Red Table for good, affordable Korean food

How often do you have that feeling of coming out of a restaurant happy and fully satisfied because you've just had a delicious, filling meal and without breaking the bank as a bonus? That's exactly my feels every time I have my favorites at Red Table -- that casual Korean restaurant that you find at SM Malls. I say every time I have my favorites because not every order left me truly happy. There are some things that were quite good and then there were those were really, really good 
that I crave for them from time to time.

I love Red Table for a number of reasons: One, they serve yummy, flavor-packed food. Two, their serving size is perfect for me. Not too little, not too much (I'm not a fan of "unli" restaurants because even though I love food, I don't and can't eat much). 
Three, I love Korean food for scoring high in the nutrition department

(there's always vegetables whatever you order). 

And four, I love the affordability. 

Well, here are the dishes that I've so far tried at Red Table. 
At the top are my favorites while at the bottom are those that are not.

Samgyupsal
I super love the flavorful, tender and juicy meat, plus lots of onion and garlic slices. The soup and kimchi are included in the set but the cup of rice is ordered separately. I often crave 
for this filling and very satisfying meal. Two thumbs up!

Bibimbap
This is one of my top favorite Korean dishes. Healthy and delicious, it's a complete one-bowl meal with meat and veggies coming in a frenzy of colors, flavors and textures. Delicious!

Osam-Bulgogi
I was impressed by this flavor-packed dish of pork, squid and vegetables. The combination of sweetness and spiciness makes the taste buds dance in a delightful hysteria! Be forewarned, you'd be eating a lot of rice with this, so gather up some self-control 
if you're trying to cut back on carbs.

Sundubu jjige
This is spicy soft tofu stew that I fell in love with on first taste. That kick 
is sure to chase the blues away!

Bulgogi sizzling pan

Bite-sized beef slices are tender and fun to eat. Cabbage adds nutrients to this delicious viand.

Bulgogi deopbap

I hope I remembered right the name of this dish. The sunny side-up egg makes 

the bulgogi one notch more filling and satisfying.

Japchae
Korean pancit with glass noodles, beef and veggie strips plus strings of fried scrambled egg. 
This one's yummy but a bit too saccharine for me.

Gimbap
Korean version of my favorite Japanese comfort food. I still prefer sushi, though.

Menu

 Inside Red Table at SM City San Lazaro

Red Table is my go-to place when I'm either at SM  San Lazaro or Manila and craving for my Korean food favorites. Most of their offers are really good and no item on the menu is above P200 per order.That means saving a lot of moolah compared to eating at unli-barbecue restaurants (That is if you aren't a big eater or not famished, I clarify). What's more, the place is nice and clean and servers are courteous. 
There's nothing that's hard to love at this place!

Ddung's Bob Burger at Robinsons Place Antipolo

Our family was recently in Antipolo to visit our dearly departed at one of the cemeteries there and to meet up with some relatives. For dinner, we went to Ddung's Bob Burger, a Korean fusion restaurant at Robinsons Place in Dela Paz. I was glad that although the place was not really spacious, they gladly welcomed our huge group 
of 15 persons, although we had to split into three groups to be seated. 

We soon found out, however, that grilling meat was a little different at Ddung's from most Korean restaurants we've been to. Instead of LPG-fueled, they only have small round grilling pans heated by solid fuel or wax underneath. The fire didn't last very long and we had to call a crew for new wax every so often. My sister and a cousin would get annoyed by the waiting. Thankfully, the food was good and it 
more than made up for the inconvenience of having to wait for 
"refueling" just so we could finish grilling our meat.

Anyway, we had five orders of their Grill Set (P1,499) that's good for 5-6 persons each and included iced tea and dessert. We also had three 
big orders of Korean fried chicken. 

Grill Set

Meat for grilling plus side dishes

The wax-heated griller at Ddung's

Yangnyum Chicken, P649.

Pat-Bingsu
This was included in the Grill Set but costs 
P149. if separately ordered.

Ddung's Bob Burger at the Al Fresco area, 2nd Level, 
Robinsons Place Antipolo, Dela Paz, Upper Antipolo

Apart from the inconvenience caused by the use of wax-fueled grillers, my overall experience at Ddung's wasn't so bad. In fact, I enjoyed the food, service by the friendly and helpful crew and the reasonable prices. In particular, the chicken was tasty. The sweetness did not go overboard and they were fried to perfection, such that there was some crunch in every bite. The samgyupsal was good, too, as well as the side dishes, especially the sweet-spicy anchovies. 

As to the Pat-Bingsu or shaved ice dessert, I left it to the young ones to enjoy although I had some but found nothing really special about it. 
There's one thing that's quite unique in Ddung's menu, but we skipped it -- the burgers which are far from the usual thing you can have elsewhere. They have rice as "bun" and various "ulam" or viand such as bulgogi and chicken adobo (yep, fusion!) as "patty". I wish to be back to try these unconventional burgers, 
which, I imagine, are fun to eat!
Try Ddung's Bob Burger when you're at Robinsons Place Antipolo 
and craving for your Korean food favorites. 
Happy eating!

