Kosoo Restaurant

Their lunch menu is still the best. Before Trudeau lock down we used to go there al lot. Didn't go here for almost 3 years. Today we are back with friends and eat the same special lunch. Quality still great highly recommended.

Wow..they survived the unlawful lockdown!

Whenever we find ourselves in Downtown Vancouver, our compass invariably points to Kosoo. This time, we went to their 1st branch on Cardero Street.

Gimbap is our comfort zone, and Kosoo delivers comfort in abundance. Whether it's the classic tuna or beef, their portions are hearty, and they even toss in creative gimbap flavours to pique your taste buds. It's like Korean-style sushi with a twist you won't want to miss.

The highlight would be their beef brisket Budae Jjigae, also known as Army Stew. It's a dish that graces the screens of K-dramas, and Kosoo's version doesn't disappoint. The serving is enormous, loaded with beef brisket, spam, kimchi, vegetables, and instant noodles, all swimming in a flavoursome broth.

What adds to the delight is the interactive element. With a propane stove on the table, you can play chef and cook this communal Korean feast yourself. It's a perfect option when dining with the company. Kosoo's take on Korean cuisine has won our hearts once again, making it a dining experience worth revisiting.

Food: 5/5Must Try!
Service: 5/5‍‍‍‍‍
Kids: 4/5 Yay!
Presentation: 4/5
Parking: Paid street parking
Tips:
* have an extensive menu with budget-friendly options.
* serve generous portion sizes, perfect for sharing.
* have two Downtown Vancouver locations: 1st branch on Cardero Street (West End district) and 2nd branch on Robson Street (central shopping location) with distinct menus.
* have online ordering on their website.
* can get crowded during peak hours; use the QR code to join the waitlist.
Would I Return: Yes ‍

After a long and sweltering hike, my friends and I decided we needed a big comforting meal to get our strength and energy back. I hadn't really eaten out with this group so I said as long as it was delicious I'm cool. We ended up here at Kosoo for Korean food.

After eating fairly plainly at home, all I can say was that the meal I had here was almost equivalent to a last meal in terms of how happy I was. The jokpal and makchang soondae were my absolutely favourites. Jokpal is what you would expect for pork hocks and it's one of my favourite things at Korean restaurants. I had never had Korean sausage before and was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it was.

Service here was great. The staff were always checking in on if we needed more drinks or to order more. They were pretty attentive to other tables as well as far as I could tell.

Overall, fantastic dinner. I was so so happy after leaving and I definitely want to come back and try more items on the menu.

The food here is more than good - it's a flavor extravaganza! We embarked on a culinary journey, conquering the mighty Truffle Japchae Noodles, savoring the crisp glory of Soy Garlic Soonsal Fried Chicken, and basking in the indulgence of Dduk Galbi Short Rib Patty. Oh, and let's not forget the symphony of taste with Tuna Tataki, the dance of flavors with Cheese Chicken Galbi, and the crispy perfection of the Chives Pancake.

Now, brace yourself for the size of this place - it's tiny. I mean, cozy is an understatement. It's like the restaurant did a magical shrinking act, but you won't mind once those plates start arriving.

When dining here, bring your friends. Seriously, come in a squad, order to share, and let the feast begin. We collectively tackled a $300 bill for six people - that's approximately $50 per person, and trust me, we were guilty of a bit of overordering (worth every penny though).

So, if you're looking for an intimate setting with big, bold flavors and a bill that won't break the bank, this snug spot is a culinary gem. Just remember to cozy up and prepare your taste buds!

Kosoo Korean Restaurant is the first Seoul food in Metro Vancouver specialized in trendy and modern Korean dining. I went to their Cardero location, this particular store focuses on Korean soul food classics, brings forth a diverse array of classic rice and noodle dishes, along with BBQ and comforting stews that warm the soul, which is perfect for the weather.

Here is what we had:
- Budaejjigae/Army Soup: Korean Sausage Stew with Spam, Bacon, Sausage, sliced beef, octopus and Kimchi topped with a slice of cheese
- Cheese Chicken Galbi: Pan Fried Spicy Chicken Served with Mozzarella Cheese and Creamy Yam pure
- Jin-Mi-Chae Gimbap: Seasoned shredded dried squid, spinach, egg, carrot, avocado, danmuji
- Myeongran Jeot Gimbap: Salted Pollack Roe , Spinach, Egg , Carrot, Avocado, Danmuji (Pickled Radish)
- Saero: Zero Sugar Soju

