Barrio Coreano

I went here with a couple friends who had already been before, and overall it was a great experience! Even though it was very busy the staff was still super welcoming and accommodating. We sat at the bar (there weren’t any tables available). Our server was Deejay and he was amazing ! Making sure we had everything we needed at all times. I had the fish tacos, also a first for me, and they were pretty good. I am a very picky eater and the only complaint is they were slightly spicy (to me, but to a spice fanatic they would be nothing)! We split some churros for dessert, which were also quite tasty. After our meal I didn’t feel rushed to get out at all and took our time, being thanked by the staff again! Defiantly recommended !

³⁄₅! This is probably my least favourite of the playa cabanas. I thought the appetizers were better than our tacos. For starters I recommend the guac, ribs and K-​Slaw. As a main, we ordered the chicken soft tacos (which were disappointing) and the baja fish (ok– but definitely had better). Also — be careful about the sauces — most of them are extremely spicy so don’t over do it.

Ambiance is amazing. Food is to die for. Staff was a pleasure. You will crave this place over and over. My fiancé and I absolutely LOVED it! Highly recommended! Delicious!

Seriously above expectations love all the Playa restos but this one was something special. Smoked meat items were the group fav highly recommend — great vibe and great energy!

Had a great lunch here with friends. I dig the atmosphere of the place. When we arrived, we had the whole place to ourselves, but it did eventually get busier. We started with the chips and guacamole (okay) and the grilled calamari which I really enjoyed and felt was the highlight of the meal. For my main, I had the Baja taco which was perfectly cooked and the chorizo verde. The servings are smaller but still reasonably priced. I would very much like to try the other locations.

I’ve had this place on my bookmark list quite sometime — likely ever since I absolutely fell in love with the junction location (Cantina). The rustic/​industrial décor, the fast, friendly and knowledgeable staff and, most of all the amazing food.
The other Playa Cabana locations are definitely pure Mexican as a majority with hints of other cuisine here and there. However, If the neighborhood didn’t give it away, This spot is basically the Canadian born offspring of a Mexican and Korean. The local Korean neighborhood influence on the menu, from bulgogi shrimp tacos, to kimchi to a style of Korean fried chicken (in a taco) that I can’t even pronounce.
The décor is true to the brand, as mentioned it’s a rustic, vintage look, kind of a hodgepodge of antique and garbage. My friend commented that this looked like a cartel hangout in Mexico… That was owned by a Korean family.
For food we started with a few shareable apps amongst the 5 of us. Grilled calamari (so spicy but so amazingly delicious), Korean style short ribs (so meaty, lots of fat but I was glad we we’re sharing because it was too salty for my taste to eat a whole portion), and the guacamole (because it’s Plays Cabanas brainchild and obvi).
For mains I went with 3 tacos (a classic move and really the only smart choice). I had the Korean fried chicken taco who’s name is longer than I could pronounce, the bulgogi shrimp taco and the cabanas signature taco the beef short rib (although it fits in here more than any of the other locations).
Service was pretty good and food was flying quick. The single bathroom was a bit odd with its vintage pinball game over the toilet (I would play it even if it did work — you only have so many hands in a bathroom as a guy and at one point or another they’re both «occupied»).
Cocktails were awesome I had the Mezcal mule (a couple of times) which is basically a superior mule and makes the original taste like ‘ass’ (get it). Followed up by a couple rounds of corona and our night was set.
Well done. I approve and will return for that calamari app and 3 rounds of bulgogi shrimp tacos! Yum!
Eatcrest Out!

A mad spicy pulpo taco
A soggy mess
A decent cevice
A heavenly order of chips
A proper bbq-​agave sauce
Well
Let’s summarize:
Pulpo Charcoal Taco: Strong character, great spicy kick, smoky-​right, proper. Needs to be more juicy. They do not know the secret about the tortilla taco! It is really simple.
Sea Brim Taco: Soggy, needs double tortilla and those pickles in Julienne.
Ceviche Yucatan: Simple and delicious, the fish tastes just right. Lacks of herbs and other proper spices that Ceviche usually has.
The chips: The only stellar item
Bbq ribs with bbq-​agave sauce: This is what I am talking about!
Funny fact: Tacos el asador next door feels more honest with their offerings and portions
Sad fact: Cramped, cramped, cramped
Win fact: The servers, ay ay ay!

