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20 Essential Korean Restaurants in Montreal

The best in banchan, bulgogi, BBQ and beyond

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It’s taken some time, but Montreal’s Korean restaurant scene is picking up major speed. What started with a few delicious radar blips of fried chicken and odd local haunts is now a sizeable selection of spots that’s been growing with every passing year in just about every corner of the city, both on and off-island.

Some of the places on this map focus on just one aspect of Korean cuisine, like soups and stews, barbecue, or fried chicken. Others like the soju-doused Bar Ganadara, the omnipresent chain Mon Ami, the steady homestyle food of Omma, and the recent fine dining installation of 9 Tail Fox, have far-reaching menus that serve dishes that range from traditional to trailblazing.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Coq Au Miel

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Coq au Miel is bringing some of the best local examples of this beloved street food snack to the West Island. Their crispy Korean-style corn dogs, commonly called kogos, are stuffed with cheese (mozzarella or cheddar) or sausage (or both); stick with the basics or try the squid ink or potato versions (the latter is covered in small potato cubes). As the restaurant’s name suggests, Coq au Miel also specializes in chicken, including wings and popcorn chicken.

Bol Orange

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Ville-Saint-Laurent is slowly becoming a go-to dining destination in its own right thanks to many of its low-key neighbourhood eateries, and Bol Orange is a fan favourite for Korean food. Deopbap (a variation of bibimbap), japchae, galbi (grilled short ribs), and kimbap rolls all are on the menu, which includes a few Japanese options.

Mon Ami (multiple locations)

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There’s no shortage of options at the various locations of Mon Ami, a giant in the local Korean food scene. Known for its Korean fried chicken, the chain also serves up a number of other Korean classics, and three of its locations — downtown, in Saint-Laurent, and another in Verdun — specialize in Korean barbecue. The restaurant chain is expanding across the city at a rapid pace, with four fast food counters now among its offerings.

Korean fried chicken has blown up in Montreal, but Dawa was one of the first spots in Montreal to focus on the stuff. It’s all about the chicken at Dawa, whether boneless or bone-in, plain or doused in Korean-tao sauce (sweet chili sauce), a Korean take on General Tao’s.

La Maison De Seoul

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Located in Lasalle, BYOW resto La Maison De Seoul is a great bet for sizzling dolsot bibimbap and Korean fried chicken. It has also begun incorporating more trendy, street food items (like kogos—Korean pogos) and Canadianified takes on Korean flavour (ahem, kimchi poutine).

Le Petit Seoul

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The charming and affordable Le Petit Seoul has done quite well for itself since opening in the Mile End in 2018 thanks to steerage by owners Jonathan Lee, originally from Seoul, and Kang Joong Lee, alongside chefs Hey Jung Sim (Jonathan Lee’s wife), and Young Mi Kwon. Among its recommended dishes are brothy noodles, the tartare-like yukhoe, and the seafood pancake.

Sam Cha

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Montreal has several all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ joints, and Shaughnessy Village’s Sam Cha is one of the best. At $25 per person, it’s a great value, too; the all-you-can-eat option includes soup, salad and rice, four types of meat, two sides, veggies and dessert. Sam Cha is especially great for those eager to engage in some tabletop barbecuing, but the menu is chock-full of other Korean fare.

Bar Ganadara

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Shaughnessy Village suffered a significant blow when student favourite Ganadara closed in 2020, but luckily sister joint Bar Ganadara, which opened in 2017, is still going strong with a new Ganadara address in La Petite-Patrie. The food here is a mix of both traditional Korean and contemporary fusion dishes, with a focus on small plates, dupbap, udon, sashimi and a local Korean-fusion favourite of poutine.

Bar Ganadara/Faceboon

Unceremoniously hidden in a downtown basement (right alongside another hidden gem, Super Sandwich), Opiano’s vast menu covers a range of classics, including bibimbap, japchae, kimbap, mandu (Korean dumplings) and more. Warming pork bone soup (bbyeo haejangguk) is but one highlight.

After closing their restaurant in 2018, Atti’s owners turned their focus on their takeout counters — and anyone who works within walking distance of the underground malls where Atti Express’ three locations are based should be glad they did. A far better lunch option than the ubiquitous downtown food courts, Atti has all the classics at a great price (like $10 bibimbap and japchae).

Located in the Quartier des Arts, Omma is a perfect date night or pre-show option, serving a well-rounded menu with soups, curries, and salads thanks to its owner-operators Jessica Wee, her brother Justin and mother My-kium Kim, the last of whom cooks up most of the menu herself.

Comon 꼬몽

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Another standout Korean fried chicken joint, Comon offers half and whole orders of fried chicken with a variety of flavour options and toppings, plus a number of other apps, sides and Korean staples at two locations in Verdun and Monkland Village.

