SAMBO KOJIN: 'KAMAYAN' RESTO GROUP ROLLS OUT JAPANESE-KOREAN
BUFFET
[PHOTO -Cooks and servers welcome Sambo Kojin's
customers]
MANILA, JUNE 19, 2012 (ABS-CBN) By Vladimir Bunoan - The
group that pioneered the modern buffet restaurant in Manila is not about to
relinquish its leading position as it further rolls out its latest concept:
Sambo Kojin, a yakiniku "grill-all-you-can" restaurant offering Japanese and
Korean dishes.
Sambo Kojin recently opened its third outlet at the ground floor of
the newly refurbished Kamayan restaurant along West Avenue in Quezon City with
Kamayan, Dads and Saisaki occupying the second floor.
[PHOTO -Bokie Villavicencio lets foodies go crazy over
yakiniku]
Bokie Villavicencio, the brand head of Sambo Kojin, told ABS-CBNnews.com that
they decided to renovate the entire building to include Sambo Kojin since the
old Kamayan restaurant in Quezon City needed a facelift.
And since it opened in late May, the response to the Japanese-Korean buffet
restaurant has been very positive, he said.
Sambo Kojin actually opened its first outlet at the Eastwood City Walk in
Libis, Quezon City in November 2010.
A few months later, in March 2011, the group unveiled its newly renovated
restaurant along EDSA in Quezon City with the second Sambo Kojin branch
occupying the second floor and Kamayan, Dads and Saisaki on the first floor.
Villavicencio said there are plans to open a fourth Sambo Kojin restaurant
"in the south."
Dads' legacy
[PHOTO -Vicvic Villavicencio, president, First Food
Services]
Villavicencio's father, restaurateur Vicvic Villavicencio, president of
Firstfoods Food Services Inc. (formerly the Triple-V Group), shook up the
restaurant industry in the mid-1990s when he opened the buffet restaurant Dads
at the SM Megamall at a time when buffets were basically limited to the top
hotels.
Dads' buffet was tailor-made to the Filipino taste with an array of dishes
that are usually served during special occasions and fiestas, highlighted by a
carving station serving US Angus beef.
Moreover, Dads' no-leftovers concept, which rewards diners with a 50%
discount from the regular buffet price if they finish their food, helped expand
the market for buffets. The no-leftovers rule has since become a standard in the
industry.
Eventually, Dads and the group's other restaurants, Kamayan and Saisaki,
merged their respective buffets. Guests can pick just one buffet -- Kamayan, for
instance -- or partake of all three.
Kamayan also introduced a popular merienda buffet at select outlets.
Buffets make a comeback
[PHOTO - "Cooking is an art, but running a restaurant is a
science. Creating a dish is difficult if you have to do it every day. I used to
kid people that if they cooked me adobo for 30 straight days, I'll bet you it
won't taste the same way twice. You need whatever technology there is out there
to come up with a better and more consistent product." says VICVIC
VILLAVICENCIO]
While the popularity of buffets normalized -- due partly to the increase in
health consciousness among consumers, as well as periods of economic
uncertainties -- buffets made a strong comeback when the five-star hotels
tweaked the concept and introduced "kitchen theaters," with chefs preparing some
dishes a la minute.
Soon, new free-standing buffet restaurants catering to the large appetites of
Filipinos started opening in the metro.
Bokie Villavicencio isn't surprised that buffets regained their popularity.
"Filipinos love to eat different kinds of food," he said.
His sister, Mara, the brand head of Dads', Kamayan and Saisaki, however,
stressed that their restaurant group has an advantage in that customers know
that their food is consistently good.
"We've been here for so many years already," she said. "But there's always
room to innovate. We have gone through a lot of changes. We have to be always
better."
New product
The group strengthened its offerings by renovating his existing restaurants
and introducing an entirely new product, Sambo Kojin.
The Villavicencio children, who have taken over the daily operations of the
group, said the concept of Sambo Kojin started over a family dinner.
Bokie Villavicencio admitted that he has always loved yakiniku. While the
group already has a Japanese restaurant in Saisaki, technological developments
which gave rise to table-top smokeless grills made it possible to come up with
the Sambo Kojin concept.
[PHOTO -A table-top smokeless grill at Sambo Kojin]
Mara Villavicencio said the "grill-all-you-can" concept would be difficult to
merge with Saisaki's buffet. "It's going to be too overwhelming," she said.
"It's perfect for this concept."
They also invested on chillers to guarantee fresh food offerings, making the
yakiniku experience all the more satisfying for diners.
Sambo Kojin review
[dessert
(ilikejomalone, May 2012) delicious! This photo
of Sambo
Kojin is courtesy of TripAdvisor]
Despite the tumultuous history between the Japanese and the Koreans, their
cuisines actually go well together.
As such, lovers of Korean cuisine would definitely find Japanese food just as
appetizing -- and vice versa.
Sambo Kojin's buffet offers the most popular dishes of the two cuisines
without totally overwhelming the guests. Indeed, it is feasible to try out a
majority of the items on display.
The items are also conveniently organized: the sushi and sashimi are
displayed in their own chillers, with the Korean kimchi just nearby.
Another set of chillers have the various fresh meat ready to be grilled. The
US beef are wonderfully marbled and have been pre-marinated to suit the
different tastes of the customers.
There are also strips for pork bulgogi, chicken, salmon, mahi-mahi, squid,
prawns and shrimps and crabstick. There are also several bacon-wrapped rolls
featuring enoki and asparagus, as well as fresh vegetables.
The tempura dishes are in another corner, constantly being refilled in small
batches.
Another section is devoted to Korean dishes like the excellent beef
stew and chap chae, separate from the Japanese dishes like gyoza and tofu steak.
The sushi bar can inspire gluttony with its amazing variety of salmon, tuna,
tamago, ika, kani, California maki, shake maki, tekka maki, futo maki, sakana
chiisu maki, thunder roll, tropical roll and California unagi roll. But as
veteran buffet eaters know, one should try to avoid the starches. So focus on
the sashimi instead, which includes the prized uni (sea urchin) -- already worth
the price of the buffet.
Each table is also provided with six different kinds of sauces, from the
spicy to sweet. Although the meats are already pre-marinated, do add the sauce
of your choice when cooking the meat for added flavor. The special Sambo Kojin
sauce also provides slight caramelization to the beef.
The restaurant also serves kamameshi rice on top of the ordinary steamed
rice. With its glutinous texture and slightly sweet taste with bits of steamed
vegetables on top, this rice is quite heavy so just get one and share with the
group.
The dessert spread is relatively modest with fresh fruit, a chocolate fondue,
several cakes and ice cream -- just enough to punctuate the meal.
Drinks are not included in the buffet price so check the price before
ordering.
Overall, if you like Japanese and Korean cuisine, Sambo Kojin is going to be
heavenly.
Sambo Kojin's No Left Over, eat-all-you-can lunch is priced at P495 from
Monday to Friday (except for holidays) and P595 on Saturdays and Sundays; No
Left Over Dinner is priced at P595 daily.
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE
HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
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