korean food – Page 2 – Jellybeans in the City

Last few days to get a taste of Chef Park’s Truffle Honey Chicken

We’re down to the last few days of February, and if you haven’t gotten a taste of Chef Park’s Truffle Honey Chicken, I suggest you get down to it pronto! 😋

The Korean invasion is going strong in the country with K-pop acts dominating the airwaves, K-dramas dominating the playlists and K-barbecue not letting go of its hold of the dining public.

However, another Korean item has been steadily making its presence known: K-chicken!

This style of cooking and enjoying fried chicken is characterized by crisp boneless chicken pieces with tender and juicy meat smothered in flavorful glazes, giving rise to new chicken possibilities.

This month, for example, online fried chicken store Chef Park’s released its limited-edition flavor: Truffle Honey!

This new chicken variant adds the sweetness of honey and the earthiness of truffle oil to the Korean Fried Chicken.

It’s perfect as a meal with steaming-hot rice, or as something to munch on while binge-watching your favorite K-dramas.

Enjoy it as a Single Happy Rice Meal for Php325 or in a Chicken Sharing Box good for two to four people for Php545.

But like I said, you better hurry up and place your orders stat since this flavor is available only within February.

In case you missed this limited-time offer, you may still opt for Chef Park’s regular flavors: Yangnyum, Soy Garlic and Garlic Parmesan, each available for Php295 as a rice meal or for Php495 as a sharing box.

Chef Park’s is a cloud kitchen that operates from #23 9th Avenue, Cubao, Quezon City (between Col. B Serrano Avenue and Liberty Avenue), accepting orders from 10am to 7pm daily.

To order, call +63 977 8030111, email chefparksph@gmail.com or visit its website.

Check out my blog posts on other small enterprises and startups in the food business:

BonChon lunch while working from home

It has become an all-too-familiar lament among us parents who are working from home: juggling all the tasks we are supposed to deliver for our jobs and overseeing the kiddos who are still adjusting to distance learning leave us very little time to prepare tasty meals for the fam to enjoy.

Fortunately, a solution to this quandary is just a few phone taps away, thanks to our trusty food delivery apps.

On one such busy day, Hubby decided to order our lunch from the BonChon branch nearby.

This chicken resto chain was founded on 2002 by entrepreneur Jinduk Seh. After spending two years perfecting the soy garlic and spicy glaze for his fried chicken, he opened his first resto BonChon (or “my hometown”) in Busan, South Korea. By 2010, it has made its way to the Philippines, just in time to help sow the seeds of the Korean obsession of Pinoys.

Considering the fam’s considerable collective appetite, Hubby decided to get 6 pieces (Php462) + 8 pieces (Php613) assorted chicken pieces, all with our favorite soy garlic glaze.

Giving in to his daughter’s request, he also ordered a Mandu Box Meal (Php199). Mandu are basically Korean dumplings. BonChon’s version is deep-fried and glazed with soy garlic, similar to the chicken.

All we had to do is make sure we have lots of steamed rice ready for our meal.

As luck would have it, my morning meeting extended to lunchtime so my baby girl assembled a plate for me to eat while on telecon (my brain can’t function on an empty stomach, you know!)

So that’s it: the whole fam satisfied with a tasty meal, quick and easy!

To have your favorite K-style fried chicken from BonChon delivered right to your doorstep, call +62 2 86331818.

What’s new at Geonbae, Tomas Morato

Unli Korean BBQ joints abound in the metro. So much so that one may be challenged in distinguishing one resto’s offerings from another’s.

Well, Geonbae Modern Korean Bar & Grill will make sure that you remember it well.

Geonbae translates to “empty glass” which has the same meaning as the expression “bottom’s up.” The name is quite apt because here, you and your friends can eat and drink to the good times.

Last year, I had lunch at the Geonbae branch in the Tomas Morato area together with my officemates, during which we took advantage of a Buy 3 Get 1 Deal on its Php499 set. Then, I praised Geonbae’s ambiance, variety of offerings, great service and value for money.

