Foodie Finds | 678 Korean BBQ

I have a weakness for Asian Cuisine. Aside from my native Filipino dishes, I love Japanese, Thai, and of course Korean. It might be because of all the Korean Dramas I've seen over the years, but Korean Barbecue always has a place in my heart and in my tummy. LoL. And I have been craving Samgyeopsal since February of 2017 when I saw this novelty restaurant being advertised in Facebook. Still haven't tried out that specific restaurant but we did go to 678 Koren BBQ for that much craved Korean Style Barbecue.

LOCATION

SM MALL of ASIA

SM By The Bay, Seaside Boulevard, 

Mall of Asia Complex (MOA), Pasay City

Tel. No.02 8770678

I worked at the Mall of Asia Complex on and off for the past 5 years and I've see 678 Korean BBQ ever since it started there a few years ago. We always planned on going but we never actually got to until recently. The restaurant is located along the seaside area of MOA right near Four Seasons. You've probable passed by this place while strolling along the bay.

I've seen this setup in Korean Dramas and I got to experience it first hand!

THE MENU

  

We ordered the Beef Set that included Rib Eye, Flap Meat, and Striploin (Php1700/$33.91), 2 orders of Thinly Sliced Pork Belly (Php490/$9.78 per order), a single serving of Kimchi Stew (Php380/$7.58), and Boneless Chicken Feet (Php550/$10.97). The meat came with side dishes like lettuce, Kimchi, anchovies, green onions, etc.

THE FOOD

What is Samgyeopsal? 

Samgyeopsal (삼겹살; Korean pronunciation: [sam.ɡjʌp.s͈al]) is a popular Korean dish that is commonly served as an evening meal. It consists of thick, fatty slices of pork belly meat. The meat, usually neither marinated nor seasoned, is cooked on a grill at the diners’ table. Usually diners grill the meat themselves and eat directly from a grill. It is typically served with ssamjang (Korean: 쌈장), vegetables, and lettuce leaves to wrap it in.

THE VERDICT

I set my expectations high and I was not disappointment. The place wasn't packed yet when we came in at around past 4 in the afternoon. I loved the grill on the tables and the tubes that sucked the smoke when we were grilling (forgot to take a picture of that). The place looked authentic minus some of the decorations on the wall that were stuck on there with scotch tape. Those did not look professional.

The service was not excellent by a long shot but it was good. I noticed the servers were a bit tired (?) and were not smiling, but they were helpful in the grilling of the meat and they didn't forget to refill the lettuce bowls and our waters without asking.

The food was delish. The cuts of meat were unseasoned and you could really tastes the beefiness and porkyness of the grilled meat. The marriage of the meat and the side dishes was heavenly and well worth the price we paid for the whole meal. One of the best parts, aside from the Kimchi, was the melted cheese and corn on the side of the grill. Special mention should also go to the Kimchi Stew and the Boneless Chicken Feet, that hit the spice spot right on. 

To top everything off, we had Melona, a Korean brand ice cream for dessert. We were looking for the ice cream that were shaped like a fish but they ran out. 

Like I said, I set my expectations high and it was met. I can't really compare it to this one other Korean BBQ restaurant place we went to a few years ago (I think it was Bulgogi Brothers) because I honestly don't remember much about that. For 678 Korean BBQ, I'd say I would definitely go back and recommend this place to my friends.

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