Inggo Noms...

The day after we went to Tendon Kohaku, my Betrothed and I went to The Cooking Room. This semi-new place is located on top of the same building as newly-opened Shopwise Express in Maginhawa, near V. Luna Extension. This is an all-you-can-eat place, where you cook your stuff on top of your table, hence the name, similar to other Korean grills. However, they offer much more than that.

My Betrothed and I had dinner at Unlimited Grill & Sushi by Korean J a few days before Christmas; and, yes, this is their actual store name. This was an unplanned trip and the primary reason was that I was craving for kimchi. We met at a 7-11 opposite this place and found that they had a table open for us despite the small queue, as what most Korean all-you-can-eat places have especially on a weekend. We decided to take the opportunity upon learning the price.

The soon-to-be-reviewed Korean place Beloved and I went to that I talked about in my Sebastian’s review was Samgyupsalamat. This is one of the many Korean Barbecue places that has opened up essentially everywhere in the Metro. Its name is a play-on-words with “samgyupsal”, the Korean pork barbecue that’s wrapped in lettuce, often with rice and other toppings, and “salamat”, Filipino word for “thanks”.

This is a part of my Sendai, Japan trip. If you want to have an overview of my entire Japan “Food Odyssey”, I suggest you start with my 7-Eleven review and follow the different links from there.

Although I was not in Japan anymore, the cheapest flight to and from Sendai goes through Incheon Airport in Korea. On my way to Sendai, I had a three-hour layover and managed to explore the Airport, at least a small part of it. Incheon Airport is huge! It’s also the most amazing airport I’ve been to, with free resting areas with beds, free fast wifi, and even free shower. However, I noticed it’s quite expensive also, in both its souvenirs and food. On my way back, though, I was provided emergency funds to ensure I was well-fed and can safely reach home, so I had enough to try out one of the food places there. I opted to try one of the two Korean-specialty food places in its food court (at least the one closest to my gate), Sonsoo Bansang.

Beloved and I had dinner with Const at Saram Korean BBQ Grill Buffet a couple of weeks ago. This newly-opened Korean barbecue buffet is located at V. Luna Extension, in the same building as Snack Shack. Meant to compete against the ever-growing number of sub-500 Php all-you-can-eat Korean barbecues, this isn’t actually the first in the area. However, it’s now officially the closest from our place. Since we pass this by frequently, with the advantage of no longer needing to take a tricycle, we found little reason not to try it out.

Beloved and I had dinner at Jin Joo a month ago. This was during our 10th anniversary, and right after we went bowling and had lunch at our beloved Ippudo (linked is the Megamall branch, but we ate at Eastwood). This Korean place was having an ongoing promo where they offered 499 Php unlimited samgyupsal, or grilled pork. Honestly, we weren’t too hungry, but I reckoned that we won’t be going back to Eastwood for a while and the limited offer might no longer be available when we do get back, so we tried it out anyway.

Beloved and I had dinner at Nara Kimbob a few days ago. This place is actually a place that we usually ignore in some food courts. It recently (about a year, maybe?) opened its own place at Aurora Boulevard near Anonas Station where I reside. We’ve also been in this place quite a few times already due to its proximity and price.

Beloved and I had dinner at Hanayo. It’s actually the second time we’ve been here, but we didn’t manage to take photos the first time, which happened early last year. Found just a skip away from Tomas Morato, this Korean grill is similar to the likes of Don-Day, one of the food places I exclaim highly due to the budget buffet they offer. This isn’t as inexpensive as Don-Day, however. When we first went, the buffet, which includes on-your-table grilling, only costed a bit more than 500 Php.

Beloved and I had a second dinner at Hanuri a few weeks ago. Yes, you read that right, and if you’re curious as to why, find out in a later blog. Anyway, our stomachs weren’t satisfied although we already had pleased palates, so we weren’t very picky. It was already a bit late at night, so our choices were limited even though we were at the foodie haven of the Tomas Morato area. We noticed the sudden influx of Korean restaurants at the McDonald’s side, and one of them happen to be open for 24 hours. Since we know that most modern Korean restos are generally generous with their servings. Since we needed nourishment more than something to tickle our palates; not that Korean food is bad, I just find it monotonous in flavor—either spicy or sweet.

Beloved and I had dinner at Yoogane a couple of nights ago. This relatively new Korean restaurant opened shop at the same building on the same floor of one of our favorite Japanese restaurants. Beloved had the chance to eat here before, and forewarned me of the spiciness of their specialty, Dak Galbi. Since our recent Korean restaurant ventures proved deliciously fruitful, I gave it a shot.