After taking part in a Zomato Foodie Meetup at the same Geonbae branch, I’m happy to report on some new things for K-BBQ fans to enjoy.

1) A hyped up Php649 set

With the Php649 set (50% off for kids 10 years old and younger), you can eat your fill of:

9 kinds of appetizers: includes buldak (chicken) kimbap, yachae (vegetable) kimbap, fried and steamed manju, japchae, tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), kimchi takoyaki as well as yoen yeo (salmon sashimi) and chamchi (tuna sashimi)

11 Entrees: includes saewoo twigim (shrimp fry), galbi jjim (beef stew), ramyeon (Korean ramen), bibimbap, chicken bibimbap, salmon bibimbap, spicy salmon ramen and Korean wings.

Soups and stews: includes doenjang jigae (seafood stew), kimchi jigae (kimchi stew) and galbitang (beef rib stew)

Side dishes: includes odeng (fish cake), pajeon (green onions pancake), hobak jeon (pumpkin pancake), gyeran jim (steamed egg), napa kimchi, gamja jurim (potato marble), myulchi bokkeum, lettuce, kimchi bokkeunbap (kimchi fried rice), bap (plain rice) and cheese for dipping

21 kinds of meat: includes samgyeopsal (pork belly), spicy yakiniku samgyeopsal, ginger samgyeopsal, gochujang samgyeopsal, smoked pork belly, spicy yakiniku pork ribs, spicy yakiniku moksal, herb pork jowl, herb pork belly, pork bulgogi, pork intestine, sausage, woo samgyeop (beef belly), oyster woo samgyeop, gochujang woosamgyeop, chadolbaegi (beef brisket), galbisal (rib finger), oyster hoshisal (hanger steak), beef bulgogi, ginger chicken breast and assorted odeng.

The Php649 set (maximum of 3 hours staying time) is available for dinner Fridays to Sundays from 3pm onwards. Price is exclusive of VAT. Leftovers will be charged Php649.

2) A high-tech ordering and requesting system

When dining at unli Korean BBQ places, you sometimes get frustrated at the slow fulfillment of refill requests or changing of grills, right?

Well, not here. By connecting to Geonbae’s WiFi network and scanning the QR code provided per table, you get redirected to an online menu of dishes and refills, as well as service requests such as “change charcoal,” “change grill” and “check out.”

As soon as you select the dish or service you require, a wait staff immediately comes along to fulfill your request.

Pretty nifty, huh?

3) The entrance to a hidden bar

At Geonbae’s dining area, you will see a doorway marked with a neon sign. This door is the entryway to Alibi, a speakeasy where you can enjoy cool tunes, refreshing cocktails, yummy bar chow, and get this: an oyster bar!

Korean BBQ Lunch at Geonbae, Tomas Morato

The battle for supremacy among Korean barbecue joints rages on and Geonbae Modern Korean Bar and Grill puts up quite a fight.

Considering my affinity towards K-BBQ, it’s ironic that my foray here was by accident. My coworkers and I were planning to go to another restaurant nearby which happened to be closed for lunch on that day.

We scouted the area for another place to eat and found ourselves walking to Geonbae.

The restaurant’s name was coined from the Korean term for “cheers” or “bottom’s up.” From its dimly lit interiors with spotlights on the grill and the vibrantly colorful accent decor, Geonbae presents itself as a hip n’ happenin’ place for friends to hang out together while indulging their cravings for Korean barbecue.

Given our brief lunch hour, we decided to just go for Geonbae’s Php499 package which include unlimited refills of meats such as samgyeopsal (plain, spicy yakiniku, ginger, gochujang), smoked pork belly, spicy yakiniku pork ribs, spicy yakiniku moksal, herb pork jowl, pork bulgogi, pork intestine, sausage, woosamgyeop (plain, oyster, gochujang) and ginger chicken breast. To be honest, the sheer number of meats was already quite overwhelming and we found ourselves gravitating towards tried-and-true variants such as plain samgyeopsal and woosamgyeop.

