The Common Good Launches Lunch Sets

Enjoying a meal or two at a hotel always sound fancy and rather expensive. But more and more of these lavish establishments come up with options that appeal to yuppies and to those who want good value food with great ambiance to match. And this is exactly what I'm Hotel's The Common Good did with its lunch packages. 

Hello, The Common Good.

The Common Good is I'm Hotel's food playground which showcases different cuisines to satisfy everyone's palate. It has been one of the bang for the buck dinner buffet options in Makati and it has further pushed the envelope by offering lunch sets to cater to the Makati professionals. 

Quality over Quantity: Sariwon Philippines

Manila has turned into one big Koreatown (한인마을) with several Korean barbecue joints opening left and right. There are a lot offering unlimited meat which I find quite tempting. But if I were to decide based on quality, I have a few places I go to and top of my list is Sariwon. 

Hello, Sariwon. 

Sariwon has been around even before the boom of Korean barbecue in Manila. Located at the prime Bonifacio High Street Central, Sariwon became a favorite by professionals in the area and a family destination on weekends. 

Happy Tummies at Happy Tables

It is really fascinating how the Manila food scene has grown from a place with limited restaurants to a bustling city filled with food choices here and there. And with the growing number of food parks or hubs, you could tell that the restaurant industry is on fire! And just a couple of weeks back, we visited a new food park along the long stretch of Congressional Avenue and we were impressed. 

Hello, Happy Tables!

This food park, rather, a restaurant hub, is the brainchild of Happy Tables’ owner Oye Peralta. With his passion of offering quality dishes, he took the time and effort to do extensive food tasting to ensure that each and every dish offered in Happy Tables would delight the growingly discerning foodie market. The end result was a well curated list of restaurants that spoiled us when we visited. 

Restaurant Discovery: Yoree Korean Barbeque Dining

I still remember the days (or months) I stayed in Korea. I had a hard time eating as most of the really good dishes there are spicy. I was stuck with bulgogi, bibimbap and samgyeopsal. But after a while, I grew fond of the other mildly spicy dishes.

It is undeniable that the Korean community in Manila is growing. With the increase in the number of Korean restaurants and supermarkets, you’d somehow feel the Seoul vibe. And what I love about the restaurants here is that more often than not, you get close to authentic if not authentic food.

Hello, Yoree Korean Barbeque Dining!

I was a bit iffy to dine at Yoree as the B&B Italia principal I was with sure know his Korean food given that he is married to a lovely Korean lady. But R, another principal we were with, wanted to dine here as she loved the drinks.

What I like about Yoree is that it has set meals that are good for sharing. And since we were not exactly that hungry, we decided to go for Dwaeji Soot Bulgogi Set (PHP498 per person, minimum of two orders). The set includes usual Korean side dishes, Juk (rice porridge), Gyeranjjim (steamed egg on hot stone), Japchae, Kimchi Jjigae, Sikhye (Korean traditional rice punch), rice and Dwaeji Soot Bulgogi.

First served were the side dishes and juk.

The juk was delightful as it had a light taste and served as a great meal starter. The side dishes were your usual Korean side dishes.

The gyeranjjim was fluffy and had a lovely light taste which complements the other dishes.

Restaurant Discovery: Woo Galbi

I think I'm sick. I'm suffering from an ooh-a-new-restaurant-we-have-to-eat-there-NOW disease and I think I have reached stage 4. 

Lately, I haven't been going on hardcore food trips where I have to stop by 4 restaurants in one day. (Awww T3, I miss those days!) But one thing is for sure, if there's a new restaurant in Shangri-La or Megamall, I have to go there. True enough, when Woo Galbi opened, I begged my mom and sister that we hold one of our Saturdate lunches at the new Korean restaurant. And we did.

We arrived a bit past 1 p.m. as my sister came from school and I was trying to lead a healthier lifestyle by going to the gym for circuit training and studio for yoga. (Yeah~ <3)

The place wasn't packed so we easily got a table. I got slightly confused as there were Japanese dishes on the menu too such as tempura and sashimi. While reading the menu, the only thing in my mind was, "hey, the food here is pretty pricey" upon seeing the price of the bibimbap. PHP450 for a bowl?! Well, worth it, I guess.

It took us 10 minutes or so to decide on what to order and finally, we ordered a solo serving of Cucumber Prawn Salad (PHP176), Japchae (PHP298), Grilled Boneless Shortribs Bulgogi (PHP595) and Shrimp Tempura (PHP232 for three pieces and PHP350 for 5 pieces). 

While waiting, we feasted on the side dishes which I find okay. The serving though wasn't very generous. 

First to arrive was the salad. I must admit, it was pretty tasty! The dressing was superb. Slightly tangy and sweet. It somehow reminded me of the dressing Vietnamese restaurants serve. The greens were crisp and fresh though there were only two prawns included. I guess if I upsize it'll be four or more.

My First Bite: Kogi Bulgogi

It feels so surreal when you have to say goodbye to someone you get used to seeing almost every day. It never fails to make you feel that sharp pinch to the heart when you bid farewell and you know that it’s for good or at least for a long time. Despedidas are often organized to create last hurrah memories and S’s dinner/KTV night sure made her… legendary.

This is it. S’s last Friday with us. *upside down smile*

 

We decided to have dinner at Kogi Bulgogi after T2 recommended the place (because of its affordable menu and great tasting dishes).

 

The place was packed when we arrived and despite having a reservation, we had to wait for a few minutes before getting a table. While waiting, we decided to check the menu so that as soon as we get to sit down, we already know what to order. 

 

After 10 minutes or so, we finally got a table for a group of 5 which was positioned beside the ice cream freezer (oh temptation!). We quickly ordered as our tummies were about to get really angry. I ordered the following: Haemul Pa Jeon (PHP158), Salmon Sashimi (PHP218), Tuk Bulgogi (PHP298), Japchae (PHP218), and Bibimbap (PHP165). Before you judge me, I shared most of this with S and T1.