Had the shrimp galbi taco and it was ah-​maxing. You have an option of 1 or 3 so we got 3 and shared between a friend and I. I quickly regretted that decision as I would have wanted all to myself had I not have eaten just before coming here.
We also got the guac and chips. First round of chips were perfect. Second round was a bit too salty so we left it.
Friend and I both go the Sangrias which were good and strong-​ish.
The bar stool style chairs are a bit comfortably and on an angle for some reason so was not the best. Tripped and fell into a vent that was not covered next to my seat. The phone is on ring volume too mother freaking loud it kept disrupting our conversation and scared me the first time. No seriously guys it’s too loud.
Staff is really friendly and would def come back!!! Possible to sit on another seat. They came back often enough to see how everything was going with the food but noticed a delay in a few tables with paying the bill but they apologized and that’s the important part right?

Went around 3:30pm and there was only 2 – 3 other tables in the restaurant but the servers were hard to find at times. Also, they weren’t very attentive. Ordered the tacos and had to ask for the hot sauce plate (good thing saw the pictures on Unilocal prior to eating). The server was really nice and explained each hot sauce and ranked it from least to most spicy.
The tacos were definitely really well made, it was amazingly delicious. Only complaint was the Carnitaz De Maciza, the juice from the pork made the taco soggy so it ripped apart when it was lifted up and everything fell out. Ended up eating it off the plate with a fork. Had two Carnitaz, the first one just had juicy tender meat but the second one had some fatty pieces which made it so much better.
Overall, will grab a couple tacos if around the neighbourhood and craving some. Definitely not cheap eats.

We’ve visited this restaurant numerous times and it’s always delicious! Must try the churros Poutine and the braised short rib crispy taco!
Definite return spot

Finally had the chance yesterday to try this place. It was pretty empty at around 530pm Thursday evening. Customer service was great. Now the food–
1) Baja fish tacos — delicious ! Crispy fish, very flavorful.
2) Braised ribs crispy tacos — still pretty good, but too spicy for me. My cousin enjoyed this more than the fish tacos, but I prefer the fish tacos.
3) Was going to give it a 4 until I tried their kalbi beef which I find too salty and oily. The texture was soft and juicy though :)
The drinks — «No Love», watermelon gin was sweet and not too strong which is perfect for me!
Overall ambience was chilled and very friendly staff. I would not mind coming back again and try their other food, but maybe with more people as it’s pretty pricy!

My boyfriend and I dived into this joint after being drawn in by the neon pink lighting. We were seated too close for comfort to another couple. The place was extremely loud which was kind of expected, but we figured the food/​drinks would make up for not being able to have a conversation. The vibe was confusing… Korean? Mexican? Hiphop hot box studio? We asked the waitress for appetizer recommendations — too rushed to care she just said to try the ceviche. We ordered two drinks which took about 30 minutes to arrive
— a sangria which was blah and some martini which consisted of 80% shaved ice. Our ceviche sucked big time. Our bill came to $ 50. What a joke, won’t be returning.

I loved this place and it’s definitely my favourite in between the 3 Playa Cabanas I’ve been.
We went there on Saturday around 3. The place had a couple of tables and the chill out-​cool-​relaxing vibe made us pick up the bar to enjoy some appetizers. We couldn’t pick better because the bartender was really into her job. She advised us to start with an amazing drink which name is: «hable con ella» (talk to her), and which main ingredient is the new fashionable Mexican alcohol: don mezcal. The drink was really refreshing and original, it also contained grapefruit and rose water, a must try!!!
I got excited when I saw oysters in the menu, but the excitement became an uhhhh when the cute bartender informed us that they just get in there at 5 pm.
I loved the decoration, but the food was the one that took my palate back to my roots. We ordered shrimp tacos, octopus tacos and squid.
The octopus tacos were succulent, spicy, they made me sweat, cry a lil, feel my cheeks again, and I couldn’t stop making affirmative movements with my head while chewing them… O la la!!!
The grilled calamari was al dente and with the perfect seasoning. It came with a bed of kimchi that made a perfect fusion of flavors.
The shrimp tacos came with asadero cheese and were marinated with a la diabla sauce. They formed a perfect paste of flavorful, sinful pleasure… This tacos can totally compete with those at seven lives tacos…
We didn’t have room for the other menu’s favorite: the short rib tacos, but that is just another excuse to go back. Ok no excuse is necessary if you want to enjoy.
On our 2^nd visit we asked for oysters, which we enjoyed a lot because they were meaty and fresh; the waitress gave us a good recommendation of her favorite ones and she scored!
We asked for a not remarkable Guacamole, I mean not a Korean fusion or authentic flavor in it at all.
The green chorizo «hard shell tacos» lacked a lot; were mostly lettuce, cream and cheese. My husband who hasn’t tried the green chorizo still wonders how it tastes…
The carnitas tacos were ok.
I would stick with the seafood options in this place, but still I will give them another check.

