MANILA, Philippines - While other Korean restaurants would serve spicy Korean food just for the sake of serving them and stay true to the cuisine’s character, Kogi Bulgogi, the newest Korean restaurant in town, does it a different way: the customers dictate the level of spiciness.
On a scale of 1-10, Kogi Bulgogi can adjust how spicy their dish would be according to customers’ wishes. Each guest can control the spice level from 0-10, where 0 means no spice while 10 gives blazing extra hot and spicy taste. The idea of having customers choose the spiciness level of their food endeared Kogi Bulgogi to people who like Korean food but wouldn’t want it too spicy.
Given this setup, it was no surprise that people came in droves to try out Kogi Bulgogi, from families, especially children, to groups of friends or officemates or simply just about anyone who like Korean food because of its renowned health benefits — but with little or no spice. Together, they flock to Kogi Bulgogi with the idea of having a quality dining experience, minus the burn in their tongue and throat.
But aside from empowering customers to choose how spicy their food would be, Kogi Bulgogi offers a lot more. It’s about serving Korean food that showcases elegance, sophistication, color and quality, attributes of Korean cuisine, but also affordability.
“We’ve meant to make Kogi Bulgogi different from the rest by letting our customers choose the spiciness of their food. But more than that, it is our mission to serve them not just great-tasting, authentic and quality Korean food but also that is friendly to their wallets,” explains Kate Paredes, marketing manager of iFoods, Inc., the food group that manages Kogi Bulgogi, among other food brands.
Kogi Bulgogi (“kogi” meaning “meat” in Korean while bulgogi is a type of food cooking in Korea) is barely a year old yet was already nominated as the country’s best Korean restaurant last year, testament to its quality offering.
Located at the posh Eastwood Mall in Libis, Quezon City, Kogi Bulgogi’s best-sellers include Japchae (glass-type sautéed noodles), Bibimbap, Nude Kimbap or cured ham style meat with vegetable strips rolled in seaweed paper, soft shell crab salad made of lettuce and crunchy crab toppings, and Deungshim Gui or grilled spare ribs. Current habitués readily fell in love with the Kogi Bulgogi’s meat dishes, particularly the meat which is imported directly from the US and New Zealand to give that great taste everyone enjoys, where you can savor the mouth-watering beef that practically melts in the mouth.
Other interesting specialties include Hoi (or commonly known as “sashimi”), the Japchae with its chewy noodles and a sweet sauce blend sautéed in meat and vegetable, and to top off your fantastic Korean meal with a tasty dessert, a must-try is the Binggrae ice cream, a well-known brand in Korea.
To make sure that its food offerings stick to genuine Korean style and taste, Kogi Bulgogi even has a Korean chef who acts as consultant. That way, Kogi Bulgogi food remains authentic, with the assurance of good taste and quality at an affordable price.
Right now, according to Paredes, the company is looking at possible expansion plans for the brand for this year, including adding another branch at a still undetermined location.
So why not try Kogi Bulgogi this time? Even if you’re not a fan of Korean food, you’ll surely love what Kogi Bulgogi has to offer. After all, it’s not just about the food and the ambiance that makes Kogi Bulgogi stand out from the rest; it’s the true value-for-money qualities. Nothing can beat that.
Kogi Bulgogi is located at the second floor of Eastwood Mall in Libis, Quezon City. For details, call iFoods, Inc. at 723-6033 or call Kogi Bulgogi at 470-6884.
Families, especially children, to groups of friends or officemates or simply just about anyone who like Korean food come to Kogi and try out the food because of its renowned health benefits — but with little or no spice.