K-fans and foodies rejoice! Seoul's renowned premium Korean barbecue joint sets up its first international restaurant in the Philippines. More popularly known as Maple Treehouse, Namoo House Premium Korean Barbecue, located at the Uptown Parade in Bonifacio Global City is the fifth branch of the Maple Tree House chain.
Upon entry, you'll notice it isn't the same Korean BBQ spots we usually have here. It has an industrial feel to it using natural elements like wood, stone and copper with modern materials like steel and glass. The birch trees were actually all imported from Korea and the green bottles encompassing the restaurant are Soju that is considered to be Korea's most popular alcoholic beverage. Almost all Korean meals aren't complete without any Soju bottle in sight.
What's a Korean restaurant without Korean BBQ? We went ahead and started with their best-seller which is the well-marbled Aged USDA Prime Striploin (P795/150g) that's already packed with flavor after its 2-week aging process. To further enhance the meat's flavor, dip it in the salt and sesame oil combo which is the typical Korean dipping sauce for barbecue. At Namoo, the salt is roasted so it isn't as strong.
Definitely will be an instant favorite to the Filipino palate is the Marinated Boneless Short Ribs (P750/150g) that's soaked in pineapple and pears to add sweetness and to further tenderize the meat. Pair the flavorful meat with what we thought was taro rice but is actually a mixture of white and black rice, is the restaurant's plain rice.
As in any Korean restaurant, Samgyeopsal is a must. At Namoo, they don't serve just any kind of grilled pork belly. Here, they offer their customers one of the highest quality pork there is, the Kurobota Pork Belly (P595/150g) a black pork imported directly from Japan and grilled over some oak wood charcoal. When your meat is cooked, do as what any other Koreans would do: grab a piece of lettuce, you may or may not add a morsel of rice, place the warm meat, dab a small amount of ssamjang (spicy paste), put a few pieces of grilled garlic slices and wrap into a small pocket enough to be eaten in a single bite. Tip: you can actually have your kimchi grilled and add it to your Samgyeopsal Ssam for a different kind of wrap.
Any Korean restaurant should have a good Bean Paste Stew (P195/small; P350/large) – fermented beans stewed with an assortment of vegetables – on the menu. Order a bowl of this for yourself or for sharing which would complement a hearty barbecue meal. Quite similar to Bulalo which is a classic Filipino favorite, their Special Jumbo Beef Rib Soup (P475) consists of large beef back ribs boiled for three hours or more to give the soup its flavor and is always made in a large batch. Dip the meat in the sweet sauce it comes with and taste the difference!
A complete meal on its own is the Stone Bowl Bibimbap (P395), assorted vegetables and rice heated in a traditional stone bowl to add a crispy effect to a classic Korean meal. End your Korean feast with a refreshing glass of plum juice for the ultimate palate cleanser and greatly helps in digestion.
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Namoo House Premium Korean Barbecue is located in Uptown Parade in Bonifacio Global City, 38th Street cor 11th Avenue, Taguig City. For reservations, you may call 946-3733 or 0917-5273898. Like them on Facebook and follow them on Instagram for more updates.
