Dining Out: Half and Half Mandu, Bossam Kalguksu, and Haemul Pajeon at OnGi Korean Noodle & Soup

There's a new Korean noodle restaurant that just opened up in Koreatown North called OnGi that I've been seeing all over IG, and as I was in the middle of drooling, I sent one of the reels over to Minji to make plans to eat there immediately. And what better time to go than during Thanksgiving long weekend?

Half and half mandu (kimchi and pork with vegetables)

We ordered the half and half mandu (that includes three kimchi dumplings and three pork and veg dumplings) and the haemul pajeon (seafood pancake) to share, and then Daniel and I both decided on the bossam kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup with steamed pork) while Minji got the tteokguk (rice cake soup). They also give each table a big container of geotjeori kimchi as a side dish. It is crisp, sweet, garlicky, and ULTRA-ADDICTIVE. Eat it with everything. You won't regret it.

The mandu are huge and plump and — most importantly — retain their moisture. I find that once mandu cool down, they get kinda grainy and dry, but these ones don't. I preferred the kimchi ones as the pork ones were just a little too bland for me (though Daniel preferred the pork ones because he can't eat spice and Minji liked both equally, so it's really subjective here), but overall, the mandu here are delicious. You can add two mandu to any bowl of noodles for $4.99, but an order of six is $15.95, so if you have people to share with or just have a really hearty appetite, it's well worth it to get a full order.

Bossam kalguksu
Next, the noodles. The pièce de résistance, and for good reason. The kalguksu here is SUBLIME. Smooth and springy with a great chew and overall mouthfeel. They're served in a rich, flavourful, perfectly salted, almost milky beef broth that is so addictive that I actually drank half the broth on its own once I finished the noodles. This is noteworthy because I usually leave the broth due to sodium overload but IT IS WORTH EVERY DAMN SIP HERE. Also the bossam is soft and tender and juicy and flavourful, and will absolutely up your kalguksu game. This bowl of noodles was worth every goddamn penny.

Haemul pajeon

Finally, the haemul pajeon arrived. The variation here is thicker than the usual pajeon, but also way more jam-packed with seafood and green onions. It seems like it was double-battered just to hold the sheer amount of ingredients in it, because it had a phenomenally crunchy texture, almost as if it was deep-fried. Basically, it's a HEFTY boy and Minji and I agreed — it's our new favourite haemul pajeon in the city. (Her toddler also agreed with an "MMMM!!!") However, if you prefer thin pajeon, then you might not enjoy this one as much... but frankly, it's worth trying, anyway.

Overall, the portions are great, value is excellent, service is friendly and efficient, and the space is cozy and spotlessly clean. It currently holds a 4.9 rating on Google, and I actually think it's well-deserved. (Note: We got there around 2:45PM today and didn't have to wait for a table, but there was a steady stream of customers for the entire hour that we were there. So if you're coming on a weekend day, I would definitely avoid prime meal hours if you don't want to line-up.)

OnGi Korean Noodle & Soup

5529 Yonge St.

North York, ON M2N 5S3

(647) 435-2700