MANILA, Philippines - Typically when you think of Korean food, you think kimchi, bulgogi, and perhaps kalbi — and the immediate image is a circular grill in the center of a table.
On a trip to Seoul not so long ago, my wife Happee and I were treated to an outstanding Korean lauriat that could rival some of the most memorable Chinese lauriats I have ever had — and I have had copious amounts of those. The style and quality of the fare were simply outstanding. It totally changed my perspective on Korean food as being a rough and gruff barbecue type of affair. There was a finesse to this country’s cuisine that I had never experienced, not only in terms of taste but also in terms of presentation. I can only imagine that this meal cost a tremendous amount of Korean won.
But this was, of course, in Korea and at the InterContinental Hotel. I recall the previous Korean ambassador to the Philippines telling me over lunch that a proper Korean restaurant here in Manila would cost millions of US dollars to put up. And after experiencing the grand feast in Seoul thanks to our gracious hosts from Dream Maker, the production company in charge of SM Entertainment Super Stars Super Junior, we had now experienced top-end Korean cuisine.
Months later, however, we found ourselves sampling a Korean lauriat in Manila at the recently opened Mullebanga, which apparently means “water mill” in Korean.
Located near the corner of Makati and Kalayaan Avenues, the restaurant is the brainchild of husband-and-wife tandem Mr. and Mrs. Henry Shin. And the Shins have come up with their own Korean lauriat, which has a number of Korean delicacies that one might overlook if you have the “barbecue” misconception of Korean food such as yookhae, a spicy raw marinated beef dish, or live baby squid. These two dishes have become personal favorites and I urge you to try them.
Perhaps the most outstanding thing about the Shins’ Korean lauriat is the unbeatable price of P750 with a minimum of two persons’ buy-in. For P1,500 this is an amazing value, and a massive amount of food. Add a bottle of soju or Makgeolli, a sweet, milky wheat and rice “wine,” and you have yourself a party.
So if you are feeling adventurous and want to truly discover the variety Korean cuisine has to offer, take a turn off of Rockwell and head to Mullebanga, which is just five minutes away from the popular shopping haven and try some authentic Korean cooking.