Name: Seoul Shakers Contact: 1241 Bloor St. W., no phone, @seoulshakersclub Neighbourhood: Bloordale Previously: Holy Oak Cafe Owners: Leemo Han (Juanmoto, Pinky’s Ca Phe, Hanmoto) and Ihn Huh (Pinky’s Ca Phe) Chefs: Executive chef Leemo Han and chef de cuisine Jason Poon (Beast Restaurant)
The food
A menu of Korean mash-ups with some South American influence. Expect things like kalbi empanadas, dressed with pico de gallo, aji sauce and black mint; tempura salt cod; and parrilla-grilled beef ribs served with potatoes and shishito peppers in a gochujang-tomato sauce. “I always wanted to come back to Korean after Oddseoul,” says Han. “This is my take on it, but for 2018.”
The drinks
A short list of easy-drinking beers, an equally short selection of wine and and a few large-format brut ciders. The draw here are Huh’s specialty cocktails and the house makgeolli (a Korean sparkling rice wine).
The space
No stranger to creating unique spaces, Han gutted the room and clad it in a whole lotta wood and custom arches. He outfitted the front room with a bar salvaged from a now-closed Hamilton establishment. Han, who loves collecting antiques, wanted to make the space look dated “like an old man’s, bar or an uncle’s man cave but with a cantina vibe.” Nailed it.