I’ve never been to any of the Playa Cabana restaurants but decided to check Barrio Coreano out for my birthday due to its proximity and accessibility, being right on the Bloor line and a few minutes walk from either Christie or Bathurst station. As soon as I entered the restaurant I knew I’d made the right choice. This place has this funky, eclectic Mexican vibe going on with a loud, energetic ambience and it’s perfect for a larger group. The space itself has so many details big and small that catch your eye throughout the night. The one thing I noticed while being seated is the space is much bigger than it looks on the outside so it doesn’t ever feel cramped. It’s a perfect venue for groups of all sizes.
After most of my group arrived we placed our drink orders. They have an excellent selection of cocktails to choose from and our server also suggested a few of her favs. If you’re looking for a few drink suggestions try the Mezcal Mule — citrusy gin cocktail, or No Love — a watermelon gin cocktail. Clearly, I’m a gin girl ;) The drinks arrived pretty quickly considering how busy the place was getting so that’s always a good sign and always appreciated by the party.
Next we were on to the food at which point I just wanted to order everything on the menu. The great thing about a large group is you can actually do that! A few of my fav dishes were the octopus tacos — delicate and spicy, the Kalbi beef ribs — tangy marinade and perfect for sharing, and the charcoal smoked wings — smoky and served with blue cheese. YUM! After the first round of food and drinks I was in HEAVEN! It’s exactly how I pictured spending my birthday, with my friends eating delicious food.
Towards the end of the meal our server brought out the churros poutine, served in a cup of sugary goodness, with candles in it which was very sweet. Definitely try the churros! They come in this marshmallow caramel sauce that tastes divine.
I do want to mention there were a couple small issues regarding our service but I want to chalk it up to the fact that the restaurant was really busy. We had a couple orders placed incorrectly, and at the end of the night there was difficulty in getting our bill printed. I assume there was a problem with the system itself and our server was very apologetic about it.
On the whole, the entire experience was fantastic and the team at Barrio Coreano really made my birthday extra special. Everyone really enjoyed the venue, the food and the drinks. I would absolutely recommend this place!

I’ve been twice. First with my brothers and cousin, and the second time with a guy I was seeing who dumped me as soon as we left this place (yes, you can go ahead and LOL).
So, my experience of this place is a bit tainted… but, with that said, the food is pretty amazing (except the oysters, but I hate oysters so maybe for people who like them they are good?). The margarita is pretty strong (needed when you’re being dumped). The atmosphere is reallly cool. There’s such a cool atmosphere and it is *way* too hip for Koreatown. It really does not fit in, but that’s what makes it such a gem. The types of people that go there are a really cool mix of ages, styles, and the music is sooo out of place which I always find entertaining — the first time I went they were playing 90s rap and hip hop.
It’s a lot more Mexican heavy than Korean heavy on the food side. The main Korean bit I noticed was the condiments.
The tacos are teeny, but reallllllly good, and the place is pretty expensive, but so worth checking out.
And, despite it being tainted from my last visit, I’d *still* definitely go again!
So, that says something!