As the weather is getting chilly, I recommend getting Army Soup Stew. Known for soul food in Korean cuisine, it is such a soul-warming and comforting dish. The melding of various ingredients like spam, bacon, sausage, and other savory components in a bubbling pot of soup creates a flavorful and comforting experience. Honestly, the soup is quite salty after all the ingredients being cooked, but the bacon was my favorite part of the stew. Since the soup absorbs all the saltiness of the bacon, the bacon was soft and not salty at all. This dish can be easily overcook, so keep an eye of it and ask your server for help if needed. They also provide you with scissors on the side, for you to cut your meat and octopus. This stew can feed 3-4 people because it also comes with rice. Pairing it with a bowl of hot rice adds another level of comfort and completes the meal. This dish is so satisfying and such a good value for sharing. The Chicken Galbi comes with cheese and yam puree. The yam puree gave creamy, sweetness and smooth texture, which balanced out the spicness from the chicken. The cheese was a fun way to eat the chicken galbi.
I liked how the galbi was not too oily and the sauce was not overpowering, the chicken was tender and cooked just right. Unlike the army soup stew, the chickken came fully cooked. The plate was placed on top of the petrolium jelly to warm up the cheese. At that time, we had some challenges to get our mozza cheese melted. In the end, it didnt get warm up enough, and the cheese still sticks. This dish can approximately feed 2 people.
We also had some Gimbap. The lightness and freshness of gimbap provide a delightful contrast to the bold flavors of the Chicken Galbi and the Army Stew, adding diversity to the overall dining experience. We liked the
dried squid kimbap more because they are more flavorful compare to pollack roe one. I found the pollack roe a bit fishy and the overall kimbap to be too bland. Dipping your kimbap into the Army Stew will added some flavor to the kimbap. For $12, the kimbap is huge. We also got few side dishes. :)

The ambiance of the restaurant is very casual with traditional Korean decor. Once I get into the the restaurant I was greeted by the 2 servers. One of the servers were very helpful and always checks on us. I came at 6.30PM, and most of the tables were empty. At around 8PM, the restaurant was full house, but there were still no lineup. Since this place open til late night (11.30PM on weekdays and 1AM on weekends), this place can be a good place for drinking and hangout.

Kosoo Korean Restaurant
832 Cardero St, Vancouver

https://www.kosoo.ca

Great Korean restaurant, they have 2 locations, one along Robson St(2nd branch). The other on Cardero off Robson tucked away in the corner. I have been to both, food quality is consistent in both restaurants. However I liked the one on Cardero for the ambiance & decor. If you go there, you will see what I meant.
We ordered the combo of spicy noodles & bbq pork & Kalbi (beef ribs). Extremely yummy...spicy noodles were nicely flavoured with a great kick to it. The bbq was tender & nicely marinated. On other occasions, we have tried their fried chicken, that was nicely done with a nice touch of fried Korean rice cake (it was so good)
They also serve cold noodle in soup non-spicy, that was so refreshing during summer. We often see lots of customers ordered the Tteok-bokki ( it comes in a pot on a propane stove with ingredients filled to the brim). I am going to try that the next time. Menu is extensive, it gets very busy... I don't think they take reservation... to stay in the queue, there's a QR code that you scan for your wait. Check it out, you won't be disappointed!

PHILOSOPHY
"Good food is the foundation of genuine happiness; good food is founded upon the use of the freshest and highest quality of ingredients."

Their Philosophy:
Our mission is simple - to deliver the highest quality & innovative Korean food while upholding the traditional flavours that have been around for centuries.

CHEF DE CUISINE : HAN, SEUNG- MIN

I have been recently trying to find set meals that not only provide a generous amount of food, but also for a reasonable price. The set meal here at Koosoo was $20 per a person for a large amount of food that left everybody full. The food was delicious. Simple dishes like the japchae and mackerel were made well, while more innovative dishes like the mushroom feta salad and beef bulgogi tacos left a unique taste. Overall, the food was good and didn't disappoint but I've had better. It wasn't any thing extremely special or life changing. The service was okay. We only communicated with the waiter when she delivered the food and barely had any conversation.The ambience of restaurant was pretty dead, only two tables were in use including ours. Overall, my favourite dish was the tuna tataki, but I wish there were a few more pieces rather than just one. I'll definitely be back!

If you're looking for solid Korean food in Vancouver this is the place to go! Every dish we had was really good. I specifically liked the cold noodles a lot-- the noodles were very chewy and the soup was light and flavorful, it was very refreshing! The truffle tteokbokki was soooo creamy and very flavorful too! The tteokbokki was a perfect texture, chewy but soft. The service is good and the ambiance of the restaurant is very nice and chill.

A cozy Korean restaurant hidden on Cardero Street featuring a huge array of Korean classics.

I've been to both the Kosoo locations (Robson and Cardero) a couple of times and I can safely say that no other restaurant compares to Kosoo in terms of consistency. They're definitely a safe option if you want to ensure a quality Korean meal after a long day spent on the busy streets of Downtown!

SOY GARLIC KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN
Crispy on the outside, yet tender on the inside! Kosoo always has delicious fried chicken. They drain the oil perfectly so there's barely any residual oil to leave you feeling the negative effects of deep fried foods. I especially loved how they added rice cakes to the dish to spice up the variety of textures.

TUNA GIMBAP
The absolute perfect ratio of mayo to tuna - Kosoo is my favorite place to grab a roll of gimbap! Super flavorful and not overwhelming at all, I love how thin the rice layer is so all you get is the healthy and hearty veggies and protein!

Tried Korean Cold Noodles with pork galbi and short ribs. Good service! Background music was good and not too loud. Not overcrowded. Yummy side dishes!

Will try other items next time!!