The All-You-Can-Grill Korean BBQ Resto Samgyupsalamat Has New Branch! Oops! I Got Lost.

2589 Metropolitan Avenue Makati City(Behind Kingswood Condo) Thanks! I'll take note of it and make sure I won't get lost the next time I go here. Oops! If you don't know what I'm saying, it's actually the new branch of Samgyupsalamat. Familiar? For sure Korean food lovers and all-you-can-eat restaurants fanatics know what I'm saying, especially if they live in Manila or Makati City. If not? Sorry if you're living outside Metro Manila but I am confident you have great restaurants like the one I'm saying in your area. Going forward, yes there's no room for sadness and crying out loud because Metropolitan Branch is now operational. The new location had their soft opening last September 4, 2017 and yes, Jupiter Branch just said goodbye last August 30, 2017. Literally, you're no longer welcome there. Just kidding! Honestly, I don't know the reason why and in fact, I had a hard time to find the new branch. Just to share to you what happened. Okay, scroll down please.

Samgyupsalamat Makati(Metropolitan Branch) Come in! Perhaps, one thing that I really regret that morning when I went to the new location was not checking their facebook page first to see the updates. I initially rode a jeepney going to Jupiter Branch and I only got the news when my friend phoned me to tell that they were in Metropolitan Avenue. "Where is it? Can you give me a landmark? I'm already here! How to get there?", that's what I said to her. Sadly, even if I live near Makati City, I don't know that place. I was a bit pissed off because I also didn't know how to use Grab or Uber that time. Not to waste time, when I saw an old cab, I asked the driver right away to drive me to Metropolitan Avenue. "In Kingswood Sir!", I said it with pure calmness. It was fast, I went out of the cab after like seven minutes drive. The driver didn't know the resto so I ended up still, bewildered. What I had learned? When in doubt, check Google Map. "I know this place, I should have ridden a jeepney from our house", that's what I said to myself while walking. I felt I had wasted money to get there and still didn't resolve my problem. I was familiar with the place but not the name of the street or avenue, only after that moment. I had seen Korean restaurants near Shopwise and walked back and forth on the crosswalk but still I couldn't find it. I asked random people walking but none answered precisely. So, where the heck is it? It's amazing that I didn't give up because after roughly 30 minutes I saw the restaurant signage of Samgyupsalamat. Oh, praise God! I had realized that it's not really behind but on the right side, if you're standing outside Shopwise and facing that unpainted Kingswood condo. Once bitten, twice shy. End of the story.

Look at that beautiful table! None of us can surely resist this and everyone can feel better, especially if you just came from a hassle experience. On the happy side, I thought I went on time even though I was half an hour late because my friends already had grilled meat and all I did was eat. Perfecto!

Rice is heaven. In any Asian restaurants there's always rice and we love it, but make sure to eat fairly because you might end up going to the restroom after that seven bowls of rice. I guess that's an issue whenever we go to an all-you-can-eat resto like Samgyupsalamat, since it's unlimited we force to eat so much to the point that you can no longer breath. Well, the main reason why most of us do this because it's expensive and it's more than what you could pay in a fast-food. It's human nature to say, we just really want justice for what we paid. Tell you what, it's not a healthy habit. That was also my belief before but I realized later on that I'm paying more for the experience, the authenticity of the restaurant and the option to ask for more. Not to make myself super bloated. It's like my bragging rights. Again, don't eat too much if you can't.

What is Samgyupsalamat? Initially, I thought we would be eating at a Korean resto with a Filipino twist because of the word "salamat", means Thanks! But it's not, it's just one of many great Korean restaurants in the Metro. Thanks to Koreanovelas! On the other hand, the word "samgyeopsal" simply means pork belly. Whoever named the resto, you're so witty because it's catchy.

Kimchi! Sorry, I'm not a fan. Even before I said I'm not really into spicy food and that's really the reason why I don't like kimchi. That morning was really not for Korean side dishes and rice but for the "samgyupsal" or meat(pork and beef). Do you know Samgyupsalamat has nine kinds of meat you can grill and enjoy? Are you certain? Yes, I am! I can tell all of them but I can't describe.

