Well, well, well. This year’s first (and probably only) collection of restaurant reviews is finally here. This time, I’ve dined at three quite different restaurants, specializing in each of the big three East Asian cuisines. In this entry, we have Lan Hotpot from China, Gochugang from Korea, and Botejyu from Japan. Let’s go!

Lan Hotpot

This is my first time eating at a Chinese-style hotpot restaurant and it was a unique experience flavor-wise. Lan Hotpot just opened at the Gateway Mall 2 and we decided to treat ourselves by trying it out.

The theme is space for some reason, but the lighting is good

We had the choice of 2 broths and we got the Signature Chicken Soup and Mild Mala Spicy. Spoiler: The mild soup still too spicy for us. We didn’t use the soup 90% of the time. 🥵

After the soup was served and started heating up, we were free to walk around and get the multiple offerings of meat, veggies, and dumplings. Of course, Shane and I immediately took as much of the beef plates as we can.

A lot of choices actually, but we immediately went for the beef slices

There is only one kind of beef, and even though it was thinly cut, we found it to be quite tough when cooked. We were definitely exercising our jaw muscles the entire night. This was most likely local beef that needs a lot of tenderizing. I cooked my beef in the spicy soup and then dipped it in the Signature Chicken Soup to cool down lessen the spice. I found this the optimal way to enjoy the flavors.

Shane also whipped up a custom sauce made from peanut sauce, oyster sauce, satay sauce, sugar, and other ingredients that made the beef even more flavorful. Maybe deep down, we just used the meat as a vehicle for this sauce. The reality is we missed eating at Sichu Malatang.

There were also some items that can be cooked for you

Aside from the beef, we enjoyed chowing down on Enoki mushrooms and the multiple hotpot balls. Sadly, they didn’t have the ones with cheese inside. The balls we liked were those that tasted like shrimp and crab as well as the ones with mysterious brown meat (I really need to know the names of the things I’m eating).

The soup base is the same, but it starts with different spices and condiments

The best part of the buffet was the unlimited ice cream option. They had popsicles in a freezer and these saved my life when my tongue got burnt by too much spice. Being able to have an ice cream break before going back to chowing down on beef slices was a wonderful experience. I capped off the night with a milk tea-flavored popsicle.

I’m no longer an active eater and I feel that I can no longer get my money’s worth at all-you-can-eat restaurants, but muscle memory did its job and we walked out with our bellies bursting, ready to enter a deep and long food coma.

I still prefer Japanese broth like Sukiyaki or the pork tendons, but I don’t regret this experience at all. I’d come back if they make their beef a little more tender.

Lan Hotpot
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Mall Hours
Level 2, Gateway Mall 2,
Araneta City, Quezon City

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Gochugang

I happened to be in Robinsons Magnolia to accompany Shane, and Mama to their Jungkook movie screening. It’s a mall I’ve only been to a few times so I took the chance to look around.

They have a lot of restaurants for all budgets. On the ground floor was the regular food court, and on the 4th floor was their higher end “Public Eatery.” The latter one was where we decided to look for food as it was right below the cinema.

As soon as I stepped out the eleveator, I saw a poster of Gochugang’s beef rice bowls and they looked so tempting. After walking around the place, we all agreed to try Gochugang as no other place seemed to call out to us. This turned out to be a really good decision.

We ordered the Cheesy Beef Bulgogi , the Torched Truffle Bulgogi, and a plate of Sweet Soy Garlic Korean Boneless Chicken. These were quite pricey, but they turned out looking exactly like the ones in the poster, so no false advertising here. The servings were also good for one very hungry person. For us, we all shared the dishes with each other.

We were all happy with the orders. The only difference between the beef bowls were the sauce on top, but the base beef bulgogi itself was marinated and cooked wonderfully. It was tender and bursting with flavor, a perfect complement to the rice beneath it.

Every bite took me back to the times I cooked premium beef at a samgyupsal joint. The truffle sauce wasn’t overwhelming but it had a delightful kick. The cheese sauce was my favorite as it combined with the bulgogi beef to make each mouthful very savory.

