Restaurant Review: SamboKojin

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Lunch on May 15, Sunday and I was not cooking, unlike most of the time when I get to prepare a gastronomic feast again for my family to enjoy (sometimes devour) after going to church. My mom told me that we have visitors from Canada whom we are taking for lunch. Guess where?

The Triple V Buffet - Dad's, Saisaki, Kamayan! The staple restaurants for Balikbayans for decades.

who can forget these (overpriced) fruit drinks which comes with a free plush toy?

But alas, my mom did not make a reservation prior so like 2 hours before lunch I gave her a number to call the EDSA, Mandaluyong branch but no one answered. We braved to go there as a party of 12 people and to their surprise, no seats available. Luckily the new restaurant beside it, SamboKojin had space to accommodate us.

So what is SamboKojin?

SAMBO KOJIN

The Japanese Kitchen God. Three-headed deity with two pairs of hands. Bearer of fire, protector of the hearth, watcher of the household, keeper of the brotherhood.

SAMBO KOJIN

The ultimate pleasures of camaraderie dining. Incomparable delights of togetherness, a closeness that will always be relished, repeated and remembered.

SAMBO KOJIN

The rituals of grilling, the merging of cuisines, the mastery of Korean and Japanese chefmanships from generation to generation.  

It is actually grill-all-you-can, eat-all-you-can Yakiniku! Smokeless and odorless too! Makes you think of Yakimix right? The difference is that SamboKojin is a Japanese-Korean fusion, as opposed to Yakimix bringing in more Japanese-Chinese dishes.

Korean appetizer plate (clockwise from top left: pickled cucumber, kimchi, sweet spicy dilis, beansprouts, sesame kangkong, marble potato)

pretty good and fresh selection of sashimi and rolls

basic salad bar but you can have a kani salad made to order :)

wide array of raw meats (both sliced and marinated in special sauces - I'll go through that in more detail)

hot cooked Japanese and Korean dishes

tempura / tonkatsu / everything-fried-and-breaded station :)

you can pass for the kamameshi rice - 3 people to share, rice is soggy, not too flavorful (and it has kamote! - sweet potato)

fruits, cakes and pastries for dessert (cakes are 50% icing so be careful)

can't go wrong with ice cream - brand: BigScoop

You have to try the sauces found in every table which the waiter will talk to you extensively about. Save yourself from the painful explanation and take my word for it! :)

Sauce 1: SPICY - nice kick to it, not too astringent. Best for cooking instead of dipping.

Sauce 2: SAMBOKOJIN - special blend which is soy-based, full-bodied with a  sweet tanginess to it. Great for meats. Sauce 3: PONZU - acidic, best for seafood

Sauce 4: TAKUMI - their version of a barbecue sauce, great for dipping! Sauce 4: Teriyaki - needs no explanation, chicken is the best partner in cooking. good for the veggies too for that familiar Japanese flavor!

Salt, Pepper, Sesame Oil and Chili Powder is also served on the side for use according to taste.

my protein plate of shitake mushrooms, marble beef, ox tongue, chicken liver, chicken breast, cuttle fish and mahi-mahi

protein plate after grilling with the sauces on top

my pretty niece, Alessa (whom you may remember from my earlier post eating the cupcake), loves the smokeless grill

Arianna, my other niece, loves the tender Japanese beef curry

Alrick, my nephew, loves his ice cream with all the toppings he wants

Adrian my other nephew just ate too fast all he had to show me was his big mouth!

kids really love the chocolate fondue and rainbow sprinkles

Japanese chicken cordon bleu is sooo cheeeeeeeesy! Eat while it's hot!

didn't care much for the Gyoza - not much flavor, grainy, mushy and had a chewy wrapper

One happy Chua family!

Three generation of girls happy! (My cousin Sandy, Alessa, Arianna, Tita Baby whom you may recall giving me my new kitchen gadgets, and my Mumsy Guia at the back)

I'm one happy camper myself!

SamboKojin also has a branch at Eastwood CityWalk. Adults eat for P695 (less
P100 for no leftovers), P595 for lunch Mondays-Fridays. Kids at P395 (less P100 for no leftovers). I do not think Yakimix has this deal on no leftovers which I find as a nice incentive as opposed to charging you double if you leave food on your plate.

Contact them for reservations. (EDSA, Mandaluyong)

Price: 4/5 (good and quality selection gives you the best bank for your buck)
Taste: 4/5 (the sauces really add something to it)
Ambiance: 4/5 (quite civilized and organized considering we went on Sunday lunch)
Service: 3/5 (waiters do a lot of yakking and less of serving)

Oh and did I mention, our Balikbayan guests did not show up! Toink! :)

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