1. Daepae

2. Buljib

3. Yangnyum Daepae

4. Yangnyum Moksal

5. Gochujang Daepae

6. Beef

7. Yangnyum Beef

8. Beef Boolgogi

9. Gochujang Beef

They were all beautiful pink and tasty.

No additional rice just more Korean lettuce wraps. I really enjoyed the wrapping part, you know the process, when there's already a grilled meat you get it and put it on top of your lettuce, then wrap it and dip it in the sauce, finally you will chew all of it like there's no tomorrow. That's what you call, heaven! 

Time to pay! Oh my friend, I guess you need to finish that because we might pay 200 Pesos(roughly 4 US Dollar) per table for the leftover. Well, not only in Samgyupsalamat but usually that's the rule of thumb when you eat in a buffet or all-you-can-eat resto. Great thing, we didn't experience that. We paid 449 Pesos(roughly 9 US Dollars) each. Pretty much a fine price for four hours of "Unlimited Korean BBQ", from 11AM to 3PM. Oops! It's only applicable from two people. Yes, bring your friends with you. The new location is not really big and it's better to go 30 minutes before 11AM because peak time is usually afternoon onwards. Make sure to use Waze or Google Map if you don't know the place. I had a hard time to use stainless steel chopsticks, I'd prefer the wood one but there's none and I hope you wouldn't struggle too. It was another fun and gastronomic experience. Sadly, we smelled smoke when we went out. There are things that I did not include on this article like the other branches. Feel free to check their facebook page for the addresses or if you wanna know more about Samgyupsalamat. (Photos courtesy of Daice Tamis)

Hey readers! I have a great news for all of you. Recently, I just created a facebook group, it's SuperMarkyMacky & Folks. It's for everyone! Travelers, Bloggers, Foodies or whatever you call yourself, you can be part of it. Kindly search and click join. Make sure also to add my facebook page too Supermarkymacky etc. and instagram supermarkymacky. Sending so much love to you! See ya!

Where I'm At? Travel Sale Fair 2017 (Year 3)

When in doubt, Travel! Do you believe in this saying? Well, if you're still in doubt now, perhaps you really need to travel. Start to pack your clothes, book a flight and leave your worries behind, I mean figuratively behind your door. This saying really caught my attention, I just read it outside the World Trade Center Metro Manila in Pasay City last October 14, 2017, during the 3rd Travel Sale Fair(October 13-15, 2017). Did you go? If you didn't read my previous article(you must read it), just to share again, this was the day I had to wait for three hours because of the traffic jam and unlikeable rain. It was actually my friend since college who experienced those hustles and sadly, I was also like an indirect victim of it. You know, if you're smoking, there's a secondhand smoke. It's like that. That was record-breaking! Don't worry, let bygones be bygones, she already said sorry and I thanked her too for the amazing dinner treat. I had no choice at all since we didn't get a chance to have a reunion or bond together after graduation. I thought that would be a great day to see each other again. It just that it really didn't go as planned.

"As we go on, we remember. All the times we had together.

And as our lives change, come whatever.

We will still be friends forever."

That graduation song from Vitamin C? It just popped into my head when I saw her. I felt I had a short reminiscence and then suddenly I said to her "Cha! What the hell did you just do to me?". Nutsy moment after.

Moving forward, it was my first time to go to a Travel Sale Fair, merely not my thing but since my friend Charmagne just recently opened a Travel Agency with her sister, I helped her to find suppliers of different travel and tour packages. Honestly, I got inspired when she brought up that because at least she could use again her knowledge about tourism management, our degree in college unlike me who chose to work in a different field. That's okay! Cha-Ching! There's still money there.

Hi, from Kidzania Manila! Great thing there was a short program I had truly enjoyed when I was waiting for Cha. Didn't get bored that much. I've been hearing a lot of requests from my 7 years old nephew to go to Kidzania Manila since last year but sad to say I always don't have so much time. Hopefully, we could visit next year. This educational theme park opened last 2015. It's nice to know that from Mexico, then Japan, finally the Philippines already has a mini city run by kids. I can't wait to see my nephew dressed like an architect or engineer. Surely, it can be a best place to recommend for kids. Halloween and holiday season are about to come! To book tickets and check promos, you know the drill. Click this http://manila.kidzania.com/en-ph/

Entrance fee was only 100 Pesos per visitor. From XTD Dimsum Express where we had our dinner, we went back inside World Trade Center to buy tickets. It was around 5pm when we went straight to the ticket booth and since my friend paid our dinner(roughly 600 Pesos) as a gesture of goodwill I just initiated to pay our entrance worth roughly 1 US Dollar each. You're welcome!

