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Delicious!

Except for the price...

The steak is Angel's best!

Today's topic on the YouTube channel "Stories You Didn't Know" was about the conflict between Black South Africans.

Oh, right. South Africa, being larger and having a higher income than its neighboring countries, likely sees an influx of undocumented immigrants. It makes sense that Black South Africans might fight amongst themselves over resources when their livelihoods are threatened. I watched with that in mind.

The success of undocumented immigrants selling in the slums was attributed to a crucial factor: selling in small, individual portions.

Instead of selling a pack of cigarettes or a kilogram of sugar, they sold them by the stick or by the spoonful, effectively taking control of the slum economy.

This immediately reminded me of Sari-sari stores.

I realized that this isn't just a phenomenon in the Philippines; it's something that needs to be viewed from a different perspective and considered on a much larger scale.

Today I finally logged in for 100 consecutive days. 100 days in a row... meaning I've logged in without missing a single day. I was so excited, wondering if there would be rewards like items, super-boosted experience points, or exclusive badges. But all I got was 30 experience points and a "Let's keep going to the next level!" message. That's it. LOL.

Seriously?

Pork Bulgogi Set for 550 pesos.

Rice, Pork Kimchi Stew, Lettuce, and 3 kinds of side dishes served for breakfast.

Grilled onions, grilled garlic, grilled kimchi, pork ribs. Ssamjang (dipping sauce), sesame oil with salt. Generous portions.

Delicious too. Since it's a hotel restaurant, the price is about 100 pesos more than elsewhere, but it's an acceptable price range.

If you can't sleep at night and are bored, it's perfect to order a bottle of calamansi soju, eat a pork belly set or bulgogi set, and watch TV.

Satisfied. Four stars.

Myunryun Jin Sa Galbi, located next to Clark Zimat.

It's 678 pesos. They also have promotions for an even cheaper lunch.

Before I get into that, there's something I want to say.

In Korea, "meat buffet" typically brings to mind the perception of eating a lot of cheap, frozen meat with no flavor.

Myunryun changed that perception. It was the first all-you-can-eat place to successfully market itself as comparable to restaurants that sell marinated ribs by the serving.

After that, Gogi Ssalong successfully marketed itself as comparable to places selling fresh pork belly by the serving.

The quality of Korean franchise meat buffets has significantly leveled up. Now, it's a place you go to enjoy the taste, and cheapness alone can't win anymore.

Myunryun in Clark is getting close to the Korean standard.

It's fresh meat, and the meat quality is quite good. The side dishes are also mostly things people would like.

However, the price is an issue. 678 pesos is too much, even for the Korean price standard. The owner is Korean and friendly.

I'd forgotten about it because the prices went up.

Mud crabs are best at Angry Crab...

I was disappointed with the trash-quality, meatless crab shells I bought cheaply on the street, thinking I was getting a deal...

Even though it's expensive, it's the best quality crab in Angel.

Once you try it, you'll understand why it's worth the price!

If someone treats me, I'm definitely suggesting we go here first.

This is a live bar and restaurant located past Balibago. The interior is very comfortable, the singer sings well, the prices aren't expensive, the food is decent, and most importantly, a big plus is that the food doesn't take long to come out. I went there two days in a row. It's a restaurant where customers can comfortably sing along. You can sing along using YouTube Music. Five stars. Highly recommended.

The only downside. The salmon sushi was a complete failure. It seems like ordering Western dishes would be better than Japanese.

Prejudice.

Perhaps everyone traveling to the Philippines knows Anunas Barangay as a slum. I had been thinking about exploring this place, and an opportunity arose, so I explored it with a friend. Of course, my friend waited in the car nearby, and as I was about to explore alone, I asked a random person for a guide because I didn't speak the language, and they agreed. As I looked around, I asked how much the rent was in a place like this, and they said 5,000-10,000 pesos. I was shocked – I had seen on YouTube that it was around 2,000-3,000 pesos a month...

Still in disbelief, I looked around and saw something that looked like a luxury condo tucked away in a corner. Half-skeptical, I asked again how much the rent was in a place like this. The woman who guided me asked some people who seemed to be residents of the condo, and they said fifteen pesos. I was confused whether it was 15,000 or 50,000, but I hid my expression and pretended to understand.

After looking around and leaving, I tried to give the guide a tip, but she strongly refused. I asked about her job, and she said she worked in the kitchen at a KTV. After thanking her and parting ways, I was surprised because it was so different from my expectations. I thought it was on the same level as the Abacan River, but different classes of people live there, and if the rent is this high, I wondered how ordinary people, like those working at the Healing Hotel who earn 15,000 pesos a month, manage to live.

The more I dug into it, the more I realized it was deeper and more complex than I thought, and it wasn't easy.

I tried about seven 7-Eleven bento boxes during my nearly month-long trip, and this is the one I recommend the most: the Bibimbap bento. It's 99 pesos, and the ingredients inside are quite substantial, the portion size is just right, and most importantly, the gochujang sauce is super delicious. The only downside is that there isn't quite enough gochujang. It reminds me of home, and if your wallet is a bit tight, you can experience that for 99 pesos. Is there a Korean on the 7-Eleven bento team in the Philippines? They've done a pretty good job representing Korea for 99 pesos. The ingredients like carrots, egg, meat crumbles, lettuce, and gochujang are well-balanced.

Angeles' Best Value for Beer Lovers

No matter which pub you go to in Korea, if you order squid and peanuts as a snack, the cheapest place is 12,000 won, usually 15,000 won, and expensive places charge 20,000 won.

When you order squid, it's always two pieces at any pub, with a probability of over 90%. All you get is about 30-40 peanuts and gochujang (red pepper paste). This is the typical setup at Korean pubs.

