There’s nothing like Korean-style fried chicken, tofu soup or Korean BBQ when you’re feeling like a hearty meal. Venture out of Vancouver and add a little spice to your life at these authentic Korean restaurants in Burnaby and Coquitlam. [Photo credit: iStock.com/4kodiak]
This is definitely my go-to place on a rainy day or when I’m looking for some comfort food. As the name suggests, the focus on their menu is tofu soup, but they also have popular Korean dishes like seafood pancake and japchae. The best part about House of Tofu Soup is that they let customers customize their soup by offering several choices for broth (from white, mild, medium, hot) and different options for fillings – including seafood, pork and kimchi, dumplings and beef – so you can create something you’re sure to love!
This hidden restaurant in Coquitlam is well known for its fried chicken and is always super busy, even on weekdays. It’s no wonder you’ll find crowds here throughout the week – the crispy fried chicken here is something else! Try their sweet soy sauce fried chicken or their sweet and spicy fried chicken and bring your friends for a late night snack; the restaurant is open until 2:00 am on most nights.
Dae Ji is a Korean fusion restaurant specializing in pork cutlet and curry dishes in a Hong Kong-style café setting. With a variety of comfort foods at reasonable prices, this casual eatery in Burnaby is especially popular with university students from nearby SFU. If you’re craving deep-fried food but want to try something different than Korean fried chicken, Dae Ji is definitely worth a visit next time you’re in town.
You might have heard of bibimbap, but have you ever tried kimbap? Kimbap is Korea’s own variation on sushi, with the major difference being that you’ll barely ever see raw fish in it. Kimbab Cheonguk is well known by locals for its kimbap selections, and serves up five different kinds, including tuna, kimchi, cheese and bulgogi kimbap. That’s not all; this cozy hole-in-the-wall near Lougheed Skytrain Station sells these delicious rolls for a super affordable price of $3.50 each, making it a great place to go for hungry people on a budget!
This small restaurant located close to Metrotown has reasonable prices, good portions, and quick and polite service. Morak doesn’t serve Korean BBQ, which is a staple in a lot of Korean restaurants, but it’s a good place to go if you want to enjoy their jam-packed seafood pancake or gamjatang (pork bone soup) in a place with laid-back vibes.
Anyone who has been around the Burquitlam area and loves Korean food has most likely been to Dasarang Chicken. Although it’s relatively quiet during the day, at night, Dasarang is filled with people enjoying soju, beer along with a variety of specialty fried chicken dishes. With its ability to host big groups, this dining spot is the ideal place to hang out on a Friday to kick-start the weekend!