Korean cuisine Archives - Page 2 of 2

Yakikai Grill and Fusion Buffet, A Review

by Penny Angeles-Tan | Dec 23, 2019 | Yummy Reviews

Yakikai, what a funny name to say. 🙂 ‘Tis the season to forget about that diet and indulge, as they say, and Yakikai is definitely a place to indulge our appetite. 🙂 A couple of days ago I had the opportunity to eat at Yakikai Grill and Fusion Buffet located at Scout Dr. Lazcano Street near Tomas Morato in Quezon City. For those who can’t quite imagine where this is, your nearest landmark would be Starbucks Reserve across from BPI on Tomas Morato Avenue. Yakikai is on the block where Starbucks is. 🙂

This restaurant was easy for me to find for these reasons:

I live nearby
this used to be Bagoong Club which I once frequented
it is a stone’s throw away from my favorite Starbucks branch, the Starbucks Reserve Legacy Store on Tomas Morato. 🙂

For people with cars, if you arrive early enough you can park right in front of Yakikai, otherwise, your next available parking will be on Tomas Morato. Not to worry, though, as Tomas Morato is a very short distance from the restaurant … very walkable.

The first time I heard about Yakikai I couldn’t help but wonder if this was going to be any different from other samgyupsal restaurants I have visited in the past. While there are definitely similarities, the owner, Ms. Sam, introduced us to some features that make this restaurant stand out. FYI, Ms. Sam used to be the owner of Sodam, a samgyupsal restaurant in Greenhills, which she has since sold before she opened this place.

Dining Area

Since I have been to this building before when it was a different restaurant I was interested to note if they changed anything about its appearance or layout. So far, they have made the dining area brighter and, of course, there is the addition of the ventilation pipes for the hoods over each table.

There are three dining areas on the ground floor: the main area near the buffet which can seat approximately 24 or more people, another one just to the right of the main dining area which can comfortably seat 30 people, and an outdoor seating area at the lanai which can comfortably seat another 24 people.

On the second floor, there are two rooms. The room on the right could possibly seat around 20 people while the room on the left could possibly seat 50 people. This set up makes Yakikai ideal for big groups. While their Zomato page says they do not take table bookings, I think they do take reservations for special events.

Restrooms

It is important to note that there are two gender-neutral restrooms, one on each floor. This is a carryover from Bagoong Club. However, I wish they could maintain it better. One tip I would possibly give them is to have one of their staff check the restrooms every 30 minutes or every hour to make sure it is still clean (and not stinky) and clean it when necessary.

The Menu

As with other restaurants they have an ala carte menu and an “eat all you can” menu. In this review, I will focus on the latter because this is the menu that they really want to push. That is my gorgeous sister holding up the menu for me. 😀

They only have 2 sets to choose from. The premium set and the emperor set.

Premium Set

The first is the PREMIUM SET. This was originally priced at P499 but, at the moment is available for P339. Unlike other restaurants, this package is composed of chicken, pork, beef, and shrimp, cheese, plus the buffet! Talk about value for money.

The meat selection is basically the same as what you would find in every other samgyupsal place but the addition of the shrimp and cheese (which is a mix of cheddar and mozzarella cheese) at no extra cost brings them up a notch. I even noticed that there was one table that ordered just the fresh shrimp! That was so smart! I should do that next time.

Emperor Set

The second set is called the EMPEROR SET and is, of course, the one they highly recommend. Originally priced at P699, it is currently available for P599. The emperor set is composed of chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, fish, Jjampong nabe soup, and cheese! Specifically, what makes the emperor set are the following:

salmon sashimi
chuck eye steak
shrimp tempura
and Jjampong Nabe

When cooking any kind of meat (and steak especially) it is important to know when to stop cooking it so that the meat is still edible. When it comes to the steak which compared to the other meats served is thick, cooking it too long will make the steak hard and dry. Your goal should always be medium. Some like it medium-rare, others medium-well.

We asked Ms. Sam if they served tuna sashimi aside from salmon sashimi and she said that they don’t serve tuna as it spoils faster so if it is not consumed quickly they end up throwing it away. Salmon, on the other hand, handles better and lasts longer. I love salmon anyway so this was no hardship for me. 😀

The Jjampong Nabe might be removed from the menu as they have received feedback that many patrons find it too spicy. They are still thinking about what to replace it with if they decide to remove it. Any suggestions?

