Go Korea-holic

Mindanaoan Meets World
by: Maria Irene Aserios

Annyeonghaseyo! Ever since I got to visit Korea late last year, I have fallen madly in love with everything Korean. I went to Seoul, Namiseom (more popularly known as Nami Island) and yes, even North Korea! Some of my stories about my weeklong Korea trip can be found on my Mindanaoan.com blog.

Anyway, while I wait for another chance to visit this beautiful country, I try to look for places, things and even food places that remind me of the land of kimchi!

W.Lab products – This is a Korean brand that’s just been brought to the Philippines by – get this – a Cagayan de Oro-based tandem! I think that alone is already pretty exciting, isn’t it? W.Lab is responsible for producing skin care products that Korean ladies use and love. If you’ve always been curious why Koreans have evenly toned skin, then here’s your answer! W.Lab’s bestsellers are the White Holic instant whitening cream, Sun Cream and Honey Beam BB Cushion. White Holic brightens the face instantly (and I really mean instantly!), has light texture and results aren’t cakey at all. I personally use this to even out dark spots caused by my frequent travels! Call 0935 988 5175 for inquiries or visit http://wlabesellerph.blogspot.com/

K-Style Korean Beauty store – From cute and comfortable jelly shoes straight from Korea to well curated beauty products (Innisfree, Nature Republic, Tony Moly etc). Visit http://www.facebook.com/kstylekoreanbeauty. You can also request for your favorite products. In my case, I asked for Tony Moly Easy Touch lip liners. They gladly accommodated it.

Secret Garden – I love how healthy and clean-tasting (not oily and very flavorful) Korean dishes are. So for authentic and pretty affordable Korean food in CDO, I go to Secret Garden along Masterson Avenue (across Xavier Estates). My favorites there are the spicy squid rice meal and the bindaetteok, a delicious “pancake” made of ground mung beans, green onions, peppers and lots of kimchi! You will also be given complimentary kimchi, spiced tofu and pickled vegetables. This is exactly how restaurants in Korea do it.

Korean Store – Manned by an elderly Korean couple, this store is located within the Secret Garden compound. You can find lots of treasures here! My favorite buys are the seaweed soup (this comes in powdered form. Just add water and voila!), spicy Korean noodles, Melona ice cream bars and homemade kimchi.

Chicken 678 – In Myeongdong, Seoul’s very busy commercial district, you can find a lot of chicken and beer (or “maekju” in Korean) food places. “Chimaek” (chicken + beer) is a big part of Korean culture. Chicken 678 is one of Korea’s popular chimaeks. And did you know that their very first franchise in the Philippines is in CDO? Try the Original Crispy Chicken and my personal fave, the Ganjang Chicken. Located at Grand Central (Pabayo-Hayes).

So, ready to “turn Korean” yet? Let me know if you’ve tried any of my recos.

Gomabseubnida! Til next ish! Safe travels, everybody!