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Food & Drink

What’s on the menu at Seoul Shakers, Leemo Han’s new Korean–South American snack bar in Bloordale

By Renée Suen| Photography by Renée Suen
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What's on the menu at Seoul Shakers, Leemo Han's new Korean–South American snack bar in Bloordale

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.”

What's on the menu at Seoul Shakers, Leemo Han's new Korean–South American snack bar in Bloordale
Tempura salt cod sits on a pool of aji and tartar sauces. $10.

 

What's on the menu at Seoul Shakers, Leemo Han's new Korean–South American snack bar in Bloordale
Mongo squid yukkae tops beef tartare with sliced mongo squid sashimi, matchsticks of Korean pear and egg yolk. It’s served with sheets of seaweed. $15.

 

What's on the menu at Seoul Shakers, Leemo Han's new Korean–South American snack bar in Bloordale
Eggplant kangpungi tosses fried eggplant in a spicy sweet soy glaze with bell peppers, scallions and chili oil. $10.

 

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What's on the menu at Seoul Shakers, Leemo Han's new Korean–South American snack bar in Bloordale
The kimchi-pear wedge salad tops a thick slice of iceberg lettuce doused in ginger-onion dressing with fermented Korean pear, stilton, roasted brown rice, pickled chilies and shredded radish. $10.

 

What's on the menu at Seoul Shakers, Leemo Han's new Korean–South American snack bar in Bloordale
The roast kimchi chopped-cheese sandwich stuffs Martins potato rolls with a chopped ground beef patty, roasted kimchi, pickles, special sauce, lettuce, onions and cheese. It comes as Biggie ($15, shown here) or Smalls ($8).

 

What's on the menu at Seoul Shakers, Leemo Han's new Korean–South American snack bar in Bloordale
And from above.

 

What's on the menu at Seoul Shakers, Leemo Han's new Korean–South American snack bar in Bloordale
The steak and potatoes dish features a parrilla-grilled beef rib, potatoes with a gochujang-tomato sauce, shishito peppers and saamjang sauce. $32.

 

What's on the menu at Seoul Shakers, Leemo Han's new Korean–South American snack bar in Bloordale
The SS Trompo tacos are made with gochujang-marinated pork neck that’s roasted on this vertical spit.

 

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What's on the menu at Seoul Shakers, Leemo Han's new Korean–South American snack bar in Bloordale
Chef de cuisine Jason Poon.

 

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).

What's on the menu at Seoul Shakers, Leemo Han's new Korean–South American snack bar in Bloordale
The booze supply.

 

What's on the menu at Seoul Shakers, Leemo Han's new Korean–South American snack bar in Bloordale
The Belmont Rouge is made with Dillon’s Cassis, Campari, pisco, lemon and grapefruit juices and egg white. $14.

 

What's on the menu at Seoul Shakers, Leemo Han's new Korean–South American snack bar in Bloordale
The Fino Berry is made with gin, Tio Pepe, lemon juice, blackberry shrub and cucumber bitters. $13.

 

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What's on the menu at Seoul Shakers, Leemo Han's new Korean–South American snack bar in Bloordale
The Mak Shake is a riff on the bourbon sour and made with bourbon, lime juice, orgeat, cinnamon and egg white. It’s topped off with Korean rice wine and garnished with a maraschino cherry. $14.

 

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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.

What's on the menu at Seoul Shakers, Leemo Han's new Korean–South American snack bar in Bloordale
What's on the menu at Seoul Shakers, Leemo Han's new Korean–South American snack bar in Bloordale
What's on the menu at Seoul Shakers, Leemo Han's new Korean–South American snack bar in Bloordale
What's on the menu at Seoul Shakers, Leemo Han's new Korean–South American snack bar in Bloordale
What's on the menu at Seoul Shakers, Leemo Han's new Korean–South American snack bar in Bloordale
Quite the patina on that mirror.

 

What's on the menu at Seoul Shakers, Leemo Han's new Korean–South American snack bar in Bloordale
A banquette near the entrance sits under a curtain of beads that Han sourced from Montreal’s Chinatown, then custom-cut and tied.

 

What's on the menu at Seoul Shakers, Leemo Han's new Korean–South American snack bar in Bloordale
This is a working jukebox. Han looked high and low for eight years for one just like it.

 

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What's on the menu at Seoul Shakers, Leemo Han's new Korean–South American snack bar in Bloordale
Here’s a closer look. (Not close enough to see any of the selections, unfortunately.)

 

What's on the menu at Seoul Shakers, Leemo Han's new Korean–South American snack bar in Bloordale
Co-owner Ihn Huh.

 

What's on the menu at Seoul Shakers, Leemo Han's new Korean–South American snack bar in Bloordale
What's on the menu at Seoul Shakers, Leemo Han's new Korean–South American snack bar in Bloordale
You’d think it was abandoned, but you’d be wrong.
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