–Torta Coreana $ 10: the sandwiches were huge and it will definitely filled you up! They were a bit messy to eat with the meat juices dripping. Although the braised beef was tender and melted in your mouth, I found it to be lacking in salt and it was very rich due to the avocado. Since I couldn’t find any pickled pear, I wish there was more kimchi to cut down the heaviness of the sandwiches.
–Braised Short-​rib $ 5: the braised meat was flavorful and juicy, topped with fresh onions and cabbage. The marinate was sweet and there was a subtle hint of spiciness. To be honest I think there was too much cabbage, and is it just me or I think adding fresh cabbage as topping to any dish is unnecessary? Sure, it provide some crunchy texture, but it add nothing to the dish in terms of flavor, unless you cook it down or toss it in some sauce.
–Bulgogi Shrimp El Diablo $ 8: My favorite, albeit it is pricier compared to other taco dishes on the menu, but it was worth it. The taco shell was a bit oily and messy to eat, but the shrimp was amazing! Cooked perfectly, mixed in this an amazing red sesame spicy sauce and I believe there was some guacamole!
–Chicken Kampungki $ 5: The crispy chicken pieces were not as spicy as I expected, and while the aoili added a lovely creamy texture, it didn’t have that «spicy» wasabi taste to it. Overall, I didn’t think there was anything special with this dish, it was just like any regular chicken kampungki for me.
–Churros Poutine $ 9: The churros were «fries», the melted marshmallow resembled cheese curds and the caramel sauce was «gravy»! I can definitely tell the churros were made fresh as these came out piping hot, however I was disappointed as these churros were a bit hard. Anyhow, while the poutine concept was fun and quirky, this dessert was expensive and it didn’t worth the $ 9 price tag for me.
–Grilled Kalbi Beef Ribs $ 14: Ok $ 14 was a bit expensive when you can just go down the street for a cheaper and bigger portion of Kalbi ribs. The ribs were cooked through with the marinade caramelized, deliciously tender and had that traditional Kalbi marinade — sweet and salty. Surprisingly the kimchi wasn’t spicy, and it added a fresh and cool touch that helped ease the heat from the salsa for every bite.
–Pulpo Al Carbon $ 6: Who doesn’t love octopus and chipotle?! This was another favorite dish of mine and I was surprised to see a huge piece of octopus, so for $ 6 it was worth it! The octopus was grilled lightly, not rubbery nor tough, instead it was tender and citrusy. The chipotle added creaminess and worked perfectly with the octopus, just pure deliciousness.
The service was friendly and attentive, and most of the tacos were really good with a few favourites. If you want to avoid the crowd and noises, I advise you to visit the restaurant during lunch as the restaurant is usually packed at night.

Came here Thursday afternoon for a date with my two girlfriends. A quick walk from Christie Station and I arrived at this location of Playa Cabana. They had only given us two seating times for reservations but it was pretty quiet at 530 so I’d take my chance and do a walk in if you could get in for that time.
The place was playing some really good old school reggae that of course speaks to the Scarborough in me. Sat at the bar waiting for our other friend and had a drink. I had the Cuban julep which was very refreshing but i feel that there was too much shaved ice for my liking. We had ordered a pitcher of sangria but it was way too sweet and I did not really care for it. There are different oysters at the bar which for me wasn’t so appealing since it was too fishy of a smell and i don’t eat seafood.
We chose a seat by the window for ample people watching. We had a great waiter who was super friendly. He was very informative and patient with us for taking forever to order. We ordered guac to start which was amazing. Didn’t taste salty at all! I had the braised beef short rib tacos and the chicken ones as well. The chicken tacos were with a Korean twist and battered. It was bursting with flavor. The braised beef went well with the hard shells. The meat was so soft it melted in my mouth. It was amazingly delicious. To end we had the tres leches cake which was not overly sweet and huge enough to share with three girls. It was the perfect end.
It is reasonably priced i think. We each put in 50 that covered tax and tip. I would like to try the other locations!

Was here in March with some colleagues for an early dinner and really enjoyed the food and atmosphere!
The décor is very cool, Korean/​Mexican/​hipster which should be my nightmare but I dug it.
We shared kalbi ribs and guacamole to start and I think they’re both must-​orders. The kalbi ribs were deliciously tender and had a nice Korean bbq marinade (sweet, salty, tangy). The guac didn’t last long, chips were a bit overly salted but actually when paired with the guac it was balanced.
For tacos I had 1 crispy taco with braised short rib, and 1 baja fish. I loved both of them, but would probably pick the short rib over the baja fish next time even though it was quite messy. The shell didn’t crumble as much as your old el paso would and the short rib jus had some deep flavour. Two of my colleagues had a crispy chicken taco and I was admittedly jealous — it will be ordered next time, they raved about it and it seemed to be a popular pick on other tables at the restaurant.
I found the service to be lacking, our waitress was hard to get a hold of and we waited quite awhile for drink orders to be taken and delivered once we had arrived (it was a pretty mean margarita though — not lacking on the tequila).
Worth a visit if you like playa cabana!

