woosamgyup – Jellybeans in the City

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.

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:

Samgyup Time at Leann’s Teahouse, Tomas Morato

For quite some time, Leann’s Teahouse has been one of the go-to places for Korean BBQ for me and my officemates.

Located a short distance from my workplace, it’s where we can get our K-BBQ cravings satisfied.

For only Php499 per person, we can enjoy all the samgyupsal and woosamgyup out hearts desire, as well as the side dishes we so love.

Once, my friends and I applied a Booky discount and we ended up just paying Php375 each! Quite a good deal, yes?

Plus, this resto’s Bibimbap (Php210) and Spicy Pork (Php220) are not to be missed.

When the community quarantine is lifted and I’m back to reporting to my office, a silver lining would be the chance to eat here with my samgyup co-conspirators again.

How are you K-BBQ fans on quarantine? Missing your favorite freshly grilled samgyeopsal and woosamgyup yet?

The good news for you K-BBQ lovers in Quezon City is that you can enjoy these at home as Leann’s Tea House has made available frozen meats by the kilo, marinades, dips, appetizers, noodles, rice and kimbaps for pickup and delivery.

Leann’s Tea House is located at 105-R Mother Ignacia Corner Sct. Madrinan Street, South Triangle, Quezon City. For inquiries and to place your orders, send a message via Facebook, Viber +63 917 3240959 or call +63 2 7916356.

Check out my posts about other Korean restaurants:

A new Korean food haunt – Yoo’s Korean BBQ, Ortigas

For some time now, I’ve been singing the praises of one of my first and favorite Korean BBQ joints in the metro: Jang Ga Nae along Escriva Drive in Ortigas Center.

That was where I had my first real taste of Korean food like samgyeopsal, woosamgyup, bibimbap and tteokbokki. Whenever the fam had a craving for Korean food, Jang Ga Nae was on top of the list.

Imagine my family’s dismay late last year when we went there, eager for our Korean food fest, and then discovered that it was closed and the place was being renovated.

Well, months later, we got to meet its successor: Yoo’s Korean BBQ, which now occupies the space vacated by Jang Ga Nae.

It also offers many of our faves from Jang Ga Nae (apparently, it’s Jang Ga Nae under a different name… and maybe under new management?)

Whatever the reason for the change of name, we’re just glad we are still able to enjoy the Korean BBQ fare we love.

It has an unli offer which includes refillable servings of Bacon Pork Belly, Sliced Pork Belly, Chicken Fillet, Beef Shortplate and Beef Bulgogi for just Php445 per person, refillable banyan (side dishes included).

We also ordered our go-to Korean dishes such as Dolsot Bibimbap (mixed rice and veggies in a stone pot – Php350) and Jeukbokeum (spicy pan-fried pork – Php350).

After our very satisfying meal, we went to Yoo’s Korean Grocery next door and got ourselves some Korean ice cream. Yum!

With the metro under the Enhanced Community Quarantine, we were worried that our family’s enjoyment of Korean BBQ would be curtailed.

Thankfully, Yoo’s Korean Grocery offers pre-packed frozen meats and other items for pickup or delivery. The other day, Hubby and I got a 500g of Beef Bulgogi, a kilo of Fishcakes and a bag of Korean rice which we incorporated into our Samgyupsal-at-Home last night. We grilled the Beef Bulgogi along with some Bacon-Cut Pork Belly from the supermarket, while my daughter #ExhibitA whipped up some Gimbap (Korean sushi rolls) using the Korean rice and some Deokbokki (Spicy Fishcakes and Ricecakes).

Well, now we know that we don’t have to break quarantine (or the bank!) to enjoy our Korean food faves.

Yoo’s Korean BBQ is located at Ground Floor 8137 Plaza, Escriva Drive, Barangay San Antonio, Ortigas Center, Pasig, Metro Manila. For inquiries, reservations or to order for delivery, call +63 2 6336960, +63 956 5164926 or +63 998 9311113.

Check out my posts about other Korean restaurants:

Unli Samgyupsal at Oh My Samgyup, Tomas Morato

I gotta say: there’s something irresistible with these unli Korean barbecue offers sprouting all over the metro.

