Da-In: My Reconnection to Korean Cuisine

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Chibuano Kini

I believe I haven't gotten over how Dakimong closed. Dakimong's M.C. Cuenco branch closed and was soon replaced by the fabulous Indian restaurant Bollywood Tandoor. I remembered being a patron of Chika-An for a very long time. I celebrated my modest 21st birthday in Chika-An. I remembered eating in Chika-An for its Filipino food. The Creative Cuisine Group by Mr. John Dytian and the owner of Da-Won Korean Restaurant had a joint venture. A joint venture is formed when two or more parties create a single enterprise. Dan In became the Korean restaurant that slowly reconnected me to Korean cuisine. In fact, the restaurant is located near Chika-An which is located at 42 Salinas Drive, Lahug, Cebu City.



It was some time before the pandemic struck when I ate there. I was, in fact, able to celebrate my birthday last 2020 in this place. My curiosity struck when I originally planned to eat at Chika-An. Instead, I ended up eating at Da-In because I really missed Dakimong. Sure, I love Bollywood Tandoor (at that time) but I missed Dakimong. I decided to eat here since it was very next door. I ordered some delicious Korean soup which I had some of their delicious Gomtang. For a start, gomtang is slightly different from seollongtang but both are beef bone soups. I tasted quite a tasty dish though I wasn't able to eat more for this reason--servings are usually huge so it's best to plan ahead on what you'll be eating.


Another thing I enjoyed was the Korean steamed egg. For some reason, I didn't find the steamed egg cooked by both grandmothers (father side and mother side, both deceased) all that special. I decided to try the steamed egg of Da In and it's similar yet different from the Chinese steamed egg. I tried to eat both steamed egg and beef soup at the same time. It was hard to consume unless one's stomach is really empty. That's why I tend to recommend Da-In for group dine-ins because of the size of their tasty meals. The steamed egg is best shared with peers rather than eaten alone in my own humble opinion.

Chibuano Kini

For group meals, I would recommend having their barbecue meals. Sure, I've been a fan of Wakamatsu Yakiniku (at Mabolo). I would say that in my quest for barbecue--this has become an add-on to my menu. Yakiniku is Japanese-style while this is Korean style. I've enjoyed both barbecues depending on my mood. However, my taste for Japanese food has dropped to a certain extent even if I do still enjoy it. The barbecue meal is only available for group meals and it's meant to be enjoyed as a group meal. I was able to celebrate with a barbecue meal prior to the spread of the pandemic. 

References

"Trying Authentic Korean Cuisine at Da In Korean Restaurant in Cebu"

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