samgyupsal – Jellybeans in the City

Enjoy a feast fit for an emperor at Hahn Restaurant

Have you ever found yourself somewhat distracted from the storyline of your newest binge-able Korean drama because you can’t take your eyes off the sumptuous dishes that your oppas and unnies are feasting on?

If you’ve been salivating over the colorful and appetizing food that make appearances in your favorite K-dramas, then Ayala Malls Manila Bay’s Korean Town should be right up your alley.

Home of authentic Korean specialties

Located in this hub is Hahn Restaurant, a stalwart when it comes to authentic Korean cuisine.

Inside its elegant interiors, you can sit down and dine in comfort as you experience Korea and its culture through food with your special someone, or with your family and friends.

You may also entertain a large group in one of the VIP Rooms (both can be combined into one even larger room for bigger parties).

You may also opt to enjoy your Korean food al fresco by stepping out to the veranda.

True to its positioning as the home of authentic Korean cusine, its offerings are prepared using traditional cooking methods such as fermenting, boiling, blanching, seasoning, and pickling. These are served with bap (cooked rice), kuk (dishes with broth), kimchi (traditional Korean sode dish made of fermented and seasoned vegetables) and banchan (side dishes), to be consumed at the same time, as the layering of flavors and textures is a hallmark of Korean dining.

A feast fit for an emperor

If you’re all set to expand your gastronomic horizons in Korean cuisine, Hahn Restaurant’s Emperor’s Feast will bring you the classic Korean faves, all in one set, meticulously prepared by the resto’s Chef Isagani according traditional Korean methods.

With this exciting meal set, you and a friend can enjoy a filling array classic Korean flavors for just Php980, which includes:

Kimchi-Jjigae. The central dish of the Emperor’s Feast, this hearty stew made with kimchi, pork belly and gochujang brings you spicy, tangy and umami flavors with each spoonful.

Hahn Gimbap. To cool your palate, you can bite into a few slices of cooked rice, crisp vegetables and meats rolled in dried seaweed sheets.

Bibimbap. For a truly satisfying meal for you and your companion, two servings of Hahn Restaurant’s best-seller – the Bibimbap, made with cooked rice topped with sauteed vegetables, kimchi, sliced meat and fried egg – will be served.

Banchan. Bite into these delicious side dishes to complement your meal.

To complete the set, you and your friend can choose two sodas from the restaurant’s beverage menu.

The Emperor’s Feast is truly a feast for the taste buds, but you need to hie yourself over to Hahn Restaurant asap to experience it as it’s available for a limited time only.

If you feel that a visit to a Korean restaurant is not complete without grilling some meat, you can always add an ala carte order of Pork Belly Samgyupsal for just Php350.

So whenever you feel like grabbing the food off the K-drama lead’s hands during your binge-watching sesh, just drop by Hahn Restaurant to get your taste of deliciously authentic Korean food.

Hahn Restaurant is located at Third Floor, Korean Town, Ayala Malls Manila Bay, Paranaque City, open Mondays to Thursdays from 10am to 7pm and Fridays to Sundays from 10am to 9pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 79337658 or +63 906 2142575.

You may also order from its website for delivery. Here’s a tip: Use my code JellyHR15 and get 15% off your orders (excluding The Emperor’s Feast). Code is valid until August 31, 2022 for online purchases.

To stay updated on its latest promos and offers, follow Hahn Restaurant on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube.

Disclosure: I attended a food-tasting held in the restaurant. Food items mentioned here were served to facilitate the experience for an honest review.

Good times and good eating with Hodai’s newest Daebag Set

With all we’ve been through during lockdowns and quarantines, one can’t help but hold out hope for better times ahead.

At the same time, we can’t help but look back on all the things we used to enjoy, like dining out to savor our favorite and spending fun times with family and friends.

Personally, I miss going out for Korean BBQ (or “mag-samgyup” as we Pinoys like to term it). The sheer adventure of grilling our own food as we talk, laugh and banter with our companions always proves enjoyable.

