Masil: Korean specialties in the heart of Tiendesitas

Masil is one of those premium Korean restaurants with a taste of authenticity. The interiors, appetizers, and main courses are offered at a premium to discerning customers, whether they be Koreans or Filipinos. Furthermore, the prices are quite reasonable even in such a classy and excellent atmosphere. 

I was invited to sample Masil's specialties in the heart of Tiendesitas, a food and shopping hub in the heart of Ortigas.

The huge storefront sign.

The dining area had a wooden finish.

The lemonade was an excellent starter to a heavy meal.

They also had a starter salad dish

The banchan was served free of charge; and it came in 8 dishes per set with up to two servings per group. These were composed of the ubiquitous kimchi, the fish cakes, spicy dilis, glazed baby potatoes, roasted nuts, and other assorted vegetables.

For an additional charge, they also served salad and scrambled eggs. 

We had two meal sets for the night. These were the MASIL SET A - P2,400 and PREMIUM SET B - P3,300. The sets were comprised of:

PREMIUM SET B - P3,300

-Saeng Galbi - Premium Beef Short Ribs - 250g per order - P880

-Yangnyeom Galbi - Premium Beef Short Ribs marinated in special sweet sauce - 250g per order - P770 (Best Seller)

-LA Galbi - Laterally Sliced Premium Beef Short Ribs marinated in special sweet sauce - 250g per order - P660

-Galbi Jim or Korean Beef Stew - P490

-Japchae - Potato noodles sauteed with vegetables and pork - P330

-Doenjang jjgae - Bean paste soup - P300

-Gyeran Jjim - Steamed egg soup - P150

MASIL SET A - P2,400

-Galbisal - Beef rib finger 160g per order - P550

-Masil Bulgogi - Beef brisket marinated in house sweet sauce 180g per order - P490

-Chadol-bagi -Thinly sliced beef brisket 180g per order - P390

-Yuk hoe - Fresh beef tartare in sesame oil based sauce - P450

-Haemul Pajeon - Korean style Spring Onion Pancake with seafood - P350

The prices were not bad for a group meal. I must say that our group of 12 were thoroughly fed by these two sets. According to the owner, the meat dishes were composed of only the finest imported meats from abroad. Given this premise, the prices were pretty reasonable then. I also loved the fact that the meat was freshly cooked right in front of us to ensure high quality taste and freshness.

The Korean Beef stew was or Galbi Jim was priced at Php 490. It was a mix of tender beef, carrots, and potatoes in sweet sauce. Every bite was particularly fatty and tasty. The vegetables were there to temper the rich and savory taste of beef. I could finish an entire bowl if I had to.

Some of their appetizers included Doenjang jjgae or Bean paste soup at Php 300. It was a pretty spicy and sour soup that was filled with tofu, spicy bean paste,pickles, and noodles. I must say though that I liked the Gyeran Jjim or Steamed eggs soup at Php 150. It was a bowl of piping hot scrambled egg that had a soft mushy texture and a light taste. It served as an excellent accompaniment to the meat.

Yuk hoe or Fresh beef tartare in sesame oil based sauce was priced at P450. It was a bowl of raw meat with an egg on top. I don't usually like raw food; and this was no exception.

Haemul Pajeon or Korean style Spring Onion Pancake with seafood was priced at P350. It was quite filling and tasty due to the good quantity of seafood varieties on top of the dish. 

Japchae was composed of Potato noodles sauteed with vegetables and pork and priced at Php 330. The noodles were pretty soft. I also liked the dominance of vegetable flavor in every bite.

The Chadol-bagi was composed of thinly sliced beef brisket  with 180g per order at Php 390. It reminded me of bacon due to the thinness of every strip of meat. It was pretty tasty too. The meat itself, even without any sauce, was full of that grilled and smoky flavor.

Masil Bulgogi was the Beef brisket marinated in house sweet sauce  with 180g per order at Php 490. Since this one had a bulgogi sauce, I must say that it was tastier than the one without sauce. The flavor was more caramel-like and much more accentuated.

We then had the Yangnyeom Galbi or the Premium Beef Short Ribs marinated in special sweet sauce with 250g per order at P770. This was their Best Seller. It was cooked in their special charcoal for the stocky flavor. I must admit that I enjoyed this the most due to the generous chunks of beef with every serving. I also loved the rich beefy taste.

Masil is an excellent dining place for trying out their meat specialties. Their rich appetizers were also pretty excellent. I do hope to come back there soon. Masil is located at Tiendesitas, Frontera Verde, Ortigas Avenue Corner C5, Ugong, Pasig City.