Sometimes, even the most budget-conscious will agree to a group lunch at a resto with this kind of offer. Knowing that everyone would be able to eat their fill of the barbecued meat and banchans (side dishes) is enough to entice them to join in on the lunch outing.

That’s how my officemates and I enjoyed our lunch prior to the holiday break at Oh My Samgyup.

This Korean grill restaurant is located just across the street from our office so the ease and convenience of getting there is a big plus.

The resto’s decor has also been recently given a makeover, resulting to an airier feel and a hipper vibe.

We also took advantage of its Christmas Promo wherein the per person rate of Unli Pork , Chicken and Beef (already includes unli side dishes, rice, cheese and iced tea) was slashed from Php499 to Php389 everyday from 11am to 4pm.

Well, by the time we left the place, our tummies are full but our wallets were not empty. Yey!

Oh My Samgyup’s Christmas offer may be over but here’s some good news! Until January 31, enjoy unlimited chicken pork and beef from 11am to 4pm for only Php399 per person and from 4pm onwards for only Php499 per person, thanks to the resto’s January offer.

So what are you waiting for?

Oh My Samgyup is located 139 Mother Ignacia Avenue, Bgy. South Triangle, Quezon City, open daily from 11am to 12 midnight. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 0916 6007505 or +63 0920 3066314.

Check out my posts about other Korean restaurants:

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.

Check out my posts about other Korean restaurants:

Three reasons to get your K-bbq fill at Woorijib, Tomas Morato

Korean barbecue joints have been popping up all over the metro, most offering unli meats as part of their come-on to diners.

Personally, I get excited everytime a new one opens simply because it’s another place where I can satisfy my craving for freshly grilled premium meats.

Well, the newly opened K-bbq resto in the Tomas Morato area has a lot more going for it. Check out these three reasons why you will opt to go Woorijib Home of Korean Buffet to satisfy your Korean barbecue craving.

One: Its sprawling premises won’t make you feel fenced in.

Being located in a newly constructed building in Scout Borromeo sure is working for Woorijib. “Woorijib” means “home” in Korean and the place makes you feel the comforts of home as soon as you enter.

Its dining area can comfortably seat up to a hundred diners and there’s space left for photo opps (with Korean costumes, to boot) against a colorful background and a spot for musical entertainment.

Two: Its selection of unli meats will satisfy the carnivore in you.

Make sure to bring your appetite with you when you visit Woorijib because its meat combos are sure to leave you well satisfied. Consider:

3 Meat Combo (Php299/person). Consists of plain, spicy, sweet and kal (fattier pieces)pork samgyeopsal, along with 7 unli side dishes, rice and soup.

6 Meat Combo (Php399/person). Consists of plain, spicy and sweet pork samgyeopsal, mokshimsal, along with rice, soup, iced tea, unli side dishes from the buffet and dessert.

12 Meat Combo (Php599/person). Consists of plain, spicy and sweet pork samgyeopsal, mokshimsal, apdari sal, deungshimsal, plain and spicy beef belly, beef bulgogi, spicy chicken and chicken bulgogi, along with rice, soup, iced tea, cheese, unli side dishes from the buffet and dessert. Plus, 1 serving of chamsekal samgyeopsal and a round of your choice of cocktails or mocktails.

All Beef Combo (Php699/ person). Consists of galbisal, plain and spicy beef belly, beef kal samgyeopsal, and bulgogi, along with rice, soup, iced tea, cheese, unli side dishes from the buffet and dessert. Plus, 1 serving of chamsekal samgyeopsal and a round of your choice of cocktails or mocktails.

The meat cuts are quite premium and are immediately refilled by the attentive wait staff. The resto’s smokeless grills also ensure that you and your companions won’t leave the place smelling like you’ve been roasted, too, hahaha!

Note that these combos have a 2-hour limit, with no take outs. Leftovers will be charged Php499/person.

Three: Use my code and get 10% off your food bill.

For all combos (except 3-meat at Php299) as well as other food orders from the ala carte menu or even an event/party or catering package, enjoy a 10% discount on your food bill when you use my code: WOOGEL108.

