The food here is pretty good given the limited options for Korean in Scarborough. I do like their little apps. We've been there at least 10 times. One thing that gets to me though and were not likely going back. It always takes forever when we eat there. They are usually understaffed and the last time we just walked out. That was the last straw. For the amount of time it takes to get a table, then wait and order, then wait for the food, we can drive to Korean town and pay half the price for a better meal. Be forewarned, it will take you a long time if you go there. read more

A solid Korean establishment in Scarborough. Makkal Chon does offer some unconventional but tasty fare which makes it a treat to visit. We ordered the pork bone stew to share; stacked with meaty bones, however we only had one potato. The flavor was great however just a tad short of umami. We also ordered a steamed pork belly platter. This dish was interesting and delicious, all the pork belly pieces were meaty. Service is okay, they didn't check on us to refill the banchan or water but they did get super busy with a line waiting. Definitely a worthy visit! read more

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As mentioned the service is really hit or miss and there is always a queue as the place is quite small. Food is good and authentic (majority of the clientele were Korean so that also speaks volumes). We ordered the wrap set with an additional plate of kalbi for 5 which was enough for all of us without being stuffed . The banchans were all quite good however was told that the eggplant and the fish cakes were all gone only to see the next table served them just barely 10 minutes later. Coming from Markham, this is a bit of a trek so when compared to others in the Yonge and Finch area it doesn't really warrant the trip down. However if you are in the area, it is cheap and cheerful option with good food. read more

Makkal Chon - Korean Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This place is a favourite for my friends and I for Korean food. Only place in Scarborough to get authentic Korean food. Though the service is slow due to it being family-owned, it is worth the wait. The signature dishes to get of this restaurant are the wraps combo where you can get 2 or 3 meat dishes with the lettuce wraps. It also comes with a spicy tofu soup on the side. The best meat dishes to get would be the grilled pork and the mackerel. We have tried the bulgogi and spicy squid and pork. The beef bulgogi is okay but the spicy squid and pork is quite spicy for our palette. The plate of lettuce wraps also comes with a variety of leafy greens such as romaine lettuce, cabbage and kale with some other pickled leafy greens and fresh herbs. Their pork bone soup for 2 people is quite worth it and lots of pork bone for more than 2 people. We also like their dolsat bibimbab which is the Korean rice cooked in a stone bowl mixed with pork, egg, and vegetables with their signature sauce for it. It is quite good and great they make it with the purple rice which is healthier than white rice. read more

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To the Male server, The zero tips was not for slow service, it was for bad service. The food came rather quickly and it tasted good. The problem was bad service: - No proper greeting - half our utensil were initially given, although it was clearly communicated how many of us there were - we had to ask for our lettuce - our dipping sauces for our lettuce wraps never came - we asked for napkins three times, eventually had to take it upon ourselves to get them - rudely pointed out the zero tips instead of asking for feedback/reasoning read more

The food was just OK there，but the service was horrible! I would not recommend this place!

My favourite Korean restaurant. Their pork bone soup is one of the best I've had. The restaurant is small so it might be a wait to get a seat. Try to go early to avoid the dinner rush. The only reason they are not getting a 5 star is because their service is slow- slow in ordering, slow in getting the drinks, apps and food. read more

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This is a great find in my neighbourhood. The quality of the food is for sure up there, the price is also a bit higher than the regular Korean places. I do think it is worth it, Makkal Chon has managed to match its quality to price. The food is tasty, flavourful, without being overpowering. The appetizer is delicious, first time I had kimchi that made me feel like I was having kimichi ~ hot and spicy! I tried the summer special cold noodle, didn't really know what to expect or how to eat it properly. The server brought the food over and without me asking, gave me quick 1-2-3 step instructions..and what she would recommend and not recommend. All in all...I am so glad this place is so close to where i live, I am looking forward to trying other dishes! read more

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Great food. Attention to details. The banchai were delicious, especially the marinated eggplant. I could eat that all day. Prices seem a bit high at first, before all the food arrives. They give 6 banchai and seemed to use better ingredients on average than typical restaurants. Everything tasted clean and made with pride. Highly recommended. read more

Visuals were really good but taste was definitely not up to the price. Overpriced for food taste and service. Waiters were rude. Not sure if they were being discriminating or they just forgot but we and another table weren't served the very basic thing at any Korean restaurant while the other two tables were. When we asked for more tea the male waiter just abruptly placed down the tea pot for us without saying anything and walked away. We were not satisfied with anything in general and won't recommend anyone to come here. read more