Soban K-Town Grill at Robinsons Place Manila

I first saw this Korean restaurant, Soban K-Town Grill, at SM North Edsa earlier this year (or was it 2017?). Last summer, I saw a branch open at Robinsons Place Manila. One Sunday soon afterwards, my daughter and I tried it out for early dinner after worship service at our church nearby. I loved the food and ambiance of the place that I came back the week after with my youngest son, who loved the food as well.

What we ordered on our first visit: 

Samgyupsal Set, P405.
The samgyupsal set is available in 120 grams of pork for P355. and 180g for P405. My daughter and I would be sharing so we ordered the latter. The set includes fresh strips of pork belly for grilling plus side dishes (unlimited!) of soup, lettuce (not pictured here, though), green onions, fried egg, kimchi, and mashed potato with macaroni. All the side dishes are really good especially the green onions which are a bit sweet.

Dolsot Bibimbap, P280.
I super love this Korean dish of rice mixed with egg, seaweed and vegetables for that burst of various flavors and textures, not to mention all the nutrients! 
This bowl of goodness is both healthy and yummy!

Coffee Prince, P120.
So aptly named, this dessert, I  thought when I laid my eyes on it. This sweetie sure looks regal, it has a "crown"! Sorry, Prince, I just had to eat it that crunchy milk chocolate on top of your "head". Writing this review, it's hard to decide which the highlight of this dessert was - the crunchy chocolate "crown", the delectable coffee ice cream or the bed of sweet red beans sandwiched in between graham crackers. Absolutely everything - from top to bottom - was 
sooo good it sent me to dessert heaven!

Meanwhile, these were my son and mine's order: 

Samgyupsal Set, P405.
Again! My son loved grilling and of course, eating!

Ultimate Beef Bap, P250.
My little big boy was super engrossed in this dish and demolished it in record time, though with some help from mom. Tee-hee. He ate everything in the bowl, 
including all the veggies, thankfully.

K-Taco, 2pcs, P145.
My boy and I shared this and loved the Mexican-Korean fusion. There was some heat from the kimchi mixed into bits of chicken but the sour cream and cheese 
tamed it and gave balance to the overall taste. 

 Inside Soban K-Town Grill

Tables are separated by screens which made me feel I was about 
to make a confession. Haha!

Soban K-Town Grill at Robinsons Place Manila

On both occasions, my kids and I left Soban K-Town Grill really full and satisfied! We savored everything we had. The dessert was most unforgettable, though, 'coz it's indigenous to Soban. Aside from good food, ambiance is something I give my thumbs up to as the place is clean and relaxing (although a little cramped). As for the price, it's quite steep on some items but others on the menu have reasonable tags. 
There's a 10 percent service charge, however. 
Still, I'd love to be back! I recommend this place if you're feeling up to some good Korean food. Aside from the SM North Edsa and Robinsons Place Manila 
branches, there is one too at Eastwood Mall, Greenbelt 3 
and ATC Corporate Center in Muntinlupa.
Happy eating!

Korean Village Restaurant in Malate, Manila

I hadn't had Korean food in a while and was glad to have the opportunity the other week. I met up with a friend at Robinson's Place Manila and she would not agree to my suggestions on where to eat. I then remembered Korean Village which she had told me about before and asked her if she wanted to go there. Wide-eyed, she exclaimed a "yes" and out of elation and gratitude even vowed to 
treat me for coffee afterwards. 
This friend of mine, already in her 60s, is a huge K-culture fan. She watches lots of those cute Koreanovelas, loves to eat Korean food, and had even gone on a tour to South Korea. And was she glad we were going to Korean Village in Ermita, which she recalled having visited some years ago.

The place, I discovered, was quite spacious but devoid of fancy interiors and obviously quite old. Any misgiving about the physical aspect of the place was erased, 
though, when it was time to eat.

Complimentary pot of tea

Samgyeopsal, P250.
Thin, tender and delicious slices of pork belly plus lots of onion and garlic that 
were given us as requested by my friend.

Banchan (Side dishes)

There were seven side dishes served with the pork for grilling, apart from the iceberg lettuce: spring rolls, spinach, hot and spicy dilis (anchovies), bean sprouts or toge and kimchi. Sadly, banchan isn't refillable at Korean Village, unlike in other Korean restaurants I've been to. 

Server grills our samgyeopsal as we wait, excitedly. Haha!

Galbitang, P300.
This soup dish impressed me a lot as the broth packed a lot of flavor. The beef, we believed, was simmered for hours and hours, until the meat was very tender and all flavors extracted from the bones. It was my first time to have galbitang and I discovered it was so much like our very own nilagang baka or bulalo. The only difference is that galbitang has sotanghon or vermicelli and egg. An order of it at Korean Village comes with a serving of rice. 

