Sambokojin - Grill and eat all you can

During the review days for my licensure exams (this last May to July 2013), I always had the inkling to go somewhere new and eat. It was something I religiously did because I claimed to be stressed at everything (from studying, to commuting, to going to class even during Sundays).

As most of my friends know, I am also a Korean addict. I like everything Korean. Maybe because of Super Junior? Sungmin? I don't even know. I just like their culture and their country and their food.

Anyway! I have always been fond of Yakiniku restaurants, I like grilling my food and I like doing it myself. So when my buffet buddy (Lorainne), asked me one time to go out and eat for us to catch up with things, I didn't hesitate to say yes and immediately planned our way into it. I looked into various Korean and Japanese restaurants and canvassed which restaurants have the best reviews with the cheaper price.

Eventually, one of our friends suggested Sambokojin. He even went to the extent of describing it as the "Best buffet ever" and "Kung magkkorean buffet ka at hindi Sambokojin, wag ka na lang magbuffet". So I was like, okay! Why not give it a try?

I didn't know how to get there, so I asked Lorainne for directions. This is me again venturing into unfamiliar places, but luckily, I have enough cash to spare this time around. The commute to the place is as follows:

OPTION 1:
1. If you're from Taft Avenue, ride an fx to SM Fairview. Tell the driver you'll be getting off at Delta. The fare is from 25-30 pesos, I actually don't know since I was already in Sto. Domingo by then so I rode a jeepney instead.
2. Once the driver drops you off at Delta, cross the overpass to the other side (to the Wowowillie's studio side) and traverse the street beside and perpendicular to it (that is West Avenue). Once you see Mercury Drug and Dad's, you'll see Sambokojin as well. :)

OPTION 2:
1. If you're from Taft Avenue again, ride an fx/jeep to Welcome Rotonda. The fare is 10-12 pesos depending on where you rode along Taft. you can also ride jeepneys with Cubao, just as long as you get off at Welcome Rotonda.
2. Once you're in Welcome Rotonda, ride a jeep going to SM North or Trinoma. The fare is just 8 pesos. the jeep will pass through Delta and Quezon Avenue, and will do U-turn somewhere at the end of Q.Ave. DO NOT PANIC. This is the correct route and soon you'll recognize Delta again, this time on the other side. The jeep will turn right after Wowowillie's studio and will go along West Avenue.
3. Look to your LEFT and you'll soon see Mercury Drug, Dad's and Sambokojin.

I arrived at Sambokojin around 6:30pm and waited for Lorainne until 6:50-ish in the evening. I had a reservation but when I arrived, there is still only a few people and the seats in our section are still almost vacant.

Our area still has lots of seats available.

When we got to our table, the server said we could start immediately so we headed to the buffet as soon as possible.

Sushi table - I am not particularly fond of sushi and maki especially in buffets, seeing as there is rice involved and I might get full easily. However, I saw an unagi maki (my favoriteee!) so I couldn't resist and got one. ;p

Vegetable and seafood area - this is one area I didn't really touch that much, except that time when I got prawns and and mushrooms for my grill.

Meat section! - One of the places I frequented mainly because of the mushroom and bacon and asparagus and bacon. Make sure you get to taste everything! It's worth trying! ^^

THE meat section~ they served here lots of meat marinated in different sauces. There is teriyaki, teppanyaki, bulgogi, sambokojin and spicy variants for every chicken, pork and beef counterpart.

 Their cooked food section which I hadn't really tried. Next time, I promise I will~! ^^

Their tempura section - lots of tempura dishes ranging from vegetables, crablets, prawn, crabsticks etc. Each tempura also comes with a unique sauce that is said to match the main dish.

Desserts section - They offer a variety of cakes but there are more chocolate variants than anything else. They also offer fruits, if you get sick of sweets and would want fructose in your body instead. :)


Let's now go to the things me and my friend actually ate. :)

Since Sambokojin is priding itself for its grilled meat, who am I to deny myself of it? A variety of meats (reds and whites), some with sauces and some without.

