From a scale of local banks to the Blessed Sacrament, the serenity at the Korean Embassy is about a beautiful 8.5—maybe I could bump the score to 9 if they had offered free samgyeopsal for lunch. I know this, because I recently found myself at the Consulate of the Republic of Korea at Cebu Business Park where me and some of my family submitted requirements for a travel visa.
We went through what I thought was a very pleasant experience, considering the day involved some paperwork and putting on a poker face when dealing with officials. So yes, I can skip the samgyeopsal and would rather get my visa approved.
Interestingly enough, that evening would find me at Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, where the multiple Best of Cebu awardee hosted friends from the media for a Korean-themed dinner. So it was like my own personal Korean holiday. We met guest chef Choi Hwang Min and his wife, chef Marie, who introduced to us their take on the authentic flavors of South Korea. Chef Hwang Min has over four decades of culinary experience, working in several Korean and Chinese restaurants in Seoul, before starting a restaurant here in Cebu.
From the hand-made steamed and fried dumplings and hand-pulled noodles that carried the jjajangmyeon with its savory black bean sauce to the comforting tangsuyuk (sweet and sour crispy pork) and the hot dak bokkeum (spicy chicken stew)—indeed, everything was “mashita!” (The Korean word for “delicious,” and fittingly, the chosen theme for the feature weekend feast at Cafe Marco).
As I’ve detailed in past entries, my wife and I were fortunate to have had the opportunity to spend our honeymoon in Seoul during the cherry blossom season. So my recent dining experiences in the Land of Morning Calm gave me a relatively good idea of what food in Korea tastes like.
I’m happy to report that, yes, dinner that night was lifted straight out of the K-playbook—or in this case, cookbook. Unlimited kimchi is always a welcome side, as it goes well with everything from soups to stir-fry dishes. Chef Marie and I had a quick conversation. She shared about how much the global culinary scene has evolved so much, that some Korean tourists in Cebu would tell the chef couple that the Korean dishes prepared here are much better than in Korea itself, due to the fresher ingredients.
Consider us Cebuanos blessed.
“Mashita” at Marco Polo was only until Aug. 27, however, the good times and great flavors should continue to roll at Cafe Marco. Especially on Fridays, when the hotel offers lunch and dinner groups a” Foodie Friday” offer, where for every four paying foodie, the fifth dines for free.
Happy eating!