JIN JOO (Pearl Meat Korean Restaurant) — Restaurant in Baguio

Our #1 Samyupsal in Baguio. And for many reasons, it could be yours too.

As meat-lovers, this place is haven for us! We have been patrons of this restaurant from years back during their meatshop days. They weren’t a Samgyupsal eat-all-you-can yet then. They just sold korean meats (fresh and freshly cut!) as well as korean side dishes.

When they turned into an eat-all-you-can, we started frequenting it. We’ve been eating here for years now at least once a month except when we’re not in Baguio. I only got to review it now because I didn’t really take any photos before hahaha

The owners are a Korean family and the place is a NO FRILLS Korean grilled meat stall. They got the basics covered and frankly THAT’S ALL YOU NEED in a samgyupsal restaurant. After all, it’s QUALITY OVER QUANTITY, right?😊

It is the closest to a local Korean samyupsal restaurant you can find in South Korea💗

The MEAT IS DELICIOUS, tender, juicy and most of all FRESH- they cut it fresh every hour to refill the freezer. The delectable side dishes are all in-house and cooked throughout the day. They have fresh PERILLA/SESAME LEAVES which cannot be seen in similar restaurants in town.

They DON’T have unnecessary filler dishes that other places have for you to eat so that you won’t consume a lot of meat😂 a typical tactic to make you full even before cooking the samgyupsal itself😂

This resto is straightforward with their meat specialty so don’t expect “add ons” like cheese and the like. You come here for the samgyupsal meat, and their samgyupsal meat will be of the best and freshest quality.

It is self-service but servers are around should you need anything.

Ambience is your typical ahjumma ahjusshi restaurant in the corner of a market in Seoul. Very authentic...

Pearl Meat Korean Restaurant is a nice place to have Korean barbecue; still recommended although it falls short on some things that are much better in other shops.

Food: The meat sizes were actually quite bigger and thicker compared to other shops, although not a lot of variety, especially when it comes to the side dishes, which were pretty limited and fewer than other samgyupssal restaurants. However, some, especially the vegetables, were available here. Not to throw any shade but I kinda expected more from the price, the popularity, and the authenticity of the restaurant, especially with the experience.

Service: The servers were pretty fast in responding to requests, whether you may be asking for drinks or some extra utensils, they come in a few seconds. Nothing else to say except excellent.

Ambience: Not gonna lie the place was a bit boring; no music, almost no attention to interior design, and it looks more like an actual meat shop than a place to eat. Although the tables were very clean and the floor didn't feel greasy, the walls and the furnitures would definitely bother a person who is sensitive to cleanliness.

TL;DR good to visit if you want to try, but you need to eat a bit more to recuperate for what...

My favorite Korean Restaurant in Baguio. Unknown Korean restaurant a few years back but made a name for itself for having a good selection of meat and affordable prices. It's now an open secret. The meat is grilled above portable burners. I heard that this place was a butcher shop that imports meat and distributes it to the other Korean restaurants. You can also buy meat from them to take home to cook yourself. They have large mushrooms at only 100 an order. Lots of young Koreans studying in Baguio frequent the place. With your order comes free Dae Jang jigae and at times free softdrinks. The rice they use is the local mountain rice. The other thing I like is the inclusion of sesame leaves in the basket of wraps. The place is spartan with a combination of various megabloc chairs and tables but you won't care. Place gets crowded at times but you'll always somehow find a table especially since they have expanded. Prices are very reasonable. There are no frills. No nonsense. It's a place you go to to eat Korean food. Strong Wi-Fi. Accepts only Cash. They do not have a dedicated parking area but when it gets dark you can park along the street. I have been eating here from the time they opened and every time I'm...