6.186
10 (Fri) July 2015
Andong Jjimdak
1.5
from Cocomoon
in my new apartment
-Malate, Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines-
with K staff
Try Every Korean Restaurant in Ermita and Malate (40) (see all posts on TEKREM)
Surveying the Korean eateries, including those serving Korean-Chinese fare, located in the neighborhoods of Ermita and Malate, nearby work and home. Minimum of 1 dish per place. Currently 45 establishments. Though anticipating that most of the places will be mediocre, I look forward to exploring more of my environment.
Cocomoon is a Korean restaurant/pub.
Located next door to my new apartment building, now the closest Korean restaurant to home.
Used to be some kind of western bar/restaurant until taken over by a Korean owner. Given the exterior/interior, as well as the name, I had no reason to think it’d be Korean until I dropped by after moving in to my new place. Curiously, none of the colleagues who live in my new building have ever bothered to visit and so didn’t know about it being Korean.
Andong Jjimdak is a Korean dish. Typically a whole chicken (dak), cut into small pieces, braised (jjim) in a sweetish soy-based sauce made super-spicy with green chilies, along with onions, potatoes, carrots, and glass noodles. Similar to dak dori tang, which instead involves red chili paste (gochujang) as the main flavor/heat element. Attributed to the southern town of Andong, though origin stories wildly vary.
In line with my general aversion to spicy food, jjimdak is one of my least favorite Korean dishes.
Even worse, the jjimdak from Cocomoon was all heat, no flavor.
The occasion was an informal gathering of Korean staff. Does it count as a housewarming party if nobody brings gifts?
The food was meh across the board.
On the bright side, I did appreciate that they delivered the food in decent time and on porcelain plates (which we later took back).
As such, I leave open the possibility of ordering other items from Cocomoon should I ever need to feed people in a pinch – people whom I’m not interested in impressing.
* * * *
24 (Wed) June 2015
Yeolmu Bibimbap + Doenjang Jjigae
1.0 + 1.5
at Doniz
-Ermita, Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines-
solo
Try Every Korean Restaurant in Ermita and Malate (41) (see all posts on TEKREM)
This post covers two restaurants, same dish, different dates. I will do this more often to accelerate the completion of TEKREM.
Doniz is a Korean restaurant.
Located across the street from my old building, previously the closest Korean restaurant to home.
I’ve eaten there a few times for lunch, just because it was so close. No meal ever rated above 1.5. It’s always empty.
Expecting standard bibimbap with yeolmu (radish stems) as the highlight component, I was sorely disappointed to discover that the dish comprised nothing but yeolmu kimchi – and not particularly good yeolmu kimchi – topped with a fried egg. It was
(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)
(See also RESTAURANTS IN PHILIPPINES)