I would peg this place at 4.5 stars but Yelp wouldn't let me. Reason for taking away half a star is for the level of saltiness, a level even I struggle to cope with at times. This was a unique Korean food experience indeed; no quite as unique as the time I ate live octopus and something called a sea penis (yes! it's true!). Lettuce wraps? Who would of thought! Genius! Actually, it's more like mixed vegetables wrap as you do a pile of almost seemingly random stuff like cabbage, kale, lettuce, some wilted stuff that looks like leftovers from the last patrons meal (tastes great though! LOL). So yeah in short, order it cuz it's pretty darn good. Pork bone soup is a Korean staple and they've done it with justice. It's hot, salty, porky and spicy! It's a bonus that the meat falls off the bone so I don't have to look like a savage while eating it. One of the most flavourful pork bone soups I have ever had -- also expensive at about $10 a pop, I will return and next time I a going to ask for a jug of water/tea. But when it's all said and done, it's definitely one of the best Korean places I have had the pleasure to dine at in the GTA. read more

Overall, good restaurant to go to if you have some time to wait for your order and for service. Restaurant is not the largest, but is clean, including the bathrooms. Food was good; definitely loved all the side dishes (japchae, fried pumpkin in a honey sauce, kelp, kimchi, eggplant, egg, and another green vegetable-I forget what it's called). The grilled pork wraps were simple but tasty, and came with a variety of vegetables. The pork bone soup was a little bland though. The service was fairly slow (it was hard to get the server's attention sometimes, and they didn't have the little call buttons that other Korean restaurants often have), but friendly. Once you got their attention though, they did bring everything you asked for. read more

After reading my favorite Korean foodie aka Justine @foodigatorJ blog post here, I just have to try Makkal Chon out. Unlike most Korean restaurant located on Yonge or Bloor Street, this one is located in Scarbrough at Lawrence and Warden. Heard from a few other people that it's where a lot of Korean goes to for authentic Korean food, so I am confident that I will like it (^_^) Got 7 side dishes Wraps Combo A ($25.99) ~ Basic Vegetable Wraps + Choice of 2 Meat Dishes ~ Choose between Bulgogi, Chicken Teriyaki, Spicy Chicken, Mackerel, Mackerel Pike, Spicy Pork, Grilled Pork and Spick Squid & Pork ~ Purple Rice & Soy Bean Soup (Daen Jang Jji Gae) ~ We decided on Bulgogi and Spicy Pork ~ Came with a assortment of veggies instead of just lettuce for you to wrap your meat with and I love all the different texture and flavor here (^_^) ~ Spicy Pork, love how it's not overly saucy nor too sweet like most other restaurant has it. The balance of spicy and sweet is perfect here ;) ~ Bulgogi was tender and moist, perfect for those who can't eat spicy ~ Purple Rice Spicy Pork Bone Soup $8.99 ~On top of the combo, we order this since we wanted to try it out and we ask for extra spicy. ~ This was equally well made and love how they actually add hot chili to the soup instead of just adding extra chili powder on top like most places for my extra spicy request. Verdict : ~Very affordable and definetly delicious. ~ We order way too much for the 2 of us, the wrap combo could have easily feed 3-4 people read more

Last week my mother and I was craving for some Korean food after visiting my great grandmother, so we decided to come to visit this hidden restaurant as we were in the area. We ordered a pork bone soup, and a grilled mackerel, which came with a mini vegetable tofu soup, some lettuce, and a bowl of rice. Unfortunately, the pork bone soup was very disappointing, as the taste did not merely match how it was described in other Yelp reviews. The pork bone soup was not very flavourful and tasty in general, as it lacked the rich pork bone flavour that was anticipated for. As for the grilled mackerel, it tasted good, comparable in taste to the other Korean restaurants. Not to mention, the overall cost for both dishes was on the relatively expensive side in comparison to other Korean restaurants I have visited in the past. Despite all the negatives, this restaurant does provide some exceptional side dishes, but unfortunately, the restaurant only gives a total of three refills for the side dishes. Overall, I would not recommend coming to this place, as I believe there are better Korean restaurants to visit for the money you are paying. Also, the food service was very slow, so if you are in a hurry I do not recommend paying a visit, and if you do plan on visiting this restaurant, I do recommend coming earlier to prevent waiting in line as the restaurant is quite limited in seating. Unfortunately, I do not have any intentions in coming back to this restaurant. read more

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Give it up for Korean food done right! Had the kimchi samgyeopsal, the pork belly was done right and the kimchi was very flavorful. Would go again! read more