The fried chicken too, didn’t hold back. Despite the muted flavor of the soy, it was very juicy all the way and the skin was extra crispy. The flavor was present in every bite and the garlic hit was light and pleasant.

Each dish also came with a small side of kimchi and sprouts. The kimchi was well-fermented and too sour for my taste. Shane liked it though. The sprouts were also decent, but there’s not much to say when they can be finished in a single spoonful.

We didn’t have anything but praise for this Gochugang experience. The only downside would be the price (but I would still say it was worth every peso), and that they’re found in only two malls in Metro Manila.

I’m still thinking of this beef bowl every now and then. It would have to be my favorite beef next to the ones I’ve had in Japan. It’s just a perfect meal to have when you’re craving for something delicious. If you’re ever in Robinsons Magnolia, I would highly recommend Gochugang. Even just writing this review makes me wanna go back and eat there again. Mmmm.

Gochugang
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Mall Hours
4F Public Eatery, Robinsons Magnolia
Aurora Blvd, corner Doña Hemady St,
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Mall Hours
Stall #6 The Grid, 2F, Powerplant Mall,
Rockwell Makati, Makati City

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Botejyu

Opening the menu at Botejyu is an overwhelming experience. It’s a testament to their wide variety of dishes when the menu itself has a table of contents and is over 20 pages long. I would like to call Botejyu “The entrance to Japan’s Kitchen” because they have almost every famous (and non-famous) dish you can think of.

Plus, they currently have a 50% off the bill for meals above P3,000 when paid with a BDO Rewards credit card! However this only applies on weekdays and we ate here on a Sunday. Huhu. Always check the fine print and don’t forget to ask the servers of all the ongoing promotions.

Anyway, I wanted to try something else aside from Ramen (which I’ve already said is quite good), and since Botejyu is advertised as the birthplace of the Oko® or Okonomiyaki, I tried their Moonlight Egg Premium Mix Oko. Shane ordered the Mazesoba, a special kind of soupless ramen, and Mama had her Grilled Charsiu Pork & Egg Rice Bowl. We also ordered the Original Sauce & Mayo Takoyaki and Fried Prawn Platter for sharing.

Our orders arrived one by one and we started chowing down. I like how easy Okonomiyaki is to eat and with the size, it is big enough to share. The many different ingredients helped make each bite unique in both taste and texture. There were squid rings, beef and pork slices, as well as the shredded cabbage and fried egg. All of this being brought together by the special sauce, mayonnaise, and bonito flakes on top.

The Mazesoba had a very strong flavor. It reminded me of jjajangmyeon for some reason. I especially liked the torched pork belly slices and the noodles were cooked right. The novelty of a sauceless ramen is unique, and it was good enough for a meal, but not something I would order again. I would still prefer tsukemen over this.

My favorite order for that meal were the fried prawns. They were big and juicy and the batter was fluffy and light. This is exactly the kind of tempura I have in mind when I order one. I would have eaten more if I didn’t have to share.

The takoyaki was alright. Mama really liked these and the flavor was there. It’s essentially the same batter, sauce, and toppings as my okonomiyaki, just cooked differently. The octopus pieces inside were large. I just prefer my takoyaki to be a bit more cooked on the inside. The batter was still a bit runny and the balls were big and hot so you can’t eat them in one bite. But, they were hefty and we were definitely full by the end of the meal because of them.

Botejyu is a good place to taste authentic Japanese cuisine for the first time. They offer so many dishes that you can try every delicacy across Japan and choose what you like. They do a lot of things well, but they don’t really specialize in anything. It’s a good launch pad for discovering more good Japanese restaurants when you’ve chosen a dish you want to eat more of.

Also, I really like the Okonomiyaki spatula/slicer that they serve. I need one for my own collection.

Botejyu
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Mall Hours
Ground Floor, SM Marikina
Marcos Hwy., Calumpang, Marikina City

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It’s been a while since my last food review because of reasons. I’ve been eating a lot of food but most of them are things I’ve already blogged about. I’m happy to have tried some new things this time. It’s hard to order new food when the ones I’ve had are already so good. Having an easy to impress palate is a really good thing for me.

Thanks for reading and please recommend more good places to eat!

-jgzn