Romantic Baboy | The place to be for meat lovers.

With the growing popularity of K-dramas, K-pop, and just about anything Korean, it's no surprise that samgyeopsal (Korean barbecue) also became widely known in the Philippines. Over the past few years (and most especially during the height of the pandemic), samgyeopsal restaurants have popped up in literally every street and corner in the metro, and even in the provinces.

Among these restaurants, the most popular would have to be Romantic Baboy. Established in 2018 with its first branch in Tomas Morato, Quezon City, Romantic Baboy is one of the first samgyeopsal restaurants to offer an eat-all-you-can menu. Now with almost a hundred branches all over the Philippines, it's no surprise that Romantic Baboy is a household name when it comes to Korean barbecue.

Romantic Baboy - the place to be for meat lovers.

There are currently six Romantic Baboy branches here in Laguna, and thankfully, one of those branches is in my hometown. The San Pablo branch opened in July 2021. Back then, they were a lot more stringent when it comes to health and safety protocols, like doing temperature checks, filling out health declaration forms, and presenting vaccination cards. These days, they're a lot more lenient - they just ask you to fill out their log book with your name, contact number, and time of entry. 

After logging in, you will be asked to wait a bit as they prepare your table. You will be ushered to your seat once they've set the table with banchan (side dishes), sauces, melting cheese, and lettuce. Likewise, the grill will be ready with fresh charcoal underneath, and seasoned egg on the side. 

Ready to grill!

Romantic Baboy's selection of side dishes includes kimchi, danmuji (pickled radish), coleslaw, pa muchim (scallion salad), eomuk bokkeum (stir-fry fish cake), and goguma mattang (candied sweet potatoes). I actually like their scallion salad, which reminds me of the pa muchim served in my favorite samgyeopsal restaurant in Hongdae. Their fish cake is okay too, but I do believe my version of eomuk bokkeum tastes better, haha. 

Banchan galore!

As for the dipping sauce, they have the traditional ssamjang, sesame oil, salt and pepper, and spicy sauce (which kinda looks like a watered down version of gochujang to me). I usually dip the meat in ssamjang and sesame oil, because that's how they usually do it in Korea.

The Romantic Baboy menu.

They also have a seasonal menu.

Speaking of meat, Romantic Baboy has eight types of meat in their regular menu. This includes Herb Samgyupsal, Woo Samgyup, Moksal, Daepae Samgyupsal, Yangnyum Galbi, Jeyuk Style Daepae, Bulgogi, and Spicy Beef. To start your grilling experience, you will be asked to choose three different types of meat which will be served in wooden platters. Marinated meats, on the other hand, are served in bowls.

Herbed Samgyupsal.

Daepae Samgyupsal.

I've pretty much tried them all, and the Herb Samgyupsal is my hands-down favorite. If you prefer a shorter cooking time, Daepae Samgyupsal is a winner too, since the meat is thinly sliced. Their marinated meats (particularly the Yangnyum Galbi and Bulgogi) are pretty good as well, but they tend to burn the grill faster and make the flames flare up. 

Grilling!

They also have a special menu and a seasonal menu. Included in the special menu are Cheese Scallops, Smokey Samgyupsal, and Bulgogi Chicken. Listed on their seasonal menu are Mak Chang (pork entrails) and Smoked Duck. The meats on the seasonal menu are hard to come by, while the Cheese Scallops are a must-try. They're chewy but super tender, and they taste like the sea, if you know what I mean.

First batch of meat. :)

As I have mentioned earlier, it's eat-all-you-can at Romantic Baboy. Everything on their menu is unlimited, so you can always order for more. Even the side dishes are unlimited, too. (I usually ask for egg, cheese, and lettuce refills, hehe.) You can also ask for rice and gochujang jjigae (Korean spicy stew), which they will also refill if you ask for second, third, or more helpings. All these for only Php 549. Definitely worth the price, if you ask me.

