OUR Korean Zumba-mate, Kum Hwa Park, invited the gang and I to her restaurant, The Secret Garden. This friendly ajumma, who always has a huge smile on her face, owns and manages this place along Mastersons Ave. And who are we to say no to the promise of good authentic Korean food? Damay-damay sa calories, mga besh!
Being one of the oldest Korean Restaurants Uptown, The Secret Garden has earned a loyal following. It has been open to serve the community since 2012. Unbeknownst to many, it is named after a popular South Korean hit drama with the same name. And what sets this place apart—the cook/owner also serenades the guests with her saxophone. Ms Park’s English name is Madonna and, as the expression goes, it fits her to a T.
The facade of the restaurant looks really small, but the gates open up to a bigger compound. There’s even a Korean grocery up front. The main dining area is alfresco, perfect for doing barbecues, but there are also several smaller air-conditioned rooms. My friends and I opted to stay in the latter because the heat was oppressive and a climate-controlled, cool environment was most ideal for our lunch. They have a button gadget guests can press to call the wait staff.
Like in any typical Korean joint, little plates of pickled vegetables and whatnot landed on our table. Known as banchan, these dishes serve as both appetizers and “sides” at every Korean meal. We were served the ever present kimchi, wavy string-like chayote, fermented zucchini/daikon, soy-stained eggplant with carrots, fried banana coated in flour, and cubed pajeon (pancakes).
I pay close attention to these little dishes, because the better and more varied they are, the higher my hopes are for the rest of the meal. They serve as a quick reminder from the onset how varied Korean cuisine can be. For our mains, we had: samgeopsal (salt bacon barbeque), doeji galbi (barbeque with sauce), buchujeon (scallion pancake), seafood jjampong (spicy seafood noodles), and budae jjigae (sausage stew).
Ms Park happily served us and cut-up the meat and long noodles with her kitchen scissors. Because we were in an aircon room, all the barbeque meat were not cooked on our table. The budae jjigae, also known as the “Army base stew” (sausage, ham, canned beans soup with ramen noodles, cheese, and veggies), was the only one served on top of a mini-stove. [Korean army service is mandatory for all male citizens when they hit 18, and they serve for at least 2 years. Hence, this dish’s popularity!] The soup was piping hot and delicious.
Our host shared the story of her life over lunch. My friends and I expressed surprise when she said she is 60 because she has extremely smooth skin. Apparently, she is the second owner of the restaurant. She and her husband bought it three years ago, and the original owner now resides in Davao City. According to Ms Park, her husband was the one who wanted to move to the Philippines. After retiring from 33 years of service, he frequented CDO to play golf because it’s cheaper. It was then when he regularly dined in Secret Garden.
When the couple decided to make the Philippines their home, they bought the place from the original owner. The compound where the restaurant sits is huge. There’s an actual garden with a water-wheel and some fish in the pond. Ms Park also has a chicken coop located somewhere in the vast property. She noted that all the chicken dishes use the ones she raised. How lucky we are to get free-range, organic chicken from her own backyard.
To-date, she has employed a total of 20 Pinoys. She speaks fondly of them and says they teach her about Filipino music. She can play Freddy Aguilar’s popular ditty called Anak expertly on her saxophone. And surprisingly, she does the piece with so much flair and emotion! She has been playing the sax for more than twenty years now. The Anak song became a part of her repertoire as recommended by her staff.
Although Miss Park misses Korea, especially her three children who still live there, for now CDO is her home. And like the city’s true “anak”, she has adapated well and set her routine which includes cooking for the restaurant, shopping for supplies, 3 times a week of golf, and then zumba. She invites everyone to come visit her restaurant where she brings a taste of her beloved Korea into your tables.
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