The package also includes unlimited refills of banchans such as fried and steamed mandu, fried takoyaki and kimchi, as well as soup, rice and cheese.

I just have to say: Geonbae really holds up well in comparison to other Korean barbecue joints in the area in terms of ambiance, variety of offerings and value for money. It also does well when it comes to service: the dishes are served and refill requests are seen to quite promptly.

And since my coworkers and I availed of a Booky Prime privilege that gave us a Buy 3 Get 1 deal on our meal, we ended up paying leas than Php420 each for our meal. Not bad, huh?

This Geonbae Modern Korean Bar and Grill branch is located at 115 Scout Delgado Street, Bgy. Sacred Heart, Quezon City, open daily from 11am to 10pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 4298549.

Other branches will open at Maria Clara Street, Bgy. Sto. Domingo, Banawe, Quezon City and at Third Floor, UP Town Center, Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City.

Unli Samgyeopsal at Korean Palace, Baguio

Similar to the phenomenon in Manila, Korean restaurants have sprouted across Baguio City, spurred no doubt by the growing appreciation for the gastronomic pleasures brought by Korean cuisine.

On our second night in the City of Pines, the fam braved the cold and drizzles and made the drive to this Korean restaurant which is quite near the apartelle where we were staying.

The resto has grown considerably since our last visit three years ago. The eating area and the parking space have been expanded. Still the place was already quite packed with the dinner crowd by the time we made our way there at 6pm.

At Php399/head, our group was able to eat out fill of samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly), woosamgyup (thin beef brisket slices), pajeon (vegetable pancakes) and all sorts of side dishes. (We did have to do our own grilling, though.)

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On our second night in the #cityofpines, the fam gave in to our craving for #koreanfood at King Jeon Korean Palace. At only Php399/head, we’ve got all the #samgyeopsal, #woosamgyup, #pajeon that we can eat and more. #allyoucaneat #eatallyoucan #lamonfest #jellybeansinthecityofpines

A post shared by Jellybeans in the City (@beingjellybeans) on Jun 16, 2018 at 4:48am PDT

The staff were polite and accommodating but due to the sheer volume of diners, refill requests did take some time.

By the way, if you ever had that desire to have that photo opp while dressed up in traditional Korean, this place can accommodate you. You can borrow the costumes on display for picture taking purposes.

Korean Palace is located at No 38 South Drive, Baguio City. For inquiries, call + 63 74 4467557.

For tips on surviving an eat-all-you-can setup, view my blog post here.

Why not try your hand at cooking Korean food at home? Check out these recipe books on Amazon.com!

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If you’re in the US and an Amazon Prime member, sign up for a free trial of Amazon Fresh to get your groceries delivered to you.

Bingsu treat at Hobing Korean Dessert, BGC Stopover

Bingsu treats have grown in popularity in the metro, especially now with the searing summer heat. Bingsu is a Korean dessert characterized by shaved ice sweetened with condensed milk and topped with fresh fruits, yogurt, ice cream and bits of yummy baked goods.

While the fam is exploring options for lunch in Bonifacio Global City during a particularly hot summer day, we came across this branch of Hobing Korean Dessert and couldn’t resist having our dessert here. After eating our lunch at nearby Tenya Tempura Tendon, and, eager for something cool and sweet to counter the hot and humid weather, we proceeded Hobing.

Despite being billed as the Korean halo-halo, bingsu is best enjoyed when the shaved ice and toppings are not all mixed together. This allows you to enjoy the varying textures and flavors that went into the bingsu.

We ordered a large serving of Mango Cheese Bingsu (Php320), thinking that a regular serving will not satisfy all of us. What we got was a delectable and prettily presented confection: finely shaved ice flavored with mango syrup, surrounded by huge cubes of ripe mango and topped with rich New York Cheesecake bits, vanilla ice cream and slices of roasted almonds.

We are definitely eager to try Hobing’s other bingsu offerings soon.