You can have a very happy birthday here when you bring 3 full paying adults and order any of the unli meat combos: you get your biffet meal for free. Just present a valid ID to the staff.

Dining with a large group? No problem! For every group of 10 guests, 1 gets a free meal.

So the next time you, your friends and your family have a hankering for Korean barbecue, give in to your craving, head on to Woorijib and feel right at home.

Thanks to my foodie friends from #WeLoveToEatPH and #SaanSaPH for joining me on this foodie adventure and the wonderful folks of Woorijib for having us!

Photo Credit: BJ of @eatingpinoy for the dessert pics. All other images are mine.

Woorijib Home of Korean Buffet is located at Ground Floor, Victoria de Morato, Scout Borromeo Street, South Triangle, Quezon City, open daily from 11am to 1am. For reservations and inquiries, call +63 915 8931148 or +63 998 2681367.

Disclosure: Together with my fellow foodies, I was invited to join a foodie meetup held at this restaurant. Food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Check out my posts about other Korean restaurants:

Unli Korean BBQ at Every Samgyeop, Tomas Morato

For years now, there’s a proposition that’s sure to get me all excited: all-can-eat samgyeopsal.

Ever since I had my first taste of juicy flavorful pork and beef pieces freshly grilled right in front of me, seasoned with sesame oil, salt and pepper, and given that distinct Korean flavor with a bit of ssamjang and thin garlic slices, I knew a new gastronomic obsession was born.

And that obsession holds true to this very day.

This is why I was overjoyed to be invited to a foodie meetup at Every Samgyeop. Not only is it a Korean resto specializing in samgyeopsal and other Korean barbecue variants, it is also located just a stone’s throw away from my office.

I first dined at Every Samgyeop early last year and have eaten there several times since but today was special: my foodie friends from #SaanSaPH and I were being treated to its “Eat All You Can: Unlimited Meat and Rice” set which was not yet in place during my previous visits.

For only Php499/person, you and your friends can enjoy unlimited plain and marinated meats which include:

Samgyeopsal (thick slices of pork belly)

Deepee Samgyeopsal (thinly sliced pork belly)

Soy Sauce Samgyeopsal (pork belly slices marinated in soy sauce)

Gochujang Samgyeopsal (pork belly slices in the traditional Korean spicy sauce)

Honey Butter Samgyeopsal

Hangjeongsal (jowl meat)

Woosamgyup (thinly sliced beef loin)

Soy Sauce Woosamgyup (thinly sliced beef loin marinated in soy sauce)

Gochujang Woosamgyup (thinly sliced beef loin in the traditional Korean spicy sauce)

Bulgogi (Korean sweet beef stew)

Dakdarisal (marinated chicken thigh fillet)

These meats come with special side dishes (called banchan) which include:

Kimchi

Ddangkong Jorim (soy braised peanuts)

Eomuk Bokkeum (stir-fried fish cakes)

Korean Cabbage Salad

Pickled Vegetables

Calamaris

You can also add Php50 to your meal set to get another order of calamaris as well as a bowl of steaming hot ramyun (Korean-style instant ramen).

Aside from its sheer variety of meats available, Every Samgyeop is also notable for its tender and flavorful pork cuts. Their secret is the dry aging process that they subject their pork cuts to which allows the enzymes present to further break down the meat resulting to enhanced taste and texture.

I had so much fun taking my turn to grill our meats, eating my fill and spending time with my foodie friends at Every Samgyeop and I look forward to my next visit!

Every Samgyeop is located at 58 Sgt. Esguerra Street (across ABS-CBN Main Building), Bgy. South Triangle, Quezon City. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 6212032 or +63 927 273555.

Disclosure: Together with other foodies from #SaanSaPH, I was invited to join a foodie meetup held at this restaurant. Food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Check out my posts about other Korean restaurants:

Unli Premium Korean BBQ at Muhan Samgyupsal, Greenhills

My love affair with Korean BBQ has already spanned more than a decade and I welcome every chance to enjoy it, especially with my family in tow. Really, what’s not to love about it? Sizzling strips of tender beef or pork cooked right before our eyes, a proliferation of side dishes (called banchan) to munch on while the meat is cooking, the interplay of tastes from the meat wrapped in crisp lettuce accompanied by the complexly flavored ssamjang paste.