Jjampong, P300.
This was really good! Lots of mussels and some shrimps. Hot and spicy soup to make my day. The only thing I didn't like was that the noodles were too soft. I had this on my second visit, by the way. I was by myself and was surprised at how humongous this bowl of jjampong was. I finished just one third of it! But I was pleasantly surprised that it also came with 
side dishes -- three of them. Plus a slice of pineapple!

Spicy dilis, bean sprouts and kimchi with my Jjampong

I loved all of this, especially the crispy anchovies!

Slice of pineapple 

I guess all diners are given this to cap off the meal. My friend and I were also served pineapple on my first visit. Fresh fruit is a welcome change from the usual sugary desserts in most restaurants and best of all, there's no extra charge for it!

Inside Korean Village Restaurant

Korean Village Restaurant at #566 J. Nakpil; St., Malate, Manila

Long before K-Pop came to fore, Korean Village was already a crowd-drawer in Ermita, I learned. Now it's already a bit old but is still a favorite restaurant of many. There were always big groups celebrating occasions during my two visits. Someday soon, I could be bringing my family here, too. My daughters are crazy about samgyeopsal and I'm sure they would love it here. 
Visit Korean Village Restaurant when in Manila, folks and have your fill of mouthwatering and healthy food at pocket-friendly prices. 
Happy eating!

SHP Bibimbab Cafe & Restaurant in Malate

Apparently, Korean food is my "flavor of the month". I've been craving for it the past three weeks! Yup, several bowls of bibimbap I've had already and I'm still wanting! Anyway, I went to the La Salle area along Taft Ave. last week as my kids and I attended the opening of the solo sculpture exhibit of my eldest daughter's beau. And to hit two birds with one stone, I took advantage of the occasion to embark on a little foodie adventure with my little boy before going to the venue, which was the 
Cultural Center of the Philippines. 
I made some research the day before, as a real foodie should (Haha!), to find a restaurant that would arouse my curiosity and excitement. This time, SHP Bibimbab Cafe & Restaurant did it, and it was just the perfect choice as I've been, as I mentioned, on a Korean food mode. The pictures of food and the place itself made my heart skip a beat! Those huge teddy bears and the country-style interiors plus the bowls of 
my favorite bibimbap got me so excited! 
Then, finally, we were there at SHP Bibimbab, my little boy and I, and after choosing a place to prop ourselves up and placing our order, we quickly proceeded to clicking away with the camera - the little boy of me, and I, of him. One could easily get tired of taking pictures here, I learned, as every nook and cranny is picture-pretty 
and Instagram-worthy! 
And then, the food came, thus, it was time to...eat? 

Nope! ..to take more pictures, but of course. :)

Beef Bibimbap, P190. 

Clubhouse, P210.

                                                 Cookies and Cream Frappe, P170.

Iced Cappuccino, P140.

Counter

Menu

In and around SHP Bibimbab Cafe & Restaurant

Cribs all around that make group gatherings and hanging out 
more intimate and fun 

The wall at the corridor where the wash area is

The door that opens to SHP Bibimbab at the Second Floor, 

Mervin Terraces Building, 980 Pablo Ocampo St., Malate, Manila

We came to eating, but of course, but still in between taking pictures. Tee-hee. My son was all praises for the clubhouse sandwich. It took him just one bite to declare his love for it and announced wanting to come back here to have this sandwich again. Just look at those thick fillings of ham, tuna, fried egg and veggies and you're sure 

they don't scrimp around here.  

I loved the bibimbap (bibimbab is what it's called here), too, though I would have wanted it with more sesame oil flavor like the one I'm used to eating some place else. I wondered if the Bulgogi Bibimbap would be more to my liking. I liked, though, that at SHP, bibimbap doesn't come with a sunny side up egg at the center but with scrambled and shredded fried egg on the side. Weird as it may, but I leave the 

sunny side up fried egg whenever I eat bibimbap. 

Anyway, I was all praises for my Iced Cappuccino, which had a robust espresso taste that dominated over the milk. That's how I like having my coffee - strong but not too much as to give me a heartburn. My son also loved his Cookies and Cream frappe though I shuddered over its price tag. Haha! After eating, we had time to linger for some 30 more minutes before going to the CCP so we just hanged out to chatter and play games in our cellphone. Wi-fi is available here, by the way, but I didn't bother to ask for the password because my favorite game has been downloaded on my cellphone.

Well, it was a lovely stay in this lovely cafe. The place is obviously quite old and the water pipes sticking out of the ceiling, that I cropped out of my pictures, could be an eyesore (In my humble opinion, they suit industrial-themed interiors but not a girly place with a country design). But the cribs, decors, trimmings and wall art plus the teddy bears all successfully made the interiors pretty and inviting for hours of lounging. 

Visit SHP Bibimbab Cafe & Restaurant one of these days, folks, and find out for yourselves why this cafe is a crowd-drawer, especially among students.

Happy eating!