the bulgogi bibimbap is very delicious,but white rice is too little。 read more

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This place is a standby for me. The sushi is very fresh, the lobster bibimbap is delicious and they have a good cocktail list. Only negative is the atmosphere can be hit or miss. Sometimes the place will be packed and other times you'll be the only people in the restaurant. read more

Lived in Korea, Japan; have traveled extensively, and love food, especially appreciate it when "thought and care" go into making dishes, and yes, I cook. Having said that...we arrived in Toronto for the weekend and missed the lunch rush, began wandering around Yorkville to have lunch. We passed by KoKo and decided to go in because my son always wants Asian food. Now, as a Korean when I see Korean / Japanese restaurants the thoughts that come to mind are 1) it has to be a Korean owner, no self respecting Japanese sushi chef would dream of doing Japanese/Korean or Japanese/ any other country specific food, 2) the Japanese food must be the type that Americans think are amazing,not any Asian food connoisseur who knows their rolls/ sushi/ sashimi, and 3) the Korean food is either too salty or too sweet. Very pleasantly surprised... Service: was great, but we did eat lunch at 2:30 and we were the only ones in the restaurant. The chef came and said hello. Korean, lemon, honey, ginger tea: amazing! My mother used to make this for me as a child, I have never seen it served in a N. American restaurant. Ginger was extremely fresh and served in a great cast iron tea kettle ( which is what I use to steep my very expensive teas at home). Small critique: the tea should have been served hotter. Salad: ok, I'm going to go on and on about the salad. My husband who does not eat anything that is not brown or is not considered flesh finished his salad. Fresh, not wilted spring mix, and the dressing was amaze! I hate Asian restaurants that serve iceberg lettuce with a slice of cuke and carrot and drenched in that over sweet orangey color ginger dressing. This dressing was white, extremely light and refreshing and the simple ingredients were in perfect balance with each other. They wouldn't tell me the ingredients, but I think it was rice wine vinegar, fresh grated ginger, mayo and sugar. California roll and spicy tuna roll: very good, the tuna was fresh, but the reason that l liked it was because the rice was very well seasoned (vinegar) and the consistency of the rice was perfect, more importantly, there was a perfect thin consistent layer of rice around the seaweed. This is a skill. There should not be two inches of rice on a roll, the rice is not the star of a roll, most restaurants do not have the skill to roll the rice so thin, and use it as a filler, with a ton of rice and little filling. So, nice to get a quality roll. Lunch entree: spicy pork, LA Kalbi, and chirashi. spicy pork was very flavorful ( and I don't mean MSG flavorful), it was cooked perfectly. Kalbi was extremely tender, I don't know how they cooked it so tender they must tenderize the meat somehow. LA Kalbi is not an easy cut to cook because it is not a tender cut and if it is undercooked it can be chewy and if over cooked it will be dry. The chirashi was fresh,I didn't taste it but the cuts of maguro and other sashimi looked fresh. Small critique: seasoning was almost perfect...my personal palate desires less salt. My husband thought the salt content was fine. Price: was $80 we did have a large kirin lager. The portions didn't personally bother me, because it's not a "gorge" yourself restaurant. The items we ordered all used fresh and good quality ingredients and I don't mind paying more for same. The only critique with regards to portion was the rice, they could have given a full bowl of rice, but if your watching ur carbs, then it's a plus. You are in Yorkville, so I am sure that the prices are going to be more expensive. If you want cheap, huge portioned, MSG laden Korean Japanese food, go to Yonge St. read more

Sorry. I've been exposed to amazing Korean foods since I was young but this is a joke. Appetizers are basically banchans you get free at Korean restaurants but I wouldn't mind paying if they are amazing, which wasn't the case. We shared galbi, lobster bibimbop and seafood hot pot. They were not terrible but I didn't enjoy them either. I felt so bad for my friend whom I dragged since I wanted to check out the restaurant. And how did we spend $150 here??? We didn't eat much but we ended up paying too much. read more

Stumbled in here after equinox and it was SO delish. What a pleasant surprise. Will definitely come black and refer people here. Had the agedashi tofu, seafood pancake, dynamite roll and beef salad. The salad was the best but everything else was really really good too. read more

Small but nice setting, and some original, tasty and well presented meals. Nice staff and service in addition. You may still be hungry at the end of your dinner, for sure, but it may worth it to try and go there once in a while and to change from the regular sushi's places. I agree it is a little over priced however. read more