This past week, I was quite fortunate to try out one of the newer entrants among Korean barbecue restaurants: Muhan Samgyupsal.

This resto is situated in a newer buildings along Ortigas Avenue in the Greenhills area, and it boasts of ample parking space as well as expansive and well-appointed interiors.

As I have come to expect in all Korean barbecue joints, this branch of Muhan Samgyeopsal is equipped with exhausts to suck the smoke from the meats cooking on the table-top grills.

Its menu is refreshingly simple but packed with value. The choices consist of:

UNLI 1 (Php369/person for lunch available from 11am to 3pm and Php399/person for dinner available from 3pm to 2am): unlimited refills of 5 kinds of pork barbecue

UNLI 2 (Php399/person for lunch available from 11am to 3pm and Php449/person for dinner available from 3pm to 2am): unlimited refills of 5 kinds of pork barbecue and 3 kinds of beef.

UNLI 3 (Php449/person for lunch available from 11am to 3pm and Php499/person for dinner available from 3pm to 2am)): unlimited refills of 5 kinds of pork barbecue, 3 kinds of beef and shabu-shabu.

All these come with soup, unlimited banchans and steamed egg.

Plus, the resto currently runs a Lunchtime discount promo wherein a group of four diners get to enjoy, not just the discounted pricing on the Unli sets, but also a free 1.5 liter Coke. Now, isn’t that a great combination?

The fam opted for Unli 2 so we were able to enjoy various options of marinated and unmarinated pork and beef. Granted, our tastes veer towards the unmarinated kind.

The premiumness of the meat cuts was apparent in their flavor, juiciness and tenderness, which, together with the clean and comfortable surroundings and the warm and friendly assistance from the wait staff, makes the price of the menu items so worth it.

We all enjoyed our first dining experience at Muhan Samgyeopsal and we look forward to our next visit.

This Muhan Samgyupsal branch is located at the Ground Floor, Eton Square Building, Ortigas Avenue, Greenhills, San Juan, open daily from 11am to 2am. For reservations and inquiries, call +63 956 3912240.

Other branches are located at:

Second Floor, One Archers Place, Taft Avenue, Malate, Manila (Tel: +63 2 7175627)
830 Padre Noval Street, Sampaloc, Manila (Tel : +63 955 4957585)

Disclosure: Part of this family lunch is sponsored by Muhan Samgyupsal through free Unlimited Meals good for two people, the balance of which was paid for.

Check out my posts about other Korean restaurants:

1223 Grill: A hidden gem for Korean BBQ in Pasig

Korean barbecue has grown in popularity in recent years. I sometimes think that I can’t pass through an area without seeing at least one Korean barbecue joint.

Apparently, there was an area between Pasig and Pateros where there was a dearth in K-BBQ eateries. That is, before 1223 Grill came along.

The only K-BBQ joint in a relatively quiet residential area just off the C-5 highway in San Joaquin, Pasig City, 1223 Grill usually caters to local residents as well as students of a nearby school. This restaurant approximates the usual location, look and feel of similar eateries in Korea: homey and located off-the-beaten-track.

Together with other food bloggers from Saan Sa PH, I was invited to check out 1223 Grill’s Korean food offerings, which include the Samgyeopsal and Chadolbaki Unli Combination (Php429 for lunch | Php449 for dinner). The most popular (and ubiquitous) among K-BBQ variants, unmarinated pork belly and beef brisket slices have a special appeal. Since no flavoring was applied to the meats prior to grilling, the flavor has to come from the meats themselves and the what you put on them once they’re off the grill. Personally, I like dipping them into sesame oil seasoned with salt and pepper, and into ssamjang (soy bean paste) before wrapping them in the crisp lettuce leaves along with a thin slice of raw garlic.

But the Korean BBQ fest does not end there! Add a pan of creamy melted Cheese (Php100) into the fray for dipping and what have you got? An explosion of flavors with each bite that’s just heaven!

For more than just a bit of heat, we had the Spicy Chicken and Pork with Cheese (Php289) and the Teokboki Spicy Rice Cake (Php120).