There's a street stall selling grilled squid next to Anunas Bridge at the end of Friendship in Angeles City, in Ferja's Alley. The prices are 15, 20, and 25 pesos depending on the size. The 25-peso squid is about 80% the size of the squid served at Korean pubs. So, for 75 pesos (approximately 1,800 won), you get more squid than what's served at Korean pubs. Add about 30 peanuts and 500 won for gochujang sauce, and you've easily surpassed the 15,000 won value of a Korean pub squid snack for just 2,300 won in terms of quantity.

Personally, I think this is an amazing tip and incredibly cost-effective.

Reached Village Elder Level 8

In Japanese RPGs or manga, elders are often NPCs who provide crucial information to the protagonist or play a pivotal role in their growth.

It took about two months to go from level 7 to 8.

Wow, the experience needed for each level-up is increasing exponentially.

From level 8 to 9, it's double the previous level's requirement, which will take four months...

Will I be able to make it this year?

By the way, what's the Level 8 VIP badge? I think the owner wrote it down but hasn't made it yet.

Bon Gane Sundae Guk (Korean Blood Sausage Stew) across from Friendship

The sign says Sundae Guk, but they also offer a buffet. That buffet is called Seoul Canteen and it's 199 pesos.

When you pay, they give you a lunch tray. You take it to the staff, they first put rice on it, then show you side dishes like spicy pork, soy sauce pork, rolled omelet, chicken, japchae, etc., and ask you to choose four. Once you choose, they put one side dish at a time onto your tray, a total of four. You can't put them on yourself; the staff decides the portion size and serves them.

Finally, you choose a soup, and while you're eating, they give you a fried egg.

For 199 pesos, the taste is just ordinary Korean food.

I've been there three or four times and haven't seen the owner once. It seems to run itself. I'm jealous of the owner's easy life.

Considering all this, it's the best value for money.

If you're hungry and see it, it's a choice you won't regret. They also sell cake inside.

This part is a bit tricky. It might be great for white people, but I don't think it fits Koreans that well. It seems to be more suited for outgoing and chatty Koreans rather than those who are shy or a bit reserved.

It's a small and affordable restaurant. It's located in the alley of the house where the website owner used to live, paying 15,000 won in rent back in the day.

They sell simple Filipino-style meals. Most prices are under 100 pesos. Great value for money.

The tonkatsu donburi was around 89 pesos, and it came with about 10 pieces of tonkatsu. The thin meat is understandable. The sauce is the same as store-bought Korean Western-style sauce. The yellow rice is plain rice with no radish flavor, and the very sour sinigang broth is unlimited and free. Orange juice is 25 pesos.

Nearby, there's a Korean-style self-service ramen shop called k-chi.

It's better for Koreans' mental health to just not go.

A large restaurant located just a bit further past the Friendship Anunas Bridge. Shinmak Club is next door.

The price is around 800 or 799 pesos, with an additional 100 pesos for sauce. Since you can't really avoid ordering sauce, you should consider it 900 pesos.

The portion size is huge. You have to walk across stepping stones that look like a pond on the way to the entrance, where fish are actually living, to get to the restaurant. The interior atmosphere gets a pass.

It's a Chinese version of a hot pot restaurant like Shabu Khan, but the number of dishes served is incomparable to Shabu Khan. An incredible amount comes out. There are all sorts of land and sea ingredients, rice, fruit, and everything else imaginable, so you'll be full just by taking a bite of each. However, contrary to the restaurant's name, it's not Wagyu. It's a much lower grade of beef. Still, considering the spread of dishes, the price is understandable.

The only downside is that the taste doesn't quite live up to the incredibly diverse and elaborate presentation. Seeing instruments outside suggests they have live performances too. Most of the customers are Chinese.

Skewers Restaurant

It's not amazing, but it's decent. The food comes out extremely slowly, so you'll need a lot of patience. It's located at the beginning of Ritchietopfen Street. The prices aren't too high, but don't order too much thinking it's cheap, or you might regret it when you see the bill later. It's best to plan your visit beforehand. It's a popular spot. The customers are mainly middle-aged Korean denture wearers and young cougars.

They have chicken butt skewers, which I personally recommend.

Two people ordered one tofu dish, a few skewers, and some beers, and it came out to around 1100 pesos.

Best bite of the trip

An unnamed bar in Balibago.

It's a place where a handsome staff member works and the owner of the homepage is also acquainted with.

The fried tofu here is incredibly delicious.

It's made by frying cubes of tofu and stir-frying them with a gochujang sauce. It's perfectly spicy and sweet, just right for a Korean palate.

This gochujang sauce is mysteriously delicious, so I even ate all the accompanying vegetables. I forgot to ask for the recipe. I plan to ask for it on my next visit. This is a flavor that would be a hit in Korea too. The price is also affordable at 205 pesos. The food takes a while to come out, but it's worth the wait for the taste. Karaoke is free when you use the bar.

Rainbows... nice

It's a fancy restaurant with an unknown name.

It's located near ssbar s2bar, down a small alley, so it's easy to miss. If you go through the back entrance, it's quite large and easy to spot.

The taste is just okay, pretty average.

However, the atmosphere doesn't quite fit the street. It feels like a standalone Michelin-starred restaurant on 588 Street.

Jazz music plays, there's a large fan that's nice and cool, and dedicated staff. All the customers are white, or Filipino brought by white people; no Koreans or Filipinos on their own.

Ordered onion rings and chicken skewers. The food takes an eternity to come out. You need a lot of patience.

It's breast meat, not thigh meat... The onion rings are crispy.