Swish By Han

Overall, food can sometimes be too sweet, and can be considered overpriced. I can understand why people think that, because the ingredients are never rare or expensive, and some things are actually overpriced…
However, they do have some unique and interesting food on their menu, which gives them the right to charge more for those; you cannot find it anywhere else, and they should be compensated for their innovative creations.
I did not like the dumplings at all. It is just 8 small deep fried dumplings in a fatty creamy sauce mixed with hot pepper oil for $ 8. This was a rip-​off.
The rest of my food was fine. I would have actually enjoyed it more if they were not so overly sweet.
Servers are disgruntled and rude.
I would not come back because of rude service and overly sweet food. But I can see why some people would love it. Great décor and unique food.

We went to swish by Han on July 30, 2014 for a mid week BFF dinner.
To ensure we get a nice experience, we booked ahead.
The menu is a bit lacking of fun but we have had a good dinner before, we ordered Bim Bim bab rice and tempura for appetizer.
The tempura was okay. For $ 12, you get 4 shrimps
The rice was hot and it was delicious. The beef was a bit fatty but it was quite Tender.
However, the service was awful.
We found 3 ants walking on our table. I killed the first toe and after getting our server’s attention, we gently informed our server, a young Asian lady. She said «I could not do anything about that. What do you want me to do? «
There was no apology Or attempted to say «okay, I would look into it «
If you like mediocre food and horrid service, you can pay $ 32 per person for ants infested dinner.

Swish by Han
Very beautiful modern décor. On Friday night, the place was fairly empty. Our server was quite friendly, asked if we had any questions and didn’t rush us to order.
Ended up getting the Pork Belly bowl and Spicy Pork Sliders. The bowl was fairly large easily can be shared between two. The dish was similar to bibimbap but with a western twist. I was intrigued by the restaurant because I thought it would be Korean fusion but it was much too westernized for my liking. The sliders were delicious, portion wise it was two sliders with a beautiful presentation. It was tasty, had good flavors and the combination of the ingredients were perfect.
Would I come back? Perhaps to try the lunch menu or if the menu changes again. I think the smaller plates are more worth it from my first experience. I do admit it was an interesting twist.

I went here to catch up with a few friends and everyone loved it! We shared three small places (Spicy pork sliders, Spicy pork neck tostadas, Beef tongue soo yook) and one large plate (SBH Dolsot Bibimbap) between four girls for lunch. The meal came with two pork sliders and two tostadas which were pretty small. The beef tongue soo yook was delicious and I would def recommend trying the beef tongue! They recommend wrapping the thin slice of braised beef tongue with the mixed greens which was pretty neat! :)
As for the large plates, The Dolsot Bibimbap was totally not worth it for $ 17. It looks and tastes like normal stone bowl korean bibimbap from any authentic Korean resto (for $ 9 – 12) but with fancier meat. Veggies, sauce, rice, and everything else was the same.
Overall, I had a great time at Swish by Han! I would definitely go back and try their Kimchi Tofu and Ssam next time!

I have found a new favourite restaurant!
Everything I ordered was beyond my expectations. The timing of each dish was perfect. The presentation of the food was mouth watering. The flavors in each dish blew my taste buds away!
Very attentive staff, really friendly and knowledgeable of the menu.
Ordered a few cocktails, can’t remember the names but they were just as delicious as the food!
The dumplings are a must try!
The beef tounge dish was probably the most delicious dish I’ve tasted in a long time.
All in all this place is a must try! Can’t wait to go back!

Food: ²⁄₅
The food was nothing special to me. We tried everything on the left side of the menu and they were pretty basic. There was no layers of flavours or any real complexity to their dishes.
They have a decent selection of drinks including Erdinger wit, Delirium, Soju and Soju mixes at your standard bar prices.
Great atmosphere though, chill hiphop tunes in the background.
Maybe the right side of the menu will do better next time. I’ll give this one another shot if a date wants to try it.

