Soban K-Town Grill - Samgyupsal and Unli-refills
With the further rise of k-drama fever here in the country, people can't seem to get enough. Which is why some unleash the fandom through food, and of course, Korean for that matter. This is why more and more foodies are starting to crave for Korean cuisine more particularly the sinful kind -- grilled meat! Thankfully, Soban K-Town Grill came into the scene to satisfy the "growing needs" of the foodies within Greenbelt area.
Shattering impression
I've wanted to try out Soban the moment it opened its doors to foodies, but I got carried away with the neutral and lukewarm remarks of others (i.e. friends who were able to try it). However, after a few months, one office mate gave praise about the restaurant and invited us to give it a try, and so we happily did.
Long queue in Soban
Initially, we were told that we needed to wait as we were #15 on the queue, and so we decided to burn time on the benches near the cinema. However, in just about 10 minutes, we were informed via text that we could now be accommodated. We don't know what happened, but we suspect that our office mate who invited us there (and who also happens to be a loyal patron) was the reason. Or we were just lucky, as simple as that.
Lack of coolness in room temperature
The interior of Soban has this typical appearance you'll usually encounter when grilling is done on the spot. The only not-so-good thing we noticed was the warm and uncomfortable temperature when we got there, which didn't improve throughout our stay. Considering it was night time, it was totally warm inside.
For the night, we ordered the Premium BBQ Combo Set (P2,200), which is stated to be good for 3-4 but may be stretched to 4-6. The set contains marinated beef, pork belly, boneless fried chicken, egg casserole, japchae, pajeon (korean pancake), gimbap and unlimited side dishes.
The egg casserole as of neutral taste but its fluffiness just delights the mouth. "It's so fluffy I'm gonna die"
The boneless fried chicken was similar to that of KyoChon's very tasty and oozing with honey-soy flavor
The Dwaeji Bulgogi Set (P350) had this sweet savory taste that is perfect for the "panlasang pinoy"
The pork belly was a source of sinful goodness, fatty yet very flavorful
The marinated beef tastes comparably with that of the bulgogi set (i.e. sweet and savory), but this one is more tender, when cooked right. A personal favorite!
One of the fun parts of dining in Soban (and other Korean restaurants that involve grilling) is the cooking/grilling part. It adds excitement as you become more responsible with the final quality of the dishes. Overcook them and you are now to blame.
Everybody was in shock when the dishes came pouring in. All we ordered was the premium set and an additional dish, and we felt like we over-ordered. In the end, we were still able to consume them all, but all of us ended up feeling bloated.
It was a night full of laughter over stories that transpired at work. Unfortunately, there were a few who missed out all the fun. Still, it was an awesome Friday night!
Soban K-Town Grill - Overall Ratings and Summary
Note: Unshaded stars are equivalents of half-stars. The ratings reflect my personal experiences on the times I dine here.
Place ★★★☆
Taste ★★★★
Service ★★★★
Value for Money ★★★★
Budget: at least P450 each for a moderate to heavy sharing type of dining experience for a group of at least 4
No. of visits for this particular restaurant/branch - 1 || Date of last visit - September 15, 2017
Soban may look really expensive at first glance, but you'll be surprised by how you can actually get full for just about P450 each. Rice (and mind you, this includes Kim Chi rice), lettuce and other side dishes can be refilled for as long as you can take 'em. The quality and freshness of the meat were evident in every bite, as ours was tender and tasty. Thumbs up, and I'm looking forward to my next dining experience here. Oh, by the way, just make sure that you don't have an important meeting after, you'll smell like a samgyupsal for sure.
Soban K-Town Grill
Location: 3/F Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati City
Service Charge: 10% before VAT
