imperial korean kitchen : September 27 2025

i was initially introduced to korean food on the first few years of my professional life. i guess that was when korean culture became a huge hit in cebu through kpop and kdrama. i could still remember how amazed i was every time i dine in a korean restaurant back then, i get amazed by the sheer amount of side dishes they serve. and even now here in japan, that amazement continues; korean restaurants never fail to provide hefty side dishes.

housemate g and i finally got to try this korean restaurant closer to home. we often see this shop filled with patrons every time we pass by it during our walks, and i often tell myself that someday i would like to try the place. they say that a good way to measure a foreign food restaurant is how much it is appreciated by the locals of the country it represented; this shop surely ticked that box. koreans frequent the place.

atmosphere

i got curious by the shop's name, surakan. apparently it was the name used to refer to the imperial korean kitchen. it was a cozy sized place with lots of food pictures on the wall. and the shop currently had 2 huge groups of people eating and having fun. it was not reserved but it looked like they were frequent customers: around 9 men eating and drinking beer and soju in one side, and 6 of their wives enjoying their food and rice wine at the other. these men surely have had enjoyed their drinks as seen form their rosy faces and loud talks.

side dishes

they served a sea weed dish, bean sprouts, boiled fish cake, kimchi, and fermented japanese chives (nira). i am not sure how each of these were prepared but i loved the sea weed and kimchi. nira was quite hard to eat, which was just as expected.

korean pancake

we call this chijimi in japan, but this is commonly called pajeon in korea as remembered when we visited last year. korean pancakes, we had nira as main flavor. we just wanted a light one to contrast the heavy main dish. i was surprised how it had some crisps to it.

samgyeopsal

it was a set meal of korean barbecue, which included a bowl of soup and a cup of rice. kids in the philippines these days refer to this as "sam-g", at least in here they already serve it cooked. if you are not familiar with the korean restaurant then i guess this meal is the safest choice. well cooked and prepared.

conclusion

so how did it fair? i was satisfied, it was quite difficult to walk after the meal. but i guess it is better to eat here on the weekdays for cheaper menu options. we just had the basics for now, and it tasted just like how it was when i visited korea, that is a good review ain't it? i guess it is time to try the soup dishes in the next visits.

as always, AMPING KANUNAY!