1. Finding this place is a challenge. You enter through 40 Wellington, not the door labeled 36 – 38 Wellington. Furthermore, the sign above the door at 40 Wellington says TREVOR. Trust me, this is actually the entrance to Swish by Han.
2. The music is so loud. Way, way too loud. In fact, I have never heard music played so loudly in a restaurant. The staff refused to turn it down.
3. The décor is lovely. Lots of wood and excellent lighting.
4. The food is delicious and the kitchen is prompt. My dining partner and I both had the one «large plate» item that was meatless. I don’t remember the name of it but it was wide glass noodles fried with onions, peppers and two kinds of mushrooms. So good ! I also had the Saba small plate which the server subjected to a blowtorch tableside.
5.[ I decided to delete this comment]

I rate it 1 just because I can not rate minus! It was a horrible experience tonight and ruined my beautiful image of Canada.
We came to this place just because of pictures on Unilocal looking like good. But when we sat down, there was nothing like before they had. A waitress with a golden hair told us they had changed the menu. She was patient and nice.
BUT!!! The service of that Asian guy and Asian woman is NIGHTMARE!
We ordered dishes at 8pm but we didn’t get our main course until 9pm! After I told that miserable looking Asian woman we were starving! But the thing is that she didn’t feel any sorry for us and even didn’t say one word «sorry», which would have made me feel much better. What was worse, she said «it should be like that long and I don’t know why this is a problem!» She then turned away and didn’t wait for me finishing my words! She said our dishes were coming but actually we waited for another 15mins. And she thought it was not a problem that customers waited for a hour with a starving stomach!
That is offensive! Very much! Especially her sad and unhappy look!
The drama was continuing. Considering their terrible service and attitude, we decided to pay no tips. The Asian guy started to yell at us and said «All I need is you sign your name!» And he thought nothing to apologize! At last, he shout at us «Get out!»
Yeah, it is not their mistake. It is mine! I should have never come into here!
And just like their name «Swish by Han», short in quality and short in personality.

I absolutely love the food, the music and the atmosphere here. Asian fusion at its best. Try the pork belly tacos, potstickers, lobster bi bim bop and kalbi. The waitress forgot about our kimchi side dish, but when we reminded her, she brought it to us and told us she would comp. it since it was coming so late in our meal. We didn’t even have to ask. The specialty drinks are also delish. Will definitely continue coming back.

I’ve been meaning to try Swish by Han for several years now, but it never happened until October when one of my friends wanted to have Thanksgiving dinner there. It was a strange choice for Thanksgiving dinner, but I was up to try it.
Kimchi Trio ($ 5)
This kimchi trio came with a table top BBQ set that we ordered, but would’ve cost $ 5 without the combo. We’re used to complimentary kimchi (and banchan) from traditional Korean restaurants so we certainly were not accustomed to paying for it.
«Bi Bim Bap» Rolls ($ 7)
I didn’t know what to expect, but the «Bi Bim Bap» roll was more like a spring roll in terms of terms of the flavours. I get the inspiration, but I wished more of the Bi Bim Bap flavours were incorporated.
Seafood crêpes ($ 10)
This was probably my favourite item of the night! The crêpe was delicious and satisfying. I wished I had more than just half of one.
«Kimchi“ed pears with stilton cheese ($ 8)
In my head, I thought that the flavour combination of kimchi and pear would work well. That really wasn’t the case, but on the whole it was a light, refreshing dish.
Spicy pork neck tacos ($ 5)
The tacos were lauded by everyone as the best dish of the night, hands down. I cannot vouch for that as I did not try any (I was going through a no meat phase!), which was quite regrettable since it did look amazing.
Lobster «Bi Bim Bap» ($ 15)
Unfortunately, I wasn’t fast enough to snap a picture before our server started mixing the rice! I enjoyed the lobster «bi bim bap», but wanted a bigger portion.
«Saam» box and spicy tofu stew
These two elements also came with Table Top BBQ set that we ordered. The tofu stew was rather disappointing and didn’t taste very authentic.
Beef short ribs with «Galbi» marinade ($ 29)
Because I was on a no meat diet, I didn’t try any of the meat. All I can say is that the portion was not very big.
All in all, I found Swish by Han a little underwhelming. Even though there were some good things (seafood crêpe, pork neck taco), we weren’t very impressed with the meal as a whole, and it left us with the desire to go to another Korean restaurant for a heartier meal!

Swish By Han is a really nice place to meet up with friends if you are in the area. Reservation is a must since the dining room is really small and while I was there I saw even single diner got turned away.
Swish By Han food is Korean Asian Fusion meant to be shared tapas style. The portion here though is small, I would have ate everything by myself without sharing, but I was glad that my Unilocal Beer Friend would able to join me for dinner last minute!
Soju Flights ($ 10) Regular, Citrus and Cucumber Infused was a nice start! The draft beer here was really reasonably priced $ 5.50 — $ 7.50 a pint.
We shared:
— Warm Mushroom Salad ($ 12)
— 48 hour Braised Beef ($ 15)
— Grilled Pot Belly Ssam Set ($ 25)
All the food we ordered was nicely seasoned and prepared. The grilled pot belly was really smokey and tender. As we were kind of fighting for the last piece of everything, it was definitely a sign that we enjoyed the food.
Service is good and friendly and we have no issue at all. The restaurant though is quite busy at times and with just 2 wait staff/​bartender, it can be a little bit slow.
I will be back for some snack and drinks next time when I am in the area.