Buffet

Both the premium and emperor set comes with the buffet which is self-service and you can go back as often as you want and get as much as you want.

At first, it would appear as though the buffet offerings are limited, but as each dish is emptied, it is replaced with a different dish (if similar) dish, which makes for an almost limitless buffet.

In this photo here you can see that the options have already changed. The dishes that I kept going back for are the shredded sweet Japanese corn and the japchae. For those who do not know, japchae is a Korean noodle dish made with vermicelli noodles with vegetables and beef tossed in.

Sushi options at the buffet

On the far left of the buffet is a selection of different kinds of sushi from the all-time favorite California Maki to salmon, shrimp, and tamago (egg) variations. At the window above the buffet are the chefs who were busy preparing refills of all the dishes in the buffet.

I am very keen on anything spicy I sampled the spicy tuna. The sushi tasted as expected, which is a good thing. 🙂 I had a few pieces of spicy tuna and tamago sushi. 😀

Is “buffet only” an option?

We asked Ms. Sam if it were possible for guests to order just the buffet and no grilling and she said no. When I think about it, though, that really isn’t too bad since the price of their premium set is not really that expensive.

Dessert and drinks

For dessert, you can ask for any of the Korean ice cream available from the freezer at an additional cost (they are not part of the package). Same with the drinks, the packages only come with water but you can order soda or juices from the menu at an additional cost.

Eat-All-You-Can

I ate all I could and there were still so many dishes that I was not able to taste. A tip to beginners, make sure you are hungry when you go here because I promise you, there is almost no waiting time between sitting at your table and eating. While they set up your table you could already start on the buffet.

Premier The Samgyupsal, a review

by Penny Angeles-Tan | Aug 25, 2019 | Yummy Reviews

Last August 14, 2019, I had the opportunity to try out Premier The Samgyupsal in Greenhills. I have tried Korean barbecue places in the past and I was looking forward to finding out how this one is different from others.

The Unli Menu

Unli Samgyupsal

Premier the Samgyupsal unlimited menu

PRICE = P500 to P580

Just as with other samgyupsal places, Premier The Samgyupsal offers unlimited samgyupsal. This is what I got to try at my last visit. The options are:

P500 for unli pork (4 kinds) and chicken
P580 for unli mix (supposedly 8 kinds) which, based on the menu includes 3 kinds of beef, 2 kinds of pork, and chicken

Both come with 15 different side dishes plus unlimited rice.

As with most samgyupsal restaurants they require a minimum of 2 people to order from the unli menu.

They also offer a promo rate if you dine between 10am to 4pm.

P450 for unli pork and chicken
P500 for unli mix

If you want to add ramen to your meal just add P100 to your bill per order.

Unli Shabu Shabu

While we didn’t get to try this shabu shabu is not a new concept for me either. Their version lets you choose from pork or beef. Each shabu shabu comes with unli meat, vegetables, and rice.

Side dishes

This is probably the feature Premier The Samgyupsal that made me very, very happy. So many side dishes!!! We were told that they serve a total of 15 side dishes and that they change every day depending on what is available.

In addition, they also serve steamed egg and seafood soup. They aren’t officially categorized as side dishes but are also served with every unli order. Fyi, I like the chili powder they sprinkle on the egg. 😀

The Ala Carte Menu

PRICE = P350 to P1,200

The ala carte menu available for those prefer to eat just one or two things, or probably went there for a specific dish.

Pro: there are more options offered on the ala carte menu in pork, beef, and special menu.
Con: it comes out more expensive especially if you want more than 1 kind of meat

It also offers set meals that range in price from P200 to P480

Drinks

PRICE = P70 to P250

This is probably one aspect where they have bested other samgyupsal restaurants. Premier The Samgyupsal offers its patrons a bigger selection of drinks to choose from.

Non-alcoholic beverages

Other places offer the standard sodas.

If Coca-Cola products they would have Coke, Coke Zero, Royal, and Sprite.
If they carry Pepsi products they would have Pepsi, 7-Up, Mountain Dew, and Mug Root Beer.

