Got a message from a friend of mine asking to meet up for lunch as he was going to be in the office. Given that his employer has switched to a work-from-home environment, that means something horrible must have happened for him to drive down to the office.
So, I decided to meet up with him to catch up and see what was new. Perhaps I’ll hear some funny stories!
We decided to go to Yummy BBQ for some tasty Korean food, and because it’s been a while since we had their lunch specials.
Yummy BBQ Review
Did you know that yummy BBQ used to be located in downtown Toronto around the Yonge and Wellesley intersection?
When we found out that the restaurant closed down and didn’t know where their new location was going to be, we were disappointed as we couldn’t enjoy their food anymore.
Their BBQ special was one of my personal favorites there too – getting to grill the meats yourself to enjoy over rice was a wonderful experience, and the meats were perfectly seasoned. It was also a limited item per day as once all the grills were used, that’s it for the day – they will not clean in between and make new batches. It happened a few times when I dined in there.
It’s good that they reopened as it’s a good place to enjoy some good eats.
Address: 16 Mallard Rd, North York, ON M3B 3N1
Yummy BBQ Menu
Here’s the menu at Yummy BBQ where it’s displayed on two TVs.
Yummy BBQ Lunch Specials
The lunch specials are only available at certain times of the day.
Bar-B-Q Ribs
The BBQ Ribs lunch special has always been my new go-to dish here at Yummy BBQ and the same goes for my friend as well. The only difference is the banchan (side dishes) we got. For me, I got tofu and kimchi, and for my friend, he got kimchi and bean sprouts.
We’re not sure what banchan is available here – so far, we had tofu, kimchi, and bean sprouts. But, if you don’t like a particular banchan, ie: kimchi, let him know and he can swap it to something else for you – usually, he’ll let you know the available choices so you can pick.
The dish comes with a healthy amount of galbi ribs, two banchan, and two scoops of rice. We think this is plenty of food for the average person as we’re always stuffed after eating it all – there are even instances where we had leftovers.
When ordering we asked for it to be spicy. We don’t recommend going for the non-spicy version. When comparing the two, had the non-spicy version once, the spicy version is just a lot better and has more flavour as well.
The gochujang sauce they use is delicious and although we asked for spicy, it wasn’t that spicy – we think anyone who can handle a bit of spiciness should be fine.
Unless you can’t handle the slightest spiciness, then go for their non-spicy version but just know you’ll be missing out on the flavourful gochujang sauce. Pair it together with the juicy and tender galbi ribs and you got yourself the perfect combination.
Fried Dumplings
We also ordered their Fried Dumplings from their side order menu.
The fillings used for their dumplings were bulgogi beef and japchae, and it was pan-fried to give the wrapping a nice crispy texture.
When biting into the dumpling it was crispy and chewy – the bulgogi beef was nicely seasoned.
Homemade soy sauce is also provided if you like to give your dumplings a hint of sour taste when consuming.
A nice dish to get to share amongst your lunch buddies.
Food – 4.6/5
The food is delicious here. We have ordered a few items here and not once were we disappointed. And I get the same response from many of my other friends. We have been coming back time after time because their food is so good.
But the magic happens in the kitchen. This restaurant is operated by a married couple – the husband who manages the orders and phone calls, and the wife who does all the cooking in the kitchen by herself.
This is like your Korean grandma cooking with the authentic taste.
Service – 3.8/5
The owner tends to remember his customers. If you order here a few times he’ll remember you so if you don’t like a certain banchan item – like kimchi, he won’t give it to you next time.
They also provide tea for their customers that is in a dispenser on the right of the counter. It’s a nice touch as most of the time restaurants in a food court don’t provide that.
However, the service can be slow at times. There are days when we waited 15 minutes or longer for our food. We understand only one person is working in the kitchen and there could be an influx of orders but maybe he should look for additional help given the amount of business they get?
Also, I have a funny story to tell here…
The old man taking the orders, he’s not the talkative type and doesn’t like or initiate small chats.
Before my friend placed his order, he said to the old man – “Hello, my friend”.
Guess what he responded with…his response with a seriously look on his face – “I’m not your friend”.
Not sure how my friend felt, but I got a chuckle out of that. Lol.
Ambiance – 3.5/5
Yummy BBQ is located in a spacious food court so there’s plenty of seating available. The food court is also well maintained by the building staff so the tables are usually nice and clean.
Price – $ to $$
At the time of writing this review, the price of the dish that I normally order – BBQ Ribs with sides, has gone up to $15 – I think it used to be $12.
So, the prices have gone up over the last couple of years.
With food costs keeping going up, due to the events currently happening around the world, there’s no telling if they will increase the price again or not. But one thing we do know for sure is that inflation hurts everyone – restaurants owners and customers.
Yummy BBQ Overall Rating – 4.1/5
Yummy BBQ has a good variety of lunch specials that should fit within everyone’s budget.
They also have dinner options where you could get a big batch of your favorite meat to bring home and enjoy or bring to a party.
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