#oddseoul

One of the food trends that I foresee in 2013, is the further emergence of restaurants helmed by the Asian millennial generation – this new era of Asian chefs wanting to bust out of the confines of what is expected from their respected cultural cuisines. Spurred on by success of Roy Choi’s Korean taco truck Kogi in Los Angeles and Eddie Huang’s Taiwanese street food joint Baohaus in Manhattan, we now have the Han brother’s Oddseoul in Toronto on the achingly hip Ossington strip. An offshoot of Swish by Han, the critically acclaimed upscale Korean restaurant close to St Laurence Market, Oddseoul is its darker, cooler, downtown cousin, specializing in street and snack food.

The décor is understatedly hip featuring a classic bar with fire engine red stools on the left once you step in the door and communal tables in the back. Exposed brick walls, wood floors, rustic shelves showcasing the Han brother’s collection of 80’s ghetto blasters, has a fittingly comfortable vibe like its musical mix of 90’s hip hop, soul and funk. With $5 tall cans, an unique bourboncentric cocktail list, and house made Soju, you could be happy here if this place was just a booze can. But it is not, it is also the best snack bar in Toronto at the moment.

After a few visits I cannot get enough of their O.S. chicken wings, these are a tangy, spicy, sticky enormous trio of wings that are the best I have ever tasted. A warning this dish gets awfully messy, so if you are on a date you might want to step off. Or at least ask for plenty of wet naps. Another favourite is what I think will become their signature dish, “The Loosey”, which is kind of a like a Korean short rib version of a big Mac with its own kimchi special sauce. Plus there are many more remixes of North American classics such as their version of a Philly cheese steak, tacos, and poutine.  

And if you’re there with a group they also have Toronto’s hottest food of the moment, Ssam, a traditional Korean meal made famous by David Chang at Momofuku which includes a large communal portion of slow roasted meat (they have many variations from pork neck to beef short ribs), served with lettuce for wrapping, and accompanied by an incredibly good kimchi and other essential condiments. Their version just may be the best in the city. If OddSeoul is the future of Asian cuisine in Toronto then I think we have plenty of great cheap eats to look forward to.

OddSeoul, 90 Ossington Ave, Toronto