Regina Troy Barrios

The Admiral's Travels Taste of South Korea

Article (news)

You climb to the rooftop of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/admiralhotelmanila/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Admiral Hotel Manila – MGallery</a>, and the city unfurls below. The restless hum of Roxas Boulevard, and the waters of Manila Bay glinting in the summer heat. It&#x27;s the middle of May, and the Admiral Club Manila Bay is playing host to Taste of South Korea, the second stop in the hotel’s The Admiral’s Travels series. The draw? Chef Lily Min, a Korean culinary veteran who’s turned her mother’s recipes into a buffet that’s as much a hug as it is a meal.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1747452363369Copy of Workbench Thumbnail.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Chef Lily Min is serving soul-soothing Korean dishes at Admiral Hotel Manila | Photo: Admiral Hotel Manila</div>Min, author of such cookbooks as <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Korean-Food-114-Lily/dp/8996439754" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Easy Korean Food 114</a>, and<a href="https://www.nationalbookstore.com/books/9641-k-drama-cookbook-36-popular-korean-dishes-you-can-easily-cook-at-home.html?srsltid=AfmBOopMkaRLamrupyipL9lVY7eoti0qEoihFgFx6dNiXArbVwOT6JWp" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> K-drama Cookbook</a>, has spent over three decades mastering her craft. Through <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lilylab_by_chef_lilymin/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lily Lab</a>, her venture to bring authentic Korean retail and deli products to Filipino homes, she’s become a bridge between Korean and Filipino cultures. She also teaches at the Korean Cultural Center, sharing her expertise with eager students. Here, she’s serving the food she grew up on, like jeyuk bokkeum, a fiery stir-fried pork that hums with gochujang heat; dakgangjeong, sweet crispy honey chicken; and ddeokgalbi, grilled meat patties packed with savory depth.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17474769817341.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Slow-braised galbijim and cool white kimchi are just two of the comforting dishes that felt like home | Photo: Admiral Hotel Manila</div>The feast is inspired by her family recipes. “May 8 is especially meaningful for me as it is also the celebration of Parents’ Day in Korea,” Min says. “As an important family event, I am honored to share my heirloom recipes with the guests of the Admiral Hotel. I am grateful for the support of the hotel team, especially the chefs headed by their Executive Chef Mok Chee Wah, for giving me this opportunity to put forward the Korean culinary heritage.”<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1747477251232497502156_1223082149602857_1427146917792715797_n.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>A spread of time-honored dishes | Photo: Admiral Hotel Manila</div>No Korean feast is complete without a drink to match, and Admiral Club delivers with three cocktails crafted for the occasion. The Oi Much and Tonic blends sesame oil-washed gin with cucumber cordial and tonic water. Margochujang, a bold mix of tequila blanco, gochujang syrup, and super juice, brings a spicy-sour kick that echoes the food’s fire. For a non-alcoholic option, the Summer Mock-geolli—fresh watermelon and strawberry syrup—offers a sweet, summery gulp that feels like a picnic. Each drink, served with the bay as backdrop, is as deliberate and evocative as the Korean dishes they pair with.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1747477308952496845897_1223082056269533_8690094744123850335_n.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Refreshing cocktails and summery cocktails | Photo: Admiral Hotel Manila</div>The Admiral Club’s kitchen is led by Executive Chef Mok Chee Wah, executes his vision with precision, no small feat for a buffet that runs daily through May 30. Last month’s Taste of Thailand set a high bar, but this feels more personal, less a performance than a homecoming. The setting is a huge factor. The Admiral Hotel, one of six Michelin Guide picks in the Philippines for 2024 and among the picks for 2025, leans hard into its Filipino-Spanish Art Deco vibe. The 123-room property, with its chic Parisian-style spa and operational speakeasy, Ruby Wong’s Godown, doesn’t just host diners; it seduces them.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1747477384414496630028_1223082222936183_108049006324495355_n.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>See you at the buffet? | Photo: Admiral Hotel Manila</div><div>The Admiral’s Travels: Taste of Korea is available until May 30, 2025 at the Admiral Club Manila Bay. Call (0917) 829 8434 to book a table and use code: KOREA. For more details, click <a href="https://www.admiralhotelmanila.com/offers/the-admirals-travels-taste-of-south-korea/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>

The second leg of Admiral Hotel Manila – MGallery culinary series, The Admiral’s Travels, is Taste of South Korea, featuring Chef Lily Min—a Korean cuisine specialist, K-Drama Cookbook author, and instructor at the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines.

The second leg of Admiral Hotel Manila – MGallery culinary series, The Admiral’s Travels , is Taste of South Korea, featuring Chef Lily Min—a Korean cuisine specialist, K-Drama Cookbook author, and instructor at the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines.

Chef Lily Min, Author of K-Drama Cookbook, Brings Korean Feast To Admiral Hotel

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Chef Lily Min, Author of K-Drama Cookbook, Brings Korean Feast To Admiral Hotel

Troy Barrios

Published May 17, 2025 06:26 PM PHT

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