Here they offer Cherry Coke, Coke Light, Coke Zero, Coke Classic, Royal, Sprite, Canada Dry Ginger Ale, Dr. Pepper, A&W Rootbeer, and Classic Pepsi Cola. Whichever soda you choose to order, the price remains the same at P50.

Other places may offer canned juices, too. At Premier the Samgyupsal they offer more options, all of which are Del Monte juices … mango, pineapple, four seasons, and pineapple orange.

All canned juices cost P70.

Alcoholic beverages

Unlike other samgyupsal places, Premier has the most extensive alcoholic beverage offerings. They have local San Miguel beers, foreign beers, AND several flavors of Soju. For patrons who want to imbibe in alcohol while they eat and want more options, then Premier is definitely the samgyupsal restaurant you. Whether local or foreign, beer is priced at P80 while Soju is priced at P250.00.

Dessert

A Korean meal just isn’t complete if you do not cap it off with Melona or Samanco. Unlike other places, they serve many variants! This tipped the scale in their favor in my book.

The Venue

Dining

While the place is not large it does have two floors which means the seating capacity is good. For our event, we held it on the second floor.

Airconditioning

Arctic! This was different from the getgo. I am usually resigned to the heat when eating at samgyupsal places so finding out that they keep their aircon set at freezing was different.

The Toilet

The toilet is gender-neutral and is clean. My complaint, if any, is that they didn’t keep it dry (as a matter of fact there was a puddle near the toilet bowl itself). A lot of accidents happen in the bathroom/toilet. Safety first, right?

Overall, I enjoyed the experience and will surely return again soon. Premier The Samgyupsal Greenhills is located at Wilson Street. See the map below to help you find it.

Yoshimeatsu is perfect for sharing

by Penny Angeles-Tan | Dec 5, 2018 | Yummy Reviews

In the past several months most groups enjoy eating out at places that serve food that are perfect for sharing. The mst popular trend is to go to places that serve Korean barbeque at a reasonable price. Just a month ago I reviewed one such place. Today I am posting my review of Yoshimeatsu, a Korean-Japanese fusion restaurant located on Tomas Morato at the corner of Scout Fernandez, Barangay Sacred Heart, in Quezon City.

A couple of days ago, a few bloggers got together to try this restaurant at the invitation of Ross del Rosario of Wazzup Pilipinas.

Most of us were familiar with korean barbeque restaurants so there was no need to show us how to use the equipment or prepare the food. So the question was … what makes Yoshimeatsu different from other unlimited Korean barbeque restaurants in town?

Grilling selection

Yoshimeatsu offers more grilling options than others I have been to. One place I’ve been to offers a different just pork as it’s least expensive option, then chicken and pork as it’s second, and chicken, pork, and beef at its most expensive.

Yoshimeatsu offers all that (pork, beef, chicken, PLUS tofu, wiener sausages, and seafood cheeseballs) for the same price.

Pork

H1, H2, and H4 are the same as what you would find at other Korean barbeque restaurants. H1 (herbed pork) is basically a pork steak that is seasoned with salt and pepper. I honestly do not know what herb they used to season it but it is delicious. 😀

H2 (spicy sliced pork bouquet) is pork cut bacon style but seasoned in salt and pepper. My palate might be desensitized, though, because I really didn’t taste any spice.

H4 (Yangnyeom pork) is pork cut sukiyaki style (which means superthin) and is marinated in a special sauce.

Other restaurants offer the same number of choices but most do not offer my all time favorite isaw! Tagged as H3 in their menu this one dish that my family is wont to order from our corner barbeque vendor very often. Only the cholesterol conscious is wary of it but even they would try it out once in a while. They even serve this with a vinegar sauce on the side.

Beef

The beef selection at Yoshimeatsu is not as extensive as some places I have been to but what they lack in selection they make up in flavor.

G1 (sliced beef) is just that … sliced. No salt, no pepper, just the meat, which is perfect for those who want to season their meat themselves. That is what condiments are for. 😀

G2 (sliced beef with curry sauce) is for those who want a little more spice to their beef. Because it is curry it has that tang of cumin and turmeric that is reminiscent of Indian cuisine.