The Budae-jjigae (Php399) is a hearty soup of flavorful broth, noodles, tofu cubes and chopped aromatics along with processed meats. Did you know that its name translates to “army base stew?” It came about after the armistice that ended the Korean war, when home cooks scrounged for food left behind in the US bases. Today, it is usually consumed along with beer or as a lunch item.

Rounding up our viands are the Japchae (Php150), stir-fried glass noodles with vegetables, and Beef Bibimbap (Php280), rice mixed with julienned cucumber, mushrooms, soybean sprouts, spinacha and beef, flavored by gochujang (red pepper paste). I like placing small amounts of bibimbap into my samgyeopsal in lettuce wrap to get an interesting mix of textures and flavors with each bite.

And of course, as is customary among Korean BBQ joints, our viands were accompanied by several types of banyan (side dishes) that we can munch on while waiting for our meats to cook.

1223 Grill prides itself on having premium ingredients; many of its meats are actually imported to capture the authentic taste of Korean food.

The servers were also quite attentive and accommodating, despite our group’s many requests and inquiries.

It seems that 1223 Grill’s combination of great and affordable food and friendly service is well-appreciated by its patrons. Plans are already underway to expand the store’s area to accommodate more customers.

It was quite a Korean food adventure; we even had some shots of soju mixed with Sprite to cap our meal!

1223 Grill is located at Unit 1-A, Angeles Residences, F. Angeles Street, San Joaquin, Pasig City, open Mondays to Thursdays from 2pm to 12 midnight, and Fridays to Saturdays from 2pm to 1am. For inquiries, call +63 2090 62206843.

Disclosure: Together with other food bloggers, I was invited to attend a food tasting held in this restaurant. Food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Check out my posts about other Korean restaurants:

Family Korean Food Feast at Soban K-Town Grill, Eastwood Mall

Whenever the fam is in Eastwood Mall and is in the mood for Korean BBQ (which is quite often), Soban K-Town Grill is our go-to place.

This resto boasts of clean and modern interiors, warmly lit and giving that casual yet cozy vibe.

We were ushered to a table that can seat our family of four, but had trouble accommodating all the food brought to our table.

Since we prefer unmarinated meats over flavored ones so we ordered a Classic BBQ Combo Set (Php1,780). Good for our group of four, it is composed of 180g fresh beef belly, 180g pork belly, 180g boneless fried soy garlic chicken chops, one japchae (stir-fried glass noodles and vegetables), one pajeon (savory Korean pancake), half a serving of gimbap (Korean version of sushi rolls) and four refillable cups of either plain or kimchi rice. Adding to our table’s load are the refillable side dishes which include my favorites: egg cakes and sugared peanuts.

The meats that we grilled were of good quality, and I loved dipping slices of them in salted sesame oil and ssamjang paste, then wrapping them in crisp lettuce leaves together with some kimchi rice before taking a bite.

The soy garlic chicken, on the other hand, was tender and yummy; it suited the tastes of my little boy just fine!

Plus, since I presented one of their flyers from one of the take-one boxes at the parking area, we were each given a free coffee jelly dessert!

It was a wondrous feast for our family of four, one dining experience we wouldn’t mind repeating.

This Soban K-Town Grill branch is located at Second Floor, Eastwood Mall, Libis, Quezon City, open Mondays to Thursdays from 11am to 10pm, Fridays to Saturdays from 11am to 11pm and Sundays 10am to 10pm.

Other branches are located at:

Ground Floor, Robinsons Place Manila, Ermita, Manila

Level 3, Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Greenbelt, Makati City

Level 2, One Bonifacio High Street Mall, 28th Street Corner 5th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City

Ground Floor, ATC Corporate Center, Alabang, Muntinlupa City

Upper Ground Floor, Main Building, SM City North EDSA, Bago Bantay, Quezon City

Third Floor, Bridgeway, SM Megamall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City

Check out my posts about other Korean restaurants:

Unli Korean BBQ Buffet at Saram, Sikatuna Village

Let’s face it: the Pinoys’ love affair with all things Korean will not be going away anytime soon. (And, truth be told: do we want it to?).