One of the best places in the city for authentic home cooked Korean food. It's my go-to spot in the east end to satisfy a kimchi jimm(pork belly kimchi stew), stone pot bibimbap, or pork bone soup. They also always serve a variety of ban chan (side dishes) and I'm always pleasantly surprised by some of them (like the apple and pumpkin potato salad.. soooo good).. The only downside is that the place can get extremely busy and I don't believe they take reservations or a number so you have to line up which must feel like torture as you see the carts of food being rolled out. I suggest you come here in smaller groups (2-6). Excellent food and I'm sure with time they will update and renovate the restaurant, so keep on supporting these family run businesses. read more

Makkal Chon - Dolsot (stone pot) bibimbap... Love the crunchy rice bits that get toasted on the bottom of the bowl - Korean Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

The pork bone soup is one of the best in the city. Full of flavor with just the right amount of heat. The side dishes I think are the best in the city, I love the eggplant side dish. The service is a little slow, so make sure you are not in a hurry when you come here to eat. Definitely the best Korean food in Scarborough hands down. read more

Excellent Korean food. Ordered a combo meal for two $30 comes with two bowls of rice, two choice of grilled meat, 1 bowl of soup, 1 large platter of assorted lettuce wrap, and 7 plates of banchan. I would love to come back more often if it weren't so far for me. But do expect long wait times for service. read more

Was a bit hard to find the first time. The signage doesn't stand out. The food is good, sides are excellent. Really busy place and small. Be prepared to wait at dinner time. There are larger restaurants with less of a wait. Unless you're in the area, I wouldn't necessarily go out of the way to eat here. We had a hard time getting a waiter as we were seated in behind the crowd waiting at the door on a sub zero night. So it wasn't the best of experiences. But all that aside, they do serve good food and the staff is friendly. read more

Man these reviews... "best pork bone soup ever"? Not so much. I mean, it LOOKS nice but flavours are lacking. Would choose Bamburg Circle or Yonge & Finch over this place. Also the wait time to get seated is definitely not worth the food you eat. Not sure why it's so busy here read more

I've been three times and the food was consistently really good. Side dishes were very tasty overall. My rating is mostly a reflection of the good food, though. Service is okay, some servers are worse than others. It can be difficult to get your server's attention, and they do seat and serve korean people first, as other reviewers pointed out. We had to wait quite a while for our food two out of three times that we went, and on the one occasion where there were korean people who came later and got served first, our server was very apologetic and thanked us for waiting patiently. Despite the service, we were happy with the food every time and would go back again. read more

Our favourite Korean restaurant on the east end! Food is tasty and service is efficient. The pork bone soup and pork belly wraps are classics!! read more

Excellent food! Very nice people working there. The pork bone soup is best I've had. Too bad it's not in a better location or could use an update to its frontage. But more important is the deli of pod! read more

Spicy is pretty spicy, be careful. We got a grilled fish, it was enough for two. Spicy bulgogi was made of tasty fire. But everything is fresh and delicious. Fulfilling dinner for 3 for $50? Oh, yeah!!! read more

Was here Saturday night at around 6 or 7. Was busy but only waited for about 10-15 minutes. Got combo A for 2ppl with bulgogi (delicious) and spicy chicken (equally delicious). Had fun wrapping stuff into the different lettuces on the tray. Most impressive were the side dishes which are refillable. They were all good. The purple rice was so nice and fragrant. Only complaint was they never refilled our tea. And I asked for water but that never came. Didn't bother me enough to say anything. I was enjoying the food to much! But places that are short staffed should just leave a pot of tea at the table. Can't wait to return to try other menu items! read more

This place is great! Went here for lunch and I told the waiter I was in a rush to get back to work. I waited about 15 mins for my food, which I think is reasonable. Everything was fresh and delicious. The banchan were so good and varied - there was a grilled eggplant, sesame glass noodles, something like a sliced fish cake?, green beans and a couple others. Each item tasted different but all so yummy, and nicely presented! I had the bulgogi with rice for my main - this was a very large portion and I ended up taking half of it home for dinner. Total for lunch with tax and tip was $16. I will definitely be back here. Great place! read more

Makkal Chon - Banchan. Bulgogi with rice. - Korean Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Hollly YUMMM.. Thumbs up all around.. We ordered the pork bone soup (because everyone raves about it! And was not disappointed the bf LOVED it), spicy pork on rice and a veg soybean stew (note: they were super nice and modified this dish for me since I was a vegan! It was very delicious and hit the spot). I am definitely coming back here the next time we are in the east end! read more

