Ah Sambo Kojin. For us, it's the standard by which we judge all other non-hotel buffets. When we first went there, it was a real treat. You get many good food selections, Japanese and Korean food, at a not-too-expensive price. Plus their Eastwood branch is easily accessible from where we live :). So we decided to document one of our recent trips there, to see how things are at our buffet of choice. Hint: mmmm.
Like what we said before, there's a lot of choices for food, cooked or cookable. From Japanese style katsu to Korean Kimchi, from chilled green salads to hot soup, from the grilled-at-your-table meat dishes that used to walk or used to swim, I think it's safe to say that everyone will find something nice to eat here. Chesca starts off with her usual sushi and sashimi plate, and it's great, as usual. The sushi was a little large though, so it may be hard to eat in one gulp, but we're not complaining.
I was feeling like having some Japanese deep-fried-delights so I headed towards the new-ish katsu area. All the katsu varieties were done great (it's not just pork), and the veggie stir-fry helped by adding some nice savoury flavors to it all. The veggies are called yasai itame, I think.
And yes, here comes the grillable protein. Beef, pork, chicken, fish, squid... they have all this kind of meat in different marinades and combinations. It's great fun to cook the meat right at the table and eat it fresh off the grill. And as we expected, they were delicious. There's just something different about the presentation and quality of the meat that gets to us. Well, compared to those other buffets that let you cook your own food. You'll never run out of new things to try out here.
And the obviously Korean part of the night was plenty of side dishes (kimchi, little potatoes in a sweet syrup, etc.) and a heaping portion of fresh green lettuce. Kinda helps us wolf down all the protein... For a, you know, balanced diet and stuff :).
Another good thing about Sambo Kojin is the sauce selection. Yes, plural, as in more than 5 sauces (teriyaki sauce, something spicy, something like sesame oil, etc.). Our favorite is their blend of takumi sauce. It's a little hard to describe, but among the sauces there it really gives the unmarinated meat a lot of flavor. It's got some sweetness to it but also a lot of umami. It really goes well with anything off the grill actually.
So after all that gorging, we didn't have much room for dessert (yes, there's that too). They have ice cream, the ubiquitous halo-halo station, and plenty of sliced fruits. I think there were cakes too. The price is about 600-800Php per head. It's cheaper at lunch, but we usually get there dinner time. Since the place is pretty famous, it'll help if you go in at the odd hours to avoid the lunch or dinner rush. This place is a pretty easy recommendation from us. The wide selections just can't be beat. And that's saying a lot because we've been to many a buffet. So if you're ever in town, see if you can pay a visit to Sambo Kojin. We promise you won't regret it.
Sambokojin
Eastwood Citywalk,
Libis, Quezon City
Tel. No. : (632) 421-0145 to 46
0917-3160144
0939-9340144
Eastwood Citywalk,
Libis, Quezon City
Tel. No. : (632) 421-0145 to 46
0917-3160144
0939-9340144
