We were going around the 2nd floor when we chanced upon Kogi Bulgogi, I had previously heard not good things about the place but since we were quite hungry, we chanced it. The restaurant is situated in odd shaped location, and we were unfortunately seated at the far side, entailing some deft maneuverings to reach our table.
Assorted Banchan (appetizer) was served on our table while we were ordering. I liked the sweet dilis (anchovies) and the kamote (sweet potato). I don't eat kimchi so I would not venture to guess how it stacks up against other Korean restos.
Jane was hell bent on ordering California Roll (P124/6 pieces) even after we reminded her it was a Korean restaurant.I had a piece, it was nothing special, tasting like run of the mill California Roll.
Nude Kimbap (P168/8 pieces) A more Korean maki creation that utilizes ham and bulgogi. Its called nude since the seaweed is sandwiched between layers of rice instead of covering the rice. Irene and I loved this, we've seen it countless times in Korean movies. The addition of the bulgogi is new to our taste buds as the ones we tasted before did not have this.
Soft Shelled Crab Salad (P197) Generous amount of soft shelled crab laden on top of lettuce, tomatoes, turnip and mango. The soft shelled crab had a nice crunch that complimented the other vegetables while the mango and tomatoes injected a little sweetness.
Pajon (Spring onion cake - complimentary). We were surprised when the waitstaff laid down the plate on our table. We were informed that we had reached P1000 worth of ordered food so the pajon was a complimentary dish. A nice surprise but the taste was nothing special, we had lots better in other places.
Prawn Twigim (Tempura - P250/5 pieces). Lauren forced us to order this for her then proceeded to not eat it because it did not pass her standards.
Chicken Ssambap (P176). We were intrigued when we saw this on the menu, but when it came out we were surprised by the size of the rice balls, much bigger than we anticipated. Grilled chicken served with lettuce and rice balls, the object was to wrap them together inside the lettuce and eat it whole. The rice balls would have been much better if it were smaller so it could have been easier to wrap as well as eat. A slight logistical problem that did not affect the sweet smoky taste of the chicken.
Kalbi Gui (P345). Marinated US prime beef short ribs grilled in the middle of our table. The grill is a smokeless one that is very unique, the exhaust is in the side of the table and sucks out the smoke. There are also holes on the sides where water comes out (3rd pic) which I assume is used to avoid oil flareups as it hits the grill. The meat had the sweet taste I had come to expect from Korean BBQs and a slight dip into the sauce and it was perfect on top my white rice.
I have to say that Kogi Bulgogi has surprised me, the food is good and prices are reasonable. It has a nice location in Eastwood, I think the only Korean resto there. This will be an option for us whenever we go watch a movie there.
Kogi Bulgogi
2nd Level Eastood Mall Veranda
Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City
502.9715
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I'm a sushi fan. Is there a difference in taste between Japanese sushi and Korean sushi? Thanks!
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ReplyDeleteThe taste is more savory for Korean sushi since they use cooked meat like bulgogi and a luncheon meat/ham thing as opposed to Japanese ones, which are most often raw ingredients.
I actually like Kogi Bulgogi. :) Their prices are really affordable for the quality of their food. And I agree, hope their rice balls are much smaller. We had to divide them into two so they would fit perfectly in the roll
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