Chez Bong

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The japchae (stir-fried sweet potato noodles) and just-greasy-enough dumplings are some of the hot items at Chinatown’s Chez Bong, an institution in the local Korean food scene. The restaurant’s namesake owner, Madame Bong, opened Montreal’s first Korean spot along with her husband in the late 80s and has been running Chez Bong since 2003.

9 Tail Fox

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Chefs Jongwook Lee and WonGoo Joun’s Saint-Henri restaurant breaks away from the mold many of Montreal’s Korean restaurants fall into by combining Korean cuisine with techniques and inspirations from the chefs’ tenures at local restaurants. Find curated wine lists alongside dishes like a koji-marinated tonkatsu with lemon salt, gyeranjjim (Korean steamed eggs served with a nori-anchovy broth), and traditional salt-cured, charcoal-grilled sea bass.

MoonSikdang

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Over at this family-run Korean restaurant in the South Shore from a Seoul-born chef who trained at a Marriott hotel in South Korea, it’s eminently traditional with options not commonly found, like gimmari (seaweed rolls stuffed with glass noodles), curry donkkasu dupbap (chicken cutlet and rice with spicy sauce), and kimchi and pork-stuffed mandu dumplings.

King Bab

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Located near McGill University, this small mom-and-pop restaurant caters to the students crowd by keeping its menu of dishes like tteokbokki, kimchi pajeon, and japchae affordable. They’re also known to cook up a couple of Japanese plates, too, like takoyaki.

Sopoong

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This Côte-des-Neiges restaurant defied the odds by opening in 2020 and surviving since, all thanks to their selection of fried chicken, sizzling plates of bulgogi, stews, noodle dishes, and lunch specials that go for a song.

Daldongnae Korean BBQ (multiple locations)

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An offshoot of a Toronto-based chain, Daldongnae’s Korean barbecue has quickly curried favour from locals. Alongside pork, vegetables and beef to cook up, the menu offers options like haemul pajeon, a fried pancake filled with greens and seafood, as well as bulgogi. It’s not all-you-can-eat like other options in town, however, so choose wisely while dining.

Rue Des Bistros

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A buffet-style restaurant that offers up a wide range of dishes inspired by Seoul’s Gwangjang Market, Rue Des Bistros — also known as Resto Mukja by Korean locals in NDG — specializes in an à la carte street food menu. They’ve got everything from jajangmyeon (black bean noodles) and tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) to fried chicken and veggies, udon soups, and dumplings.

Hwang Kum

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Open for over two decades, Hwang Kum remains one of Montreal’s stalwart Korean restaurants of its unofficial K-Town, NDG. Owners Jun Beom Lim and chef Young Ui Hong will whip up a lot of staples commonly found around town like galbi beef ribs, kimchi jjiage soup, japchae, haemul pajeon seafood pancakes, and some of the best bibimbap in town.

Coq Au Miel

Coq au Miel is bringing some of the best local examples of this beloved street food snack to the West Island. Their crispy Korean-style corn dogs, commonly called kogos, are stuffed with cheese (mozzarella or cheddar) or sausage (or both); stick with the basics or try the squid ink or potato versions (the latter is covered in small potato cubes). As the restaurant’s name suggests, Coq au Miel also specializes in chicken, including wings and popcorn chicken.

Bol Orange

Ville-Saint-Laurent is slowly becoming a go-to dining destination in its own right thanks to many of its low-key neighbourhood eateries, and Bol Orange is a fan favourite for Korean food. Deopbap (a variation of bibimbap), japchae, galbi (grilled short ribs), and kimbap rolls all are on the menu, which includes a few Japanese options.

Mon Ami (multiple locations)

There’s no shortage of options at the various locations of Mon Ami, a giant in the local Korean food scene. Known for its Korean fried chicken, the chain also serves up a number of other Korean classics, and three of its locations — downtown, in Saint-Laurent, and another in Verdun — specialize in Korean barbecue. The restaurant chain is expanding across the city at a rapid pace, with four fast food counters now among its offerings.

Dawa

Korean fried chicken has blown up in Montreal, but Dawa was one of the first spots in Montreal to focus on the stuff. It’s all about the chicken at Dawa, whether boneless or bone-in, plain or doused in Korean-tao sauce (sweet chili sauce), a Korean take on General Tao’s.

La Maison De Seoul

Located in Lasalle, BYOW resto La Maison De Seoul is a great bet for sizzling dolsot bibimbap and Korean fried chicken. It has also begun incorporating more trendy, street food items (like kogos—Korean pogos) and Canadianified takes on Korean flavour (ahem, kimchi poutine).

Le Petit Seoul

The charming and affordable Le Petit Seoul has done quite well for itself since opening in the Mile End in 2018 thanks to steerage by owners Jonathan Lee, originally from Seoul, and Kang Joong Lee, alongside chefs Hey Jung Sim (Jonathan Lee’s wife), and Young Mi Kwon. Among its recommended dishes are brothy noodles, the tartare-like yukhoe, and the seafood pancake.

