BBQ & Sushi King

2111 Sheppard Avenue East
Toronto, Ontario
(416) 495-0259

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Date: December 16, 2006
Cost: $25/ person
What's on the menu: Korean and Japanese food


At first glance the name may seem curious to passerbyers. Barbeque and sushi? Ribs and raw fish? Turns out the BBQ portion is actually Korean BBQ. Interestingly enough the restaurants decor looks as though it was a steakhouse/BBQ joint at one time. Inside the restaurant there is no shortage of tables at this large venue. A couple of sections are quarantined off with portable Japanese walls and booths... even more space is available by the sushi bar.

The menu is comprised mostly of Korean food items... bulgogi, buckwheat noodles, pork bone soup are familiar names. A portion of the menu is dedicated for sushi items - sushi by the piece, maki rolls, handrolls and sashimi, what you'd expect in a fully stocked sushi bar. What catches the eye though is the $17.95 all you can eat BBQ - short ribs, beef bulgogi, pork bulgogi, chicken and squid with free sushi (12 pieces maki, 8 pieces nigiri sushi).

Already separated from our non AYCE eating friends, we're moved even further away after several failed attempts at starting the grill at our table. A bit of a nuisance, but still an earshot away. At our new table our waitress starts up the grill... a coal burning grill! Don't think we've ever seen one at the places we frequent. As the grill heats up the crackle from the coal keeps us on our toes.

A short while later the food arrives. For side-dishes there's kimchi, pickled seaweed salad, bean sprouts and japchae (mixed vegetables with noodles). Raw meats are served on a large plate. We're also given a plate of a pancake type dish, it's unclear whether the dish is for our table moving troubles. Nonetheless, we're never ones to turn down food. Of the BBQ meats, the short ribs are the overwhelming hit of the night. These short ribs actually have meat on them, tender and marinated in sweet soya sauce. Sushi comes about halfway through the meal... quality is decent, about what you'd find at a quality AYCE Japanese restaurant.

Service at BBQ & Sushi King can be described as inconsistent, but always with good intentions. Example? Throughout the night the grill is cleaned with napkins from the table (unused, thankfully) with the meat still on the grill. The end result does not look pretty. One concern with the restaurant is ventilation, our single grill produced enough smoke to fill the restaurant. Even with a door open there was a cloudy haze over the room. Fortunately for the owners, our group was the only people left at that point.

On the whole, our experience at BBQ & Sushi King was pleasant. The Korean BBQ was better than most we've been to, serving decent sushi is a welcomed bonus. While there certainly needs to be something done about ventilation, a late night dinner return isn't out of the question.

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