3.5 stars rounded up — both food and service were good. You definitely need reservations during the prime dinner rush. A good overall experience.
On the plus side:
— Cool modern décor but maintains a nice laid back atmosphere. Business crowd during weekdays.
— Service was fast and efficient and the server took his time explaining various menu questions /​options.
— A few beer selections available — reasonably priced. The Soju flights were surprisingly good — a smooth, clean and refreshing taste, a nice pairing for Korean influenced food.
— I started with the warm Mushroom salad. I really enjoyed this dish since I love mushrooms. They used about 5 types of mushrooms and sprinkled some red peppers on top of the nicely dressed salad.
— Next up was the 48 hour braised beef shank. The meat had delicious flavour and was very tender — melted in your mouth. Served on a salad with green onion and red peppers. Highly recommended.
— I really enjoyed the Pork Belly Ssam. The dish is served with rice, lettuce, various Kimchee’s, and a house spicy sauce (not too spicy). You make a lettuce wrap with all the ingredients. I don’t normally eat pork belly but really enjoyed this dish. Pairing with the cool fresh lettuce took some emphasize of the fattier cut of meat.
On the down side:
— WARNING — There is a «picky» giant plant as soon as you walk in. I got caught up in it immediately walking through the door… talk about an embarrassing entrance. I noticed a few peoples clothes getting caught in this crazy plant.
Overall… I enjoyed my experience at Swish and will return again soon. I always enjoy tapas style since you can order lot’s of different dishes to share. And next time, I will try and avoid that crazy plant.
BK

I agree with most. Food was great — service was bad. Being served by a waiter in a tank top is disturbing. I don’t like seeing underarm hair with my fish. There was no personality to any of the staff. The music was also way too loud. Conversation was impossible.
the food was incredible though so if they can figure out the rest, this could be a top rated place in TO. Enforced gratuity is unacceptable if there is not a large party.
I like the Kim-​chi tofu.

All in all, an above average experience. Went with about 4 or 5 friends and ordered a wide-​variety of food that left us feeling content. WIth a bottle of wine that was excellent, we were able to enjoy an evening at the restaurant for about $ 60 pp.
THe food was great! Presentation was amazing. Not too many veggie options (though that wasn’t expected it being a Korean restaurant). The food was pleasantly spicy with a lot of flavor and enough quantity to go around! I would definitely suggest trying the «sets» as this is more a family-​style restaurant.
Advise to the owner — PLEASE move that thorny plant front and center in the walkway. It does hurt quite a bit to get pricked when walking to our table! :) Other than that, a big fan and definitely encourage you to check this spot out if you’re near the downtown area.

Came here tonight with 2 Korean friends. It was a trendy/​fusion style Korean restaurant with some mood-​setting décor.
We ordered a lot of food (and our bill showed it!), including: Kimchi guksu (noodles), Tofu with Kimchi, mushroom salad, pork buns, chili prawns, and the seafood ‘Swish’ (hotpot).
The food was all pretty good, and mostly authentic, BUT unlike typical Korean food the portions were small and the value for food wasn’t that great. So if you’re a Korean-​food lover like me (and also a student), you may want to go to a more authentic, ajumma-​owned Korean restaurant, where you’ll a) get more food, b) get good value, and c) get banchan with your meal (unlike here, where you have to pay for it).
Service was alright, waitress is a good saleswoman in convincing you to order lots.

I enjoyed my food experience here. This is an upscale version of Korean food.
Décor ⁵⁄₅ — I liked the modern eclectic and Korean feel of the place. The place is nicely decorated everything from the candles, chandeliers and art on the walls works well together. The wooden floors and lighting of the place creates a trendy but inviting atmosphere.
Food — ⁴⁄₅. All the dishes are meant to be shared. We ordered the spicy pork buns. The pork was soft and had the distinct flavour of go chu hang (red Korea pepper paste), served on a burger bun. Next we tried the tempura prawns, which was cooked perfectly and lightly battered. I loved the mayo sauce and the salad that the prawns were served with.
For mains we ordered the seafood hot pot dish. This comes with a variety of seafood such as mussels, prawns, octopus, squid, crab balls and some other types of seafood. It is also served with vegetables like bok choy, napa cabbage, various mushrooms. There is the option of having rice or noodles at the end. I believe the noodles were kalguksu (Korean knife cut noodles).
By the time you add in the seafood and vegetables it gives the broth a really great depth of flavour. I recommend going with the noddles if you order this.
Dessert was a pecan apple crumble with ice cream. There was a nice balance between the tartness of the apple and the sweetness of the crumble. Loved it!
Service — ⁴⁄₅. The server was friendly and able to explain the menu and recommend some choices for the side dishes.
I’ll be back to try more of their dishes.

