Showing posts with label Ortigas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ortigas. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

The Hallyu Experience at Yedang Korean BBQ Restaurant

So... it's been a while (ahem, understatement of the year) but for my first post in a little over 6 months, I'd like to review another Korean restaurant, Yedang Korean BBQ! I suppose the Korean BBQ craze has died down already, which doesn't mean that it's no longer popular, but rather that it's become so common that it's now a mainstream cuisine in the Philippines. Which is of course, a wonderful thing, because that means Korean BBQ is here to stay! :)

(To explain the title of this post, Hallyu or "Korean Wave" is a term used in Korea to describe the sudden popularity of Korean culture internationally, whether it be Korean food, music, dramas, etc.)

Yedang is located in one of the more densely Korean-populated areas of Metro Manila, Ortigas. It's a popular Korean restaurant, and it's seriously packed! We went there around lunchtime on a weekend, and it was full. Unlike other Korean restos that aren't as well-known, which are usually filled with Korean nationals, Yedang had a mix of both locals and foreigners, a fact that only attests to its popularity. The restaurant is also wide and spacious, making it great for large groups.

(I actually visited Yedang about a year or so ago (this post is super delayed) so I have no idea what it's like now, but I certainly hope they're still around.)


Don't worry, those silver tubes will not suck out your brains. They are actually extractor hoods (I know these are called something else but I just really can't remember right now) that will absorb the smoke that comes from the grills. The staff pull them down right before grilling the meat so that our hair and clothes don't smell like meat after the meat (although not 100%, of course).
(I apologize for the slightly creepy photos. Had to blur out faces for privacy purposes, you see. I mean, how would you feel if I suddenly posted your photos on this blog when you don't even know who I am?)

Saturday, June 11, 2011

A Taste of Homemade Korean Food at Chambyuru Restaurant

Grilled beef with bean paste and sesame oil with salt and pepper
My friend and I were bored one day and decided on a whim to grab some Korean food in the Ortigas area. We wandered around for a bit and found ourselves in a tiny building where various Korean enterprises were crammed together.

We ended up at Chambyuru, a small restaurant that was more like a living room than an actual Korean restaurant. It was lunchtime, yet the place was quite bare. There was a loud group of Korean men at another table enjoying their steaming pot of jigae (spicy Korean stew) and throughout our meal, lots of other Koreans streamed in and out of the store.

Banchan