Milk tea, choco butternut donuts, ramen — there are a handful of food items you can utter to get someone hungry, but nothing comes close to when “tara samgyup” is said. Read on for a short read on Samgyeopsal and what malls in manila house the best names in the Korean barbecue game. 

Oh, and make sure you have snacks with you while you read, because this feature will sure make you want to eat. 

Samgyeopsal: KPop Craze in Pork BBQ

Referring to grilled pork belly meat slices, Samgyeopsal literally translates to “three layered flesh”, referring to the layering of fat and meat of pork belly. Traditionally, how you eat it is you wrap a piece of cooked meat in a lettuce leaf and dip it into your sauce of choice before popping it into your mouth. 

Banchan or side dishes are helpful in keeping the meat’s taste and flavor interesting. Although they vary, the usual side  dishes are kimchi, marbled potatoes, and shredded lettuce drizzled with sesame dressing. Sauces or dips are not to be forgotten! To add more punch to your samgyup’s flavor, restaurants serve multiple options for dips. The most popular dip for samgyup is a thick, spicy paste called ssamjjang. 

Korean restaurants such as Kaya and Sariwon (in Promenade, Greenhills Mall) have been around for a while.  Korean barbecue is not exactly new in the local food scene. It wasn’t until recently, with the rise of K-dramas and K-Pop, that Korean cuisine was put into the spotlight. 

Malls in Manila: Where to Satisfy Your Samgyeopsal Cravings

Craving for stacks and stacks of samgyup with banchan? Get your tummies ready and head to these restos and malls in manila!

Samgyeopmasarap in Greenhills

Samgeopmasarap serves pork and beef, either rubbed with salt & pepper or marinated with a sweet, savory flavor.  The ssamjang is a special kind with a spicy kick, perfectly complimenting the meat’s juiciness and the lettuce leaf’s freshness.

An order comes with 6 refillable side dishes: algamja-jorim (braised baby potato), eomuk bokkeum (stir-fried fish cake), kimchi, musaengchae (sweet and sour radish salad), myulchi bokkeum (stir-fried anchovies), and rice.

Another plus point: Children younger than 5 years, eat free!

Visit Samgyeopmasarap at 2nd floor, Connecticut Carpark Arcade, Greenhills Mall, San Juan City

K-Pub in Tiendesitas

Good samgyup with good music makes for a good hangout place with your buddies. How do you know you’re in the right place? You’ll know. Dubbed as the biggest Korean BBQ place in the Philippines, K-Pub has made a name for itself as one of the hippest places for partying with samgyup. Far from Korean restos with the default oriental design, K-Pub offers a loud, youthful vibe with multi-colored laser and strobe lights and live music.

Priced at Php 499, Php 699, Php 899 and Php 999, their menu sets offer all variants of meat and fish, complete with appetizers, sides and even desserts.

Visit K-Pub at 2nd floor, Building B, Tiendesitas, Ortigas Avenue cor. E. Rodriguez, Ugong, Pasig City

Masil Charcoal Grill  in Tiendesitas

Tender and tasty marinated beef ribs are one of Masil’s house specialties. Their steamed egg and Korean stew appetizers are also crowd faves. With their premium sets good for four, you and your squad can feast on different kinds of beef and pork cuts, rice and japchae along with unli-servings of 9 types of banchan.

Anything special on your dine in? Up the celebration with a premium Deung Shim (USDA rib-eye steak) for Php 1,200.

Visit Masil Charcoal Grill at Tiendesitas, Frontera Verde, Ortigas Avenue Corner C5, Ugong, Pasig City

Ccochi Ccochi in Estancia

If you happen to be in Capitol Commons when you’re hit with the sudden craving for Korean barbecue, then Ccochi Ccochi is the place to be. Aside from unlimited barbecue, Ccochi Ccochi also offers unli-skewers like flavored chicken thighs, gizzard, beef, sausage, and vegetables. They serve Korean noodle dishes too, so if you’re looking for ramen or japchae to round up your meal, you won’t be disappointed.

Unlimited KBBQ and skewers are at P499 per person for lunch hours and P599 for dinner.

Visit Ccochi Ccochi at LG/F Estancia Mall, Capitol Commons, Pasig City.

Samgyupsalamat in Industria

Probably the most popular in this list, Samgyupsalamat has over 30 branches, in and out of malls in manila. It’s also one of the few samgyup houses with a wide selection of fresh, good-tasting meat choices:

• Daepae samgyeopsal (sliced fresh pork belly)
• Buljib samgyeopsal (herbed pork belly)
• Yangnyum daepae samgyeopsal (sliced pork belly with seasoning sauce)
• Gochujang samgyeopsal (sliced pork belly with sweet & spicy sauce)
• Yangnyum moksal (pork neck bone steak with sweet seasoning sauce)
• Beef samgyeopsal (sliced beef short plate)
• Yangnyum beef samgyeopsal (sliced beef short plate with seasoning sauce)
• Beef bulgogi (Korean BBQ beef in sweet soy sauce)
• Gochujang beef samgyeopsal (sliced beef short plate with sweet & spicy sauce)
• Salsa beef (beef with sweet-style Filipino sauce)

Adding to the variety of meat are their choices of dips including unlimited cheese fondue and gravy. 

Visit Samgyupsalamat at Ground Floor, Industria at Circulo Verde, Calle Industria, Libis, Quezon City

If this does not trigger your craving, then maybe hearty options for grub may be your thing!