Their water tasted okay. That was all I got from there after waiting for more than 30minutes without being served.
I haven’t been served so badly. The waitress has real bad attitude and it was not even busy at all.
And I also went there for lunch a few days ago. While the restaurant was full, my group seated at the waiting area for 5 minutes and was not even been waited. Only was told later that they are not serving lunch anymore.
They disappointed me twice.

Went here with Slinky Woman for New Years Eve. What’s with the name? Does it comfort me to know it’s not Swish by Kim? I’d feel better if Han invented hanguel or the cheugugi. The restaurant is a little hard to find from the street in the dark. I was even sober. The actual name is not very prominent compared to the window lettering that identifies it as a ssäm bar. And why the umlaut? Are they Motörhead, or Deathtöngue? The waitresses are quite tattooed and have their boobs on display. Swish has the trappings of an unnecessary umlaut band in restaurant form. But «swish» doesn’t conjure up much in the way of Nazareth style power ballads.
We had the swish which turned out to be hot pot. I don’t recall Koreans in Korea ever calling it swish. It was usually called shabu shabu, borrowing from the Japanese name for hot pot. Although my extensive research indicates shabu shabu is Japanese onomonopia for the «swish swish» sound you make stirring up your hot pot (
). Are they trying to start something here or is this more of that irritating «let’s translate adequately named Korean foods into close english approximations that sound weird to everyone concerned» Korean proclivity. See my treatise at my kimbap dot com /​roll dot com review. (
)
We had the seafood swish which comprised a decent enough seafood for two. We had bi bim bap wraps on the side plus we tried to order the pork neck tacos but got the spicy pork buns instead. Bi bimming the wrap concept didn’t really do much for me. The pork buns were amazing, although I’m pretty sure I could knock those off in my slow cooker no probs. Prices were okay, especially for a NYE.
It does get loud. Not the kind of place you want to discuss the future of your dating relationship with a slinky woman. If you’re looking for a kind of funky Asian-​y up-​market gastropub type experience and you’ve not experienced a lot of time in Korea sitting cross legged in real Korean soju hofs, you might find Swish by Han exotic and a fun visit.
Cool washrooms.

It reminded me of a Korean version of Guu without the loud greetings in Japanese when you enter and leave. Inside décor is modern and hip, with wooden tables and floors, brick walls with artwork, exposed pipes near ceiling and hanging lights and chandeliers. They were playing some type of indie rock music that night which is usually unexpected in a Korean restaurant, but then again, this restaurant is not your typical Korean restaurant you would find in Chinatown or North York.
We tried the pork neck tacos, which were sweet (like the marinated all you can eat bbq meats) and spicy at the same time, they were delicious. Also had the lobster bibimbap, which was done nicely in a hot steaming bowl so there were crispy rice bits on the bottom, it was filling enough to be a meal alone. Lastly, we had the rib eye ssam set, which is already cooked for you, and it’s served with lettuce to wrap it in.
Service was good, our waitress was friendly and helpful. Prices are a bit higher, but its to be expected in the downtown core, esp with most of the customers being professionals who work in the area. Overall it was an enjoyable experience, a unique twist on Korean food with a modern vibe.

It may be possible that I’ve been way too used to actual Korean food that Swish by Han just didn’t cut it.
The ambiance and location was nice — located at Front and Wellington. Music was a bit too loud for my friends and I to chat over. Service wasn’t too bad either.
However, for the price that you’re paying for Korean food (including Shabu Shabu) — it just wasn’t worth it. Firstly, the kimchi trio that we got wasn’t the best kimchi — it had a strange taste to it. The silken tofu with sauteed kimchi wasn’t bad — I would recommend this. The deep fried octopus with wasabi tartar wasn’t worth it – too fried and you felt like you had to «dig» to find the octopus within the batter
The swish wasn’t worth it at all. I love my shabu shabu/​hot pot, but for $ 25?! Really — that wasn’t worth my money. I felt like I could’ve been uptown and bought myself all you can eat (and pretty much the same food) for shabu shabu at the same price.