I always go nuts over wrapping my freshly grilled marinated meats in veggies and having all the flavors hit my mouth in one go. But you know what's funny about my Korean craving? I hate Kimchi. I know that it's no Korean feast without that sour orange side dish of fermented vegetables but I really can't stand the taste. Serve me all the other side dishes/banchan (bean sprout, seasoned spinach, stir fried radish, braised potatoes) and I'll gladly polish them off in a heartbeat; but no kimchi please.
Okay, enough about my not-so-lovable relationship with kimchi, let's proceed with my review of one of our favorite Korean restaurants, Bornga.
Located at Alphaland Makati Place Mall, it's a place that you certainly have to make a special trip for. The mall looks a bit abandoned, with lots of empty spaces for rent. If this was your first time here, you'll feel anxious and a bit antsy (like we did the first time we went). But the Korean craving in us was too strong so we threw caution to the wind and ascended the escalators to the second floor.
Don't bother to wait for the receptionist to assist you, it doesn't happen. Just walk straight to the tables and pretty soon, a waiter will appear asking if you made reservations (we did). Ask to be seated by the couches, it's roomier and the tables here are designed with the grill on the nearest side to the waiter. This matters as your meal progresses because here at Bornga, they grill their meats for you table side.
After taking your order, they serve you some side dishes. Bornga's banchan selection, though limited, is refillable which is a plus since other Korean places we've been to were a bit stingy with theirs. Go for refills on their fish cakes, salad and watery cold kimchi soup (if you're a fan).
While waiting for our food to come out of the kitchen, their place mat kept me occupied. They've printed on it a short description on what Woo Samgyup is (more on that later); plus a mini-tutorial on how to eat it, which even comes with colorful illustrations.
