Samgyupsalamat Cebu is a Korean restaurant that offers unlimited barbecue meat such as beef and pork. It is becoming one of the most popular Korean food places in the Philippines. And I am here to find out why it is a very popular place to eat.
Personally, I love korean food, and I tried many amazing korean restaurant such as Chosun Galbi, Barangay Seoul and many more other places in Cebu and in the Philippines.
It was just last year they open Samgyupsalamat Cebu branch in baseline residence in Cebu City. I noticed there were many people in the waiting line. You have to go there earlier to fill up your name on the list. And since it is a popular Korean restaurant, I decided to give it a try.
Location and Price of Samgyupsalamat Cebu
This restaurant have several branches in Cebu and the Philippines. Because I am residing in Cebu City, I will be focusing mostly on Samgyupsalamat Cebu. As far as I know, there are 3 branches in Cebu: two are located in Cebu City (The Ridgein F. Cabahug Street and Baseline Residencein Juana Osmena Street), and one is located in Mandaue City (Jamestown Mandaue)
In term of the price, I am surprised it is actually affordable to eat in Samgyupsalamat. Furthermore, the price depends if you choose either pork or pork and beef. Below is based on the rate of this korean restaurant.
11:00 am to 3:00 pm
- 399 philippine peso: Unlimited Pork
- 449 philippine peso: Unlimited Pork and Beef
3:00 pm to 12:00 am
- 399 philippine peso: Unlimited Pork
- 499 philippine peso: Unlimited Pork and Beef
Please take note that the rate above is a promo, which is available during weekdays from Monday to Friday. It is not applicable on Weekends or Holidays. I am not sure what is the rate during weekends or holidays, but I heard it is probably 100 pesos more extra.
My Experience in Samgyupsalamat Cebu Branch
We went to Samgyupsalamat Cebu in the Baseline branch because it is near our home, which is convenient for us. When I went there, I was surprised that is many people are waiting in line. The place is always full regardless of the event.
When we entered inside to fill up our name, we still have to wait till they call our name. We are in number 9, and I feel frustrated because I am really hungry and the process is too slow. We waited for almost 1 hour just to have our name called.
What is annoying is that each customer takes more than 1 hour just to eat there. I am surprised because if I go to a buffet, I only spend a maximum of 45 minutes. For this reason, it is important to go there as early as possible and reserve your name one hour before you want to eat there.
When they called our name, I was so relieved because I cant wait to eat there. Upon entering inside, they already prepared the side dishes and the sauces, which is convenient for both of us. Furthermore, the menu was already provided on the table, where we can choose what kind of beef or pork we want. Of course, we only asked for beef since we don't eat pork at all.
Our Food
In Samgyupsalamat Cebu branch, we only ordered beef because we do not eat pork. One of the beef we ordered is Beef Samgyup
Based on the picture above, this is dry beef - meaning its not marinated and it is dry. The other beef we ordered includes Gochujang Beef and Boolgogi Beef.
Based on the picture above, this two beefs are marinated since there is so much sauce in it.
The only problem when grilling these two marinated beef that it releases too many juices, which weaken the charcoal grilling fire in the table. We have to wait longer just to fully cooked this meat.
Eventually, we have to call the staff several times to change the charcoal grilling since we are not satisfied with the strength of the griller. However, when grilling the beef samgyup, it is much faster since there are not many juices and the sauce didn't weaken the charcoal griller on the table.
In this restaurant, they also serve 4 different sauces: One of them is gochujang sauce and one is some kind of a red sauce which is a bit spicy. The remaining two is a sesame spiced sauce, and I am not the last one I am not sure what kind of sauce is that.
We used these sauces on the meat and it serves perfectly with rice or lettuce. I personally prefer to put these sauces on the lettuce along with the meat, and it fits perfectly.
In addition to that, they also serve cheese and gravy along with the side dishes and the 4 sauces. You can also put the cheese directly on the meat, and it tastes really good.
Lastly, they serve amazing side dishes such as kimchi, potato, red sauce vegetable, marinated Korean glass noodle, pickles, and many more others.
My Review in Samgyupsalamat Cebu Branch
I will be basing my review about Samgyupsalamat Cebu branch in Baseline Residence. Overall, I am very satisfied eating here, and I would say this is the best Korean buffet I tried.
First of all, the price is relatively affordable compared to other Korean restaurants. For 449 at lunch and 499 at dinner, you have unlimited pork and beef. Furthermore, the side dish is also unlimited, meaning it can be refilled if you want.
Secondly, the food is very delicious. This is the best Korean grilling restaurant I ate in Cebu. They serve different kinds of beef dishes, and they are all unlimited. They are very flavorful, and it is not too spicy, which is a good thing.
Furthermore, the sauces including the gravy and cheese blend perfectly with the meat, and it is mouthwatering. This is the only Korean restaurant that serves cheese and gravy. Lastly, the side dishes are also really good. They are appetizing, not too spicy, and the size is very generous.
However, there are some downsides to eating in Samgyupsalamat. First of all, it has a long waiting list which takes too much time. Sometimes, we have to wait for 1 hour, or even 2 hours if we are unlucky. If you are not used to waiting for 1 hour, this is NOT a great place to go. If I want to go back to Samgyupsalamat, I will go there 1 hour earlier to reserve our name.
Secondly, the customer service is a bit slow. You have to call them several times for them to respond to you. However, because the table is all full, and they were probably overwhelmed by many customers, I think it is understandable why their customer service is not that great.
My Rating of Samgyupsalamat
My rating of Samgyupsalamat Cebu Branch will be 8.375/10
- The Food: 10/10
- The Price: 10/10
- The Customer Service: 7.5/10
- The Environment and Sanitation: 6/10 (The place has no comfort room/ wash room. Also, it is too noisy, crowded, and the smoke from the meat going to your face is a bit nuisance for us)
Conclusion
Samgyupsalamat is one of the best Korean buffets that serve unlimited beef and pork. It has several branches in Cebu and the Philippines, and the price is affordable.
This is a perfect place if you love grilling meat and Korean food. Although it has a long waiting line, and the customer service is a bit slow, I am sure the people will enjoy their time when eating in this restaurant.
Where exactly is Baseline Residence? I am not familiar with that place.
Its in a same building where the new supermarket Robinson is located. Great place to eat, but be prepare for a long waiting line 🙂
I also experienced eating in Samgyupsalamat but here in Rizal branch, your review about them was same as mine and it's true that their food is really great and best place to go if you're craving for meats. Thanks for sharing this!