 

Time to buy tickets! No, it's just a joke! I didn't book a flight. I said at the beginning that it would never happen because I could always check promos from the website of my preferred airlines. You know, the Piso Fare. I told my friend that I would go with her to plainly create article for my blog. Well, something happened unexpectedly. You will know later. Let's move on!

The well-known Trafalgar. That bloody beautiful red booth reminded me so much of my college days. When I was a tourism student I had a lot of their brochures, not really? Because they were so thick, you could consider them like books. They sell a lot of tour packages but I knew them for their Europe Tours. Honestly, I kept those brochures before because those were attractive. I fell in love with the pictures of castles, mountains and new cultures. I thought I could go to Europe someday, hopefully, but sadly I no longer have those brochures now. Might wanna check their packages? Click this link https://www.trafalgar.com/gsa

The SMB! If you wanna put up a travel agency business, perhaps you can put SMB or Sarap Mag Byahe Travel and Tours on your list. Cha had her training and paid 19,999 Pesos(roughly 400 US Dollars). http://smbtravel.com.ph

My Philippine Airlines! Well, there's no way for them not to be the Philippines' flag carrier. They've been in the industry for like 76 years. The first and oldest commercial airline in Asia. Too earn skymiles, you can even sign up for free and be part of the Mabuhay Miles program. I will do that later on this link https://www.mabuhaymiles.com/Enrollment 

To book a flight https://www.philippineairlines.com/en/ph/home

Air Asia, Truly Asia! This airline is really popular in the Philippines because of the Red Hot Piso Fare. Did you experience it before, when you had to wake up before 12 midnight? Because usually that's the time the seats go on sale. You need to book it right away because it goes back to the standard rate in the blink of an eye. Home-based or independent agents always do this, that's the secret. Sometimes, it's best to subscribe on the airlines' newsletter for you to firstly know the upcoming seat sale again. All airlines do newsletter, so to avoid too much junk mails you need to choose only one or two airlines you'd like to subscribe to. Definitely, you can unsubscribe anytime. You may also check their facebook page or website https://www.airasia.com/en/home.page

#FLYTPACK Honestly, I just knew this company when we went to World Trade Center. I thought they were also travel agency. But no, if you will go out of the country and need to stay online. You probably need to check their website https://flytpack.com/wifi Why? Because you can rent a pocket wi-fi and get connected anywhere instead of paying roaming charges. Amazing!

Do you wanna see and experience the Philippines before, during the Spanish era? It's time to go to Las Casas Filipinas De Acuzar. It may be expensive for a breadwinner like me to go here but for sure this is worth it. Sadly, I didn't buy their promo when we went to the Travel Fair. However, I will definitely prepare for 2018 to see the collection of restored Spanish-Filipino houses! https://www.lascasasfilipinas.com

 

Remember I said I wouldn't buy and just merely blog about the travel fair. I didn't happen really. Why? Because I thought I bought a cheap and affordable staycation at Canyon Woods Tagaytay. Cha told me that time that they also sell promos on Metrodeal but what we bought was way better because for only 2500 Pesos(roughly 50 US Dollars) you can enjoy the place with your friends. What else? It's overnight, room is good for four adults and ticket is valid for 1 year. Plus, 500 Pesos of that is the discount for the breakfast. Okay, it's a deal! That's what I said after. I felt it ruined my frugal life again but that's fine. Complete judgement will surely be on the day of our staycation, if it's really worth it. Wait this on my next article. http://canyonwoods.com

Here are the other participants we saw on the 2nd day of Travel Sale Fair 2017.

