See my full experience and review by watching on YouTube!
I was introduced to Filipino food in Seoul at first by visiting the Sunday ‘Little Manila Market’ in Hyehwa. I didn’t know much about Filipino food, but enjoyed trying various foods such as bbq and pancit.
The next time I tried Filipino food in Korea was at a festival called ‘Feel the Phil’ in 2019. It was there that I tried sisig – a dish I was already familiar with, but a huge fan of. The dish was being served by a restaurant called Hapunan. Having enjoyed the dish, I set off to try the full menu at Hapunan.
The Menu
The menu at Hapunan is quite simple. It boasts a few simple Pinoy favorites, as well as a few fusion dishes (chicken sisig tacos). The beer menu is impressive as it is one of the few places in Seoul serving multiple varities of San Miguel beer, as well as Red Horse.
The prices are reasonable, though much more expensive than you’d pay in the Philippines (pork sisig costs 11,000 KRW, 468 PHP, $9.25 USD). The portions again are reasonable, though a normal person will have no problem cleaning their plate.
Hapunan also has lunch specials that are served until 2:00 PM. During this time, you can get the lechon kawali rice bowl for 11,000 KRW, or the pork sisg rice bowl for 10,000 KRW.
On this trip, I went for:
- Lechon Kawali rice bowl (11000 KRW)
- Pinoy Spaghetti (9000 KRW)
- Lumpia (4000 KRW)
- Red Horse bottle (6000 KRW)
The Food
This was definitely some of the fanciest Filipino food I’ve ever encountered. While I’ve been to some nice buffets in the Philippines, I tend to seek out more local places. These places tend to have less ambiance, but plenty of character.
The food at Hapunan met all my expectations for what I was expecting. I was worried the food would be catered to the local taste too much. While there may have been some of this, it still made for a great dish.
The lumpia was served hot and crisp. It was stuffed with minced pork and various flavorings. It’s a simple appetizer, and went great with the Red Horse beer.
Next up I tried the Pinoy Spaghetti. Now, I’m not stranger to Pinoy style spaghetti. I have tried it at McDonald’s, as well as Jollibee in the Philippines. I wasn’t a huge fan of McDonald’s take on the dish, but quite enjoyed it at Jollibee (watch the video here!).
The spaghetti here was, again, an upscale version. The presentation was beautiful. The noodles were al dente, with plenty of sauce. The sauce included thin slices of hot dog. I found the sauce to be sweet, but not as sweet as its fast food versions I had in the PH. I found this dish to be more enjoyable than I had expected.
Finally, the lechon kawali rice bowl. Lechon kawali is another dish that I tried on the island of Boracay. I found the meat to be dry and tasteless. I was quite disappointed with it. However, the version at Hapunan was totally different. The pork here was tender and juicy. The outside was crisp. It was topped with a slightly spicy vinegar sauce that gave a welcome amount of acidity to the dish. The lechon was served on a bed of garlic rice. Taking a bite of the two dishes at once, with the vinegar sauce, was like a little slice of heaven in my mouth. This is a dish that I could gladly eat everyday (if it wasn’t so far from my house in Seoul!)
The Verdict
Overall, Hapunan is serving upscale Pinoy foods in Korea that everyone should try. The atmosphere of the restaurant is superb. This is the type of place that homesick OFWs could dine at, couples could have a romantic date at, or a group could chill out and enjoy some nice beers on a Friday evening.
The food isn’t the cheapest, but this is quality you’re paying for, after all. If you want cheap spaghetti, then head to the Sunday Little Manila Market. If you’re willing to part with a bit more, then head to Hapunan. Is it the best Filipino food in Seoul? I’ll have to do a bit more research and get back to you on that!
Disclaimer: This post was not sponsored, and I paid full price for all items.
Tastes Seoul Good 
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