Gluttons' paradise.That's how I describe Sambokojin Restaurant, a fusion of Japanese and Korean cuisines.
My friends Lat and Kat (sounds alike, huh?) and I have been hearing Sambokojin as a new buffet Yakimix-style resto. We were intrigued by the good reviews so we decided to give it a try. And yes, we did try... twice. The first one was on January 14 and the next on March 17, 2012.
It is advisable to make a reservation by phone. We did it the day before. Our call time... 11:00 AM. You will be given a 15-minute grace period in case you failed to show up on time. After that, your reservation will be forfeited.
After verifying your reservation, you will be ushered to the 2nd floor of the building. As you walk through the door, you will be greeted by every staff and crew of the resto by a deafening "Irasshaimase!" Then they'll lead you to your table with your name on it. By the way, "irasshaimase" means "welcome to the store/shop" in Japanese.
A waiter will be
assigned to you to attend to your needs. Appetizers will be given to you before you attack the buffet area. I recognized the kimchi and the spicy dilis. The others, I dont know. Then he will explain the sauces, what sauce goes with beef, seafood or chicken. Then he will turn your grill on.There are so many choices. Imagine the food choices in Yakimix. It's all that and more. The sushi bar has the largest selection of sushi and sashimi . The raw meat section has beef in variety of marinades and bacon wraps (asparagus, bean sprouts, crab meat, salmon, etc. wrapped with bacon). There's so many of them that it is impossible to try them all. Then, there's fried breaded meat section (tempura, tonkatsu, and I-don't-know-the-name-of-the-others). There's also buffalo wings although it is named differently. Vegies are available too like toge (bean sprouts), bell peppers, corn slices, and mushrooms (shitake mushrooms, one of my favorites). Desserts area is heaven. There are lots of bite size c
akes (yes, even blueberry cheesecake), fondue (chocolate dip), brownies, and fresh fruits. Well, fruits are limited mostly watermelons and pineapples. And my favo
rite of all... the ice cream which comes in 4 flavors: strawberry, mocha, chocolate and vanilla. And yeah, the fast refilling of foods is worth commending, too.Rice is not available in the buffet area so you have to inform the waiter and the Kamameshi rice will be served in your table steaming hot. Don't worry it's included in the price.
The waiters are all attentive. More often than not, they keep on refilling your water and often replacing your plates with new ones. Once my chopsticks got splattered with sauce and as I wiped
it clean with tissue, a waiter handed me a new pair of chopsticks. Talk about initiative. They are all cheerful and wearing smiles all the time.The interior is simple but elegant, no fancy paintings and well lit. There's a good distance between each set of tables so there's no need to worry about budging other customers in their seats. The chairs are made of classy white leather and the table from black granite. The ambiance is awesome. It's like you're inside a hotel. The comfort room is clean and nice smelling.
The price? It's not cheap I tell you. But with the food flooding your table, I say it's worth it.
Here are some info which might help you:
Price: Weekdays lunch - 495 Php
Weekdays dinner - 595 Php
Weekends (lunch and dinner) - 595 Php
Children - 295 Php
All prices don't include drinks and absolutely no leftovers. With leftovers add 100 Php.
Hours of Opertion: Mon-Thu (11:00 AM - 2:00 PM / 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM)
Fri-Sun (11:00 AM - 2:00 PM / 5:30 PM - 10:00 PM)
Address: 207 EDSA Greenhills, Mandaluyong City
(between Connecticut and Rochester Sts. along EDSA)
Telephone nos.: 726-4466; 726-4520
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