K-Tours http://k-tourspalawan.com

Red Tag Travels http://join.redtagtravels.com

Tourism Promotions Board Philippines http://tpb.gov.ph

El Nido Bayview Resorts http://www.elnidobayviewresorts.com

Ocean Adventure http://www.oceanadventure.ph

That night was exhausting that's why we stayed in Starbucks MOA for an hour after. While we were having our coffee, I had a realization that it's really not easy to be an independent travel agent. You need to bargain and find the cheapest flights to sell. Well, truly there's always no easy jobs on this planet unless illegal. But if you like what you're doing, you won't feel so much muscle pain. Right? We didn't see so much participants that night but good thing Cha was able to find possible supplier for the land arrangement. Hopefully, her new business will be successful. It's nice also that we had seen each other again and bought something useful this coming holiday, the staycation at canyon woods. Check my new article about this roughly on December. 

Now, I'm done! Well, I hope you learned something today and I made sure every booth we saw during the travel fair has its link of their website, so you have the option to review it further or book right away. Plus, helpful captions. Not to push you but to really push you to like and follow my facebook page Supermarkymacky etc. and instagram supermarkymacky. Main reason why? Because next year I'll be launching my vlog and I want you to be always updated. Super thank you! Bye for now!

What To Eat At XTD Dimsum Express? Delish Wonton Noodle Soup And Tasty Dumplings

Oh, holy moly! I can still remember what happened to us last week and I'm sure you wouldn't want that to happen to you. Would you like to know? I hate to say this but last week I was in Pasay City with my friend to see the travel fair. It didn't start right because I had to wait three hours for my friend who got stuck in a traffic jam and we also had a hard time to find a place to eat at. Sadly, it was raining really hard that afternoon and we needed to walk a lot amid it just to find food. It was savage! Do you watch amazing race? That's what we thought. Have you ever experienced that?

Thank God we found one! That's what I said after that long walk. Luckily, though, we saw a Chinese restaurant. I felt it was like a gift from above since I'm a dumpling lover. Thank you heaven!

Welcome to XTD Dimsum Express! Let's get inside! Are you familiar with Hobbies of Asia? What about Dampa Seaside Macapagal and World Trade Center Metro Manila? If you know, these landmarks can be a help if you wanna go to this resto. If not? That's okay, you can always check it on Google Map: Diosdado Macapagal Ave., Pasay, 1300 Metro Manila.

XTD Dimsum Express is a haven for die-hard dumpling lover. Tell you what, you can't go wrong here if you are really addicted to dumplings and Chinese cuisine. It was actually my first time and I never thought it would happen since I've known Macapagal Avenue as the "home of many seafood restaurants" for a long time. The word Dampa is always the first thing you will hear from someone if you will ask about this place. Fyi, it's a famous seafood market there. Since it was raining that afternoon there were only few people inside. I thought we were isolated from the rest of the world but that's what I always like. No problemo!

XTD Dimsum Express Menu of Food and Beverage Offerings

Dimsum Party!

Perfect for rainy weather!

Time to refresh!

Mouthwatering Chinese Food Flat Lay Only At XTD Dimsum Express

Isn't it instagrammable? Totally glitter! The place is not big and I honestly find it like a canteen. Let's just say a simple version of Tim Howan and Golden Fortune Restaurant where I used to eat before. Perfect term would be casual dining restaurant. There were a lot to choose but since I'm shy and that was just a treat from my friend after letting me wait for her like a million years I ended up ordering dumplings only. My favoritos! She only ordered wonton noodle soup and butchi for our dessert. We didn't see each other for a long time. It's a good thing that we waited for roughly ten minutes for them to serve the food because we had time for chit-chat. I really missed her, she's one of my friends in college. It's really true, as they say, a strong friendship doesn't need daily conversation or being together. As long as the relationship lives in the heart, true friends never apart. Thank you google quote! Moreover, the years of without constant communication is somewhat not a big deal in friendship. Time to eat!

Hot Wonton Noodles- 180 Pesos(3.60 USD) It has a natural and authentic taste. Good for 2 persons.

Gyoza my love! 95 Pesos (1.90 USD) It's a bit expensive though.

Yummy! Siomai- 110 Pesos (2.20 USD) I find it expensive too.

Delish Butchi- 60 Pesos (1.20 USD) The price is right!

