Fantastic Chef: Unlimited Korean Barbecue with Good Korean Fried Chicken in Korea Town (Malate, Manila)
My wife and I are carnivores so we love Korean barbecue. Sometimes, when we have late night cravings, we head to Malate, the home of Manila’s Korea Town. We would always find KBBQ spots that are open late and even 24/7. One of our recent discoveries is Fantastic Chef.
Fantastic Chef Malate
Inside Fantastic Chef Manila
Fantastic Chef is a concept by Chef Jang Jungyun, a Korean chef who used to work at the 3 Michelin-starred Gaon in South Korea. Because of the achievements of the fantastic chef herself, we know that the food will be good.
So is it really good? Let’s start with the banchan (side dishes). The kimchi and pickles (radish?) are crisp, and the fish cakes has a nice chewiness to it.
The Banchan
As with any Korean barbecue, they serve soup that’s tasty and slightly spicy (for my tastebuds). It also has crisp zucchinis and soft tofu. They also serve steamed egg, which is creamy and fluffy.
Left to Right: Soup and Steamed Egg
Now let’s turn to the meats, which are generally good. We liked the Jowls Meat (fatty and crisp when toasted); the Beef Plate, Pork Belly, and Thin Pork Belly (these are classic in Korean barbecue; can’t go wrong with these), and the Buttered Pork (buttery and tender). Avoid the Cheesy Pork because it has a weird funk to it.
Meat!
I like that they use charcoal, which adds smokiness to the meats. and don’t forget to dunk the meat in their cheese dip, which is creamy and milky. It’s probably the best we’ve ever had in a Korean barbecue spot.
But the winner for me is the Korean Fried Chicken, which is served fresh from the fryer. It has a light and crisp coating, and its juicy and tender. And yes, it’s also unlimited. When we return, we’ll definitely order more of this!
Korean Fried Chicken
Fantastic Chef is definitely one of the best unlimited Korean barbecue spots that we’ve ever eaten at. They have nice meats, good side dishes, and an amazing fried chicken all for only P549! I highly recommend this place to you!
Have you been to Fantastic Chef? What unlimited Korean barbecue spot should we try next? Comment below!
Address: 1/F Chungdam Building, 590 Remedios Circle, Malate, City of Manila, Philippines | Operating Hours: Monday-Thursday, 10:30AM-2AM (last order: 12:30AM); Friday & Saturay, 10:30AM-3AM (last order: 1:30AM); Sunday, 10:30AM-12AM (last order: 10:30PM) | Contact Nos.: (02) 7501-8176, 0915-5993506 | Facebook | Instagram