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"