Great little hidden place in yorkville! I went here for a meeting with some co-workers. For appetizers we had these delicious little gyoza dumplings. Yes these gyoza dumplings are at every japanese place but these ones are extra tiny and cripsy which I like! For the main course I had the beef bulgogi. It comes in a steaming hot bowl neatly arranged with all the ingredients...beef, rice, schredded vegetables and bean sprouts. Your supppose to mix everything together while its hot! It was Delish! My friend got the korean short ribs. The portion was huge! I now understand why it's called share bar! It's really too much for one person! The restaurant is a cross between japanese and korean. The owners are really nice. They gave us the big table at the front of the restaurant even though it was dinner time and there was only 3 of us. Good experience overall! read more

My boyfriend took me here for Valentine's day. I'm not sure if I'm giving it 5 stars because it was legitimately a good dining experience, or if it was the reason behind the dinner. Anyway, I ordered sushi and salmon assortment ($22) . My boyfriend ordered the lobster bibimbap ($22) . As a strong believer of quality over quantity, I don't think this restaurant is overpriced. The food was definitely fresh (the sashimi was mindblowingly delicious) and had a pleasant presentation, and the servers always had a smile on their face. read more

We just had an awful experience here. I've walked past this place many times in the past and never thought twice about it, until a friend and I tried the covid patio out last week. It was good, food was tasty, not amazing but staff were friendly and I enjoyed it. So I decided to try it again with my wife today. She and I both had the glass noodles. Mine was fine, and hers came with a long metal bristle from a cleaning brush sitting right in the noodles. I don't know why this isn't banned from use in restaurant kitchens but when we pointed it out to 3 separate people working the patio we got "oh, I'll tell the kitchen" or "oh, sorry about that". I pointed out that that would be further sorry if my wife had swallowed that piece of metal and ended up in emergency. They didn't seem phased that this was something very serious, nor did that offer anything to make up for it. We weren't rude nor did we approach them in any hostile manner, we even tipped generously. They just didn't seem to care that they could have seriously hurt someone. read more

Overall: Recently went here for a family dinner. I wasn't expecting much and sadly, I should have expected even less. Save yourself and go a little farther north where the real Korean food is for 1/4 of the price. A breakdown-- Food: Gyoza - fried to a crisp with barely anything as the filling. Rolls - Both the lobster and soft shell crab in the rolls we had were stale. Either they left them out too long or they lazily cooked them before rolling them up. Pretty disappointing. At least it was a good amount. Bibimbap - this is the first bibimbap where I thought my rice was going to light on fire given how fast it charred. It was also tasteless. Enough said. Service: We were pretty hungry and it was busy so we wanted to order everything at once. The staff had other ideas, insisting we order drinks and appetizers separately first. Only then could we proceed to order mains. Only after pleading a few times did we finally get to order our food. Not sure the logic of having your customers go through hoops to be able to order. Price: At these prices, you expect something more. I understand it's Yorkville so there's a premium but even then, this was over the top for a few rolls and some bibimbap. read more

Recently I had the good fortune of having dinner at Koko Share Bar with some friends. There was a jazz band playing, great atmosphere, attractive and attentive staff. But moreover, I'm a sushi-connisseur and found the quality, cut and presentation to be top notch. In fact, I lived in Japan for a few years, and Koko reminded me of some of the best sushi I've ever had. Great wine selections. It's a small, cozy space with lots of flare. I rate this top notch, highly recommended. read more

Always one of my favourites when in Yorkville. Friendly family staff/owners. Food is fresh and well prepared. The sushi is excellent but the real star is the bip im bap. Kim hi is my favourite but the bulgogi is a close second. I learned this trip that they will combine toppings. Look forward to trying a bulgogi kimchi combo next time. Try this place, you will glad you did. read more

The physical space is quite small. But the ambience was light, cheerful and pleasant. The quality of food was absolutely superb. You can tell that everything in the dish was meticulously seasoned, and put together. We will be back! read more

This place serves both Japanese and Korean food which isn't properly advertising. My friend and I kept it light after a heavy breakfast and lunch with Japanese: spinach gomae, avocado salad, miso soups and spicy tuna roll. All the food was amazing and fresh, particularly the fish. And the "citrus soju infusions" is such a tasty, fresh cocktail recommended by our lovely server Jasmine:) read more

Not sure why some people are giving a review of a tapas place for serving tapas style (come on, it's called "share" bar). If you go to a tapas place and expect you can order one dish and serve 4 people with it then you can't fault the restaurant. They didn't make you stupid. You walked in that way. Why don't you just ask your server what they recommend portion wise instead of just ordering like an idiot and then faulting the restaurant? I thought the portions would be smaller but each main was ample. Had the black cod and the short ribs (split between the two of us after apps, we were stuffed). Both were amazing from the presentation to the last bite. Didn't try their maki, sashimi, but would love to next time - the sushi pizza was great. I'd love to see more inventive appetizers round out their menu. Server was polite, very knowledgeable and took cues to know when to interrupt the table and when not to. Liked the decor but it's a little spartan and, while they make great use of their space, it's still unfortunate that the resto is below street level. Would love to see Koko grow into a bigger location. Left my first visit here very happy and knowing that I will be back again and again. read more

Nice little joint. They serve your traditional korean fare, but with better ingredients.