A prime destination for this experience is Hodai Restaurant in Quezon City. Located in a remodeled two-story house along Examiner Street in Barangay West Triangle built in the 1960s, it lives up to its name (“Hodai” translates to “all you can” in Nihongo), it’s where you can get your fill of unlimited meats and side dishes.

To mark its recent re-opening, Hodai Restaurant celebrates the good times ahead with its Daebag Set. For just Php599 per person, this set brings together everybody’s Korean BBQ and yakiniku favorites, plus more, into one table for everyone to enjoy.

Seafood. Includes salmon sashimi, assorted sushi rolls (California Roll, Kani Roll and Mango Roll) and Salmon Sushi (Torched Salmon Sushi with Spicy Sauce, Salmon Maki with Mustard Sauce and Salmon Sushi) as well as fresh shrimp.

LA Galbi. Barbecued beef short ribs cut thinly along the bone usually served during special occasions.

Cheese Spicy Ribs. Tender pork ribs marinated in gochujang sauce with stringy mozzarella cheese.

Five kinds of pork. Includes Herb Pork Steak, Daepae Pork, Plain Pork, Yakiniku Pork and Gochujang Pork.

Five kinds of beef. Includes Enoki Beef Roll, Plain Beef, Herb Beef, Yangnyeom Beef and Gochujang Beef

Side dishes. Includes Beef Tteokbokki, Galbi Fried Chicken, Potato Marbles, Kimchi, Japchae, Fishcake and Sour Radish.

Did you know that “daebag” translates to “Awesome!” in Korean? In Korean dramas. it’s usually uttered as an expression of surprise at a positive situation. No doubt you will echo the same sentiment when this sumptuous spread is laid before you and your companions.

Such a delicious bounty sure seems like a portent of great things to come, doesn’t it? Well, invite more good fortune into your life by gathering your nears-and-dears and celebrating being alive and being together over good food. (While practicing physical distancing, of course!)

If you feel that luck is on your side, here’s your chance to win a free Daebag Set. From September 27 to October 10, paying adults ordering the Daebag Set can play a fun game wherein they can choose one out of four boxes containing a dalgona candy with an imprinted shape. They will be tasked to trim away the candy outside the imprinted shape using just a toothpick. Any customer that successfully accomplished this feat will be awarded a free Daebag Set.

(You might be getting flashbacks to similar scenes in the Netflix Show Squid Game, but this activity is actually a favorite pastime of Korean kids.)

So if you feel that you have been without fun times with family and friends over good food for too long, go meet up at Hodai Restaurant and feast over the Daebag Set.

Hodai Restaurant is located at 14 Examiner Street, Barangay West Triangle, quezon City, open daily for dine-in from 12 noon to 10pm. Note: Al fresco diners is available for all customers regardless of vaccination status while indoor diners are required to present their vaccination cards.

To reserve your table, call +63 956 4605848.

Disclosure: Together with fellow foodies, I attended a food tasting held at this restaurant. Food items were served to facilitate this feature and were not paid for by the attendees.

Unli premium meats and Jap-Kor dishes at Yoshimeatsu

If you love unli grilled meats like I do, I’m sure you’ve been missing your yakiniku or samgyup adventures too.

There’s something about cooking meats on a tabletop grill as you take the time to catch up with your family and friends.

Well, actress Arci Munoz recently opened a branch of Yoshimeatsu in Greenhills where foodies can enjoy unlimited yakiniku premium meats and other tasty dishes for just Php599 per person (minimum of two diners).

These include:

Meats for grilling such as beef (plain, curry, spicy, shoyu, fatty), enoki beef rolls, sakana tofu, seafood cheeseball, pork (herbed, yangnyeom, spicy, shoyu), enoki pork rolls and tebasaki teriyaki and chicken yakitori.

Side dishes such as gohan (steamed rice), buttered kimchi rice, cheese dip, lettuce, sushi (yoshi ebi maki, California maki, spicy tuna maki, Kyoto beef roll), ebi tempura, kani salad, seasoned egg, aji tamago, pamuchim, kimchi, and shitaki (garlic butter, teriyaki).