G3 (spicy beef yakinuku) is flavorful and the spice is just a hint so people who would usually not like spicy food will be able to enjoy this.

G4 (sliced fatty beef yakiniku) is sliced sukiyaki style and premarinated in yakiniku sauce. It makes this meat dish similar to bulgogi but is not as sweet.

For those with a bigger budget and are eager to try something different you can also choose from the ala carte premium grilling options. If you are eager for ox tongue, sirloin steak, prime meat, or the ultimate wagyu beef then this is the menu for you.

One of these days (if the budget permits) I am eager to try the Royale Hida Wagyu Set. All I will need is a windfall. 🙂

Chicken

I will be honest, I didn’t really try this but it is good to at least have the option.

I don’t eat liver so C1 didn’t appeal to me. At a guess C2 is made from chicken breast and I don’t usually eat chicken breast because I find it too dry. I am more of a chicken thigh person myself. But don’t take my word for it! If you love chicken (any part!) then try this yourself.

Others

I called this section OTHERS because they don’t really fall under pork, chicken, or beef.

F1 (sakana tofu) is tofu (soy) so vegans have an option. However, you may not want to cook your F1 with your carnivore friends or it would defeat the purpose. 😀

F2 (wiener sausage) is pork? chicken? beef? The meat is a mystery, it might be a composite of all three. 😀

F3 (seafood cheese ball) is squidballs with cheese inside. Yummy! I often order this when we eat at Shabu-shabu restaurants.

Side dishes

Again I could not help but compare. Some I’ve been to offer just 3 or 4, another offers 8, but perhaps because of the fusion with Japanese cuisine, this restaurant offers THIRTEEN (13)!

R4 (lettuce) not included in the pic below but is always immediately served. R3 (cheese) and S2 (seasoned egg) are also served immediately and is already on the table when customers are brought to the table.

My personal favorites are M3 (spicy tuna), M2 (california maki), and R1 (gohan, plain rice).

Ordering system

Their ordering system is probably the most unique feature of Yoshimeatsu. Rather than trying desperately to catch the attention of the server just to give them your next order, Yoshimeatsu has this.

On every table is installed a tablet on a stand. On this tablet you just tap your choices then click SEND. This will send the order to the kitchen and just moments later (depending on how many customers are being served) your order will be brought to you.

So far this ordering system is good. They only failed us once when they failed to deliver our order of S1, S3, and M3. 🙁

Price

Definitely there are others that are less expensive. From now until the end of the year (December 31, 2018) their unlimited yakiniku costs P549 (tax included). Thereafter the price will be P899 (tax included) unless they announce otherwise.

As per one of the owners, since the current price is already discounted, Senior Citizen and PWD discounts do not apply except on drinks and ala carte dishes. I found this strange because in most places, they would honor senior citizen and PWD discounts even for set meals and promo meals.

That aside, though, P549 is a reasonable price for this much food. Keep in mind that the minimum number to eat here is two because, like I said in the beginning, their food is for sharing. 🙂

Meal ender

Don’t forget to end your meal with their special soft serve ice cream. The flavor changes from day to day as they make it in-house. Don’t forget to ask your server what flavor is available for the day. So far I have tried vanilla, chocolate, stawberry, and taro.

The next time you and your family and friends are looking for a good place to eat in Quezon City, keep Yoshimeatsu in mind. You won’t regret it and you will surely enjoy it. 🙂

Samgyupsal King Unli Korean BBQ: A Review

by Penny Angeles-Tan | Nov 12, 2018 | Yummy Reviews

Korean BBQ places have become popular for several years now here in the Philippines. Quite close to where I live I can already count at least 5 places, all just on one street!

Korean BBQ

Why do Filipinos love Korean BBQ?

There are many reasons to fall in love with Korean BBQ:

the quantity – most Korean BBQ places offer unlimited servings of the main and side dishes
the variety – choose from several types of raw meat to cook and many side dishes to eat!
the speed of service – dishes are brought out quickly so hungry diners do not need to wait long for their food
the experience – you cook your meat yourself at your table! While this is not a new concept, per se, it gives people who normally do not cook the opportunity to do so in a safe, judgment-free environment.
the taste – if it tastes good, we’re interested!
the price – if it won’t break the bank then we’re interested! 😀

Before I go further I feel the need to make a statement: I’m a home cook, I don’t pretend to be an expert in the kitchen. I am not a chef, I have not taken any course in culinary or baking. But I do know how I like food to look and taste and for my faves I look for a particular taste and, usually, I know how to prepare it as well. What this boils down to is I tend to really be critical when it comes to food – how they look, how they taste, and how they are served.

