Samgyupsalamat UPAD Taft — Restaurant in Manila

I miss the times when we could still order food ala carte. I miss the times when the seafood pancake or pajeon was still part of their menu. But, it's time to move on and accept the fact that unlimited grilled meat is The Way To Go now!

We arrived for dinner and there weren't that many ahead of us. Branch was full and, apparently, almost all tables just started. We waited for around 20-30 minutes and the excitement of trying this particular branch kept us patient and ecstatic.

Upon arriving at our table, all the free dishes, soups, and veggies were on our table already. It was nearly the perfect flatlay for an Instagram post but we needed to order some meat.

Everything about the meats we tried were amazing! Remember to try the other meats based on the price range you opted for. Some were more oily than others. Let's just say Buljib Samgyupsal (Tenderized Fresh Pork Belly & Herb Pepper) was our top choice for meat thickness with less oil.

Service was pretty okay. It was a busy dinnertime but we still got our refills quickly most of the time.

I miss that Blue...

I recently dined at Samgyupsalamat UPAD Taft and had a satisfying Korean BBQ experience. Their meat selection, especially the marinated beef and pork, was flavorful and well-seasoned. The side dishes were good and kept coming with refills, and the staff was attentive despite the usual dinner rush. It’s best to come early to avoid long lines since it’s always packed.

Compared to Romantic Baboy, I’d say Samgyupsalamat leans more on the savory side with its meats, while Romantic Baboy offers more variety in sides like cheese scallops and even hotpot options. However, Samgyupsalamat makes up for it by offering unique add-ons like bingsu for dessert and cocktails to go with your meal, which is a nice touch if you want a complete Korean dining experience.

The space can get a bit smoky during peak hours, and the seating is tighter than Romantic Baboy, but the price is student-friendly and the location is convenient—especially if you’re near Taft. Overall, it's a sulit spot for Korean BBQ cravings with bonus options that elevate the usual...

The food is decent—tastes like your usual samgyupsal place. The beef stands out the most; it’s flavorful and definitely the highlight. However, the pork was too fatty, and the chicken was overly salty. If you’re planning to dine here, I’d recommend sticking with the beef.

The biggest issue was the service. It was incredibly slow. We were there for two hours and still left unsatisfied because the food took so long to arrive. Compared to other samgyupsal places where you’d be full in an hour, this was disappointing. Pork and beef took 10–20 minutes to arrive, chicken took almost an hour, and the steamed egg took two whole hours. Side dishes came quickly (within 5 minutes), but the lettuce was tiny and full of holes.

Staff seemed inattentive—we had to repeatedly call them over just to get our orders taken or followed up.

The atmosphere is actually quite nice, but the slow service really brings down the...