Uncle Mikey's - Toronto

This is a fantastic spot to grab a drink at! We stepped out of a gallery party to find a bottle shop on the Dundas strip and Uncle Mikey's turned out to be the perfect spot, especially since my friend is Korean. They have a few items on a cheesy poster menu plastered on the plexiglass covid cough shield greeting you as you breeze in the place. The poster has BODEGA, which is Spanish for small boutique, grocery store, or depanneur if you're in Canada. Kimchi, K food, BottleShop... kind of everything you need when out partying like we were on a Friday night. The signature item was a Bulgogi Hanger Steak for 28 which sounded pretty good but was sold out. Also we were there for bottles, not food. And Uncle Mikey did not disappoint to that end. A fully stocked front room with a couple fridges containing interesting things like home made kimchi, imported asian sweets, snack food, and plenty of beers I have never seen before anywhere else. Very cool! The staff was super chill, and very nice to deal with almost reading our minds standing there gob smacked. Would you like your to go bottle of Saison opened? Why yes, of course! How about a glass for your beer sir? Sure! Saison French, season, French pronunciation: sz is a pale ale that is highly carbonated, fruity, spicy, and often bottle conditioned. So there ya go, something interesting and new to go along with an equally interesting and new evening post lockdown where everything seems interesting and new. We were back and forth to Mikey's a few times that evening, also enjoying another items I haven't seen before, single serve bottles of saki. Yes, it's true... Saki to go! Thanks Mikey!

Fantastic food! The dumplings are best I’ve ever had.

The restaurant has beautiful aesthetics, featuring charming milk carton chairs that, while cute, are a bit uncomfortable, so I used my jacket as padding. The shrimp were incredibly flavorful, which I loved, and they had a unique taste. The rice and elote were also good. I found the chicken wings to be a bit too saucy for my liking, but I'm sure many people would enjoy them. The vibe is cool, and the staff was friendly. I would definitely come back if given the chance!

Here’s a rundown of what happened during our three-hour visit: 1. A group of six of us arrived and waited 30 minutes for our orders to be taken. The server then forgot all six orders and asked us to remember them an hour later. 2. The server began bringing out our dishes one by one, with 20 to 30 minutes between each plate. The first two dishes that arrived weren't even what we ordered, and they had to take them back to the kitchen. 3. The waiting staff openly admitted that they were intoxicated, which led to confusion on our bill. 4. We were incorrectly charged $75 for extra food, and then the server handed us a pen so we could correct the bill ourselves. 5. They insisted we lie about how much we had ordered, claiming they thought we would have chosen more items if they had checked on us more than twice over the first two hours. They then threatened us, saying not to "mess with Mikey" in a way that felt very serious. 6. The server even leaned over to flirt with patrons at the bar while we were trying to enjoy our meal. 7. After leaving a $15 tip, which felt generous given the circumstances, the waitress cried at the bar, seemingly upset over the tip being too low for a bill of $200. The food may be good, but the service is a huge liability. This place has potential, but they really need to address their staffing issues if they want to keep customers coming back.

This large Korean fusion restaurant and bar offers an impressive selection of dips! We tried the bindetteok mung bean pancake served with kohl, bulldoggen sauce, Kewpie mayo, and shishito paprika. The tteokbokki, made with crunchy rice cakes and a Gochujang glaze, was topped with scallions and sesame seeds. We also had the mapo tofu served over rice, featuring silky tofu in a spicy mapo sauce with chili rice. Everything was absolutely amazing, especially the kimchi fried rice and garlic shrimp! Each dish was packed with flavor and paired perfectly with their beer or cocktails. Most dishes are available in small or large sizes, so feel free to mix and match according to your appetite.