Sam Cha

Montreal has several all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ joints, and Shaughnessy Village’s Sam Cha is one of the best. At $25 per person, it’s a great value, too; the all-you-can-eat option includes soup, salad and rice, four types of meat, two sides, veggies and dessert. Sam Cha is especially great for those eager to engage in some tabletop barbecuing, but the menu is chock-full of other Korean fare.

Bar Ganadara

Shaughnessy Village suffered a significant blow when student favourite Ganadara closed in 2020, but luckily sister joint Bar Ganadara, which opened in 2017, is still going strong with a new Ganadara address in La Petite-Patrie. The food here is a mix of both traditional Korean and contemporary fusion dishes, with a focus on small plates, dupbap, udon, sashimi and a local Korean-fusion favourite of poutine.

Bar Ganadara/Faceboon

Opiano

Unceremoniously hidden in a downtown basement (right alongside another hidden gem, Super Sandwich), Opiano’s vast menu covers a range of classics, including bibimbap, japchae, kimbap, mandu (Korean dumplings) and more. Warming pork bone soup (bbyeo haejangguk) is but one highlight.

Atti

After closing their restaurant in 2018, Atti’s owners turned their focus on their takeout counters — and anyone who works within walking distance of the underground malls where Atti Express’ three locations are based should be glad they did. A far better lunch option than the ubiquitous downtown food courts, Atti has all the classics at a great price (like $10 bibimbap and japchae).

Omma

Located in the Quartier des Arts, Omma is a perfect date night or pre-show option, serving a well-rounded menu with soups, curries, and salads thanks to its owner-operators Jessica Wee, her brother Justin and mother My-kium Kim, the last of whom cooks up most of the menu herself.

Comon 꼬몽

Another standout Korean fried chicken joint, Comon offers half and whole orders of fried chicken with a variety of flavour options and toppings, plus a number of other apps, sides and Korean staples at two locations in Verdun and Monkland Village.

Chez Bong

The japchae (stir-fried sweet potato noodles) and just-greasy-enough dumplings are some of the hot items at Chinatown’s Chez Bong, an institution in the local Korean food scene. The restaurant’s namesake owner, Madame Bong, opened Montreal’s first Korean spot along with her husband in the late 80s and has been running Chez Bong since 2003.

9 Tail Fox

Chefs Jongwook Lee and WonGoo Joun’s Saint-Henri restaurant breaks away from the mold many of Montreal’s Korean restaurants fall into by combining Korean cuisine with techniques and inspirations from the chefs’ tenures at local restaurants. Find curated wine lists alongside dishes like a koji-marinated tonkatsu with lemon salt, gyeranjjim (Korean steamed eggs served with a nori-anchovy broth), and traditional salt-cured, charcoal-grilled sea bass.

MoonSikdang

Over at this family-run Korean restaurant in the South Shore from a Seoul-born chef who trained at a Marriott hotel in South Korea, it’s eminently traditional with options not commonly found, like gimmari (seaweed rolls stuffed with glass noodles), curry donkkasu dupbap (chicken cutlet and rice with spicy sauce), and kimchi and pork-stuffed mandu dumplings.

King Bab

Located near McGill University, this small mom-and-pop restaurant caters to the students crowd by keeping its menu of dishes like tteokbokki, kimchi pajeon, and japchae affordable. They’re also known to cook up a couple of Japanese plates, too, like takoyaki.

Sopoong

This Côte-des-Neiges restaurant defied the odds by opening in 2020 and surviving since, all thanks to their selection of fried chicken, sizzling plates of bulgogi, stews, noodle dishes, and lunch specials that go for a song.

Daldongnae Korean BBQ (multiple locations)

An offshoot of a Toronto-based chain, Daldongnae’s Korean barbecue has quickly curried favour from locals. Alongside pork, vegetables and beef to cook up, the menu offers options like haemul pajeon, a fried pancake filled with greens and seafood, as well as bulgogi. It’s not all-you-can-eat like other options in town, however, so choose wisely while dining.

Rue Des Bistros

A buffet-style restaurant that offers up a wide range of dishes inspired by Seoul’s Gwangjang Market, Rue Des Bistros — also known as Resto Mukja by Korean locals in NDG — specializes in an à la carte street food menu. They’ve got everything from jajangmyeon (black bean noodles) and tangsuyuk (sweet and sour pork) to fried chicken and veggies, udon soups, and dumplings.

Hwang Kum

Open for over two decades, Hwang Kum remains one of Montreal’s stalwart Korean restaurants of its unofficial K-Town, NDG. Owners Jun Beom Lim and chef Young Ui Hong will whip up a lot of staples commonly found around town like galbi beef ribs, kimchi jjiage soup, japchae, haemul pajeon seafood pancakes, and some of the best bibimbap in town.