Markham's most celebrated Korean hot pot restaurant — you cook thin-sliced marbled beef, pork belly, and a dozen banchan (side dishes) at a private tabletop grill. The communal cooking experience, the soju, and the kimchi all together at a Markham strip mall is a quintessentially GTA dining adventure.
Neighbourhood: Markham · Address: 4438 Sheppard Ave E, Scarborough / 7030 Warden Ave, Markham, ON · Hours: Daily 11:30am–10pm · Price Range: $$ · Phone: (416) 291-7788 · Editorial status: Not yet verified
Seoul Garden Hot Pot lets you grill tender cuts of beef and pork right at your table, surrounded by fresh banchan and legit kimchi. The hands-on dining and friendly buzz make it a go-to for group feasts or date nights.
Unlike Toronto’s all-you-can-eat BBQ chains, Seoul Garden focuses on quality cuts and generous side dishes you won’t find elsewhere in the GTA. The strip mall location keeps things laid-back—this is not K-Town cosplay, it's the busy, familial vibe you get in actual Koreatown plazas. Staff actually explain what you're eating, too.
Seoul Garden is one of Toronto's most well-established Korean BBQ and hot pot restaurants — a sprawling multi-room space on Yonge Street that handles the full range of Korean barbecue and communal cooking traditions under one roof. The wagyu beef platter (premium marbled beef grilled tableside) represents the aspirational end of the menu; the samgyeopsal (thick-cut pork belly, the everyday Korean BBQ staple) is the reliable core.
The tabletop grill experience at Seoul Garden requires some participation: servers start the charcoal (or gas) and manage the ventilation, but the pacing of the meal — when to put on the next round, when to wrap in lettuce with fermented soybean paste — is the diner's to control. The banchan (side dishes, endlessly refillable) set the stage: kimchi, pickled radish, japchae (glass noodles), spinach namul, and bean sprouts arrive before the grill warms.
The Korean pancake (pajeon) — a thick, savoury crêpe loaded with green onion and seafood — is a non-BBQ dish that stands alone as a starter or accompanies the grill meal as a textural contrast. The doenjang jjigae (fermented soybean paste stew with tofu, mushrooms, and vegetables) is the appropriate closer: deep, funky, and warming.
Seoul Garden's scale means it handles large groups easily — a significant practical advantage when organizing Korean BBQ for 8 or 10 people. Soju (Korean rice spirit) is the appropriate drink; the cocktail versions (soju + fruit juice) are lighter and appropriate for those who find straight soju too assertive.
Korean BBQ involves grilling marinated meats on a tabletop charcoal or gas grill. Hot pot (jeongol or shabu-shabu) is a bubbling broth in which you cook vegetables, meat, and noodles at the table. Seoul Garden offers both styles.
It's one of the better options for large Korean BBQ groups in Toronto — the multi-room format accommodates parties of 8-15, the staff is experienced managing large-table service, and the menu handles varying dietary preferences.
Samgyeopsal (pork belly) is the everyday Korean BBQ standard. For a premium occasion, the wagyu beef platter. Add pajeon (Korean pancake), doenjang jjigae, and unlimited banchan. Drink soju.
Staff will start and manage the grill, assist with cooking if requested, and refill banchan throughout the meal. The expectation is that diners participate in grilling — it's part of the communal experience.
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