Sarang Kitchen: A Restaurant For Minds of All Kinds

Posted byAbPosted inADHD, adoption, FASD, gratitude, growth mindset, Parenting, Toronto, wellbeingTags:, , , , , , ,

Delicious Korean fried chicken with a side of inclusiveness for neurodiverse people and dogs.

That was the impressive, yummy and heartwarming experience we enjoyed at Sarang Kitchen, the first social enterprise and restaurant in Toronto that welcomes and employs neurodiverse people, including autistic individuals.

I’ve been wanting to visit this place since it opened in 2023 and now has two downtown locations. The hubby, T, a good friend and I recently visited for dinner after a Saturday outing at the city’s newly-opened Biidaasige Park in the waterfront.

As we approached the entrance, I knew right away this was going to be a special experience.

A patio sign advertised sensory-friendly hours daily before 9 pm – with calming music, reduced lighting, a sensory room and sensory boxes, including fidgets and noise-cancelling headphones.

The restaurant had bean bag seating in addition to regular tables and chairs.

Our selective eater T had a McDonalds Happy Meal beforehand and spent most of our visit playing with the sensory boxes.

This allowed us to enjoy the delicious Korean fare, including our starter dish: beef bulgogi fries.

The three of us split a platter of fried chicken and squid, with three chicken flavours: salted egg, black truffle oil and spicy garlic. Yum, yum! 😋

Dogs are welcomed inside and the restaurant has specific menu items for dogs!

Sarang is a Korean name for girls that means “love” and “affection.” It shows in the thoughtful customer experience.

T can get quite fidgety in public places and he was calm and regulated during our entire visit.

This is a model that other restaurants should follow. We’ll definitely be back! 💕

36 thoughts on “Sarang Kitchen: A Restaurant For Minds of All Kinds”

    1. Thank you Gary! These places are wonderful reminder there are good people out there doing good things to support our communities.

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  2. wow!!!! Bravo!!! I love everything about this restaurant! Thank you for sharing it.
    I’ve been to restaurants that have menus for dogs, especially in the Florida Keys. My dogs are usually very appreciative!

    There are many sensory friendly activities in our area, but I do not know of a restaurant! Thanks, Ab

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    2. Thanks Vickie. It truly is a wonderful example and I hope it inspires other businesses – not just restaurants but places like dental and doctor clinics, shopping malls, etc. 💕🙏

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  6. Wow what an amazing place!!!! They are so accommodating and I hope they set a trend. We have movies at the theaters that are sensory accommodating by lowering the lights and sound. I have never heard of a restaurant like that and they have great food too.

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    1. Thanks Diane! I love its accommodating spirit too. And you’re right, movie theatres started a similar approach many years ago and they work so well for parents with babies too. 😊

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  8. The Sarang Kitchen sounds like a lovely spot and experience. And the food looks good too! It’s neat to hear how they employ neurodiverse people. I couldn’t help but smile when you mentioned that they have a specific menu for dogs. How adorable Sounds like you all had a good time and are enjoying the long weekend!

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    1. Thanks Linda! The dogs menu is just adorable and such a well thought out space. There’s a location close enough to your work, I think, that you’ll have to check it out too. 😊

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  9. Looks like you had a feast! Nice to hear that T enjoyed this place too. It really sounds like the owner of this place put “sarang” or “love” at its core. We also have that word in Indonesian, but it means “nest”. From you experience, this place also sounds like a great nest for T and other neurodiverse kids.

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    1. Thanks Bama! I love how a word can show in different cultures and mean different but related things. The idea of a nest is also comforting, a safe and comfortable place to be one self. I love that. I’ll have to share it with the owners next time we go. 😊

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    1. Thanks Pete! I know you and Beth (above) can relate to this need from an educator’s perspective. It’s nice to see this same approach in a restaurant and I do hope more places follow its lead. 😊

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  11. how thoughtful and brilliant. and what wonderful looking food! this is such a great idea for a community and I hope that more places follow this example. I’m so glad that you all had such a great experience there.

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    1. Thanks Beth. It reminds me of the sensory spaces I’ve started to see in schools in the past few years. It’s nice to see this model in a restaurant and I hope many more places follow this lead. 😊

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  14. What a brilliant business model as well as a caring idea. There have to be LOTS and LOTS of people who could benefit from this environment (not to mention employment), and many more of us who would simply prefer it! Thanks for introducing this restaurant and its model, Ab.

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    1. Thanks Jane! It is a wonderful business model and I do hope more people will follow its example not just in Toronto but across the country and world. Such simple small steps to make everyone feel included. 😊

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