I really love the atmosphere and décor here. Very homey, yet eclectic with neat lighting. The food is also fantastic.
The ceviche was fresh and delicious, I love those super crispy tortilla chips! The octopus tacos are amazing. the octopus pieces are perfectly cooked: tender and not even a little bit chewy. And the flavour is incredible. Possibly the best octopus I’ve ever had. The grilled baja fish tacos were good, but a bit of a let down after the other dishes.
They have a nice variety of tequilas, but wish they had a menu, instead of going to the bar and having to get the server to explain them all to us. Also, there’s no easy way to say «how much per shot? Ooh… do you have anything… cheaper?» I found the drinks kind of pricey, but I don’t know cheap from good tequila.
The service was absolutely fantastic. Attentive without being overbearing, friendly, welcoming and knowledgable. A great place all around.

3.5 stars!
Décor/​Ambience: One of the best hipster decorated restaurants that I have ever been too. From the outside, it looks like a hip bar, but when you go in, the dining area expands all the way to the back. There was a large shelf area with lots of cool little things. The music was mainly hip hop, which I liked. ⁵⁄₅
Service: The service was amazing! We had a very knowledgeable server that was friendly and gave us the low down of everything before we even ask. She told us that each dish is larger than the last on the menu (i.e. items at the bottom are the largest), how many dishes to order for our party size (3 dishes for 2 people), and the most popular dishes on the menu. Some of our dishes took longer to come, but we had a very apologetic server that acknowledged this, which I thought was good. ⁵⁄₅
Food: The food is designed to be shared like tapas. My friend and I had:
1. Guacamole and Chips $ 9: The guacamole was kind of bland and tasteless. The chips were crispy and hot when served. ²⁄₅
2. Grilled Calamari $ 14: This was very good. Very flavourful and soft. It melted in my mouth. The only issue for me was this was a very spicy dish (I am a complete weak sauce when it comes to spicy food) so I only had a couple of bites. It would be good if they noted on the menu that this dish is spicy. ⁴⁄₅
3. Eel bread appetizer $ 10– a feature not on the menu: The eel was mixed in mayo with some veggie like thing (maybe carrot) and was placed on small pieces of bread. I couldn’t really see what it was because of the dim lighting. This was very salty and not worth it because I couldn’t really taste the eel. It was overpowered by the mayo and veggie. I definitely would not order this again. ¹⁄₅
4. Bulgogi Shrimp El Diablo Crispy Tacos $ 21: This was by far my favourite dish, but it was pretty pricey. I don’t think the price was worth it, but it tasted amazing. The shrimp was mixed in this amazing red sesame salsa sauce with cheese and it tasted fabulous on the crispy taco (a bigger version of the chips with the guacamole) This is a very oily dish and a bit messy to eat, but was totally worth it because it was delicious! ⁵⁄₅
5. Churros $ 9: The churros were a bit hard, but it was in a lovely marshmallow chocolate sauce. I have had better churros elsewhere. ³⁄₅
I ordered a Mexican coke, which was awesome. If you don’t know what a Mexican coke is, it’s coke made with sugar cane instead of corn syrup so it’s «healthier». My friend had a Dead Man’s Daiquiri and said it was really good and strong!
Cappuccino $ 4: Save your money. I didn’t like my cappuccino at all. It was really bitter and wasn’t hot.
Overall, I would give the food a 3.5÷5. I noticed that they do change their menu from time to time so I would definitely go back to try other things. For the two of us, we spent about $ 110 including tax and tip. This is pretty pricey! However, we did order the most expensive thing on the menu (the shrimp tacos). You can technically spend about $ 50 here for 2 people and be full if you don’t get the most expensive thing on the menu and the extra stuff that we got (coffee/​tea/​drinks etc). We definitely left stuffed and I had even had take aways.