Korean-ish small plates that go to places no other restaurant in Toronto dares. The smoked brisket ssam and spicy crispy chicken will short-circuit your brain in the best way.
Neighbourhood: Ossington · Address: 167 Ossington Ave, Toronto, ON · Hours: Tue–Sat 6pm–11pm · Price Range: $$ · Phone: (647) 748-9666 · Editorial status: Not yet verified
OddSeoul rewrites late-night eating on Ossington with Korean-inspired, irreverent plates like Philly cheesesteak dumplings and gochujang-glazed wings. The flavours are wild, unexpected, and totally craveworthy.
Unlike most Toronto Korean spots, OddSeoul leans hard into inventive Asian-American mashups—think kimchi fries and ssam with smoky brisket. The ambient, dimly-lit space feels more like a Brooklyn bar than a typical K-town eatery. It's one of the few kitchens serving bold food past 10pm on Ossington.
OddSeoul is Korean-inspired in the way that jazz is blues-inspired — rooted in the tradition, transformed by what the kitchen wants to say now. On Ossington Avenue, chef Danny Hassell has built one of Toronto's most original small-plates restaurants: the flavours are Korean at their core (gochujang, doenjang, sesame, kimchi, ssam), but the technique, creativity, and ingredient sourcing are fully Toronto-global, pulling from Japanese, Southeast Asian, and Canadian cooking without losing the Korean thread.
The smoked brisket ssam is the signature: Texas-style smoked beef brisket, wrapped in butter lettuce with kimchi, pickled vegetables, and house-made ssam sauce. It's a collision of Korean and American BBQ that makes total sense once you taste it and seems obvious in retrospect. The spicy crispy chicken — twice-fried, lacquered in a sauce that generates genuine heat before sweetness takes over — is a different kind of essential. The rotating banchan (side dishes) change with the season and are always worth asking about.
The room is dark, the music is good, and the energy is exactly right for Ossington — creative neighbourhood restaurant, not trying to be anything except excellent. The cocktail list is creative and Korean-inflected (a soju-based drink with citrus and gochugaru is a current favourite). The natural wine selection is small but interesting.
Tuesday and Wednesday evenings offer the best chance of a walk-in. Weekend reservations should be booked 1–2 weeks ahead.
OddSeoul serves Korean-inspired small plates created by chef Danny Hassell — dishes that use Korean flavours, techniques, and ingredients (gochujang, kimchi, ssam, doenjang) filtered through a Toronto-global lens that also draws from Japanese, American BBQ, and Canadian food cultures. The smoked brisket ssam and spicy crispy chicken are the signatures.
The smoked brisket ssam (Texas-style brisket wrapped in ssam fashion with kimchi and pickled vegetables) and spicy crispy chicken are the two dishes to order. Ask the server about the seasonal banchan (Korean side dishes) — they change frequently. The cocktails are creative and worth exploring, particularly the soju-based options. Budget $45–65 per person with drinks.
Yes — OddSeoul accepts reservations and they are recommended, particularly for Friday and Saturday evenings. Book 1–2 weeks in advance for weekend dinner. Tuesday and Wednesday evenings are more accessible for walk-ins. The restaurant is at 167 Ossington Avenue in the Ossington neighbourhood.
OddSeoul is at 167 Ossington Avenue in the Ossington neighbourhood, one of Toronto's most concentrated strips of excellent independent restaurants. The nearest transit is Ossington Station (Line 2, a 5–10 minute walk north) or the 63 Ossington bus. Street parking is available on side streets.
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