Far from being just a momentary success, this established fast food chain has been serving traditional Korean staple since 1973. Founded by Bernard Kim, a Korean, Kimchi grew from its main branch in Makati Commercial Center to eleven more branches. In 2001, one of its branches located in Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City, was awarded to Erlinda Ramirez, then President of the company behind Kimchi, the Katherine Foodmart International. The outlet has then been re-branded as Honey’s Kimchi, to note “honey” which is the terms of endearment of Mr. and Mrs. Ramirez.
Despite the re-branding, Bry Ramirez, daughter of the owner and head of the marketing, say that the key to the continued success of the food chain is staying true to the original recipe. Young professionals in the 70s and 80s are most likely to remember this as their favorite affordable fast food joint. It is simple yet diverse; classic yet fresh; and remains to be as sweet as the restaurant’s name but still got some surprising kicks for even the seasoned palate.
With these proven offerings served with such established reliability, Honey’s Kimchi is here to stay.
I am quite fascinated why I wasn’t aware of this fast food joint until recently. Probably it’s because I eat too much siomai. Heh.
If you are indecisive or unfamiliar with the various offerings of Korean cuisine, then let the staff tease your taste buds with one of the all time hit –the Beef Stew. Served piping hot, the ribs meat is swimming in a dark colored sweet sauce with bits and pieces of sesame seeds and chopped scallions.
Aside from the beef stew, easily one of my favorites from their menu is the Chapchae noodles that is best eaten while still hot, so as to retain the flavors. Another one is the Spicy Squid because I love the balance between sweetness and spice.
They also have Korean Barbecues, which have flavors suited to every Filipinos’ craving for sweet and spicy. All offered at an affordable price.
As of the moment, there are only seven branches in the metro, namely:
- SM City North Edsa – the branch where we got to try their food
- SM City Bacoor
- Katipunan
- Robinsons Galleria
- Shangri-la Plaza
- Mall of Asia Hypermarket
- Shaw Blvd. Hypermarket
Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️ out of 5 ❤️
Honey’s Kimchi
Contact No.: 09178592736
Instagram: @honeyskimchi
Facebook: Honey’s Kimchi
Email: bryramirez@yahoo.com
Disclosure: Our meal was courtesy of our host Bry Ramirez. I wrote this article with my own opinions, insight, and personal biases.