Samgyup buddies. :)

Overall, I love the food and the service of Romantic Baboy. I've visited the San Pablo branch four times to date, and it's been a great dining experience every single time. The food is great, the staff are cordial and friendly, and the restaurant is clean, spacious, and fully-airconditioned. I also like how well-lighted the place is, with huge, glass windows that give you a nice view of the sky and cars passing by.  

Lunch time at Romantic Baboy.

Romantic Baboy at night.

Romantic Baboy opens at 11am and operates until 10pm on weekdays. On weekends, they are open until 11pm. The restaurant gets pretty busy in the evenings so I suggest you come early, especially if you're dining with a large group. 

Romantic Baboy

2F Lynderson Arcade

San Roque - Sta. Monica Road

San Pablo City, Laguna

Great Ideas for Veggie BBQ Dishes.

Who doesn't love barbecues? They are one of my absolute favorite things about the summer - but I must admit, the first time we had some vegetarians round for an alfresco feast, I did get a bit stuck on what to cook. Fortunately, I soon realized that there are loads of vegetarian dishes that are perfect for barbecuing - a fair few of which I enjoy more than the traditional beef burger and sausage!

Even though there are so many veggie options, I think a lot of meat eaters do struggle when it comes to vegetarian barbecues. Last time we cracked out our Weber BBQ, we managed to cook up a meat-free storm; so, in case you're in need of a few ideas ahead of summer, I've put together my list of favorite veggie BBQ dishes below. Enjoy!

Veggie skewers
Veggie skewers are so easy to make and, considering just how simple they are, they taste fantastic. One thing I would say before you start, though, is to remember to drizzle the veggies you're using with oil or, even better, marinate them for around half an hour - otherwise, it's difficult to get them soft.

Personally, I love simple skewers that combine peppers, courgettes and onion. However, for that little something extra, halloumi is always a sure-fire winner! For a particularly yummy treat, go for a combination of just halloumi and courgette.

The magic here is in the marinade - soak both the cheese and veg in a mix of olive oil, mint and lemon for about 30 minutes, before skewering and barbecuing for about eight minutes (four on each side).

Photo credit: Cookapalooza

Alternative burgers
Even budding chefs that normally take the time to make their own meat burgers usually just grab some shop-bought alternatives for the vegetarians. Making tasty veggie burgers at home though is really simple - especially if you have a food processor.

Put 250 g of grated carrot in a food processor, alongside a can of chickpeas, a chopped onion, a dash of cumin and an egg - and then blitz. When this has turned into a paste, turn it out into a bowl. Next, fry 500 g of grated carrot in a little oil until tender.

You can then add this to the paste with around 100 g of breadcrumbs (preferably wholemeal), the grated zest of one lemon and a few tablespoons of sesame seeds. This should give you enough mix for six burgers. Chill them until you're ready to fire up the Weber BBQ, then cook for around five minutes on each side. Delicious!

Yummy side dishes
No BBQ is complete without a decent selection of side dishes. Technically, the ideas I'm about to give you aren't actually cooked on the BBQ, but since most side dishes usually aren't anyway, I don't feel too guilty!

One of the simplest and tastiest options, I think is cutting either a few sweet potatoes or a butternut squash into cubes (usually around 2 sq cm) and roasting in a hot oven for between 40 minutes and an hour. Sorry about the wide timeframe, but the result can vary so much from oven to oven - particularly if your cubes are different sizes! To check if they're done, poke them with a fork to see if they're soft inside.

I'd also recommend a couscous dish - this is so much more exciting than a standard salad, and there's a lot you can do with it. Personally, I like roasting loads of veg (usually peppers, courgette, red onion and some cherry tomatoes) and adding it to couscous flavoured with vegetable stock, parsley and balsamic vinegar.

By the way, if you're in need of a new BBQ or maybe just some extra accessories, you can find pretty much everything you need here. Happy barbecuing!

Do you know any good veggie BBQ recipes? If so, share them with fellow foodies by leaving a comment below.