Koko! Share Bar is aesthetically pleasing, clean and service is spot on :) My friend and I ordered the seafood hot pot, spider roll and pork belly ssam- all super fresh and delicious. Would definitely come back! :) read more

Went here for my birthday dinner and was not disappointed!! I was a bit apprehensive because the reviews were not great but i was pleasantly surprised by the restaurant. I loved the sashimi, the plum wine and the bibimbap and also the service was great. Would come back here. read more

The better half and I tried out KOKO for dinner on Friday night, and unfortunately I can only give the experience 3 stars. I have to admit, this was a one time experience, so perhaps they were simply having a bad night, but to echo a previous yelp-er, it was overall pretty underwhelming. Maybe because it was Friday of the Hallowe'en weekend, and they couldn't find enough people to staff the restaurant? Maybe it was just our bad luck? But at 7:30 or so with only two other tables, we waited 45+ for our appy. And we were pretty disappointed when it arrived - the soft shelled crab was rather overly breaded/crusted before deep-frying, and it was barely warm. Not sure if it sat out for a long time, but the waitresses (yes, two of them, for one table of two eating, one table of two waiting (us!), and one table of two just arrived), were not swamped! Waitresses were friendly and eager, so not sure where the ball dropped.... Main dishes were better, hot and tasty. We had the black cod and short ribs. Flavours and textures were wonderful, the restaurant's saving grace! Small point: I was a little irked by the asparagus that came with the cod: 4 stringy, ice-cold pieces. Not sure it was a garnish (but they looked very sad: limp, charred, soggy)... but it was my first time leaving asparagus behind! The menu appeared to consist of pretty run of the mill Japanese OR Korean foods, not a modern fusion twist which I had expected. Drinks list showed inventive cocktails and martinis... Oh, and share bar, means family style, sharing the plates. Sizes are significantly bigger than tapas! Decor and ambiance were lovely, hip, modern, cool. The meal came to $70 for quickie dinner of one appy, one beer, two mains, taxes. Keep in mind we brought small appetites to the restuarant (one of us came from happy hour). I know it's Yorkville location adds a premium, but given our experience, not sure if we will be returning. Might come back to try cocktails.... might be a fun place for someone to bring a date.... read more

Koko is one of my favourite Japanese/Korean restaurants in the city. The food is consistently delicious with generous portions, and the service is always friendly. They make a beautiful avocado salad with the most wonderful ginger dressing. The sashimi is always great. Also love the spicy wok toss and bibimbap. read more

Nothing special, despite the fact this restaurant is nestled in the heart of yorkville, the menu choice is not exciting and expensive compare to other Korean/Japanese style restaurant. I ordered the spicy seafood hot pot for $22, all the seafood in the broth (shrimp, scallop, mussel) are over-cooked and tastes like rubber. The service was good, but that was the only good thing they got going for them. I got a coupon on livingsocial, but I don't think I will revisit with or without a coupon. read more

I'm surprised at the "share bar" label; they seem to have dropped the concept? I also think they might have lessened the whole 'tapas' angle in favour of a more traditional dining experience, which is probably a step in the right direction, according to previous reviews; they've kept the food and service, but lost the pretension. I and a friend stopped in here randomly for a bite before the theater, and while the service lagged a little bit, everyone was very friendly and eager to help. The space is small, well furnished and cozy- when I was there they were having some kind of an issue with the Ladies' washroom, so I had to make do with the Gents' (not that there's much of a difference in single-serve bathrooms anyways). We started off with a lovely pot of tea (green with scented rice and popcorn, I think) and a glass of pinot grigio. I had a seaweed salad ($8) which was very beautifully made and extremely delicious- very small, but just right for one person as an appetizer. I also had the PEI Mussels with gochujang butter ($19), which were fantastic and of a standard mussel serving size. All the flavours were well balanced and the staging was just beautiful; they've taken a lot of care to make sure that the dinnerware is attractive. My friend had the bulgogi bibimbap, which she enjoyed a lot. It was a little pricey, but not unexpected; it's Yorkville, after all. All in all, it was a really nice, cozy experience; the food was excellent and the staff were very sweet. read more

