Korean-Canadian small plates and late-night snacks at 181 Bathurst — 416 Snack Bar (named for Toronto's area code) applies Korean flavours to North American bar food: kimchi pancakes, doenjang-glazed plates, and the KFC (Korean fried chicken) sandwich. Open from 5 PM nightly.
Neighbourhood: Bathurst / Ossington · Address: 181 Bathurst St, Toronto, ON · Hours: Mon–Sun 5:00 PM – 2:00 AM · Price Range: $$ · Phone: (416) 364-9320 · Editorial status: Not yet verified
416 Snack Bar is a Korean-Canadian late-night bar open evenings only (5 PM–2 AM). Bold Korean-influenced sharing plates — gochujang fried chicken, kimchi pancakes, doenjang-glazed dishes — in a casual Bathurst Street room.
Where most bar kitchens play it safe, 416 Snack Bar leans into bold Korean ingredients like doenjang and gochujang. You won't find fermented bean paste-glazed dishes or kimchi jeon anywhere else on the late-night circuit. It's one of the only places in Toronto using Korean flavour logic this deliberately in an evening bar format.
416 Snack Bar at 181 Bathurst Street is a Korean-Canadian bar kitchen open evenings only — 5 PM to 2 AM nightly. The menu applies Korean flavour logic to sharing plates and bar snacks rather than daytime dining: gochujang heat, doenjang fermented depth, kimchi as a bold condiment, and double-fried Korean fried chicken as the centrepiece technique.
Korean fried chicken's double-fry technique (first fry to cook through, rest, second fry at higher temperature) produces a coating that is thinner and crispier than standard fried chicken — shattery and light rather than thick and doughy. Applied to a sandwich format with gochujang aioli and pickled daikon, the result is one of the most genuinely exciting late-night sandwiches in Toronto.
Kimchi pancakes (kimchi jeon — kimchi and flour batter fried on a griddle) translate naturally to a bar snack context: the kimchi's fermented heat and acidity cut through richer dishes, and the fried egg on top adds protein and visual appeal.
Doenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste, more complex and pungent than miso) glazed on meat demonstrates the kitchen's ambition: the doenjang adds umami depth and fermented complexity that transforms otherwise familiar formats.
Korean fried chicken uses a double-fry technique — first fry at lower temperature to cook through, rest, second fry at higher temperature for maximum crispiness. The coating is thinner and more translucent than standard American fried chicken, producing a shattering crunch rather than a thick crust. Often served with a sweet-spicy sauce.
Kimchi is fermented Korean vegetables (most commonly napa cabbage with gochugaru chili, garlic, ginger, and fish sauce) with a tangy, spicy, complex flavour. The fermented acidity cuts through rich flavours and the spice adds intensity — qualities that work well in a late-night bar kitchen context.
Doenjang is Korean fermented soybean paste — more complex and pungent than Japanese miso, with a deeper earthiness from longer fermentation. Used as a glaze on meat, it adds umami depth and fermented complexity to bar-food formats.
416 Snack Bar is open evenings only — 5 PM to 2 AM daily. It is not a daytime restaurant or brunch spot. Located at 181 Bathurst Street in the Bathurst/Ossington area.
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