The presence of different cultural cuisine in the metro makes Cebu City one of the many welcoming and flexible travel destination to people from the neighboring regions and even from overseas.
With the showcase of fusion and authentic dining experience like The Bada Korean Restaurant, many dining spots are open for adventure that will make your stay at the Queen City of the South going to be worthwhile.
And yet, the long list of foreign good eats escapades never stop there.
A taste of The Bada Korean Restaurant in Cebu
As the new wave of Asian culture now resides to the Cebuano soil, Korean dining is now well-known to food explorers and those who are in the stage of introducing themselves to a new level of taste.
With our experience at The Bada Korean Restaurant, this is going to be your next gastronomic bucket list for sure.
The Bada Korean Restaurant is located at N. Escario Street, surrounded by world-class hotels and the nearby Ayala Center Cebu. Going there is just easy as breezy and when you arrive on the spot, the place will welcome you with its enormous signage.
But before I discuss further on how this amazing feat of food will turn you into an avid fan, let me first introduce you how to enjoy Korean style dining.
They offer a huge variety of Korean dishes, from the famous Samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly) which you can absolutely enjoy with friends and office mates, to authentic soups and rice meals. Paired with your favorite soda or a cold bottle of beer, you will surely stay at The Bada Korean Restaurant longer than you’ve expected.
What’s best with Korean cooking is that you know it’s authentic because it will be served a bit later. The best Korean dishes are prepared the best way possible: slow cooking. Not instant-inside-a-tin-can, but carefully mixed by hand, like your moms do at home.
The most common Korean dish that I am sure you know about so far is kimchi.
It is a fermented food. Again, Korean cuisine is slow cooking. The preparation was made even before you can say the word kimchi. It can be made out of cabbage, or any vegetables like spring onions, radish, cucumber or zucchini. Mixed with salt and pepper paste, so please expect kimchi as salty, spicy, with a touch of sour and sweet. It can be eaten with rice or straight into your mouth like pulutan.
It blends well with grilled meat, so kimchi and samgyeopsal will work hand-in-hand.
The restaurant is offering samgyeopsal with beef, marinated pork, and with our surprise, squid. It is served unlimited, and that means you can call the service crew for another set again and again. For only ₱359.00 per person.
That only that, all side dishes (Koreans call it, banchan) is unlimited as well. Not to forget the overflowing bowl of rice.
Banchan is made up of small dishes that can be your side dish, like kimchi. It may compose of pancakes, sausages, sweet potatoes, spring onions, peanuts, and more.
Don’t get surprised but when the service crew will start serving you the banchan, they can easily crowd your dining table.
And the samgyeopsal looks like this when it’s almost ready to eat.
How to make the best samgyeopsal in 7 easy ways
1) First, get a piece of lettuce wrap.
2) Then, put a piece or two of grilled meat.
3) Next, cover it with any side dish you like.
4) You can put a spoonful of rice.
5) Get a pea-size condiment of ssamjang (made of soybean paste, pepper paste, chopped onions and garlic, sesame oil, and brown sugar).
6) Make a sandwich by wrapping the lettuce over the food. Make it a size that fits your mouth and smacks it in one go.
7) Don’t forget to munch.
Let’s stop talking first and indulge with these amazing images of Korean food heaven.
The unlimited samgyeopsal also comes with a bowl of soup. It depends on what’s available on that day. But what we have when we went there was a bowl of Miyeokguk (or seaweed soup) which is totally amazing.
If you think you’re almost running out of food, you can call one of the service ladies or press the buzz button and a smiling crew will see you and will take your request.
You can also order other stuff aside from samgyeopsal. I will recommend you trying kimbap (sushi-like rice rolls with vegetables, wrapped in seaweed paper), and bibimbap (rice toppings with a mixture of vegetables, meat, and a sunny side up egg). These are sold separately for a different price, around ₱150-250 per order.
We went there and started eating at 11 PM and finished (with a lot of talking and laughing) around 3 AM. The Bada Korean Restaurant is open from 11 AM until 6 AM, the next day.
They also have live music band when we visited there on a Friday night. You can avail unlimited samgyeopsal for two (2) persons or more.
You don’t need to learn the Korean language to order, and if you have difficulties with cooking your samgyeopsal, don’t get shy by the owner approaching your table as he will demonstrate to you on how to make your dining experience the best and most memorable time ever.
The Bada Korean Restaurant is located at N. Escario Street, in between Golden Peak and Park Lane Hotel. Please call (032) 361 1964, (032) 518 5445, or 0905 292 4843 for more inquiries. You can also check Bada Korean Restaurant on Facebook.
ALSO READ: A first-time travel experience in Cebu
We recommend you to try authentic and fun Korean dining. Arrive there very hungry and you will be leaving very satisfied and happy. Enjoy a Korean drink, soju, and exit the restaurant quite tipsy or even, get drunk and be merry.
But please be safe on your way home.
