Royal Boonsik

With fresh dumplings and tasty kimbap, Royal Boonsik is a cheap and cheerful family run restaurant.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Easily the star of the show in this mom-and-pop place, the mandu are made in-house, and served in a soup that features everything but the kitchen sink. We ordered way too much food, but I made sure to finish my share of dumplings before ceding the table to my dining partner. The mild broth with egg complemented the flavourful dumplings perfectly, and I would come back just for this. Super delicious.

★ ★ ★.5

If I have this right, Ra-bokki is basically ramen noodles, tteokbokki and a hard-boiled egg in tteokbokki sauce. We were warned about the spicy sauce before eating, but it turned out to be only mildly spicy, which was disappointing. Other than that, tasty, if not super exciting after the awesome dumplings.

These two, plus the kimbap we ordered on a whim, added up to $23, tax included. They offer free refills on the banchan.

Royal Boonsik, 647 Bloor St. W., Toronto

Dined May 2014, – Only