Sibyullee: Flavors of Seoul under one roof

Sibyulee [Sib-yool-lee] is a fast and growing restaurant in Ayala The 30^th Mall that serves authentic Korean food fare. The said restaurant is brightly lit and has a very welcoming feel. We like that their interior is cozy with Korean BBQ exhaust made for grilling. There’s quite a small space for you to move around but it pretty much compensate for their unlimited banchan [appetizers], cooked food and meat to BBQ. We really liked their banchan composed of sweetened peanuts with dried anchovy, pickled radish and cucumber, water spinach and kimchi. They all give a good balance between sweet, sour and savoury taste.

Sibyullee takes it pride from serving the flavours of Seoul, inspired by the vibrant street food in Myeongdong and innovative BBQ in Itaewon. The Korean method of roasting beef, pork, chicken, or other types of meat is far different from the usual “BBQ” parties you usually organize in your backyard. The star of the show is undoubtedly the meat—different types, cuts, marinated etc—that is grilled at the diner’s table on a gas or charcoal grills. This experience allows diners to talk, cook, and enjoy their food at the same time.

At Sibyullee, who can resist the multiple sensory pleasures of Korean BBQ? The spicy, salty flavours and the combination of textures and temperatures, not to mention the hands-on fun of going through a pile of lettuce leaves, wrapping your own individual “lettuce wrap” or better known as samgyupsal, and popping them into your mouth, it’s enough to make your meal memorable. If you have yet to try, it’s time to call up some friends and get ready to be in a culinary treat. Please wear clothes that you don’t mind recking of smoke or BBQ afterwards.

 To bring diners on an even more exciting culinary adventure, Sibyullee offers unique meat cuts marinated in a delicious blend of Korean spices and is then grilled to perfection. They’re full of rich flavours, tender and juicy. They are the closest you can get to savouring authentic Korean flavours without necessarily travelling to Seoul. 

Here’s my take on the other foods I have tried from Sibyullee:

 Volcanic Kimchi Rice [499]—This food is very ‘Instagrammable.’ Yes, it looks so enticing. But don’t be fooled by the way it looks. A contrast of colors with bright yellow and orange, it offers melted mozzarella cheese on a bed of kimchi rice with some kick. With the melted cheese on the grill/sizzling round plate, it should be mouthwatering, right? Well, to be perfectly honest, the answer is NO. 

The textures and supposedly creamy cheese was supposed to burst flavours on the tastebuds. Unfortunately, it had a rather ‘rough’ texture on the palate. It tasted like ‘powder.’ Imagine the powdered cheese you used to put on your popcorn? That’s exactly how it tastes like. Imagine now putting it on your kimchi rice with a dollop of mozzarella cheese. That’s what Volcanic Kimchi Rice tastes like at Sibyullee. I’m so sorry but I was really disappointed because it didn’t tasted as great as how it appeared to be.

Dakgogi cheese BBQ—Again, great presentation here. But it needs to have more ‘oomph’ when it comes to flavour.

Haemul Pajeon—This is one of my favourite each time I dine in Korean restaurant. So I was excited to try it here at Sibyullee. My verdict? It was okay. The Seafood Korean pancake had mussles, shrimp and squid with spring onions and lots of it. I liked the fact that it’s very crispy, except that it had too much oil. You can see it on the baking paper underneath, it’s so greasy. I wish they could use a little less oil. I’ve tried eating this twice and it was still the same oil pancake omelette.

For the more positive side, My family and I loved Sibyullee’s Basak Bulgogi. They’re tender and juicy and perfectly seasoned. We also liked their Beef Bulgogi Gimbap. It’s made from seaweed rice roll with minced beef bulgogi and fresh vegetables.

For an innovative meal, you can try Rabokki. A combination from two of Korea’s favourite street foods: Ramyeon + Tteokbokki= Rabokki. It’s got the perfect sweetness and spiciness of the dish. It is served with noodles on gochujang paste and hard-boiled egg with fish cakes and rice cakes.

 Cap off you meal with Bungeopang [Php99], reminiscent of Korean favourite Samanco fish shaped wafer with ice cream filling and sweetened red beans.  We’ve both tried their Cookies and Cream and Coffee flavours. It’s also available in Vanilla. But I’m partial to Coffee flavour. It somehow cleanses my palate after all the sweet and spicy kick I had given my tastebuds from all the meals I had tasted. 

Take advantage of their Weekday Solo Lunch Menu for more budget-friendly meals. You have a choice of either Maewoon Dak Kangjung Deobap or Beef Bibimbap. You can get these and a glass of iced tea  plus two single-served side dishes.

If you come in big groups or family, Sibyullee also have their signature BBQ combo sets to choose from. It saves you time and money.

Located so conveniently at the ground floor of Ayala The 30^th Mall, with its lively interiors and comfortable setting, Sibyullee is perfect for gathering and for unwinding after a hard day at work.