For this little foray I decided I would head north (not too north), Yonge and Eglinton. This area is quite densely packed with a variety of different kinds of establishments to choose from. For my visit to the infamous Yonge and Eg neighbourhood I stopped at "The Korean Cowboy."
The Name of the bar is one that is cause for a double take but so is the space itself. "The Korean Cowboy" looks like your typical Sports bars with flat screen TV's decorating the walls but with an asian twist with its wood paneling. "The Korean Cowboy" is fairly spacious, claiming to be able to hold 100 patrons in its main area with big long booths.
The menu at "The Korean Cowboy" has a lot of creative twists on western and Korean classic bar foods, such as kimchi poutine and octopus on top of pears. The dishes at "The Korean Cowboy" are small plates like tapas. The prices for their bar fare is very reasonably priced, on average the price for a small plate of food is about 4 to maybe 5 dollars, which is very wallet friendly.
To start my meal I decided to order the most wallet friendly item on the menu "Fried Spaghetti" at whopping one dollar.
Fried Spaghetti
as advertised they brought to the table golden sticks of fried spaghetti rolled in sugar and salt. This is not a dish for everyone. There really isn't much flavour to the pasta itself but does have an additive crunchy texture when you bite into them. I'm glad I tried this but I'm not entirely sure I would order this again but I definitely recommend this to other people to try.
Following my pasta course I ordered Pepper Pork.
Pepper Pork
This was one of my favourite dishes of the night. The thinly sliced pork belly is wrapped around a green chilli and is then fried crispy and served on top of lettuce. The pork belly is salty and crispy while it complements the fruitiness of the pepper inside. I recommend taking a piece of lettuce and eating it together with the pork because it adds another dimension to the eating experience with the crispiness and freshness of the lettuce.
Next is the sawdust chicken.
Sawdust Chicken
This dish is a little disappointing for me because it didn't really compare to the pork dish. The pieces of chicken are battered and deep fried and then stir fried with vegetables and topped off with panko (hence the sawdust). The vegetables were crispy and fresh tasting but the main star of the dish, the chicken, was coated with too thick of a batter and not as moist as I would've liked.
Now its time for me to dine on an animal from the sea, Octopus on top of pears.
Octopus and pears
This is a really odd combination but some how this works. The dish is served cold and dressed lightly with with sesame oil and green onion. The octopus is soft and tender, almost like it is melting in your mouth. When you combine the octopus with the pear it creates a very delicate flavour combination in your mouth. The pear adds a bit of crunchiness but it doesn't overwhelm the octopus but complement it with its sweetness.
Going back to the land I ordered the Korean beef lettuce wraps.
Korean beef Lettuce Wraps
This dish was definitely a home run for me. The lettuce is absolutely loaded with rice noodles cabbage and Korean Beef. The vegetables were fresh and crispy and had a nice snap to them as I bit into them. The beef was cooked in bulgogi marinade which made the meat taste sweet and savoury. this definitely a must order if you are visiting for the first time.
I really enjoyed my visit to the "Korean Cowboy" and I still can't believe I barely made a dent into menu. I look forward to coming back here again and trying their other offerings.
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