Korean food is one of the healthiest and delicious food in the world. Here in the Philippines, most Filipino locals love Korean food, and you can find it everywhere in the streets. That is because Korean shows, movies, and Kpop celebrities are popular in the Philippines, and they adore anything about Korea.
In addition to that, there are a large number of Korean populations in Cebu City. Most of the Koreans are students, retirees, or those establishing their businesses. I will be reviewing my experience in one of the Korean restaurant called Chosun Galbi. This is one of my favorite Korean restaurants, which is our 5th time eating there.
Chosun Galbi
Chosun Galbi is an authentic korean restaurant in Cebu City, which has two branches: One is located in Salinas Drive in front of the entrance to I.T. Park Cebu and another one in A.S. Fortuna Street in Banilad.
My and my brother love Korean food. There are hundreds of Korean restaurant in Cebu, and we kinda prefer to try new places and check which is more authentic, and taste better.
When we entered the restaurant, it has a Korean design which feels as if you are in South Korea. We decided to sit in a table that is colder or has air-conditioned. That is because we usually sweat after eating due to hot steam coming from the food.
Our Food in August 2019
Because this is our 5th time, I will be showing you all the pictures of the food we ate in Chosun Galbi. However, I will only be posting pictures, and provide our review based on my 4th (last week of August) and 5th (second week of October) experience in this Korean restaurant.
Regardless of your ordered food, they will always provide your side dishes, which is found in most Korean restaurants. They served mostly vegetables and sometimes meat such as sausages. Of course, serving the Kimchi is a must side dish in all Korean restaurant. You cannot serve side dishes without Kimchi since this is their national dish in South Korea.
During our 4th experience, we ordered Bulnak Jeongol, which is a seasoned hot pot stew with octopus, beef, other kinds of seafood, and vegetables. I noticed their soup is so red because they add hot pepper sauce known as Gochujang. When serving the food, the staff will put Bulnak Jeongol in the portable stove. This will help to maintain the food hot and fresh to make it more appetizing. I am sure none of us will like to eat food that is served cold.
Also, we ordered a Spicy stir Fried Octopus called Nakji-bokkeum. By the look of this dish, we can tell this is spicy food. Nonetheless, we love spicy food, so we don't mind the spiciness of any dish.
Our Food in October 2019
During our 5th and latest visit, we decided to order something different. When I checked the menu, I am interested in the grilling section, which we eventually ordered a thinly sliced beef brisket called Chadolbaki. This is equal to 2 orders since this is the minimum when ordering this dish. Since it cost 400 philippine pesos each, we paid 800 total for Chadolbaki. They served us as raw meat so that we can grill the food on our table. I noticed grilling the meat and seafood is common in Korean and Japanese cuisines.
Lastly, we ordered a spicy beef soup called Yukgaejang. It is served with beef, vegetables and glass noodles. Of course, when eating in a Korean restaurant, we always have to order a hot stew dish to satisfy our appetite.
Our Review
First of all, if you cannot handle spicy food, this is not for you. I love Korean food since they are delicious and healthy. However, just because I love Korean food, it does not mean I automatically give good reviews.
Chosun Galbi is an authentic Korean restaurant, and I am pleased that is one of the best Korean food I tried in Cebu City. They are very generous when serving us with the side dishes. In other restaurants, they do not provide as many side dishes as Chosun Galbi. Furthermore, their side dishes are very tasty, and it is no bland.
Their Bulnak Jeongol is one of my favorite hot pot stew soup in Chosun Galbi. It is very flavorful and fresh, and the serving is big which could serve up to 4 persons. I enjoyed eating this dish with rice since it blends well together. Although the soup contains red pepper paste, I don't find the food very spicy. It is just mild to moderately spicy.
Nakji-bokkeum is also very delicious. The stir-fried octopus is a little bit spicier compared to Bulnak Jeongol, but it is well seasoned and tasty. However, the spicy beef soup- Yukgaejang, is the most disappointing dish. It is under seasoned, which is like drinking red soup with empty flavor.
Lastly, I enjoyed grilling the Chadolbaki Beef Brisket. When serving side dishes, they included cabbage, onion, garlic, green chili, and red paste. It fits together when you roll the cabbage, and red paste with grilled beef, which is very delicious.
My only problem is sometimes I do sweat inside the restaurant because of the hot steam from the food. Also, the price of food is a bit expensive compared to other Korean restaurants.
My Rating
My rating for this restaurant will be 7.8/10
- The Food: 8.5/10 (The food are authentic which is delicious and well seasoned. It is one of the best korean food I tried in Cebu City. However, Yukgaejang is a bland dish, which I will not be ordering again).
- The Price: 7.5/10 (The price is fair enough, but it is considered a little bit more expensive than other korean restaurants).
- The customer service: 7.5/10 (The customer service is just average. Not perfect nor bad).
- The Environment and the Sanitation: 7.5/10 (The place was air-conditioned, and it is clean. However, in some places, I noticed there is a smell, which I can't tell what/where the smell is).
Conclusion
Overall, Chosun Galbi is one of the best Korean restaurants in Cebu that offers authentic Korean food. It is very delicious, and the serving is generous. I will highly recommend this restaurant if you are looking for authentic Korean cuisine.
Although the price is relatively expensive compared to Korean restaurants, I do not mind the price. I will rather pay more in a restaurant, that serves delicious food and well seasoned, than those that are not tasty but affordable.
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