Restaurants
HoSu Bistro: Broaden Your Palate
I admit that sometimes I order menu dishes just because I find the names intriguing. "Chicken Bibim Bop" sounds more like a (possibly painful) dance move to me, but it's actually a traditional Korean dish: assorted veggies & chicken with an egg on a bed of rice, served in a stone bowl.
I've eaten at both the downtown (254 Queen St. W.) and North York (2352 Yonge St.) HoSu locations many times. Up to now, I've usually gone for the sushi or the chirashi don ($9.95):
Owner Susan Kim says that many first-time visitors tend to gravitate toward the Japanese options, especially sushi and bento box combos. She says that on repeat visits, people often start getting more adventurous. HoSu's Korean specialty, kam pong gi ($7.95 small, $12.95 large), is now a favourite among customers.
Wanting to be more adventurous, I ask Susan for ideas. She suggests the galbi appetizer: pieces of marinated short beef ribs ($4.95) and the spicy chicken soup ($8.95). Like her staff, Susan is friendly and welcoming, eager to introduce different types of Asian cuisine to those yearning to broaden their palates.
All serving staff at HoSu are fluent in English. Susan makes this a requirement so if customers have any questions about the menu, they can get explanations. Many people find ethnic restaurants intimidating; one of Susan's goals is to make HoSu a place where diners feel comfortable trying new dishes. "When we first opened, very few people knew what kimchi was," she says. "Now people request it specifically."
My galbi appetizer is tender and delicious, and the chicken soup is unlike any other I've had before. The spicy broth with chicken, egg and long green onions is hot and filling: Korean comfort food. You don't even have to leave your own home to sample HoSu's extensive menu since they offer take-out and delivery services (check out their menus on their Web site). When I ordered the chicken soup for delivery, it came in a sturdy plastic bowl:
Yum. This would also be a great choice for anyone feeling a bit under the weather; I'll have to remember this next time I'm sick at home. Hm...or even if I'm not.
Now my eye strays to other unfamiliar dishes on the menu and find they don't sound quite as intimidating. Hwae dop bop? I'll have that next time, or perhaps galbi jim. Not exactly sure what they are, but I can't wait to find out.
Pictured above: 2352 Yonge St. location (Yonge & Eglinton), 416-322-6860. Address at the top of this listing refers to the Queen St. location.
Hours: Mon-Sat 11:30am-11pm, Sun 11:30am-10pm
Discussion
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Don't get put off my the crowded tables at the Queen & John location. The food and service more than makes up for it :-)
I'm not a sushi snob by any mean, but I would describe my last 4 visits as very mediocre. I stopped going.
This place is quite nice I must say. Though I am not a fan of the food the service is very organized and quick. Meals were made so fast. Tea only for a dollar with refills for the table? The menu's had photos included of what the meal looked like. Upon leaving the place, ever employee who passed you said a thank you and a goodbye. Now that is sweet isn't it? :) Though I did not enjoy the food, just not a fan, my friends did and you recieved a great big tray with the nice, low price. :) There were also some cute little rooms to eat in as well with curtains, I thought that was pretty great.
the chicken for the chicken teriyaki had been cooked on a baking tray with a number of other plain chicken breasts and had been left to sit out, only later to be re-heated and drenched with teriyaki sauce from the bottle- not allowing the chick to absorb any of those deliciously MSGed flavours.
The tempura batter hadn't been mixed properly and when i bit into my broccoli tempura the stem was surrounded by uncooked clumps of flour.
the sushi was made so far in advance that the centre of avacodo, fake crab and cucumber was a flavourless and indistinguishable mush in my mouth.
the brown rice was cooked well and the service was good and the tea was hot and fresh and refilled often. But I will never go back to HoSu
4 days later and i'm still suffering with butt pee :( That's nothing compared to the 2-3 days of agonizing abdominal pain I had before, and the night I felt a fever coming on.
I've since looked this location up on the City of Toronto health inspection site, and i was not surprised by the results. They are constantly flagged for hygiene problems. It seems they only clean up their act when they know the inspectors are coming back for a second round of inspections. But don't take my word for it, look for yourself;
http://app.toronto.ca/food2/DineSafeMain?userRequest=view_history&;ESTABLISHMENT_ID=9029656
This place should be closed down.
The food wasn't even that good.
Honestly go somewhere else.
http://app.toronto.ca/food2/DineSafeMain?userRequest=view_history&;ESTABLISHMENT_ID=10363085
I guess you get what you pay for, but, upon further investigation and a call to the health inspector's office, it seems like they've had problems with roach infestations in the past. I also came across this facebook group -- "BOYCOTTING HOSU BISTRO 254 QUEEN ST.": http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8595032513
Needless to say, sadly, I will not be dining at Ho Su again!
Problem is... guess what I saw hanging out on the wall by the front door. Yep. A 'roach.
Now I'm unsure whether or not I'll go back. The food there isn't so awesome that I have to go there. There are other options which don't include roaches.
The only saving grace is that they offer brown rice as a substitute if you're trying to cut back on your carb intake.
Terrible. 2 stars.