Philippine-ized … Wency’s Style

Let’s face the music … the K-Pop music, that is. =b Baguio’s been invaded by Koreans. Together with their goal of becoming more proficient in English, they brought their music, their telenovelas, and their food along with them.

Sneak peek of the menu … *hihi

It’s only natural that we now have a taste for these things.  (Cue reminiscing music like Boa’s songs, Dana’s songs, etc. and here I am thinking of the days I hung out at the Hodori noraebang/K-aroke (get it?) with my students.  Shout out to Joanne, Alice and John! (“,))

The scene at Wency’s Restaurant =)

If you’re still in the process of getting on the Geobukseon/Korean turtle ship *hee, and you feel that you can’t take the heat that the most popular Korean dishes are known for, Wency’s is here to give you the Philippine-ized version.  Yes, it’s still kimchi, it’s still soondubuchigae with none of the throat burning sensation with every bite.  (Wency’s Restaurant also serves Japanese dishes and Philippine favorites. \m/)

Everything else on the Wency’s menu … =b *click to enlarge photo

Just like dining at Wood Nymph or Korean Palace, the meal starts with some side dishes.

Side dishes.  Don’t let the kimchi worry you.  It’s super toned down. It’s more sour than it is spicy. Marble potatoes (of course) and carrot tempura. Get a load of the cucumber based side dish. Look familiar? A small saucer of  ensaladang pipino. =D

For our main meal …

Pork teepanyaki/teppanyaki … I didn’t get a Japanese feel from this plate. Good thing this wasn’t my order. It was Race’s. A simple but good enough plate of meats and veggies he said.

Being in a reminiscent mood, I wanted kimchi chigae.  Since that wasn’t available, I went with soondubuchigae instead.

Sondobujigye (as it says on the menu) … The soup I got the first visit was just perfect.  Oh, the wonderful flavors harmoniously living in one bowl! It soon turned into wonderful flavors tickling my tongue and then sitting nicely in my tummy (“,)  Simply comforting, the cubes of tofu.

What’s a Korean meal without samgyeopsal?  Wency’s serves a Philippine-ized version of that, too.

A smaller serving. (Eating out at Wood Nymph with my students I always marveled at the humongous servings of foodstuff they have.  It always got me thinking how a Filipino family could … and would share one bowl of galbitang/beef rib soup for instance and be satisfied. Imagine the savings. *snickers)  No pajori (aw, and I love pajori so much) and just a small serving of  ssamjang (I should’ve brought the container of ssamjang we have chilling in the ref *heehaha).

Anyhoo, you get what you pay for at P160. =)

Samgyupsal  on an innnteresting grill.  ^^,

X marks Wency’s Restaurant for good food (Philippine-ized Korean/Japanese dishes) in Baguio. Can’t take the heat?  Let Wency’s ease you in to the best of Korean cuisine.

Me… enjoying the simple but zingy offering at Wency’s. Note what’s in front of me both occasions. Soondubu … nyum! \m/

Food:   Kudos for the tasty soondubuchigae, Wency’s! (I’m referring to the one on the first visit, although the bowl on the second visit was still okay.)

Service: 

Ambiance:   I’m not sure if the store’s dark or dirty … hhmmm, dingy, might be the best word to describe it.

Price: 

WHERE TO EAT IN BAGUIO CITY

Wency’s Restaurant

39 M. Roxas Street, Trancoville

Baguio City, Philippines

Information Tidbit: Heard it through the grapevine (Shout out to T. Marc!) Wency learned how to make Korean dishes from working at Hodori (reminiscing singing room days with my students again *hihi).