Ganadara Korean Restaurant (Verdun)

Super excited when I heard that Ganadara has finally reopened in Verdun since my friends and I loved to go to the previous one in Guy Concordia. Couldn't be more eager to try their menu, having fond memories that everything we had was so good! However, my expectations fell flat after the meals came. My dinner experience that night was not comparable with the old G ☹️ I find my tofu jjigae was bland and watery, rice didn't taste well-cooked, the udon was too sweet and salty at the same time that you need to sip water after each spoon. The Dak balls was not bad although the pieces could've been covered/fully mixed with sauce instead of just having a drop on top. The server was nice, but there was a mix up in our order.

Ganadara has a street food style atmosphere that adds to the charm of the restaurant. While it may not be a fine dining establishment, it certainly has its own unique vibe that sets it apart from other Korean restaurants. The casual setting is perfect for a quick bite or a casual dinner with friends.The restaurant's decor is simple yet stylish, with bright colors and fun, playful touches that make it a fun place to hang out. The open kitchen adds to the street food vibe, and you can watch as the chefs prepare your dishes right in front of you.Despite its casual atmosphere, the food at Ganadara is anything but ordinary. The flavors are bold and authentic, and the dishes are presented beautifully. Whether you're in the mood for something spicy or something sweet, you're sure to find something on the menu that will satisfy your cravings. Overall, Ganadara is a great spot to enjoy delicious Korean street food in a fun and laid-back setting.

Writing this review is difficult because of how pleased I was with Ganadara in the past - going in I had high expectations. Unfortunately, the experience wasn't the greatest tonight, but there are simple fixes I believe to the issues I'm going to present.1. Hygiene: My partner and I were seated at the bar on Wednesday night. The restaurant decided to go with an open kitchen concept, so at the bar you can easily observe your food being cooked and prepared! In theory, it makes for an engaging dine-in. In practice, if proper hygiene isn't implemented, the food loses its appeal. It was hard for us to see the cook handle raw meat with his gloved hands, then cooked food, and then plating, while only wiping his hands in-between with a rag he carried. The rag was visibly soiled, with stains of blood. Further, it was also hard to see this same rag placed right beside the cooked meat on the cutting board, as he was cutting some of the food. We can easily see other ingredients being handled directly with the other platers'/cooks' hands, as they are reaching into the containers. A simple solution? Have one person handle the raw food; place tongs/utensils into the food containers; wash your hands in between handling food.2. Safety: While seated at the bar, there is a long, thick cable passing underneath it, dangling beside our feet. It's quite easy to stand, have your feet on one side of the cable, and then trip. It's just not safe for a cable like that to be dangling so close to people's feet. A simple solution? Tape the wire/cable down! Conceal it somehow, place it higher so it is NOT at foot level.3.Service: Getting seated took an unnecessary amount of time, as it seemed the 2 customers who were in the process of paying their bill were concealing the waiter's/hostess' view of us? I'm not sure. There was one waiter, and about a cluster of workers figuring out how to plate the food, where orders went, etc. I haven't worked in a restaurant, so I'm not sure if this is common procedure, but it seemed a bit inefficient to me. We were seated with water but no cups or utensils, no indication of how to use the menu (although we understood it was through QR), we felt bad for the single waiter. A simple solution? Have another waiter(ess); Have tables set up with cups and utensils after cleaning up right away.I felt really bad giving 1 star because of how much potential Ganadara has, so I gave it 2 stars. I think even just spending an extra week to prepare employees, offer some basic hygiene training, get organized, or whatnot, would've been very helpful! So far, I'm a bit disappointed. It all seems a bit disorganized and unsanitary. If my partner and I are able to notice it so easily, I worry about what might happen if someone from the food industry comes along one night and dines in at the bar. All I can do is write a review (which I have never done ever, but really felt compelled to this time..), I'm sure they'd be able to file a complaint which can lead to far more severe repercussions. I don't know how it all really works though. Anyways, I would love to give it another chance in the future!

Yum yum yum! Food was wonderful, fresh, and quick to our plates. Try the dak balls (chicken) you won’t be disappointed. Prices are super reasonable! Definitely will be back.

Interesting fusion restaurant, the menu is different from the original Ganadara that used to be opened in Downtown Montreal. We had the chicken katsu curry rice and the shrimp cream udon as main dishes. With chicken karaage as a side dish. They were all tasty meals.

Walked in here last night with high hopes like many others from the always stellar experience at the original downtown location (before it closed). The food was still delicious but the menu is much smaller. The vibe of the restaurant is quite nice although a little on the dark side (in contrast the old location was brightly lit).Waiter was nice and polite although the timing/service of food was disappointing. We were a table of 6 and 1 of us received food well ahead of everyone else. Eventually 1 other plate came. Then later 2 more plates came, followed by another 1. And what felt like an eternity later our last person got their plate. What doesn't even make sense is the 2nd and last person to get their food ordered exactly the same plate. Everyone ordered at the same time. The wait made for an uncomfortable experience as no one wants to eat until everyone is served.I'm hoping this was a one time mistake and I look forward to updating my review when I go again.

The food was average/good. I enjoyed the butter chicken udon.Outside of that, I didn't feel like I had a good experience. The interior decor is lackluster and made everything feel uncomfortable. We were placed at a bar facing the wall, asked for a table since we had reservations, and told there were none available. Just felt very cramped there as we had no place to put out coats.This place also closes early. Last call at 8pm for those wondering.Compared to all the other restaurants in the area, this one is far behind. There have been many openings recently in Verdun due to the neighbourhood appeal, and this one seems to have lacked any effort to capitalize. For Korean food, there are others in the area that I prefer, including one right next to it.By way, there were tables available. We saw empty tables the entire time we were there.

Stingy and ridiculous. 16 bucks for a few pellets of fried chicken and 1/4 cup of rice. This restaurant target audience is definitely non-Koreans looking for a bastardized Korean experience that's not too threatening. Should've walked a few meters and go to Comon instead! That's the real deal.