Case in point: the proliferation of restaurants offering unli Korean barbecues all over the metro.

One such eatery is Saram Korean BBQ Grill Buffet. Located along V. Luna Extension in Quezon City, it provides unlimited meats for grilling as well as a wide array of banchan (small side dishes) that you can munch on while cooking or can add to the lettuce wrap along with your grilled meats for added flavor and texture.

Here’s what you can expect to enjoy at Saram:

Plain Meats
Samgyeopsal – thinly sliced pork belly
Woosamgyup – thinly sliced beef

Flavored Meats (available in regular and spicy variants):
>Dwaeji Galbi – marinated pork ribs
Bulgogi – thinly sliced marinated beef
Dakgalbi – marinated chicken pieces

Banchan:
Kimchi – fermented vegetables; no self-respecting Korean resto will find itself lacking this dish
Namul – steamed, marinated or stir-fried vegetables usually seasoned with minced garlic, sesame oil, vinegar, chopped green onions or dried chili peppers; my favorite among these are the Sigeumchi Namul (spinach) and the Kongnamul (bean sprouts)
Gyeran-jjim – mixed and season eggs steamed in a hot pot; already great by itself but do try adding a bit to your meat lettuce wrap. I’m sure you’ll love it!
Pajeon – thin and slightly soicy pan-fried pancakes flavored with scallions
Japchae – Korean glass noodles sauteed in a slightly sweet garlic sauce along with chopped vegetables

(You can get all the banchan you want from the buffet table, while the meats will be served at your table upon request.)

Well here’s some great news: Saram has an ongoing Christmas promo which allows diners to enjoy unli grilled meats and banchan at very affordable buffet rates.

Check out the options available:

Set A: unlimited plain meats at Php249/head for lunch and Php299/head for dinner

Set B: unlimited plain and flavored meats at Php299/head for lunch and Php349/head for dinner

Set C: unlimited all-beef meats; add Php100 to the lunch or dinner rate

You can also get a Pork/Beef Ramen at Php220 or a Seafood Ramen at Php249. Both are good for two people.

So if you find yourself in Sikatuna Village and want to satisfy your Korean food cravings, head on to Saram.

Saram Korean BBQ Grill Buffet is located at 109 V. Luna Extension, Sikatuna Village, Quezon City (beside Mercury Drug), open daily from 11am to 3pm and 5.30pm to 10pm. For inquiries, call +63 2 7443817 or +63 917 8852185.

Check out my posts about other Korean restaurants:

Loud Dinner at K-Pub BBQ, Trinoma

Now I can say that I’ve seen everything when it comes to Korean BBQ.

As our despedida blow-out for one of our office barkada who will be moving on to greener and less stressful pastures, we decided to have dinner at K-Pub BBQ in Trinoma. We figured that the group will bond over our shared love of Korean food and of chismis.

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#LatePost of my VERY LOUD dinner at @kpub_bbq at Trinoma. The food was good (the package was a bit pricy) but we didn’t expect that the sheer volume of the chatter and the band (with an open mic thing going on) would preclude almost all conversation. Note to self: go here when in a #partayy mood. #koreanfood #pub #samgyupsal #steamedegg

A post shared by Jellybeans in the City (@beingjellybeans) on May 14, 2018 at 7:27am PDT

Well, the Korean food we had plenty. Our group availed of the Beat the Clock Eat & Run meal package wherein we can get unlimited refills for an hour at Php599 per head. The set includes:

Chadol Baki (Beef Sukiyaki)
Tong Samgeopsal (Whole Pork Belly)
Yengnyem Samgeopsal (Marinated Pork Belly in Sweet Spicy Sauce)
Dwaeji Galbi (Marinated Pork Chop)
Dak Galbi (Marinated Chicken in Sweet Spicy Sauce)
Fried Spring Roll
Japchae

The set also comes with side dishes such as steamed egg, kimchi pajeon, steamed rice, kimchi fried rice, soup, lettuce and house salad, as well as Melona ice cream bars for dessert.

I am not a fan of these timed Korean BBQ. Instead of leisurely enjoying your food and time with your friends, there’s the sense of trying to stuff your face before the hour for refills run out.

