JaKo:

Big Shoes to Fill

Thursday, October 21, 2021 514eats

RESTAURANT JAPANESE KOREAN CONCORDIA GHETTO CASUAL <$20

The Pitch

The COVID-19 pandemic caused its fair share of restaurant casualties. Among the many businesses which succumbed to the lockdown was GaNaDaRa, a popular Korean eatery in the Concordia University area. Easily one of my favourite cheap spots in town, I would greatly miss their hearty bowls of ramyun soup, bibimbap and dupbap, among others.

My disappointment would turn to intrigue a few months later when I spotted another Asian eatery's logo at the same address along my jogging route. GaNaDaRa's successor, JaKo, would eventually open in November of last year. Tonight, I decided to check it out by ordering takeout, hoping it would strike the same chord its predecessor did with me.

tagged: TAKEOUT

The Food

Food Image

The name JaKo is an amalgam of the first syllables in each of Japanese and Korean, which is precisely what this eatery serves. The menu lists specialties from each of the two cuisines separately, with a handful of dishes combining elements from both � think bulgogi yaki udon. Bite-sized appetizers � dumplings, fried chicken, rice cakes � are followed by a wide variety of soup, noodle and rice bowls.

Winners included tteok kkochi (fried rice cake fingers), which were soft, chewy and abundantly brushed with a sweet/spicy gochujang sauce. An udon noodle soup was savoury, comforting and much appreciated with the turning weather. Less successful was a chicken katsu (panko-breaded chicken cutlet), which was totally dry and barely passable. The rest � rice and noodle bowls � landed somewhere in between: decent and satisfactory.

Sweet & Spicy Karaage thumbnail (click to enlarge)

$8.50

Sweet & Spicy Karaage

"japanese fried chicken"

Tteok Kkochi thumbnail (click to enlarge)

$6

Tteok Kkochi

"deep fried rice cake"

Beef Donburi thumbnail (click to enlarge)

$12.50

Beef Donburi

"rice bowl with thinly sliced beef brisket & crimini mushroom, served with miso soup"

Bulgogi Dolsot thumbnail (click to enlarge)

$14

Bulgogi Dolsot

"sizzling hot stone bowl with marinated beef sirloin, korean vermicelli & fried egg"

Chicken Katsu Curry thumbnail (click to enlarge)

$13.50

Chicken Katsu Curry

"japanese breaded cutlet with cabbage salad, curry sauce & crimini mushroom"

Tempura Udon thumbnail (click to enlarge)

$12

Tempura Udon

"japanese noodle soup with shrimp tempura, korokke & soft-boiled egg"

Bulgogi Yaki Udon thumbnail (click to enlarge)

$13.50

Bulgogi Yaki Udon

"Japanese stir-fried noodles with marinated beef sirloin & garlic mayo"

tagged: GOOD FOR SHARING

The Verdict

While JaKo is keeping GaNaDaRa's spirit alive by blessing Shaughnessy Village with Korean food plus a Japanese twist, it did not resonate as much with me. The dining room was packed during my brief stop, which signifies this joint is popular with the Concordia student body. Myself, I may need to see and taste some more before being swayed.

tagged: DESERVES A RETRY

Price per person: $18.90