I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to travel a bit in my life, and I still think that Toronto has one of the greatest food offerings in the world. You don't need to go to South Korea to find good KBBQ cause there are so many options right in the city. Earlier last week, I had the opportunity to check out Piggy's Restaurant in Thornhill. It was my first time at this location, but I have eaten at their downtown location (Little Piggy's) before. Piggy's offers authentic Korean cuisine and is a popular spot for KBBQ. Please note that this is not AYCE, and they are a full-service restaurant, so they do offer a wide variety of traditional Korean dishes as well. 

Walking into the restaurant, I found it to be quite spacious, but it still had a homey vibe to it. Each table is equipped with a charcoal grill with utensils. We were quickly seated for 6 pm, and dinner started promptly then. What arrived out first was a succulent tower of beef short ribs, the King Kalbi. The platter consists of non-marinated large cuts of premium beef short ribs, and highly recommended for 3-4 people. There is a smaller portion available for 2 people. While it was non-marinated, the cooked BBQ meat tasted amazing with the accompanying sweet sauce. 

If you look at their extensive menu, the meats are priced for two people. The bill can add up if you get more than 2+ kinds of meats, but they do offer lettuce wraps and a wide assortment of banchan (side dishes), which are re-fillable. 

The beef ribs cooked quickly on the grill, and I loved the smokey flavor that the charcoal provided. Speaking of charcoal, they are specially imported from Korea.  

Next up was the Pork Belly, and they were thick! Piggy's Restaurant is one of the few restaurants in the city to serve up extra thick slices like what locals enjoy in South Korea. Excellent quality of meat and the pork belly had a good balance of meat and fat. 

Garlic Beef

L.A Kalbi

The drinks menu was pretty decent with a nice variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. I got the Fresh Soju Twist in a Lightbulb - mango.

Ended the night off with Magic Flower Pot Soft Serve Ice-Cream - 100% pure milk house-made vanilla ice-cream served with a layer of cookie crumble sprinkled on top.

Overall, the staff was accommodating, great food and service. If you're looking for some really good KBBQ, then definitely check Piggy's Restaurant out. Thank you to Piggy's Restaurant and Richard (@richardjwtang) for hosting.

Earlier last month, I had the opportunity to attend a Korean Food 101 courtesy of Chopsticks + Forks Food Tour. The tour takes place every Sunday afternoon at 5 pm hosted at Song Cook’s in Thornhill, ON. 

So what is Korean Food 101? It is a dining experience introducing diners to the diversity of Korean cuisine. The program was designed to teach people about the richness of Korea’s culinary delights, one that goes beyond Korean BBQ. The dinner was a 7-course tasting menu, and the portion was pretty substantial for our table of 6 people. Since it was a communal dinner, we were encouraged to socialize with those at the table.

Rice (Bap) - not just a staple, rice is the foundation of Korean cuisine

Bachan - side dishes served in every traditional Korean meal

Man-doo - Korean style dumplings (steamed and fried)

Jap Chae - "Glass Noodle" dish of Imperial decent

Cha-Jang Myun - a dark black bean noodle dish

Tang Su Yuk - deep fried sweet and sour pork

Bulgogi - thinly sliced marinated beef

Donkatsu - Korean version of the pork schnitzel

Tdeukguk - A traditional rice cake soup eaton on New Years [NOT PICTURED]