Makkal Chon - It's rammed in here!! Saturday at 1:40..this is a good sign.. Excited to eat!! - Korean Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

My whole family loves this place as it is close to home & most of the dishes here are very well-made and closest to what we can replicate at home (or sometimes better than that). Only God knows how many late nights we've spent here when work ended late & no one felt like cooking/dishwashing. Sometimes it's very difficult to find seats. Service is extremely slow on those premium/scarce seating days. The longest time I've ever waited for anything there-- was 30 minutes. For hot tea/water! It was mind-boggling. Everyone's favourite 'Pork Bone Soup' is a robust, red, spicy Korean earthenware pot of heaven. It is way better than Owl of Minerva's gamjatang & I really hope they don't deviate from their original recipe or change it up too much. I almost always order the 'Spicy Soft Tofu Stew' with seafood. Not with beef though. Unless they use a better cut of meat next time I go there. 2-3 visits ago I got fatty cartilaginous bits I could neither chew nor swallow. I love their 'Dol-Sot-Bi-Bi-Bab' with their usual purple rice (guessing it's made up of 20% Thai Black Rice & 80% Japanese White Rice). It was difficult for me to finish & I was very hungry at the time. The 'Mushrooms on Rice' had a wimpy Teriyaki-type sauce that deeply perplexed me with its gloopy texture & too-light colour. I hope they improved it. I love mushrooms and would appreciate a wider variety of them + a more robust sauce. The side dishes are not very good. I sometimes wonder why (aside from the Kimchi subtypes, pickled or stir-fried dishes) they bother putting them out at all. The starchy syrupy potatoes are too gooey & some other dishes are just too random. As much as I love dwenjang (Korean miso), there was this fern bracken or other unknown vegetable tossed to coat in this miso-based seasoning & my tastebuds were bewildered into barely making a dent in it-- in spite of the smallish serving. The 'Udon' was pretty good. They made the broth very light and kind of anchovy-flavoured to suit Korean palates. I quite enjoyed it. Haven't had their udon in awhile. Perhaps they made it a bit more authentically Japanese by now? I wonder. The Mackerel 'Vegetable Wraps' were delicious! I love the array of fresh leafy greens they bring out. It's quite a beautiful & impressive presentation that makes you feel good about all the DHA & vitamins you're about to consume. My family has even speculated the owner grows the veggies herself. The 'Spicy Salad Liquor Combo' sounds tempting but half my family are allergic teetotalers (this includes me) & my mother makes such a killer spicy whelk (sea snail/bai-top shell) salad with Somen or Soba, I feel like I'm setting myself up for disappointment. read more

Food ok. Not great. Service ok. So slow. Took 1/2h to get food out. Spicy pork was bland. Bugolgi just ok. Wouldnt be pressed to come back. GTA have a lot of places that are better. read more

Came for dinner and got the spicy pork rib that serves two. It was delicious! The ribs are nicely marinated and then cooked on that spicy broth. This place never disappoints. read more

Makkal Chon - Spicy pork rib dinner for two. - Korean Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Seriously, I would go here more often if it was closer to where I live. their selection of banchan (side dish) is so much better in taste and quality compare to Korean restaurants in Christie and Bloor Korea town area. Also, I know that korean food has a lot of sodium, and sometimes when I eat korean restaurant food, I get so dehydrated because of so much sodium intake, but it seems like Makkal Chon tries to cut down sodium in their dish. Because of this, some Koreans would say that this place needs some more salt in their food, but I think it's just right. read more

We came to Makkal Chon off a Reddit recommendation. Initially we found that the place was very small, but cozy. It has an authentic Korean aesthetic and we immediately eyed the appetizers. The place is very busy, and expect service to be a little slow because there are too many people. However, we were pleasantly surprised. Food came quickly, and all at once. The pork bone soup is well season and the meat falls off the bone, while the mackerel vegetable wraps were crispy, salty, and refreshing. I've never had vegetable rolls, but aside from an odd soggy leaf everything was crisp and fresh. The appetizers are delicious, and there are many! Eggplant and kimchi were our favourites. The meals come with rice and the tea is tasty Korean rice tea. They serve it using an interesting tea ladle! Overall Makkol Chon is probably the best Korean I've had in the GTA. would definitely come back and the meal is both affordable and delicious. read more

