Eat All You Can at Sambo Kojin
So, when I went out last Sunday, I didn't just go to my bestfriend's party at the Edsa Shangrila. I also had the opportunity to eat at Sambo Kojin c/o of my generous cousin who wanted to indulge my every whim on the rarest of days that I chose to leave the comforts of my mom cave. It was definitely something I had to share with you guys.
While strolling around SM Megamall, scouring the racks of Kamiseta, H&M and other boutiques for a newsboy cap, an evening clutch and chunky accessories that I was on the hunt for, we kind of got lost somewhere haha. Anyway, we were looking for Forever 21 but ended up facing a not so crowded (a rare sight) Sambo Kojin instead, we found ourselves glued to where we were standing and just downright staring at the Japanese Korean Grill. We could hardly give the opportunity a pass when it was there in plain sight, right? So we seated ourselves in the waiting area allotted for 2 people and patiently marked our time. When our group of 2 was called we went in and was taken to our table and informed that we could start with our meal right away. We could clearly hear the table-top grill sizzling already, so we didn't waste a second more and went off to get some food.
Usually I'd be pigging out when it comes to authentic Japanese offerings such as these ones on display, but in the current situation that I'm in, Sashimi and Sushi that has raw fish or seafood in them just wasn't in the cards. I just had to settle with the Korean rolls that were mostly stuffed with vegetables, fruits and Kimchi. Being a huge fan of Kimchi didn't make the choice a hardship, it helped eased my longing for the Japanese variety of appetizers quite a bit.
Then it was on to stacking our plates with raw food to grill, admittedly my favorite part since I enjoy cooking and grilling quality ingredients as a whole. It relaxes me in some ways, and I also take great pleasure in the act of serving them to my family and close friends too. Filling up their plates with grilled food just makes me happy, I guess. Plus I have it on good authority that my grilling skills cannot be denied or overlooked haha. So, let's check out the first wave of grilling items that we got for starters.
Blame the bacon wrapped veggies and mushrooms on me, I'm partial to those so I just couldn't help myself and filled up my plate with all kinds of the same haha. The station for raw items to grill was hit pretty hard by everyone, but the cooks behind the counter were trained for such situations and were most definitely up for the challenge. They dealt with the crush of people with ease, could keep up with us at an impressive speed and were refilling plates as the hungry customers demolished them on the spot.
Sambo Kojin sure has a wide array of delectable food for grilling to choose from, it was a bit overwhelming at first when I saw the spread. We got to try choice cuts of beef, tender or marbled, thinly sliced that vary in sauces and marinades or simply seasoned with salt and pepper. My cousin and I both love the ones with the Sambo Kojin original sauce and White Miso. They're our favorites when it comes to the marinated beef, a must try in our book. Of course, we had to get the Bacon wrapped Enoki mushrooms, Chives and Asparagus that were visibly crowd favorites as well. My cousin got herself some spicy chicken and I took a lot of beef liver for us who are both a bit on the anemic side. I was tempted to get some fresh prawns but didn't really want to deal with the whole peeling off the shells thing haha. Yes, we were too lazy.
I went back for more food to grill, maybe around for times and passed by some stations that I promised myself I would check out another day. I saw some awesome looking Gyoza that had been nicely caramelized which I don't see a lot. There was a station with Sukiyaki and other hotpot in individuals bowls, hand-made noodles and stir fried dishes. I saw some fresh fruits as well, with the desserts which I'm not allowed to indulge in as of yet. Sorry, cakes, pastries and choco fountain, took a definite pass for now.
All in all our first Sambo Kojin Experience was great. The staff were all smiles, very accommodating and efficient from what we've seen. I love the warm lighting and decor, the individual chairs had wheels which I thought was a nice touch, making it easy for us to move around when leaving the table for food refills. We were so full, we could barely walk after the meal, the grub they serve is top notch in both quality and flavor. Would we go back again? In a heart beat! Of course, since the food was superb, the interior & ambiance were stellar and the service was excellent. Who in the right mind wouldn't go back?
Thanks for the wonderful meal Sambo Kojin! You haven't seen the last of me haha!
Tips:
- To make the most out of your money, come with an empty stomach
- Start with eating fresh Pineapple to get your digestive juices flowing
- Get bottomless Pineapple juice too, it won't fill you up like the other drinks do
- Pace yourself
- Go with a larger group than just 2, to make it more lively and fun
- Wear lose clothes, especially around the tummy area haha
Visit a Sambo Kojin near you:
- Eastwood
- EDSA
- SM Megamall
- SM Southmall
- West Avenue
https://www.sambokojin.com
https://www.facebook.com/SamboKojin/
http://instagram.com/sambokojin
