Like A Scene From A Koreanovela: Kogi Bulgogi at Gateway Mall

Cubao, Quezon City is slowly picking up pace with the addition of new establishments (read in the Araneta Center Facebook page that Uniqlo will open soon, hooray!). Fingers crossed that this marks the entry of other favorites like Sambokojin. Hehe.

Design peg!

The closest to Korean cuisine in the area would be Bon Chon. I love their cripsy chicken but I sometimes have kimchi and bibimbap craving attacks… like right now. If my memory serves me right, there is also a Korean grocery at Farmers’ Market. About time another Korean resto opens up in Araneta Center: Kogi Bulgogi!

Scene-stealing red chairs

I was at a loss whether to laugh or shake my head as a PSY song filled the air. The upbeat melodies remind me of Markbass Amplifiers at musicians friend, although the thought quickly dissipated from my mind once the server provided us with the menu.

Banchan galore

The interior is almost straight out of a Korean drama with its warm wood furniture pieces, white walls and unfinished floors. The addition of quirky decorations and colorful items made for a more youthful ambiance, a bit vibrant than the usual Korean cafes seen in television.

The more subdued area

Part of the restaurant is Cafe Soon… which is a… you guessed it, cafe. I have yet to try their drinks and snacks because we ordered from the resto menu, but the interior is more than enough to entice me to come back and check out the Cafe Soon menu.

Dulsot bibimbap

I opted for Dulsot Bibimbap which is essentially the usual bibimbap with beef and raw egg. The dish had fewer vegetables (I found no traces of spinach) than what I expected. A red sauce (which I suspect to be gochujang) was served separately. It’s probably their own version, mainly because it wasn’t as spicy as expected. Condiments like hot sauce and soy sauce were available on every table, so adjusting the taste was fairly easy.

Chicken Kalbi Bap

Kogi Bulgogi seems to be a Filipinized version of Korean favorites, because the dishes weren’t hot at all (and perhaps that explains the condiments in each table). The way I see it, they tweaked Korean cuisine a bit to appeal to the Filipino palate.

Inspiration “boards”: Chalkboard wall and another adorned with framed quotes.

Cafe Soon, you’re next.