#yoree

From food, fashion, language, people, television series, movies, schools, there’s no doubt that Koreans have already invaded the Philippines and it isn’t hard to see why.   

Korean meals, for one, can be very delicious and highly sophisticated when prepared by a skilled chef. But just like Filipino food, rice is always present in Korean meals and kimchi, but when you taste Korean food from its texture and flavor, everything is in perfect balance – there’s a bit of salty, sweet, spicy, mild, sour, bitter, and there’s always green and red leafy vegetables, and meat, always complementing each other.

When you visit an authentic Korean restaurant, meals are usually served with an array of side dishes, known as banchan, numbering to almost 20. So make sure to dine out with friends or someone so you can savor the food and you won’t be overwhelmed with all the dishes served in your table. 

If Filipinos loved everything about Koreans, it is no wonder why the feeling is mutual. 

Kyung Ha Yoon, president of Yoree Korean Barbeque Dining in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), fell in love with Manila the first time she visited in November last year because of Filipinos’ friendliness and hospitality in nature.

“I love Manila. People are very nice to me, always smiling,” says Kyung who became a regular tourist since then. 

When Kyung is in Manila, she would usually play golf with her friends and dine out; but the problem was, she could not find an authentic Korean restaurant anywhere in BGC where she usually stays. 

“We cannot find Korean food in Bonifacio (Global City), no more Korean restaurants. So I decided to use my talent here… So I opened Yoree,” says Kyung. 

Yoree may be new, but it is slowly gaining audience from both Filipino and Korean customers for its authentic Korean dishes, and stylish and sophisticated ambiance.

“Many Koreans like Yoree because it’s high-end with real Korean taste. All the ingredients and food are from Korea,” shares Kyung.

Kyung wrote for KBS Broadcasting from 1992 to 2000 before she and her husband decided to open their own restaurant business in 2003.

While she admits that she only cooks as a hobby, her husband, who is a chef and has been in the restaurant business for almost 39 years, and their team create the recipes they serve in their restaurant using authentic Korean ingredients and sauces. 

“I can also cook, but not as well as them,” says the smiling and very soft-spoken Kyung. Instead, she personally designed the Korean ceramics being used in serving the meals. 

At present, Kyung and husband have 25 restaurants in Korea, two in China, and two in the Philippines. 

If you want to taste Korean dishes cooked and prepared in the way they should be, you should try Yoree in BGC; and savor authentic Korean dishes, just like you would in the old restaurants in Seoul.

(Photos by Jose Martin Punzalan)