Smells like Korean Meat Shop

Cruising along any street, the signs you will notice first are the ones jutting out, perpendicular to the street, yes? Along AS Fortuna Street, watch out for this sign:

At first glance (if you even give it a glance at all), you'd never know it's a restaurant. Unless you read the sign down to the last letter: Pearl Meat Shop & Restaurant.

Have you ever opened your boring lunch box and something delicious wafts thru? Opening the door to this plain old cube of a space will bombard your nose with the delicious smell of grilled meat.

 

 The sign above the entrance

The first thing you see when you step inside is their meat shop. A few paces more and the sound of sizzling meat can be heard, the smell of grilled meat gets stronger.

There's a section of tables and chairs and further back are the low tables for those who have stronger backs and are blessed with no obstructing belly.

A Korean restaurant is never without its unlimited supply of banchan (side dishes). At Pearl, it's only kimchi and this green leafy vinegary spicy salad. Don't be sad by the limited options, you can still stuff yourself with it until you puke (read: unlimited).

The whole point of this post is that grilled meat I keep mentioning. Samgyeopsal. An order (180 grams) costs Php 160 and comes with a small basket of lettuce and cabbage, a plate of onions, green chilis, and garlic, a saucer of sesame oil with salt and pepper, and ssamjang, all of which you can ask for refills for free, except for the samgyeopsal, of course. A steaming bowl of tofu and veggie soup, which tastes a lot like miso only very spicy, is also served with the samgyeopsal. Can't live without rice? A cup costs Php 50.

 

Banchan, rice, and samgyeopsal's companions

 

That steaming bowl of spicy tofu and veggie soup 

Cutting before grilling

It's a goner!

For two hungry people, we had two orders of samgyeopsal and a cup of rice. We were so stuffed we couldn't stand. I'd go back for their samgyeopsal a hundred times even if it means I come out of it smelling like fresh off the grill a hundred times.

Here's their menu (click to enlarge):

If you have scrutinized the pork menu,  you might have noticed that the English translation for samgyeopsal, daepae samgyeopsal, and buljip samgyeopsal is the same: pork strips. Price is also the same: Php 160 for 180g. So what is the difference? According to the server, daepae are thin slices, and buljip have (most of) the fat cut off. Follow up question: which one do people often order? Answer: the regular samgyeopsal.

A bottle of softdrink costs Php 30, a can of juice go for Php 40, Php 50-60 for local beer, and Php 150 for soju. Water is unlimited.

Pearl Meat Shop & Restaurant
AS Fortuna, Mandaue City
(032) 343 8272
Daily 11AM - 10PM


How this Korean Meat shop grilled Mustachio's pocket:
Two orders of samgyeopsal Php 320
Rice Php 50