Barangay Seoul Express — Restaurant in Cebu City

When you first approach the restaurant, it’s clear it’s packed, with most chairs filled. At just 150 pesos for a full Korean meal, it’s no wonder there’s a lot of interest. There are plenty of tables, including outdoor seating, tall tables, and medium-length tables for larger groups, yet it’s still almost full. The design is appealing, particularly the studio lights on the ceilings and the mural of a Cebu map highlighting "BARANGAY SEOUL" in bright yellow. The atmosphere is lively, but it can get quite noisy due to the crowd.

Despite the bustle, most diners are seated, and the service is impressively fast. The staff is attentive, ensuring you'll be served quickly. Even with the high volume of customers, the space remains comfortable and not too hot.

When my friend and I placed our orders, we were given black strips, which we would later hand to the server. After getting our utensils and a stainless steel plate, I thought the ordering process might be confusing at first because there were so many options. However, the server was quite helpful, and the system is straightforward. You start from the right with rice, then move to the main choices, followed by the side dishes, veggie sides, and finally the soup options.

For my main dish, I chose spicy pork, paired with Japchae as my side dish, two veggie sides, cucumber kimchi, braised Korean potatoes, and bean paste stew. They offer soda for 50 pesos, but I appreciated that the restaurant allows drinks from outside, so I brought my own water. I can confidently say you'll definitely get full here; the serving of rice is substantial—probably one serving is equivalent to two servings at other places.

The spicy pork was good; it was soft but not to the point of melting in your mouth. It required a bit of chewing, and while it had a hint of spiciness, I found it leaned more towards being sweet. Interestingly, the cucumber kimchi was spicier than the pork, and it quickly became my favorite among the dishes I selected. I loved the combination of the cucumber's sweetness and mild freshness, along with the tanginess and spiciness of the kimchi.

Next, I poured the bean paste stew over my rice, but I was disappointed to find that it lacked flavor. Even when I took a spoonful of the stew on its own, the taste was minimal. The bean flavor was present initially but quickly faded. I felt there was a lack of depth and richness; while some umami flavor was there, it didn’t linger long in my mouth. I also thought it could have been hotter. The braised Korean potatoes had a similar issue—they tasted bland, although they were quite soft. I was hoping for more soy sauce flavor to enhance them.

In contrast to the bean paste stew and the Korean potatoes, the Japchae noodles were packed with flavor, but perhaps too much. I enjoyed the sweetness as I put the noodles in my mouth, but as I chewed, the sweetness became overwhelming. For my palate, it was like eating candy noodles, which was a bit off-putting.

From my experience, the menu leans heavily towards sweet options. While there are some spicy dishes, they lack significant heat, and the non-sweet items don’t provide enough flavor to balance out the sweetness. Although I chose my dishes with balance in mind, it’s ultimately the restaurant’s responsibility to ensure that every combination is flavorful.

Can I recommend this place? To some extent, yes. For only 150 pesos, you can enjoy a full Korean meal that’s sure to fill you up. If you can’t finish, the restaurant allows you to take your food home for an extra 30 pesos, with containers provided for leftovers. However, I think the menu could benefit from some revisions; enhancing the balance of flavors would greatly improve the overall dining experience.

The staff is friendly, and their efficient system accommodates many customers well. So, I suggest giving this place a try. Everyone has different tastes, and you might find it more enjoyable than I did, especially at such...

We went to Barangay Seoul on a late Thursday evening, and luckily there weren’t many people dining in. We quickly got a table and chairs without having to wait, which was a relief after a long, tiring day. The tables could have been cleaned more thoroughly, but we were already too hungry to mind at that point.

One of the best things about this place is the price point. It’s very affordable considering the amount of food, the variety of choices, and the quality they serve. It definitely gives you value for money, especially if you’re craving Korean flavors without breaking the bank.

The ordering system is a bit different. You pay first at the cashier, grab your tray and utensils, then line up at the counter to get your food, similar to a school canteen setup. While it’s straightforward, it can be a little confusing for first-timers because there are no labels on the actual dishes at the counter. Instead, you have to look at the monitor near the cashier for the names and options. If you’re already familiar with Korean cuisine, this won’t be an issue, but if not, you might need to memorize your order or just point out what looks good. Fortunately, the staff are friendly and willing to guide you through the menu.

As for the food, the mains are flavorful and satisfying, showing good quality for the price. The sides and veggies were decent and fresh, while the soup was warm and comforting, a nice addition to round out the meal. Everything tasted freshly prepared, which is a big plus.

The restaurant space itself is decent, clean, and comfortably lit. Air conditioning was good, making the dine-in experience relaxed. Accessibility is also a plus since it’s located in an area with other food spots, making it convenient for group outings or casual dinners.

Service-wise, the staff were attentive, approachable, and polite despite the casual setup. They were quick to assist and answer questions, which helps a lot given the ordering system.

Overall, Barangay Seoul offers a great balance of affordability, quality, and casual dining convenience. It’s not the kind of place for a fancy sit-down dinner, but if you’re after hearty Korean comfort food in a straightforward setting, it’s definitely...

Service is terrible at this place! Around ten staffs are stationed at the front (and there's probably more assigned at the kitchen). Most of them are just chitchatting during their work hours. Staff behavior makes the queue longer. In the past three times I've visited the restaurant, there is a particular female server that gives an attitude to the customers when serving the food. She even rolls her eyes at customers! Every time I visit here, the servers are rude. She was assigned at the chicken station, noon of November 13. I can't recall the other dates, considering how many times they have badly acted this way!

Food sucks as well. Their chicken is tough all the time! That same day, November 13, they were serving spoiled kimchi. No one checks the food quality here! We didn't finish our food as it tastes so terrible.

Who manages this restaurant? Seems like their operations department are not doing anything about this. There services were much better in 2023. They have too much staff that does none...