- So, we're here at Odd Seoul in Toronto,
and we're gonna try something called a Loosey,
which is kind of like what Canadians like to call a Big Mac
but a little Koreanized.
And afterwards, I'm gonna try a bulgogi cheesesteak
because the owner here grew up in Philly,
and finally, because we are in Canada,
the land of poutine, we're gonna have some poutine
that's a little Koreanized,
just to make it a little special.
I'm gonna sit down with the owner, Leeto,
who's gonna tell how he wanted to open a place
that reflected who he is,
and I'm gonna try the food.
(upbeat, jazzy piano music)
You grew up in Philly and Philly's, you know,
all-American town. - Yeah, yeah, for sure.
- And even though you're Canadian
by birth-- - Yeah.
- Like, you're American.
- For sure.
- And, you guys came back to Toronto.
- Came to Toronto
10 years, 10 years ago. - And uh,
10 years ago, and you started doin' a Korean restaurant.
What was that like?
- I wanted to try new things,
especially explore Korean food more than
what barbecue or bibimbap or just the staples
that everyone else knows.
We serve kinda dope Korean food,
saucy and goes really well with a drink.
- [Matthew] Yeah, 'cause you got a bulgogi cheesesteak
on the menu. - Growing up in Philly,
a cheesesteak is the staple sandwich.
- Yeah. - We kinda soup it up
by marinating our rib eye in a sweet Korean-style
soy-based marinade, kind of boosts the flavor up a lot.
(upbeat jazzy music)
- I think that I'm real excited
about it, this is-- - Yeah.
- The Loosey. - Yeah,
so, we do a loose chuck patty,
we do 50% brisket, short rib patty,
stuffed with American cheese.
We do a Hollandaise sauce inside of that,
rather than a lemon juice as the acid,
we use the brine of our kimchi to kind of
loosen up that Hollandaise sauce.
- [Matthew] People call this the Big Mac.
- Yeah, people call
it the Big Mac. (laughing)
I dunno, people love Big Macs, people love Looseys.
A lot of people wouldn't think of there being
any kind of Korean-influenced food in this setting,
which kind of was our point.
I feel like people go into a Korean restaurant
knowing it's a Korean restaurant by how it looks.
- Right, it's got the
really bright lights. - Exactly.
- And the big picture menus. - Exactly, and everything's
kind of like faux wood, like old-school styled
doors with the-- - Yeah, and the chairs
are rickety. - Yeah, so, we,
that's not us.
The aesthetic that we like is in this place
and in the food that we kinda grew up knowin',
the flavors that we know are put into these dishes
but in a way that is accessible to people
that are new to these flavors.
I'm proud of what we're doing here, too,
especially with Korean food,
we never saw a lot of second generation Koreans
doing something new while still embracing
their own backgrounds basically.
(funky hiphop beat)
- Picked these Chinatown plates.
This is great.
I'm just gonna dive into it.
This is just a sloppy, awesome mess.
And I love it.
Kimchi, it's a little inappropriate, in a good way.
Cheese curds, cocktail,
(breathes) mm, ooh, that's good.
I think these squashes are really nice.
They do a good job of emulating potato, right?
Because they're crispy on the outside,
but the inside, they're pillowy and they're soft,
kind of dissipate and so, I definitely feel like
this is poutine, except, maybe a smidgen healthier,
instead of just a really simple beef gravy,
you're getting something that is reminiscent of that,
but also feels a little more Korean,
and then, boom, kimchi.
Kimchi's good too, it's powerful, it's well-fermented.
It's not wimpy.
I've had so many loaded fries on the show,
but as I am in Canada,
this feels like the best poutine I've ever had.
(upbeat jazzy music)
I'm actually real excited for this.
I love cheesesteaks.
This, to me, looks like a cheesesteak.
It's just carbs, beef, and fat.
It's the holy trinity.
Philadelphia invented it but I think we're gonna have
a really, really nice version here in Toronto.
I think this is the best cheesesteak I've ever had.
Sorry, Philly.
Bulgogi makes your cheesesteaks better.
I've had that in Philly, I've had bulgogi cheesesteak
in Philly, but this?
It's not Cheez Whiz, but it is excellent,
and the reason why is that the meat is incredibly tender,
it's incredibly rich, it's super beefy,
and each little piece of meat is just coated
with fatty cheese.
I mean, they just become one.
It's like, the best part of a cheesesteak is
when both the meat and the cheese become unrecognizable,
they've married.
I think a lot of people would be really, really offended
by that ketchup, but because I'm Korean,
that's the way to do it.
Five Canadian dollars, which is like, I don't know,
four U.S. dollars?
That's insanely cheap, I think this is super affordable
and it's delicious, it's really good quality.
I can see how this place just gets absolutely slammed,
because this bar food is, it's really addictive,
it's super simple.
I need some napkins. (laughs)
(slow R&B music)
This sammich, this burger-sandwich thing.
Now, it is small.
Let's get real, my iPhone will cover this thing,
but it's just five bucks, five Canadian dollars.
Totally reminds me of a roadside burger
that you'd find in L.A. or maybe like a backyard burger.
'Cause it's got the shredded lettuce
and it's super saucy and the meat is nice,
and it's like a big chunk of beef,
and it's very cheesy.
Like the meat, the cheese,
the meat and the cheese come together nicely.
The pieces of kimchi in the kimchi Hollandaise,
they keep it grounded, they remind you
that this is a Korean who invented this thing.
I can see how people might perceive this
as a Big Mac.
You got the sauce, you got the shredded lettuce,
you got beef, you got cheese,
it's a time-tested combination
that McDonald's has put into the world
and has helped us understand
why these things are tasty together,
and this one is, this is better than a Big Mac.
Fo' sho.
If I'm gonna come here, if I wanna just hang out
with my buddies, have a couple of drinks,
and just grub, this is the perfect place for bar food.
Thanks so much for watching,
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