High-Fiving Mr. Kimbob!

We were just passing by SM's sidewalk when a familiar picture glared at me and I glared back. Could it be? Did he finally?

If you remember, a couple of years back, I and some friends flew to Angeles, Pampanga to head out to Tarlac for Mt. Pinatubo. When we were too spent to even think about what to eat, we settled to take a quick dinner in SM - Angeles. It was not a familiar place so we thought the food court must offer several ready fast food options. We went where the people were going and fell in line. It was there that we met Mr. Kimbob. I am not going to detail any further about the first time but if you are curious, read Where to Eat in Angeles.

I couldn't believe my eyes so I made sure I blinked to validate my find. "Ho. Ho. Ho!" I must've shouted at my friend and excitedly said "It's finally here!". We were out for another itinerary so we agreed to visit it at a later time.

A week or so passed and I grew restless and knew we had to meet Mr. Kimbob in Cebu. One SMS took my friend off her seat fast and we found ourselves on our way to SM - Cebu.

The moment we neared the food court, we couldn't stop scanning until we found the corner where Mr. Kimbob sat. We could have ran if there were no obstacles along the way but we were certainly ecstatic to "high five" a long time acquaintance. Age does bring about changes. Mr. Kimbob changed quite a bit. Our Cebu branch is smaller and the enormous Bibimbob signboard (see here) was no where to be found.  I find it difficult to outgrow old things and was looking for that sense of familiarity.

Nonetheless, I wasn't up for a let down. I realized that they have a promo going so we ordered their Combo Meal (Bibimbob + Jap chae + Dumpling + 16 oz soda for P176). BIBIMBOB at last! Rice at the center, topped with sunny side up egg, and surrounded with a variety of fresh vegetables ( kimchi, chayote, cabbage, carrots, cucumber). Jap chae is sweet potato starch noodles also named Korean Glass Noodles because it is translucent when cooked. Don't forget gochujang (Korean spicy sauce) in your festivity.

Go and try Bibimbob yourself! Tell me about your favorite in their menu.

Wallet Watch: P176

Mr. Kimbob - Cebu
SM Foodcourt, Cebu

Where to Eat in Angeles

Mr. KimBob (BIBIMBOB)

When you are but a sojourner to a place, starved and you don't know where you can find safe and good food, the nearest malls and nationwide fast food shops are the best way to go to. In Angeles, Pampanga, after checking in Gani Hotel from the airport, we headed out to SM Angeles City. It took us only about 5 to 15 minutes to finally reach the mall by foot. Despite hunger, we decided to scan the foodcourt for anything appealing and new. We were eyeing for Pampanga dishes, however, none came up worth looking back. We didn't stop looking until we reached the last stall. It looked set apart from the regular restaurants we passed by and interestingly had a long line of customers waiting to make an order and pay to the cashier. Obviously, it was fast food but not the common ones you see in almost all places in the Philippines.

Mr. Kimbob stall in SM Clark (Angeles)

Their Menu Board

Mr. KimBob is a Korean restaurant that offers a variety of Korean Meal Combos from Bulgogi to Japche and Donkatsu. They also have their famous Bibimbob plate that contains almost a small portion of each type of vegetable they had available, rice at the center, topped with fried sunny side up egg and marinated beef cuts . They serve their dishes sizzling hot. We noticed that the customers pour a lavish amount of the chili paste on the plate so we followed.

(Right) Bibimbob

Like most Korean food, the dish especially with the chili is like level 3 spicy and HOT. For one who likes chili flavored food, I'd say it was just perfect to diffuse my jetlag and fatigue. I finished meal 16 (Chicken Bites) in a flash. My two other companions ordered each a Bibimbob (a personalized name for the original Bibimbap Korean recipe) and had to pick out some of the vegetables they didn't like to eat. Among the blanched vegetables in Bibimbob were kangkong, chayote, carrots and cabbage (blanched and kimchi version). I would still have eaten all that but my spicy chicken bites were just enough which by the way was priced neatly at 99 sizzling pesos.

(Left) Sizzling Chicken Bites. (Right) that starved sojourner.

It was a great food start in Angeles and fun knowing that Mr. KimBob has yet to reach the Visayas and Mindanao regions in the Philippine archipelago.

Find Mr. Kimbob locations here.

Other food stops in Angeles City, Pampanga:
Korean Bakery
Ikabud

In Angeles City, find Mr. KimBob in SM Clark foodcourt.

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