We also ordered Asado Pao- 70 Pesos (1.40 USD) which I forgot to take picture. We stayed there for an hour since we also needed to go back to the event. There's a lot of restaurants in Macapagal Avenue and indeed, this place is one that I can recommend. They also have delivery express and you can like their facebook to know it XTD Dimsum Express. Make sure to like my facebook Supermarkymacky etc. and instagram supermarkymacky. I enjoy going to different ethnic restaurants so far and I feel like I'm doing an around the world tour but the easiest way. Nice to see you again here. Thanks! See you on my next post! 

Spice Up Your Brunch At Mr. Kimbob Bibimbob!

What's your favorite cuisine? Mexican, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese or Filipino? For me? All of it! Honestly, it's really hard to choose. I even like Turkish and American dishes. Without a second thought, I can say everbody really loves to eat and try new food. It is indeed a basic necessity!

In the Philippines, it is not foreign to see saucy food or "pagkaing masarsa" as we call it, on the table everyday, like Adobo, Menudo, Caldereta and Kare-Kare.  It's always a fiesta! Let me not forget delish Filipino desserts like Leche Flan and dishes with coconut milk like Laing. Oh My! I'm making myself hungry now.

Perhaps, I need to thank the Spaniards who went to our country roughly 500 years ago for the spice trade. They helped us to have a diverse palate and be a foodies. Want some proof? Check my instagram supermarkymacky and you can see a lot of food photos. Did you see it? That's definitely a great example of Filipino foodie.

Who loves Korean cuisine? Who loves spicy? Well, I'm not saying that I don't like it or I'm not a fan of it but let me just put it this way. I'm always open to try Korean food merely because of the veggies. However, one thing that will push me not to eat it is, if it's spicy. Generally, I hate eating spicy or super spicy dishes because I'm acidic. I get scratchy throat and cough easily because of the acid reflux.

Good thing I didn't cough so hard because of my acid reflux when we had our brunch at Mr. Kimbob Bibimbob last month. Thanks to my bottled water! I was with mommy Laura that morning, my seasoned colleague. Sadly, that day was her last day in our team so we decided to eat out. I'm really gonna miss her. It was roughly 9 am, after our graveyard shift when we went to SM Makati, a 5-7 minutes MRT(Metro Rail Transit) ride from our office. I really thought at first that we would eat ramen but since we were on a budget we just waited until 10 am for the mall to open. Finally! After a long wait the doors opened. We went right away to the food court. There were a lot of great food stalls to choose at the Lower Ground of SM Supermarket, Makati City. Like Fuel Burgers, Hokkaido Takoyaki and Bibimbob. There were like roughly 10 choices from different meals to yummy desserts. Since we got fascinated with more people eating at Mr. Kimbob Bibimbob than other food vendors that day, we chose to eat there. We just followed the crowd and it was shockingly worth it. Do you know what we ate? Scroll down please! 

Bibimbob Pork- 109 Pesos(roughly 2 USD)

This is "bibimbap", a famous Korean dish, which literally means "mixed rice". Tell you what, if we didn't eat at Mr. Kimbob Bibimbob I wouldn't get a chance to try this dish. They are known for healthy Korean food and this surely a must try. If you don't want it to be super spicy make sure not to squeeze too much your gochujang paste tube. Half of it would be okay but it's still depends on your taste buds. You can create your own taste. Isn't it great? It was also my second Korean fast-food experience after BonChon Chicken. The dish was a bit pricey for me, though. 

Fried Korean Dumplings- 50 Pesos(roughly 1 USD)

I should have told not to fry it because if I'm not mistaken I was asked if I wanted it steamed or fried. I'm really in love with dumplings, any kind I guess? So, there's really no issue. But, maybe next time I'd try the steamed with soy sauce and calamansi(it's like lime) on the side. The price was okay but it's nice to see 5 pieces instead of 3 on my plate next time. Thank you!

KSavers Japchae- 55 Pesos(roughly 1.10 USD)

Well, unfortunately I can't give review on this since it was ordered by mommy Laura and I didn't try it. Don't worry we can still go back there and definitely you too with your friends or loved ones. Let's try other meal!

Mr. Kimbob has facebook page to see their branches and for other details you would like to know. Make sure to like and follow it but again don't forget my facebook page Supermarkymacky etc. and instagram supermarkymacky. Enjoy your brunch and see you on my next article! 

