Unli-Korean barbecue at Fantastic Chef

There's no question about it. Korean food is now part of Pinoys' gastronomic life. Restaurants serving unli-samgyupsal aren't so hard to find anymore. 
They're just about anywhere! 

While on vacation in our hometown in Quezon last month, there was this Korean resto that my sister saw on Facebook, and she told me she wanted to have her 
"despedida" there before going back to the US.

So, we were at Fantastic Chef in Manila for dinner on a Sunday and I was glad our group of 12 was seated at once. I called earlier to reserve but was told that they didn't accept reservations. Anyway, my first impression of the place was it was cleaner and had a more contemporary interior design and "younger" vibe than other Korean restaurants I'd been to. I also liked that they have good ventilation 
and not smokey like some other places. 

Unli-samgyupsal costs P499 per person but that only includes pork and chicken. If you want to add beef, you have to pay P50 more. Side dishes are unlimited, 
too, but drinks are not included. 

Our dinner:

Korean barbecue - - all pork and chicken

Some of the side dishes

I think the only thing that they have which other unli-samgyupsal places do not offer is the coleslaw. But my favorite among the sides here at Fantastic Chef is the one at the center of this picture, which, if my memory serves me right, is fish cake.

 I love their metal combination plate. It makes eating more organized and less messy. I also love their spicy soup which is included in the side dishes. 

 Menu

 At one area inside Fantastic Chef. There's another wing to the place.

Fantastic Chef at Remedios Circle, Malate, Manila

I could say that we had a nice dinner at Fantastic Chef, if not for some downsides. The marinated meats were tasty, and so were the sides. The servers were helpful but some weren't very friendly. There was one, a woman, who seemed to be annoyed when we requested for something. Also, some of the things we were asking for took 
forever to arrive at our table. I guess it was because it was a Sunday 
and the place was full of customers.

As for the price, I think it's a bit more steep than in other similar places for unlimited Korean barbecue. Why? Because for the same price in other restaurants we've visited, we could already have bottomless drinks as well as desserts such as fresh fruits. Overall, however, Fantastic Chef isn't so bad and I could say we still had a good experience on our first visit. The location is good, by the way. It's easy 
to find and there's a nearby police station so it's a safe area. 

Try Fantastic Chef, folks, and stuff yourself silly with 

unlimited samgyupsal. I would want to again! 

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!