New Take on Korean Pub Fare
I’ve been hearing a lot about a hot new Korean bar Han Ba Tang that opened uptown near Yonge and Sheppard, so naturally I had to visit to see what the hype was about! The bar doesn’t have a sign outside so if you’ve never been there before you might have a hard time finding the entrance. Luckily my friend was already there, but I still ended up walking right past it… I went on a Thursday night with two other friends and the place was packed! We decided to wait inside, beats being out in the cold right?
The interior gave off a warm and cozy vibe. It almost resembled a cabin by the ocean side, having a lot of wood, nets, and even a plastic swordfish hanging on the wall. The seats were either metal or wood and were a little uncomfortable but being with friends took your mind off of it. So enough about the interior, here’s what we ordered!
They have an interesting food and drinks menu that makes everything sound delicious. We weren’t really in the mood to drink, but my friends and I did get a cocktail called the Peach Beach – a simple sweet blue cocktail with peach schnapps. One of their popular drinks is their house infused soju that comes in flavours like cucumber, vanilla, citrus, and strawberry which I’m curious to try next time. In regards to food, we ordered fish tacos, kimchi fries with bulgogi, spicy chicken with cheese fondue, bacon spoon pizza, and a kalbi plate (phew!).
Out of the things we ordered, the kimchi fries with bulgogi and the spicy chicken with cheese fondue stood out the most. Like the name suggests, the kimchi fries consist of fries smothered in kimchi, bulgogi, onions, mayo, and a special gravy sauce that made it sooo good. Disappeared from our table within seconds! For the spicy chicken, we had to dip it into the cheese before it hardened. The cheese was very gooey and did not cooperate, causing a little bit of difficulty. Once we maneuvered it, the taste was worth the struggle.
The other items were good but nothing extraordinary. The spoon pizza ($8) is an interesting concept: mashed potatoes are served in a rounded pan covered with pizza toppings and cheese, that’s to be eaten with a spoon obviously. By far the two dishes I mentioned earlier were my favourite.
It’s nice to have a funky bar like this uptown. Remember to make reservations prior to visiting to avoid long wait times!
Han Ba Tang4862 Yonge St., Toronto