Plus, dessert!

For an additional Php49, you can quench your thirst on unlimited Nestea Iced Tea and Nestle Pineapple drinks!

You might be wondering: what exactly is yakiniku? This Japanese term refers to the style of cooking bite-sized meat on gridirons or griddles over flames fueled by charcoal or a gas/electric grill. While its precise origin has been the subject of some debate, it is generally considered to have been inspired by Korean barbecue.

Wherever it came from, I’m just happy it made its way to our shores, and, with the opening of Yoshimeatsu in Greenhills, is all the more accessible to foodies like me.

Excited to try Yoshimeatsu’s premium meats? Here are more reasons to hie yourself over there stat:

It’s Let’s Eat to Win BTS Fiesta promo has been extended until July 25, wherein BTS fans will get freebies and a chance to win cool merch and a trip to Korea!

You can also present your vaccination card to enjoy free bottomless iced tea!

Sushi platters are also available for takeout for Php499 (good for four), Php799 (good for ten) and Php949 (good for twelve).

So give in to your yakiniku craving and book your table at Yoshimeatsu Greenhills now!

This Yoshimeatsu branch is located at Second Floor, O-Square 1 Building, Greenhills Shopping Center, Ortigas Avenue corner Wilson Street, Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila. It is open for dine-in Mondays to Thursdays from 11am to 9pm and Fridays to Sundays from 10am to 9pm. For inquiries, call +63 915 8988148. To reserve a table, fill up this form. It accepts cashless payments via GCash and Lyka.

K-BBQ obsession at Romantic Baboy, L&Y Plaza

Why are we Pinoys so obsessed with Korean BBQ?

It’s been years since the samgyeopsal trended as the hottest food item in the metro, but we just can’t seem to get our fill of it.

Korean barbecue is actually called gogi-gui in Korea, a method of grilling meat such as beef, chicken or pork using table-top grills. Many Korean BBQ restaurants also offer unlimited meats for grilling on a fixed per-person cost, giving diners a wondrous array of marinated and unmarinated meats by which to sate their carnivorous cravings.

One such restaurant is Romantic Baboy whose branch nearest to my place for a time was the one in L&Y Plaza at the corner of E. Rodriguez Jr Avenue and Ortigas Avenue Extension.

There, together with my fam before the lockdowns, I was able to explore the reasons why Korean BBQ holds so much appeal to us Pinoy diners.

Value for Money. For Php499 per person, you can eat your fill of grilled pork and beef which already comes with kimchi, cheese, egg, rice, veggies, gochujang jigae and six kinds of side dishes.

Laid-back atmosphere. A K-BBQ joint is the place to hang back and have fun. The mood is informal and loose while you’re grilling your meats and enjoying the wide array of Korean side dishes.

The more, the merrier. Since you’re paying a fixed price per person, you already have an idea of your potential spend for a group meal, making a K-BBQ place the ideal venue for a birthday blowout or similar celebrations.

Tasty and satisfying. One can’t go wrong with K-BBQ and Korean dishes, right? Unlimited freshly grilled meats dipped in melted cheese the. wrapped in crisp greens with a little bit of ssamjang and gochujang are just the ticket for a filling meal.

For a time, Romantic Baboy, as well as other Korean BBQ restos had to pause operations due to the community quarantine. However, I’m glad that this branch has already re-opened and is accepting dine-ins, albeit with a few safety precautions.

So if you’re planning on dining out at Romantic Baboy, do take note:

Plan the timing of your visit. The resto will only allow 30% of its normal capacity so you might not want to go during a busy time. Otherwise, you might have a long wait ahead of you.
Submit to the required temperature checks, hand sanitation and use of the disinfecting mats prior to entering. Also, remember to properly fill up the health declaration form.
Maintain physical distancing. The store has implemented an alternate seating arrangement to ensure that diners are able to have sufficient space between them.
Cashless payments via GCash and BDO are now available.