With its hefty price tag, the value proposition of this arrangement is also dependent upon the efficiency of the wait staff for refills. That efficiency is already compromised by the number of diners and the loud background noise.

And oh, that noise! (Yeah, I’m having a #TitasOfManila moment.)

For one thing, being a Korean resto and having K-pop decor, somehow, playing mainstream pop is off-strat. Furthermore, there’s a stage with an an open mic segment during which diners can sing if they so choose. (Well, one among us did choose, hehehe!)

Still, the noise precluded most of the chismis to the point that as soon as we finished the refill hour, we hung out at the cafe next door to recover and chat.

Note to self, and to you, dear readers: this place is not one for languid dining. But a great one for boisterous fun. Unfortunately, not for a tita like me.

Check out my posts about other Korean restaurants:

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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!

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.

Birthday treat at All4U, SM East Ortigas

All-you-can-eat Korean barbecue joints have sprouted up all over the metro, spurred no doubt by the proliferation of K-pop and other Korean what’s-its in Filipino pop culture.

At SM East Ortigas, another of these joints opened its doors to cater to those craving for unlimited Korean-style grilled meats: All4U Unlimited Grill & Shabu Shabu.

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Tried the newly opened branch of All4U Unli #KoreanBBQ at SM East Ortigas. Had my fill of #Samgyeopsal and #Woosamgyup.

A post shared by Jellybeans in the City (@beingjellybeans) on Apr 9, 2018 at 2:26pm PDT

When I ate at All4U’s Century City Mall branch, I didn’t appreciate it so much. To be clear, this is not wholly the fault of the restaurant: I had lunch earlier that day in another all-you-can-eat Korean joint and samgyeopsal was probably coming out of my ears.

This newly opened branch near my place allowed me to rediscover the resto and its offerings while sating my Korean barbecue cravings.

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#All4U Unlimited Grill and Shabu-Shabu is where you can get your fill of #KoreanStyle grilled shrimp, pork belly, beef brisket and chicken breast plus #shabushabu soup for only Php599/person (promo offer which they haven’t lifted since they opened months ago) 🙂 You also get 50% off the original price of Php699 plus a small cake if you’re a birthday celebrant. Check out my review at beingjellybeans.wordpress.com (search: All4U SM East). #koreanfood #samgyeopsal #eatallyoucan #allyoucaneat

A post shared by Jellybeans in the City (@beingjellybeans) on Jun 1, 2018 at 11:12pm PDT

At only Php599 (on promo rate from Php699), one can enjoy all the shrimp, chicken breast, pork belly and beef brisket that you can grill on your table and eat. This also comes with bottomless iced tea, refillable rice, side dishes and sauces, refillable soup that you cook using the shabu shabu also on your table, as well as a packet of ramyun (Korean ramen) per table and a bar of Melona ice cream per customer for dessert.

Our group always ends up ordering multiple refills of the pork belly and beef brisket slices which I like wrappping inside the Korean ice lettuce together with garlic slices while doused with ssamjang sauce. I’m not partial to grilled shrimp and the grilled chicken breasts often end up too dry.

When we dined here during my birthday, I got half off the regular rate of Php699 plus the service staff served me a small chocolate cake while singing the Happy Birthday song. 🙂

To make the most out of this all you can eat restaurant, check out my buffet survival guide.

This All4U Unlimited Grill and Shabu Shabu branch is located at 2nd Floor, SM City East Ortigas, Ortigas Avenue Extension, Pasig City (Tel: + 63 977 6005945).

Other branches are located in:

Makati: 4th Floor, Century City Mall, Poblacion, Makati (Tel: + 63 2 8092881)
Ermita: 3rd Floor, SM City Manil, Ermita, Manila (Tel: + 63 917 2781758)
Novaliches: UG Ayala Fairview Terraces, Maligaya Road cor Quirino Highway, Novaliches, QC
Muntinlupa: GF Water Garden, Festival Mall, Filinvest, Muntinlupa (Tel: + 63 916 4263221)
Tagaytay: Al Fresco Area, LGF Fora Mall, Aguinaldo Highway, Tagaytay