#FOOD: “156 ONE FIVE SIX” CELRBRATES 5TH ANNIVERSARY

This June, 156 ONE FIVE SIX celebrates its fifth anniversary, marking five years of modern Korean dining in Toronto. Originally opened in Yorkville in 2021, the MICHELIN-recommended restaurant has grown from an ambitious first concept into a more refined expression of Korean cuisine, shaped by experience, seasonality, and a small team with a clear point of view.

Led by Head Chef and Partner Myeongseok Jeong (MJ), 156 ONE FIVE SIX continues to balance the familiar with the new. Long-standing signatures such as the beef tartare and 48-hour slow-cooked short rib remain central to the menu, while seasonal banchan, changing garnishes, and produce-driven updates allow the kitchen to keep evolving throughout the year.

After closing its original Cumberland location in December 2024, 156 ONE FIVE SIX reopened on Queen West on September 17, 2025. Now located at 1100 Queen St. West, the intimate restaurant continues to offer a polished, personal dining experience rooted in Korean flavour, modern technique, and care. Throughout its anniversary month, 156 ONE FIVE SIX will celebrate the milestone with special programming and festivities that honour the restaurant’s past five years while looking ahead to what comes next.

Reservations can be made HERE.

The Team Behind 156 ONE FIVE SIX
156 ONE FIVE SIX is led by a close-knit team whose paths into hospitality have shaped the restaurant’s hands-on approach. MJ first moved to Canada in 2014 after completing military service in South Korea, later studying culinary arts at George Brown College and building experience at acclaimed Toronto restaurants including Canoe, R&D, and Canis. His dream was to create a restaurant that introduced Korean cuisine to more people in a way that felt considered, creative, and welcoming.

That vision became 156 ONE FIVE SIX Cumberland, which he opened in Yorkville with his wife, Jennifer Yeo, who left her career in healthcare to help bring the restaurant to life and lead the front-of-house team. Today, the restaurant is also shaped by Sous Chef and Partner Dave Lee, who moved into kitchens after originally studying engineering at McMaster, and General Manager and Partner Sharon Chan, whose path at 156 ONE FIVE SIX grew from server to bar manager to General Manager.

A Modern Korean Restaurant with Fine Dining Intention
At its core, 156 ONE FIVE SIX is built around the idea of bringing Korean fine dining to a wider audience. The kitchen reimagines traditional Korean flavours through the team’s experiences, creativity, and global influences, resulting in a menu that feels both familiar and unexpected.

The restaurant’s signature dishes include beef tartare, truffle chicken wings, kalbi-marinated wagyu skirt steak, 48-hour slow-cooked short rib, and sujebi, a comforting Korean soup made with hand-torn noodles in a savoury broth. Seasonal garnishes and banchan shift throughout the year, allowing the menu to reflect the produce and ingredients available at the moment.
The result is a dining experience that balances Korean identity with modern reinterpretation: refined, intimate, and approachable without losing its roots.

“I’m really proud of what we’ve created at 156 ONE FIVE SIX. Our hope is to keep sharing our love for upscale Korean food with Toronto, and guests from around the world, for years to come.”
— MJ, Head Chef and Partner

From Yorkville to Queen West
156 ONE FIVE SIX began as a dream for MJ, who moved to Canada in 2014 after completing military service in South Korea. After studying culinary arts at George Brown College, he went on to gain experience at notable Toronto restaurants including Canoe, R&D, and Canis.

During his military service, MJ imagined opening a restaurant that would showcase Korean cuisine in a way that felt welcoming to people from all backgrounds. That vision became a reality in 2021, when he and Jennifer opened 156 ONE FIVE SIX Cumberland in Yorkville. MJ and Jennifer’s vision was also supported by Bo, CEO of Kibo, who stepped in to help finance the project. As someone of Korean background himself, Bo connected with their passion for elevating Korean cuisine and helping bring a more refined, modern expression of it to Toronto.

Following the closure of the Cumberland location in December 2024, the team spent eight months rebuilding before reopening on Queen West. While the address has changed, the concept remains the same, now with a slightly more elevated approach.

A 26-Seat Room Built by Hand
The new Queen West space is intimate with 26 seats, allowing the team to deliver a highly guided and personal style of service. Before 156 ONE FIVE SIX took over, the space had been empty for ten years. Today, everything from the tables to the chairs has been handmade by Make Nice Project, a Toronto-based design company.
The dining room is designed to feel refined but relaxed, with music that is chill, upbeat, and influenced by Korean sounds beyond K-pop. The playlist is shaped largely by Sous Chef Dave Lee, with contributions from the wider team.
Service is a central part of the experience. The team focuses on reading each table and adjusting the pace and level of interaction accordingly, whether guests are looking for a more guided evening or a quieter, more intimate meal.

Cocktails Designed to Complement the Food
While food remains the main focus, 156 ONE FIVE SIX’s beverage program has been carefully designed to support the menu. Created in-house by General Manager and Partner Sharon Chan, the cocktail list is intended to complement the food rather than overpower it.

Signature drinks include the Asian Pear Spritz, a long-standing guest favourite featuring Korean pear and pear eau-de-vie from Spirit in Niagara; the Gochu-Pineapple Margarita, a Korean-influenced take on a spicy margarita with gochugaru and pineapple; and the Shiso Highball, a whisky highball variation made with perilla and peach soju.

The beverage program also includes wines, beers, soju, and cocktails that reflect the restaurant’s Korean roots while remaining approachable for a broad dining audience.

A Small Team with a Clear Philosophy
For 156 ONE FIVE SIX, hospitality starts with the team. The restaurant’s philosophy is simple: happy staff create happy guests. That people-first approach shapes the way the restaurant operates, from the kitchen to the dining room.

In a city with a strong and growing Korean dining scene, 156 ONE FIVE SIX is carving out space for a more intimate and refined expression of modern Korean cuisine. Small in size but ambitious in vision, the restaurant aims to bring more diners into the world of Korean fine dining while staying grounded in warmth, creativity, and care.

About 156 ONE FIVE SIX
156 ONE FIVE SIX is a Korean fusion restaurant located at 1100 Queen St. West in Toronto. Rooted in Korean tradition and elevated through modern technique, the restaurant offers an intimate 26-seat dining experience led by Head Chef and Partner Myeongseok Jeong, Partner Jennifer, Sous Chef and Partner Dave Lee, and GM and Partner Sharon Chan. Originally opened as 156 ONE FIVE SIX Cumberland in Yorkville in 2021, the restaurant has since relocated to Queen West, where it continues to offer a refined and approachable interpretation of modern Korean cuisine. The menu features modern Korean dishes, seasonal touches, and a beverage program designed to complement the food.