Just saying. 🙂

And now, without further ado …

What is samgyupsal?

According to Wikipedia, samgyupsal (or samgyeopsal as it is actually supposed to be spelled) is a Korean word referring to grilled pork belly. Despite that description, though, most Korean BBQ establishments serve more than just pork. Case in point is Samgyupsal King.

What is Samgyupsal King?

Samgyupsal King Unli Korean BBQ menu

Samgyupsal King is one of many restaurants that have jumped into the Samgyupsal trend.

Just like their contemporaries in the business, they, too serve unlimited Korean BBQ. But what makes them different?

They serve pork, beef, and chicken

Not all Korean BBQ places do this. Some serve just pork and beef.

Unli meals are less expensive than some

Unli meals at Samgyupsal King range from P350 (for pork and chicken) to P399 (for pork, chicken, and beef). This makes sense as beef is quite expensive.

Other Korean BBQ places charge the same or even more. One place I went to charged P500, and that was just for pork and chicken. They made up for it, though, with the sides.

They have set meals at affordable prices

In general, Unli Korean BBQ places keep it simple … just unli meals. Samgyupsal King has four ala carte offerings to choose from: beef bulgogi, pork, bulgogi, chicken bulgogi, and grilled salmon – all accompanied by side dishes.

How’s the meat?

Raymond Que, Chef and co-owner of Samgyupsal King

The meat is well prepared. Chef Raymond Que told us that they used prime meat and they are meticulous in their preparation.

The pork and beef are sliced thinly (sukiyaki cut) which makes them cook faster. Flavor-wise I thought they were flavored well. Of the pork cuts the one I enjoyed was the one that looked like bacon (I mean, who doesn’t love bacon, right? hehe)

If I had to complain it would probably be that there was a limited selection of meats as we were only presented with 6 options (that is for all pork, beef, and chicken combined) where other establishments offer as many as twelve or thirteen varieties combined.

Also, I like my spice so I was hoping that at least one of the beef cuts would be spicy. Maybe it was, but just wasn’t up to my spice level. 😀

As for the chicken, I am not a fan of white meat as it tends to become dry, especially when overcooked. My personal preference would have been chicken thigh fillet, and also cut thinly.

Are there many side dishes?

Samgyupsal King side dishes – missing from the photo are the egg roll and

There were six side dishes … that’s it. Six. There were some staples I find in other Korean BBQ places I go to that they did not serve such as the steamed egg, fish cake, and candied peanuts. The radish I felt was not cooked enough in the vinegar before it was served but was adequately crispy.

The marble potatoes and (I heard) the kimchi were good. The kimchi, in particular, is their own recipe. The egg roll is essentially the Japanese tamago without the sugar.

And that is all of it.

Do they serve beverages?

No, they don’t. But I think, perhaps, this was a decision of the concessionaires at the food park so that patrons would get their beverages only from the bevarage concessionaires such as Fruitas.

Is there adequate seating?

Le Village Food Park is located at the corner of Cordillera and E. Rodriguez Sts. in Quezon City

This is, perhaps, where Samgyupsal King has a distinct advantage over other Korean BBQ places. Since they are located in Le Village Food Park they have more than enough seating which is shared with the other food establishments in the food park. The only real question, I suppose, would be if they have enough gas burners to service everyone.

I therefore conclude …

Overall I would say that Samgyupsal King is probably not yet the king of Samgyupsal in Metro Manila but what they serve is well thought of and well-seasoned. I especially admire their openness to suggestions of improvement which means that their meals can only get better and better!

Bloggers with Mr. Willy Que as he tells us all about Samgyupsal King

One day soon I will surely bring my friends over to sample Samgyupsal King at Le Village Food Park. Someday, who knows, they may become the King they aspire to be.