Samgyupsal in Spotlight – How This Korean Dish Earned Its Popularity in the Philippines?
From the get-go, many thought that Filipinos’ obsession with samgyupsal would not last long. But years later, and it still keeps going on. If anything, the patronage has even become bigger. Korean restaurants serving samgyup have in fact become part of the country’s dining culture. Whether you’re catching up with your friends or having family get-togethers, samgyupsal would always become an option of a meal you wanted to share with these people.
From all of these, however, it makes anyone wonder what really is with samgyupsal that made every Filipino love it? Take a look at some of the likely answers to that question.
It’s an “All-You-Can-Eat” Meal
Here in the Philippines, samgyupsal is often offered as an unlimited meal. Meaning you can get as much meat as you want till your heart’s content. Sometimes, restaurants would even extend this offer to their side dishes and drinks. The fact that it is unlimited is enticing enough to sell the idea to many Filipino diners. Many foodie would think that it’s a steal of a deal because they could eat all they can until they are full and satisfied.
It Is a Fun Experience!
Whether you’re a newbie to this grill and dine culture or has been a samgyupsal lover for years, you’ll definitely enjoy this type of dining. You see, samgyupsal meals offer a very unusual yet interesting experience. When you come into a restaurant, the expectation is that your waitstaff will serve you the meals you’ve ordered. However, in an authentic samgyupsal Korean restaurant, your servers will deliver you the raw meat and ingredients and you’ll be the one cooking and grilling your food.
There’s an unexpected charm to the way you prepare and consume the food. It’s unusual but that’s where the appeal of samgyupsal is.
A Glimpse to Korean Culture
While samgyupsal is just a portion of what Korean dining is meant to look like, it gives Filipino diners a peek of what or how our Asian neighbors are enjoying their meals. It opens up a new world to many local diners. Right before the popularity of samgyupsal, you’re probably introduced to Korean cuisine through things you’ve seen via the internet or watched via Korean shows. But now that you’re actually experiencing it first hand, you’d like to learn more about their culture.
For example, their banchans or side dishes, you’re probably wondering why they have a lot of those and if it’s normal to serve those many. You’ll only understand the idea behind that when you dive into their culture and actually take the time to explore their customs.
More than just the good food and amazing dining experience, samgyupsal has brought in something to the Philippines. The rise in popularity of the said Korean dish is more than just a coincidence. In fact, this was brought by Filipinos’ curiosity and interest in understanding the culture more.
In case you’re planning your next samgyupsal get-together, just remember to eat in moderation. Too much of anything can be bad for your heart and your health, so be sure to dig in with the right amount of samgyupsal.
