Yami Bulgogi: Authentic Korean Food Experience in Pampanga

I admit. I  love food.

But this fondness for food has a bad side for me as a content creator and writer. The more restaurants I visit, the more I realize that I needed to step up my game as a writer. It seems that everything for me tastes good. Patay gutom?  LOL! And whenever I need to review a food or resto, my thoughts would always end up saying, the food was good and delicious. That’s all. LOL!

I know I was just being honest, but I need something more to say or something deeper than the usual, food was great. LOL! This made me realize to step back, really know the food, savor its flavors and not just eat, eat and eat.

So it was a good chance for me to practice this new realization when I had a chance to visit Pampanga for a Food Crawl Experience. Arms, a good friend and the blogger behind Around the Metro tagged me along with Allan of The Filipino Rambler for a gastronomic experience.

We all know that Kapampangan has a reputation for being meticulous when it comes to cooking, and that says a lot about the quality of their food. They undoubtedly have one of the best tasting delicacies in the country, so just imagine my excitement.

Before we dive into some authentic Kapampangan dishes, our fist stop was a chance for us to take part of the Samgyupsal (grilled pork belly) craze! This is Yami Bulgogi, the authentic Korean food experience located at SM Clark.

Yami Bulgogi Experience

We met Arms at the bus station in Pampanga and traveled for a few minutes going to Clark. Allan and I checked in our hotel first, then it was just another walking distance going to SM Clark.

Yami Bulgogi has that usual Korean feel. The design is sleek, edgy, Asian-inspired and minimalist. It has enough space for all diners. But beyond that, what makes this restaurant special is the way the staff greets and assists customers. Sometimes it feels daunting to enter a restaurant that has just opened for the day with almost no other diners yet, but the staff’s warmth will immediately make you feel comfortable.

The restaurant manager was all smiles when we arrived. After taking us to the best spot in the restaurant, he said that they will be serving us their best-selling group set – The Yami Grill Party Set.

Side dishes

This is good for 4 persons with the best and famous variety of Samgyupsal, vegetables and side dishes.

Aside from the Samgyupsal, more delectable Korean food is added to the set like LA Galbi or short rib, Woosamgyupsal also known as the bacon strips, sausages and unlimited side dishes with 4 cups of rice and 1 pitcher of iced tea. All for an affordable price of 1599 pesos.

The popularity of Korean restaurants in the country has something to do with the K-Pop and K-Drama craze. But for me, what makes the Samgyupsal experience appealing to the Pinoy culture is the way family and friends gather together to grill, cook and eat.

Instead of just sitting and wait for the food that you order, Korean restaurants provide us with this extraordinary experience to grill your food while chatting with friends. You know how much Filipinos love to bond and eat together.

Arms was the one doing the grilling most of the time, and me, the eating. LOL! Through this experience, you will also notice who is the caring type, the giver in the group and who’s always at the receiving end. As for me, I also felt the need to contribute so I also grilled some for my friends. You know, it is not good to just always wait, it’s also nice to serve your friends once in a while.

More than this experience, Yami Bulgogi gave something that makes the Samgyupsal even more irresistible. The food is of high quality. It’s fresh, and the vegetables are crisp. .

Suyuk

During this moment, there has to be some soup, right?

The feeling of that warm, delicious soup to calm our senses. Yami Bulgogi has some of the best soup dishes too. We’ve tried Suyuk. It’s meat coupled with fresh vegetables. Then we also added the flavorful Galbi Jim or Braised Beef Ribs to complement the grilled pork and of course, the rice.

My friends were on a diet that time, so I was the only one who consumed most of the rice. By the way, that’s 4 cups. LOL!

One thing that I’ve noticed at Yami Bulgogi is this special space for kids.

It’s nice to know that they’ve also thought about this while building the restaurant. So for all diners, you better bring your kids here. They will surely enjoy the kiddie set up and mini play station. There are also meals available especially for kids. How about that?

By the time when we’ve almost finished the meals, the owner of Yami Bulgogi, Ms. Mitch Park arrived and joined us.

We chatted about food, their business and about family. During this time, I’ve realized why the staff of the restaurant are genuinely warm and hospitable. You know I’ve been observing how they greet and assist new customers who came in to have their lunch, and it was always the consistent welcoming vibe.

The value for customer experience and the warmth all started from their owner, Ms Mitch. She was genuinely nice and warm to her staff. Indeed, the organization’s culture starts from the top management, the owners and it goes down to the front liners.

It’s me, Allan and Arms with the owner of Yami Bulgogi, Ms. Mitch Park.

I know that when it comes to writing about food, I still have a lot to improve. I admit that I am better at telling story when it comes to travel than food, and it maybe a long time before I even reach the status of becoming a legit food critic. LOL!

But in a way, I embrace who I am. This is me, that whenever I attempt to write about food, I end up also writing about people, culture and customer experience.

To wrap this up, Yami Bulgogi offers great food. But more than that, they provide superb customer experience, and serve the best quality and freshest ingredients. And that really matters for an authentic Korean Samgyupsal experience.

Read the Blog Posts: 15 Best Pampanga Tourist Spots

Yami Bulgogi Korean BBQ Restaurant
Address: Ground Level, SM City Clark (Near SM Foodcourt)
Phone: (+63) 908-874-2869 and (+63) 910-779-5566
E-mail: yamibulgogi@gmail.com
Website: yamibulgogi.com
Facebook Page: Yami Bulgogi PH 

More Pampanga Blog Posts:

• Clark, Pampanga: Fast-Rising Tourism Haven in the Philippines
• Festivals in Pampanga
• Giant Lantern in Pampanga
• Sinukwan Festival Pampanga
• Resorts in Pampanga

More Restaurants Here:

• Kyukyu Ramen 99 at Farmers Plaza, Cubao
• Angel’s Pizza: Menu, Branches, Delivery, etc.

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