Korean Grill Goodness at House of Gogi

Kris Bernal has been wearing different hats since I have known her. Aside from being an actress, singer, dancer, business woman, here she goes again delving into a restaurant in Dapitan Street, Manila called HOUSE OF GOGI. That sounds like a fashion house but do know this stems from the Bulgogi which is a Korean beef dish that she fancies, we tried it out for ourselves a few days ago to know what it was all about.

The concept is simple, if it's lunch time you pay 399, if it's dinner you pay 488. What do you get for that amount you say? You get A LOT!

The Banchan (customary side dishes) consists of Fish Cake, Corn and Cheese, Potatoes, Korean Pancake and dried anchovies. They also refill at will so if you are a buffet Olympian like me, skip breakfast and bring your appetite to lunch with your friends and family. 

The meats? It's what they are known for. GOGI goodness comes in Beef Samgyupsal, Beef Bulgogi and Kimchi Beef varieties. Pork also comes in Pork Samgyupsal, Pork Bulgogi and Spicy Pork viands. I went for the Beef Samgyupsal and had it with fresh greens which they serve with a table top one burner stove. Lay all the meats on the grill and wait for your cheese to melt (takes a few minutes) and all this comes with the price you paid for lunch. I asked how she was able to keep the prices of lunch and dinner so low, Kris shares because she gets them straight from the source. She tells us the supplier is the family of her non showbiz boyfriend which she has known for quite a while now. Remember MEAT KRIS? All the patties she used from that burger  business came from that same supplier. She closed down shop because she felt that was all a testing ground before she decided to open a full blown restaurant - hence House of Gogi.

The meat becomes doubly good with their sauces, the gochujang was exceptionally good, kudos whoever made that because it has a little sweetness and not just super spicy.

The kimchi wasn't too strong, a little on the less spicy side but you can fix that with the gochujang. Your grilled pork will have even more love if you get melted cheese with it, not the cheddar type but real Mozzarella. You can ask for refills if you need to. This is so good!

Things like Beef Bulgogi and this steamed egg dish makes this place even better. Oh and did I forget to mention that they serve unlimited BIBIMBAP instead of the usual rice? Now how can you not try this place no?

The place is also instagrammable if there is such a term, so make sure you bring your phone cameras so you can share the experience.

After a good meal, we asked Kris Bernal a few questions about her upcoming show and a few details of who's going to be in it. She will be opposite Thea Tolentino on another ground breaking drama which GMA is known for.

Additionally we also learned she's planning to put up her own brand of lipstick, which dumbfounded me because everyone thought she was just quiet and doing nothing apart from her show, but NO. She's doing businesses left and right, some real estate investments, several shows and movies in the  pipeline, even got a brand launched very soon. 

Kris Bernal wants you to also experience House of Gogi for yourselves so head on to #55 Dapitan Street in Manila or just search House of Gogi in WAZE or Google Maps. It's this food park that has a car wash shop in the center. Just go up the small flight of stairs in the center and enter House of Gogi. Kris and her partners usually are there to say hi while you dine.

Congratulations Kris! Can't wait to see your other branches and other restaurants soon!

KUMAGCOW
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Streetfood Love at BAGA Manila Amaia Steps Sucat

I took a trip down south with some of my blogger pals to Amaia Steps Sucat. It's that medium rise condominium complex a few kilometers right after you enter Paranaque's Bicutan exit. They've already built a couple of structures already on the former Nestle lot and about to complete a couple more in the next few years. I like the fact that they didn't build huge towers there, it would have ruined the landscape and it's actually a very quiet and progressive neighborhood. You'll love to raise a family there.

I went inside their showroom and they've pretty much made Amaia Steps Sucat a conducive place to live. The plan is to have a couple of stores, shops that can pretty much get you what you and your family need inside the community, not having to go out too far. That's convenient, and I've seen their spaces staged. Their designs have maximized the square footage of each unit. I could imagine it to fit single men, families and their guests. It's a nice place to start.

The Studio unit space is around 22.31 square meter. It costs 1.8 - 2.1 Million depending on where it is on the property.

This is the 1 Bedroom De Luxe space which is around 31.19 Square Meters. Price is around 2.1 to 2.3 Million, again depending on the location of the unit. This one is already okay for me but they've got a larger one fit for families like I mentioned earlier.

The biggest one was the Premier which is more or less around 40 Square Meters. It costs around 3.2 Million which is understandable because of the space which could fit 4 people easily. There are options for office space, but it depends on how you would be able to fix the layout. These are given bare so you have a blank canvas, a sink and toilet and bath to start with. Just get a great interior designer and it'll be lovely in no time! It was nice for them to let us see how they staged it, just ask anyone in the showroom and they'd be glad to help you check out the place.

We were also there for BAGA Manila, the association of Barbecuers and Grillers of Manila. They had us dine under the stars with a couple of tables and chairs, even a parcel of land intended for picnic using tropical lights usually seen in beach destinations in the Philippines. They are open Friday and Saturday from 5 PM onwards.

Amaia Land makes city living worthwhile with establishments like these that would make living in a community that would be easy, with more time to bond with your family. For those who would like to live there or ask about their property, just go to www.amaialand.com or their official facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/AmaiaLand.

For those who want to drop by for BAGA Manila, they will be there until January of 2017 so you've got a pretty long time to enjoy it. Remember, they are open every Friday and Saturday from 5PM onwards. I'll have my Lechon Kawali and Nachos plus really good drinks when I drop by Bicutan next week. You should too!

For more information about their property:

Amaia Land

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Visit their official website

http://www.amaialand.com

Upscale Japanese Dining at WAFU Greenhills

It was the first time I've stepped into this store and yes, completely illogical to see something this beautiful as a Japanese restaurant. It's interiors and artwork were inexplicably exquisite; and the people there told me it was designed by the Chef's wife. Mind boggling? Yes. But it was also something that everyone felt was so apt with this place. It made it look expensive when prices of the food were reasonable. Words can't be enough, so I'll show you what I'm talking about.

That's a full Sushi and a full Sake Bar.

Insane right? Well, that's not the end of it because we're here to try out their Teppanyaki menu on the second floor. The interiors, still as impressive as the ground floor.