Never even got to try the food here as the customer service was horrible. Went there for a birthday dinner that was prepaid for by the birthday girls sister and was charged the full amount prior to the dinner. The rest of the party was late and the staff had no problem with that as the payment was already processed. Once the remainder of the party arrived the staff then decided not to serve us because "they can't process any transactions without the cardholder there" although they spoke to the cardholder when making the reservation and again a few minutes prior to the guests arriving to verify everything AND already charged the full amount. They told us we could pay individually for what we order and they would later refund the hundreds already paid earlier that day. Was super frustrating and sad for the birthday girl. They shouldn't of charged us firstly and wasted to much of our time. Went to another resturant down the road was so much better than this place could ever of been. The food there wouldn't even be worth it. Literally got on yelp to write my first review cause it was that bad. read more

Lindsay D!! I was there last week. I find your comment very personal. The restaurant business is not about ex-employees. Just because Sang and Shin don't work there, that doesn't mean the restaurant is going down. You should go there and try the revised menu. The food has never been better. read more

We visited KOKO last Saturday and loved the setting, great food at very reasonable prices and friendly service. The appetizers were a killer- hot seafod soup and tuna in maple sauce were to die for. Main course presentation and flavours were great but we were too full from the appetizers to finish it all! The only complaint was the dessert- we didn't love the cake, but c'est la vie. We are definitely coming back. Great spot! read more

Best of the best! Cute restaurant in the heart of Yorkville. Great food, service and ambience. We had Binnaga sashimi for appetizer. It's BC tuna with maple, tamari and balsamic sauce. Dinner was Memaki. It's a platter of assorted sashimi, tempura, vegetables and soft shell crab. The cool thing about this is it comes with nori (dry seaweed) and rice so that you can make your own sushi with things you like. House made Soju (Korean Vodka.. not as strong as vodka though) infusion was really really good too. We tried Citrus flavour... We are going back for sure to try other dishes. Strongly recommend! read more

After multiple visits I continue to love this place. The food is excellent. Unique offerings, of which there is something for everyone. Though, as the name implies, sharing is the best way to go as you get to enjoy more of the great tastes. The service is always wonderful. Definitely be back again! read more

First time I tried bibimbap was here, and I fell in love. Lived on west coast so used to good fresh food. Sushi is good here too! This is one of my favorite restaurants in Tdot! read more

This place is just ok to me. Been twice now and no need to go back. If you want great Korean food, try Tofu Village on Bloor.

Located in the center of Yorkville, KOKO! Share Bar is a welcoming, warm and clean place for dinner. The menu is fairly simple with a nice selection of appetizers, sushi and a few main courses. For a team of two we had two appetizers (octopus and soft shell crab), the glazed black cod and the scallop modern sushi roll. I have to admit, the best dish was the glazed black cod which is always a great treat to have but I found the other dishes falling short of its mark. The octopus just seemed to hard and it was deep fried which I felt lost the flavors of the dish. I did enjoy the soft shell crab which I would definitely order again. The last was the scallop sushi roll, it didn't wow me and it's not what I would order again but I think all in all the meal was just enough to fill your appetite. I would definitely recommend coming here for something simple and light but not if you're hoping for a filling meal. It's definitely a nice cozy place for a drink and snack. read more

I have eaten at many of the finest Japanese restaurants in North America and Europe and would like to say that KOKO ranks among the best. It is great to have such a different menu as most of the Japanese/Sushi establishments are identical. This has become my family's number 1 choice and we visit at least once a week. Hats off to the management for for providing great service and food read more

so we got there at 6pm,when we got there the 1st waiter looked at us and told us to sit anywhere. so we picked a random table for 4 (even tho we were only a 2) since the restaurant seemed empty. And the waiter did not say anything, he said okay sit here and then he received a phone call. so 1st he didnt give us the menu when we sat down. 2nd no water or utensils were given out he was just standing beside us talking on the phone. Then the other waiter walks out from the back and straight away walks to us and says, " we have a reservation on this table so its you have to finish before 7pm" to which i say " sure" . so seeing that we didnt have menus he turned around and i thought mhmm hes gonna hand us the menus but no he left and went inside the kitchen. THEN he came out, so to which i cut him off first and said "can we please have menus". he replied with a not so kind attitude and said, " actually we cant have this table because its a table for 4 and we have to move and all the tables were reserved at 7pm. so im extremly confused at this point cause idk why they took us in if they were fully booked. Anyways the attitude was terrible in general so we then left. read more

I give this 5 stars because of the honesty of the food and humble, but impeccable service in this tiny little gem in the middle of an expensive metropolis. Koko is just what you want. Great sushi, and Korean hot pot classic Bibimbap. Fucking amazing! Atmosphere is very comfy and prices are reasonable. Enjoy read more

Nice atmosphere - at least at lunch. Service is friendly, and the food very tasty and a good value (especially for Yorkville)

Exquisite interior design and high quality Sushi. Fair prices and friendly staff. Great place for a date!!