Cycle 5 – Item 5
10 (Fri) January 2014
Ki Jogae for Ki Hyun
3.0
at Mansun
-Poblacion, Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines-
with WHO K-staff
Mansun (만선) is a Korean restaurant. Specializes in seafood.
The restaurant is a local favorite among WHO Korean staff. You know how in Little Italy, if a certain pasta joint is patronized by the local gangsters, then the gravy’s gotta be pretty good? That kinda thing.
Less than 24 hours upon arrival, the indoctrination begins. The Korean staff at WHO have quite the racket going, collecting dues to subsidize their – our, now? – get-togethers on special occasions. This evening, the occasion was partly a welcome dinner for me. The treasurer took the opportunity to shake me down for my share. 5,000 pesos each (about USD 125), which lasts several months on average – an enormous sum here, considering that a bowl of noodles or rice plate in an average restaurant costs less than 200 pesos, a bottle of beer 50 pesos. The payment isn’t mandatory, but it’s mandatory. Welcome to the neighborhood.
The food was kinda meh. As authentic/tasty as it gets in the Philippines, supposedly. My first experience with Korean food here. Everything came close, but just falling a bit shy. Inherent differences in the ingredients perhaps, like the soy sauce.
Ki Jogae = razor shell clam.
(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)
(See also RESTAURANTS IN PHILIPPINES)
