This restaurant is one of Cubao Expo’s best-kept secrets.
Fans of the K-Drama Hospital Playlist know that the Korean word “jeongwon” means “garden.” That’s where the name of this charming restaurant came from.
Jeongwon the restaurant is the garden end of 3D museum Art In Island. It’s a quaint “hidden” spot. Its aesthetics and food are perfect for K-Culture fans and plantitas.
The menu is casual but extensive. It includes food that any K-pop or K-drama fan would be familiar with. One of Jeongwon’s staples is Korean fried chicken. It comes in garlic, honey butter, and sweet gochujang. Bibimbap, gimbap, japchae, and ramyeon are also present on the menu.
My companion and I sampled quite a few of their dishes.
What the food at Jeongwon is like
The rosé tteokbokki has a cheesy, kind of spicy sauce. That’s what the fish cakes, flat noodles, mini sausages, rice cakes, and veggies were fried in. We also tried twigim, the Korean version of Japan’s tempura. Our order was the assorted basket. It had fish cakes and squid rings. It also had fried gim-mari, paired with a sweet-and-sour soy dipping sauce.
I had the dosirak (packed meal) centered on sweet gochujang chicken. It was sweet and spicy, paired with a Korean chili paste sauce. It came with pickled radish with beetroot. Egg rolls, kimchi, and stir-fried fish cakes rounded out the meal.
Our meals were delicious! They prepared everything according to the standards of a Korean chef. If you still have room for dessert after all that, you can try their bingsu.
If you’re not in the mood for that, choose a Korean treat from the shelves by the counter instead. Those shelves have chocolates and ready-to-eat sausages. Lotte‘s BTS drinks are also on sale here. Before you go home, you can take selfies with the standees of RM, Jin, SUGA, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook on the shelves. They’re not for sale, though. Bummer.
Given Jeongwon’s ambiance, it’s the perfect place to chill and create fun memories. Be sure to check it out if you want something special aside from the usual Korean dining experience.
Get takeout
Good news: you can also order for delivery! Reach out to Jeongwon through their official Facebook page.
Jeongwon is a cafe in Art In Island, the interactive 3D museum. It’s located at 15th Avenue, Brgy. Socorro, Quezon City. It’s also accessible through a pathway in Cubao Expo, behind Bellini’s. Guests must be masked and vaccinated.
Featured Image Daniella Sison