The best among everything here for me, is the enoki mushroom with bacon. The beef was so tasty and the mushroom is so flavorful. I immediately forgot everything else when this creature landed my mouth. Of course, our grill is not complete without my trusty lettuce and kimchi~ hooray for (pseudo) healthy living!

Being the obsessive compulsive and the perfectionist that I am, prior to going to Sambokojin,I searched the internet for general information about the restaurant. Through that, I knew that there were unique sauces for the grill that is stationed per table. When I started grilling, I immediately got hold of sauces and mixed it with the bbq. I don't know if the staff saw that I was able to do it on my own or they just forgot, but no one really went to our table to explain which sauce goes to which food. 

Well, for those who would want to know:

Ponzo sauce - Seafood

Everything else (Sambokojin sauce and Takumi sauce) - BEEF AND PORK! :D

As my friends know, I am really a sucker for ebi tempura. I really am fond of it that I know when something is really delicious or if it's the the sauce that's making it tasty. I am also very picky when it comes to the taste.

For Sambokojin's tempura, I didn't think this batch is good. The batter is tasteless and it is very soft (in contrast to those with a crunchy undertone), considering that it was still sort of hot when I picked it up from the service area. The sauce was also sweet that it didn't match the taste of the tempura. Tempura sauces (I think) should generally be tangy and salty with a hint of sweetness for it to match the flavor of the shrimp, but this one is just sweet and is so diluted in flavor. I even tried the sauces of the other tempura in an attempt to find a match, however, I failed.

Their version of cordon bleu did not reach my expectations too, all I could taste in the food was the breading, no ham, no chicken, no cheese. In an attempt to salvage the flavor, I let it drown in sauce (the mayo-looking thing in the picture), however, it didn't do anything to save the taste. The sauce, which was supposed to be cheesy and creamy, was just weird in taste and powdery in texture. There was no hint of cheese, in fact, there is no hint of taste at all. X_X

In contrast to my previous statements, I think the kani salad is good. Aside from tempura, I am also crazy for kani salad whenever I go to Japanese restaurants, and this, even though it is still not at par with the best kani salad I have tasted, is still very tasty! (I think I got two rounds of this lol)

We also tried their kamameshi, since most of the reviews I have read were gushing about how delicious this is. They were actually right. The rice was so sweet and flavorful that you can eat it even without meat! It has vegetables, sweet potatoes, and chicken too! I actually wanted more of this but my tummy is already starting to get full so... ;A;

Second plate! I remember one of my relatives telling me that too much seafood will bring your blood pressure up... so there. only 4! (plus the 4 tempura I ate from before OTL).

Ever since I ate at Marriott Cafe for the first time, I swore to myself not to critic the desserts of other restaurants. I couldn't do it. Overall, I think I could've lived and enjoyed (better) if I didn't get these stuff. They were very easy to forget and their chocolate doesn't even taste like chocolate at all. The only think I liked here is there mocha cake (the only thing that is not chocolate in this photo), but since I am very easy to please when it comes to anything coffee flavored, I don't know if it is really good or not.

Overall, my Sambokojin experience is okay~ to okay!. It has its marvelous ups and its disappointing downs. I'd want to try and eat again to see if the tempura changes in taste. I'd also try other branches to see whether they are really consistent with what they serve. I don't know if you really have to reserve prior to going there, but just to be sure! It can never hurt to dial a few numbers if it meant shorter waiting time in line. :)


What do you say about Sambokojin? Is your experience better than mine? :)


Sambo Kojin

Eastwood Branch
Eastwood Citywalk, Bagumabayan, Quezon City

Edsa Branch
207 EDSA, Greenhills, Mandaluyong City
(632) 726-4466/ (632) 726-4520

West Avenue Branch
15 West Avenue, Quezon City
(632) 372-8846/ (632) 921-2873

SM Southmall
Ground Level Eastwing Food Street Alabang Zapote Road, Las Pinas City
(632) 511-7843/ (632) 511-7853