Makkal Chon - Banchan! - Korean Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Decided to try out Makkal Chon after some of my Korean customers had told me this place was one of the best in Toronto. The place is good but I wouldn't say the best. The Food Food was good but nothing special. My bf and I shared a vegetable wrap combo with grilled pork and spicy chicken which were both served on sizzling hot plates, an assortment of leafy greens, dipping sauce (ask for sesame oil with salt, adds more flavor to the meats), two rice and a fermented soybean paste soup. The pork was good, the chicken was okay but the salt and sesame oil were its saving grace. The soup was very disappointing, usually it's one of the first items to be finished but we barely touched it. The banchan, for the most part, was amazing! There was one side dish that we all strongly disliked which was the seaweed/cucumber combination, it was no bueno! The kimchi was good, still nothing special, BUT the lotus root, tofu, and dried radish were by far my favorite side dishes. The Service The servers was great! They were all very nice and attentive! They even asked a group of two if they would move to another table so they could accommodate our larger group of 5. Place was pretty busy too and we still got great attention. Service was great and food was okay. If I ever go back it would 100% be for those side dishes. read more

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My friends and I went for lunch on a weekday so there was no wait and we were seated quite quickly. Food was delicious, and the appetizers were very tasty as well! My friends got the seafood/tofu stew which was very good and a reasonable sized portion. Another got vegetable wrap combo which came with a lot of food (small bowl of tofu stew, plate of veggie wraps, and a meat platter)! I personally got the udon soup which was okay, nothing special but no real complaints either. The service is okay, though one of our servers didn't really seem to understand English very much. All in all I was pleasantly surprised! Would come back to eat if I were in the area. read more

3.5* This place was a late night pick and it was good. We ordered the pork bone soup and Kim chi fried rice. They came with traditional sides except the honey potatoes were squash. The pork bone soup had a different flavour than what I have had at other places but good none the less. But what made it great was how much meat there was! Usually sound have more bone than meat, this definitely had more meat than bone and then some. Kim chi fried rice was standard that I've had at other places. For a decent Korean place in the Scarborough area that's reasonably priced, I'd come here to get my fix. read more

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The atmosphere is nice. Unfortunately we waited for a while to get our appetizers which were very good. The food was good. The service was not amazing : no water offered to us, no tea refill offered neither. Not much attention from the waitresses who were still nice. read more

Makkal Chon - Bi bim bop - Korean Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I've been here numerous times and the food had previously always been consistent. I really enjoy their kimchi bacon fried rice or the pork bone soup if I'm feeling hungry because I know they're really tasty and will for sure fill me up. Tonight, instead of ordering individually we shared the wraps combo ($29.99) which came with two meats, two multigrain rice (I much prefer this over white rice that I find a lot of Toronto Korean restaurants opt to serve instead), bean paste sauce and a side vegetable soup. They're pretty generous with sides, on average we get 7 sides every time we come however it varies from time to time. My personal favourites from them would be the sweetened yellow potato (which we didn't get this time) and the sauced eggplant. They are absolutely delicious and I'd finish eating them in a heart beat ! I really enjoy their wraps because they always come with fresh veggies however this time for some reason they weren't as fresh. I still do appreciate their thoughtfulness in serving multiple greens so you could try different wraps and experience a different taste every time. For the meats we chose grilled pork and bulgogi ! Previous to this visit I've never had grilled pork before but I will be getting it for sure from now on and the bulgogi is great as per usual ! The only downside i would say is that even on week nights 9/10 times you'll have to wait to be seated cause it's a cosy restaurant, and there's typically only one server so you can't expect stellar service. Despite the down sides I keep coming back because their food is actually really tasty ! read more

Makkal Chon - Wraps combo with bulgogi and grilled pork. ($29.99) - Korean Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

What's not to love here? My go to place for pork bone soup. Their apps are great too before they serve you the entree. Quick service but not many tables. So you may have to wait during dinner hours. read more

Hot pork bone soup with rice. What more could you ask for? The restaurant is not fancy but the food was great and the atmosphere is casual and easy. read more

For a local eatery this place rocks. It's a small restaurant and during the week has only 1 waiter but he does a good job attending to everyone. I go a little early around 6 and it's not too busy...by the time we finish place is full...once food is ordered it comes out pretty quick. I've had the pork bone soup here and it's hands down better than owl...the spicy tofu soup is really good also a little more spicy than other places which works for me. My fiance had the lettuce wraps which were great...I tried the marinated pork and had awesome flavor. Love that it's close to home and would never have even known about it if it weren't for yelp. read more

Makkal Chon - Korean Near Me - Toronto, Ontario