If you don’t want to go through all that but still want to have a Korean meal, you can select among Romantic Baboy’s Frozen Meat or Ready to Eat Menus and have your choices delivered to your home. Just call in your orders at +63 947 3969740 or +917 5118616.

This Romantic Baboy branch is located at L&Y Plaza, 120 E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue Corner Ortigas Avenue Extension, Ugong, Pasig City, open for dine-in, pickup or delivery from 11am to 8pm.

Check out my posts about other Korean restaurants:

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!

Unli Japanese fusion dishes at Yakikai Buffet Restaurant

Bid adieu to your diets, Quezon City peeps, because here’s another reason to eat all you can!

Hidden away in one of the streets in Quezon City’s Scout area is a newly opened restaurant offering unli servings of Japanese fusion dishes: Yakikai. Its name is a combination of the Japanese words “yaki” (which means “grilled”) and “kai” (which translates to “meeting or gathering”).

Set in a renovated two-story house along Dr. Lazcano Street, Yakikai offers diners comfortable seating options indoors or al fresco.

Here, families and friends can meet up and enjoy each other’s company while indulging themselves in refillable yakiniku and a buffet of Japanese and Korean dishes.

And thanks to Yakikai’s Opening Promo, you and your gang can gorge yourselves on its set meals at discounted rates this December!

Premium Set (Php339 from Php499). Includes chicken teriyaki, spicy chicken yakiniku, samgyupsal, galbi sauce pork, peppered pork shoulder loin, sliced beef, beef tare yakiniku, spicy beef and fresh shrimp.

Emperor Set (Php599 from Php699). Includes chicken teriyaki, spicy chicken yakiniku, samgyupsal, spicy samgyupsal, galbi sauce pork, peppered pork shoulder loin, sliced beef, beef tare yakiniku, spicy beef, fresh shrimp, beef steak (chuck eye roll), jjamppong nobe, salmon sashimi and ebi tempura.

Both already sets include unli refills of cheese as well.

Plus, birthday celebrants can eat for free within their birthday month as long as they’re accompanied by seven full-paying adults and can present a valid ID.

With its comfortable surroundings, wide array of dishes and its accommodating wait staff, Yakikai seems poised to be the new destination of choice for buffet hunters.

So go ahead and schedule the next barkada meet up or family celebration at Yakikai! And be sure to wear something loose (wink! wink!).

Thanks to Bunny of AlwaysTheFunnyGirl for extending the invitation!

Yakikai Buffet Restaurant is located at 122 Dr. Lazcano Street, Barangay Sacred Heart, Quezon City, open daily from 4pm to 2am. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 927 1383980 or +63 929 8235452.

Disclosure: Together with other foodies, I attended a foodie meet-up held in this restaurant. All the food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare to facilitate honest reviews and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Check out my reviews of other Japanese restaurants:

My Korean Food adventure continues at Masil

My love for Korean food is well-known by my family and friends. In fact, I have dined again and again at various Korean restaurants in various places in Metro Manila.

I was happy to discover that Masil has opened in Tiendesitas, which I find very convenient. Before or after grocery shopping, I can bring my family here to satisfy our Korean food cravings.

Weekend lunch and dinner times do get crowded and we sometimes have to wait for our table, but there is a waiting area inside which serves fragrant tea while you wait.

We usually order the samgyeopsal (grilled pork – Php330), chadolbagi (grilled beef a Php390), along with dolsot bibimbap (rice mixed with veggies served in a clay pot – Php350). The grilled meats are handled by the wait staff (so we can focus on enjoying our food). Our orders are also complemented by generous servings of side dishes which include kimchi, soy peanuts, green salad and steamed egg.

We enjoy ourselves here so much that we’ve returned so many times and even celebrated mother-in-law’s birthday here.

Masil branches are both located in Pasig:

The one we often frequent is at Tiendesitas, Frontera Verde, along Ortigas Avenue
The one we have yet to try is at 100 Oranbo Drive, in Brgy Oranbo

Check out my posts about other Korean restaurants:

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