Sariwon Korean Barbecue Manila

Mother's Day is the one day out of 365 when I am allowed to choose where to eat. But my being a mom gets the best of me every single time. So I let my kids pick instead. I couldn't be happier with their choice though: Sariwon Korean Barbecue.

Sariwon is the capital of North Hwanghae Province in North Korea and is also where Mrs. Bun Im-Koo established the first restaurant of the same name.

From a humble restaurant with just twenty seats, Sariwon Korean Barbecue became a multi-franchise conglomerate.

Wood and rocks dominate the restaurant's interiors which are coincidentally the materials used to build a Hanok (traditional Korean House). The restaurant's design gives prominence to a native Korean tree, the Zelkova. It represents patience, tolerance, peace, and harmony as well as longevity and endurance.

Sariwon Korean Barbecue restaurant interior

We were greeted by our server (Sha) who tended to our every whim with so much courtesy and lots of smiles.

Along with the "magic tissue", as my kids fondly call it, we were given a cup of Oksusu Cha (corn tea). Sha gave my kids the cold version of the tea which they surprisingly liked.

Left: Cold corn tea; Right: Hot corn tea

True to the Korean meal tradition, we were given six side dishes or banchan. The most important and famous of which is kimchi.

Row 1: Shigumchi (blanched spinach) and Tanhobak Sarada (mashed sweet pumpkin)

Row 2: Kimchi (fermented vegetables) and Moo San Chae (seasoned radish)

Row 3: Kongnamul (seasoned bean sprouts) and Kochu Meolchi Dokkeum (roasted anchovies with chili)

The fresh vegetables are drizzled with sweet sesame oil dressing with a faint hint of spice. My eldest son, who is not a salad lover, asked for seconds.

They use smokeless roasters with ceramic charcoals to retain the natural flavors of the meat when grilled. I've been to other Korean restaurants in the city and I always end up smelling like a marinated bulgogi. Thankfully, I didn't have that problem with Sariwon.

Due to its raw and un-marinated state, the first to be grilled is the Seng Galbi.

Seng Galbi PhP 780

The server did the cooking for us but you can also do the grilling yourself.

You have the option of wrapping the cooked beef short ribs with lettuce plus a sliver of garlic and red pepper paste....

...or dip them in one of these (korean sauce, salt and pepper, sesame oil) and eat them with rice!

It's so delicious either way! My boys preferred the second method while I opted for the first one. The smoky-sweet flavor of the meat mixed with a sweet and spicy red paste was a real gastro win.

I personally prefer the Galbi over the Seng Galbi because it's juicier, more tender, and of course, more flavorful since it has been marinated overnight.

The grill top is changed to a copper humped top for the bulgogi.

Yooksue Bulgogi PhP 450

We chose the Yooksue Bulgogi because the kids are not really fond of noodles. It is the only noodle-less bulgogi among the three variations.

The bulgogi broth and marinade are made of 12 different kinds of fruits and vegetables. Mrs. Koo never used sugar because of his diabetic husband.

The broth, combined with the tender beef, has a deep, rich beef flavor but not overpowering. We dipped the meat in the stock first, then into the Korean sauce. So good!