The Philippine government under the approval of COVID-19 Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) already imposed to gradually ease restrictions for food establishments but with only 50% capacity to areas under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).
Definitely good news for those who crave for their favorite Samgyeopsal dishes. And as for me and my friends, we took this chance soon as we’re free to dig in.
Since it’s Sunday, where we’re all free from work we took this moment to visit Sampgyup Korean Restaurant located in SM City Batangas. In fact, we have other choices, but we have other matters to do inside the mall, so we considered this place.
It’s our first time to eat in this Korean house, the typical ambiance is evident with grilling pan and smoke pipe Korean exhaust blower. Of course, the place is filled with a K-pop playlist where customers can hear some Korean vibe.
Before we finally sit and order, we were first asked to fill out a form which records some of our health histories, given hand sanitizers, and the staff checked our body temperature with the infrared temperature gun. Then, we’re led to sit in a four-seater table. These kinds of stuff of the restaurant were the norms to follow strict health protocol standards imposed by the government since they are allowed to welcome dine-in customers.
We ordered the Unlimited Pork (Bulgogi, Soy Garlic, Gochujang, Soju Pork, Plain) and Chicken (Salt & Pepper, Gochujang) worth 399PHP with side dishes which include Kimchi, Cucumber and Carrot salad (tossed in vinegar and a bit of ginger), Sweet baby potatoes, Japchae (glass noodles stir-fried with vegetables), Korean braised tofu, Lettuce, Korean egg and Steamed rice.
Same with some restaurants we’ve been to, we cooked the meat on a grill pan. For some, they use charcoal grill which somehow brings a better taste to the meat. And some Korean restaurants offer to cook the meat for the customer. But for us, it is always more fun and exciting to grill the meat ourselves even though we’re starving already haha.
We were able to consume two servings of Pork and Chicken which were enough to satisfy our cravings. It’s kinda tiring to grill it honestly so haha. Also, I commend the staffs for their approachable service, the serving time didn’t take too long as well. The music on the screen was a real deal, the playlists that time were Blackpink’s, Red Velvet’s, Momoland’s, and SNSD’s where we’re able to sing and hum too, while grilling. Since we’re not experts, we were unsure if we cooked the meat perfectly or still undercooked. Uhmm as they say, Happiness is cooking with friends and eating together. And foods taste better when you eat it with them anyways. 😊
We were blessed not just the financial needs, but also the time and friendship we have had for a long time. We know that we can’t fully use the time for other stuff, since we’re still on these trying times. We’re just so thankful that we’re all safe and still able to meet and have a quick escape, have good food to eat while sharing some talks about how our lives have been so far while we’re on a distance and quarantined for about four months now.
Till our next food trip. So, how are you and your friends going these times? Let me know down the comment section below.
FranzeSays 