This branch of Hobing Korean Dessert is located at the 3rd Floor of BGC Stopover Pavilion, Rizal Drive cor 31st Street, Bonifacio Global City. Other branches of Hobing Korean Dessert are located at:

Lucky Chinatown Mall in Binondo
SM Megamall in Mandaluyong
Glorietta 4 in Makati
Jupiter Street in Makati
Eastwood City Walk in Quezon City
SM Aura Premier in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Ayala Malls the 30th in Ortigas Center, Pasig
SM North in Quezon City
Banawe Lifestyle Center in Quezon City
SM City Marikina in Marikina City
U.P Town Center in Quezon City
SM San Lazaro in Manila
Ayala Fairview Terrace, Fairview Quezon City

Check out my rundown of bingsu treats in the metro.

Jelly List: Beat the Summer Heat with Bingsu!

Summer is definitely in full swing. The days are longer and hotter. One of the things I’m looking forward to this summer is cooling down with a bowl of bingsu.

Bingsu is a Korean dessert traditionally made with ice shavings, condensed milk and sweet toppings such as red beans, chopped fruit, cookies or candies and ice cream. While forms of this dish have been in existence since the 1300s, its modern form started with the introduction of patbingsu, featuring red bean paste, during Korea’s time under Japanese rule in the early 20th century. Foreign influence during the Korean War in the 1950s led to the inclusion of ingredients such as canned fruits, ice cream, cereal, nuts and syrups.

Bingsu shops and restos that offer variations of this yummy dessert have sprouted all over the metro. Here are some you might be interested to try:

Mango Bingsu at Jang Da Bang by Jang Ga Nae (Php199 for regular)

The sweet and succulent mango bits give this bingsu its dominant flavor but the tidbits of other fruits and the cereal provide a nice contrast of tastes and textures.

Jang Da Bang Cafe is located 8137 Plaza Ortigas, Jose Escriva Drive, Ortigas, Pasig City (behind the University of Asia and the Pacific)

Mango Cheese Bingsu at Hobing Korean Dessert (Php320 for large)

Mango seems to be an unbeatable bingsu variant. Coupled with large chunks of rich New York Cheesecake and topped with vanilla ice cream and sliced almonds, this delectable confection is a refreshing explosion of sweetness in your mouth.

This branch of Hobing Korean Dessert is located at the 3rd Floor BGC Stopover Pavilion, Rizal Drive cor 31st Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

Rockmelon Bingsu at Gangnam Wings (Php280)

This dessert is prettily presented with melon balls served in the melon shell and topped with a big dollop of vanilla ice cream.

Gangnam Wings is located at the Megastrip Unit 1-114 Upper Ground Floor, outside Building A, SM Megamall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City.

Injealmee Snowflake at Coreon Gate (Php168)

This seems to be among the more traditional bingsu variants, flavored by bean powder and given texture by the sliced almonds and chewy rice cakes.

This branch of Coreon Gate is located in the Metrowalk Complex, along Meralco Avenue, Pasig City.

Korean Red Bean Bingsu at Bing Seoul (Php59 for regular)

Another more traditional and mildly sweet bingsu variant, this is a no-frills, no-fuss serving (quite cheap too!), with flavor driven by the red bean paste and the dollops of condensed milk poured onto the ice.

This branch of Bing Seoul is located at the Ground Floor of SM City East Ortigas, along Ortigas Avenue Extension, Pasig City. (Update: A week after I posted this, I learned that the Bing Seoul stall at SM City East Ortigas has already been pulled out. The nearest other branch is located at SM Center Pasig.)

Ube Macapuno Bingsu at Bon Chon (Php99)

This bingsu variants melds Pinoy flavors with the Korean dish. Ube (purple yam) powder drives the flavor while additional textures are provided by the macapuno (coconut jelly) strings, cubes of leche flan and rice crispies. It would be best to try this out soon as it available only for the summer.

This branch of Bon Chon is located at Il Terrazo, along Tomas Morato, Quezon City.

Infographic courtesy of Mica Jose (IG: @dragostea)