Sigol Bap Sang: A Taste of Korea in Davao City

Tolsot Bibimbap with gochujang

I am a big fan of Korean cuisine. And so each time an opportunity presents itself, I always try out Korean restaurants in Davao City. I have been to Kimchi Somang which is located along J.P. Laurel Avenue (beside Chowking) and to Arirang (at Victoria Plaza parking lot), before the owner decided to stop operating the restaurant portion of the place.

I have been meaning to try out Sigol Bap Sang for months now. The restaurant is situated in my side of Davao City so I pass by the place almost everyday. But I didn’t want to check out the place by myself, so I had to patiently wait for my constant companion’s blessings. Heck, there’s no way I’d dine at Sigol Bap Sang without taking decent pictures so wait I did (this goes to say that I still suck at taking pictures as of this writing).

Luckily, after more than a month of cajoling Lyle into accompanying me, he finally said yes. Lyle is not a big fan of spicy food (he hated our Kimchi Somang experience) so he’s quite wary of korean restaurants and anything that remotely resembles kimchi.

When we arrived at the restaurant, the place was quite packed with Korean diners. We were immediately seated and a Korean guy (I assumed he is one of the owners) took our orders. I ordered jjajangmyeon and yukejan. For Lyle, the restaurant owner recommended tolsot bibimbap.

Minutes later, banchan (appetizers) were served. The owner apologetically informed us that it may take them a couple of minutes to serve our orders since there are other customers who came before us. We said it’s okay. I was all smiles, in fact. With seven different types of banchan in front of me, I was thinking I’d be half-full by the time our orders arrived! Lyle and I especially liked the stir-fried anchovies which was seasoned with sweetened chili paste and sesame seeds. I also found the cabbage kimchi and the daikon radish kimchi delicious…and spicy!

Banchan: Stimulates the already healthy appetite...

And then came the jjajangmyeon (PhP280). It certainly looked like how I imagined it to be: a large serving of noodles topped with thick black sauce, diced meat, and vegetables (looked like potatoes to me). Tasted good, IMHO.

Jjajangmyeon: the Korean comfort food for the loveless

But I believe the highlight of our Korean dining experience was Lyle’s tolsot bibimbap (PhP280). Tolsot bibimbap (or dolsot bibimbap) is a dish of sticky rice, served in a stone bowl, and topped with sauteed vegetables, sliced meat, and fried egg. It came with a small dish of gochujang (red pepper paste). One of the waiters politely informed us that bibimbap has to be mixed really well and that the gochujang will bring out the flavors of the dish. And he was right. Lyle added more of the red pepper paste into his already mouth-watering bibimbap and we both agreed that it’s absolutely delicious. I have tried bibimbap a couple of times before and I say Sigol Bap Sang’s tolsot bibimbap is by far the best I’ve tried.

Lyle and I also shared a bowl of yukejan (PhP280). Yukejan is a spicy beef and vegetable stew. (or was it soup?). It is very flavorful and is best eaten with very hot white rice. Each serving is good for 2-3 people but Lyle must’ve really liked it because he ended up consuming more than half of it. And to think he is not a big fan of spicy food. Funny!

Yukejan: Gives you a nasal drip (seriously!)

We were also served small bowls of spicy beef soup. I liked it although I must admit I wasn’t able to give it the attention it deserved. I was so busy having my fill of the banchan and the main dishes. The problem with me is that when food is in abundance, I get overwhelmed.

For a meal large enough to feed 3 or 4 people (or even five), we paid PhP930 (drinks in can included). While most menu items are priced above Php250, I say it is still reasonably priced as servings are quite large and most are stand-alone dishes served with banchan and piping hot soup.

Our dining experience at Sigol Bap Sang was a delightful one. The Korean restaurant is a combination of good food and good service. I will definitely pay the restaurant a visit again. And don’t worry if you are not a big fan of hot and spicy food, they go easy on the chili and spices for Filipino patrons. Our order slip even says FILIPINO. How cool is that?

Sigol Bap Sang Korean Restaurant is located in Lanang, Davao City. You won’t miss the place as it is just across Grand Regal Hotel. They are open from 10:00 am to 10:30pm, Mon- Sun. You can reach them through (082)-300- 8989.

Sigol Bap Sang