Welcome To Tokyo Tokyo! The Philippines Famous Japanese Fast-Food. Get Your Chopsticks Ready!

Why there’s no food on the table? Why you didn’t cook?  I'll tell you, surely you don't wanna ask your mom these questions or anyone in your household especially if you just came back from work feeling very hungry and tired. Calm down my friend and drink water first. You're in a cold sweat. It's not yet the end of the world. Just relax and don't scream. I'll tell you, surely the only way to escape from this is to get out of your house and find the nearest convenience store or much better restaurant. Food delivery is okay too.

Eureka! At last, the chaos inside your stomach will be over. You saw that there's a fast food nearby. One of your favorites. It's Tokyo Tokyo! Time to eat!

I'll tell you, surely no one wants to experience this but in reality most of us do experience this unforgivable circumstance. It's a great thing that nowadays as long as we have enough money we can resolve our hunger quick and easy. Whether we like it or not, fast food is still most of the time the answer to your hungry tummy. 

Stolen shot of Tokyo Tokyo Greenbelt 1

In the Philippines, millions of people go to different fast food chains everyday. Undeniably, our crazy busy lifestyle era often leads us to rely on buying instant food and all-in meals. I can say that we are already used to standing in the long line of people and sweet smile from a crew member. Let's be honest, we love crunchy chicken and we want to buy bucket meal like all the time. However, too much is somewhat always bad. It's also important to eat healthy food cooked by your mom. Always follow this rule of thumb; "Everything in Moderation".

So what do you usually order? When we say "fast food" we always think of McDonalds or Pizza Hut. For Filipinos, the first name that comes in our mind is Jollibee. Thanks to globalization because of it we can eat chinese food in Chowking and taste new ramen in Tokyo Tokyo. Speaking of, last month I was invited by my friends to attend Every Nation Church worship service in Bonifacio Global City and we went to Market! Market! after. It was like first time for everything, from church to mall. Our minds didn't agree with each other first where to eat but later on we just decided to take our dinner in Tokyo Tokyo. Honestly, this is the most popular Japanese restaurant chain in the country and its signature is the bento, also known as "a complete meal in a box". Plus! It's all the rice you can eat. Brilliant! Right? 

The price is right! I can say that meals are budget-friendly because you can be full for the price of under 200 Pesos(roughly 4 US Dollars). From bento meals, ramen, maki to desserts. Everything is affordable and definitely a haven for rice lovers. Sadly, we were not able to try their new ramen because it was not available. We ended up eating the usual meals and sides we order when we go to Tokyo Tokyo. Pretty much you can relate. Check these below!

My favorite! Gyoza! 45 Pesos(roughly 1 US Dollar) *value add on 

Maki makes me full quickly. 60 Pesos(roughly 1.20 USD) for 4 pcs.

Truly a bestseller! Prawn Tempura(served with rice and vegetables). 

170 Pesos(roughly 3.40 USD) *Ala Carte / 230 Pesos(roughly 4.60 USD) *Bento Upgrade.

Tasty! Beef Misono(served with rice and vegetables).

170 Pesos(roughly 3.40 USD) *Ala Carte / 230 Pesos(roughly 4.60 USD) *Bento Upgrade.

I want more sauce in my Pork Katsudon! 100 Pesos(roughly 2 USD) *Ala Carte / 125 Pesos(roughly 2.50 USD) *Bento Upgrade. Miso Soup and Almond Jelly Dessert are 45 Pesos each(roughly 1 USD)

*Prices may still vary among stores. Please check Tokyo Tokyo website for more details http://www.tokyotokyo.com.ph/menu.php

Finally! Hunger is over! How's the food you ate? Hope it won't happen again because next time you might end up eating canned sardines. Tokyo! Tokyo! is always my top choice whenever I want to eat tempura or gyoza because it's accessible. It's like everywhere. It may be debatable to you but based on experience if you will compare it to a fine dining Japanese restaurant in Makati City the taste of the food is almost the same. Come and try it! Get your chopsticks ready!

Hope you got more ideas on this new article and enjoyed. Make sure to still like my facebook page Supermarkymacky etc. and like my instagram supermarkymacky.