy pork wasn’t too spicy, and went really well with the Veggies. My favorite combo was using the lettuce as the lettuce crunch added a nice freshness to balance the spices.
The meal also came with a tofu soup which i would say did not taste good.
BBQ short ribs (Galbi) on a sizzling plate ($ 20.99)
I must say it is quite expensive for galbi but it was well worth it. the meat was well flavored, tender and not super chewy like other places. The plate came with 9 big pieces, not with big fat pieces but all just pure meat which i liked.
Service was good — because it was packed we were seated by the front door but once a table opened they kindly moved us to the booths. The waiters and waitress were friendly and they were fast on serving you.
This place is like a hidden gem, I’d definitely go back!

Hollly YUMMM. Thumbs up all around. We ordered the pork bone soup (because everyone raves about it! And was not disappointed the bf LOVED it), spicy pork on rice and a veg soybean stew (note: they were super nice and modified this dish for me since I was a vegan! It was very delicious and hit the spot). I am definitely coming back here the next time we are in the east end!

I just don’t get what all the hype for this place is about. I’ve eaten here countless times, not because I’ve been so eager to try more of their food but for the sheer convenience of being located right next to the PAT East mart.
Whenever I came shopping at the PATmart with my mom, we would stop in for a quick meal after shopping. Well, the quick meal is never so quick here as other reviewers have already mentioned but the wait time here is ridiculous. I know some people suggest that’s because they actually make everything to order which is not the case here.
I’ve tried pretty well most of the menu and none of what I’ve had there is a real standout. Maybe my standards are just set too high having grown up with so much good food in our house. I tend not to be too impressed whenever I eat out at any Korean restaurants.
What kills me is the quality of their kimchi. No decent Korean restaurant operates without kimchi at various stages of fermentation, especially if you’re offering kimchi-​jjim on the menu. I would say they’ve brought out under-​fermented kimchi (which I don’t mind but I’d rather have the properly soured version any day) almost every time I’ve dined here. When I asked them about it one time, they simply said, «that’s how all our kimchi is.» Umm… no. If you’re cooking kimchi jjim, you need to have some very well fermented kimchi for the dish. If they don’t have one to offer to their patrons, where are they getting their kimchi for the kimchi-​jiim?
Anyways, I’m still on the lookout for a good Korean joint in the GTA and I have yet to find one that is note-​worthy.

I REALLY like this place because their food is actually amazing and they don’t cheap out on side dishes BUT be prepared to wait. Wait for someone to clean your table so you can sit (because they’re pretty busy), wait for someone to bring you water/​tea and menus, wait for someone to take your order, wait for your side dishes, wait for your food and finally wait for your bill (walk up to the counter to speed this up). Your 1 hour lunch/​dinner just turned into a 1.5 — 2 hours meal. BUT I am completely okay with waiting because I really like their food and staff. It’s a family run restaurant so they do take a bit (as in a long time) longer than other restaurants.
Overall, yes I will come back when I have time ;)

Warning: prepare to wait at least 30 mins for your food. That includes the side dishes…
What a strange location for a korean restaurant. Which makes this restaurant a hidden gem! Coming here on a Friday at 8:30pm, there was no line up but there definitely was a full house. It was really cold standing by the waiting area to get seated. So in the winter time. Make sure you dress warm!
We waited about 35 minutes or so for our veggie wrap combo. Grilled pork and bulgogi. It came with soup, rice, and a bunch of side dishes. The soup was a bit too salty in my opinion, but considered one of the better soups compared to other places. The bulgogi and grilled pork… OMG.heavenly. So full of flavour, so delicious! There was plenty of veggies (so much we couldn’t finish it all). The combo is definitely enough for 2.
It was a fun experience, but I prefer eating with utensils. Wraps were really good but it was too messy to eat and I didn’t like using my hands to hold it. It’d be nice if they had anchovy wraps .yum! (Saw it in a kdrama one time)