leann's tea house

first time here and will never go back!

planning to have a korean dinner with my cousin just to catch up, so i checked zomato and saw that this resto is the most reccomended..

arriving the resto..
❌ no proper parking area (you park on the street)

went inside and luckily we have a seat but sharing it with other customers because the place is too crowded and caters only about 10 tables (so the place is small)

ordering..
we ordered about 6 ala carte dishes since we choose not to eat the "unli pork/beef" then the waiter told us that we wont be grilling our own food since we ordered only ala carte (❌strike 1). then came the 4 side dish which korean resto gives as a starter. then we ask for a refill of the side dish then the waiter w/ an attitude said we can only have 1 refill since we didn't order the "unlimited." which for me and my cousin that's so unlikely for a korean resto since other restos are so genuine in giving side dishes as long as you order 2 or more dishes from their menu. (❌already turned off!! strike 2) then came our order of the korean beef barbeque, the waiter gave only 1 set of sauce for it, so we asked for 1 sauce per each, then the waiter with an attitude told us for every order of the bbq 1 sauce only. wth?! really? you want us a group of 4 to share 1 tiny sauce to dip into?! (❌strike 3) laway niya laway mo?! my cousin got pissed how the way of the waiter told us that she even offered to pay for every sauce, because the waiter keeps repeating that we should share 1 set of sauce. anyway, so we had our dinner the food was ok all basic except fo ethe kimchi rice which we enjoyed a lot.goodthing the food is ok, but havinggoodfood is not enough if you have a bad service ❌❌❌

overall review:
✔️✔️food
✔️ value for money
❌❌❌ service
❌❌cleanliness

i am admittedly not a fan of korean cuisine (because i don’t understand why all flavors - sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami - have to be too strong) so for me to like a korean restaurant, it has to be really good. but i do love barbecue and leann’s tea house does this really well. 

if you’re craving meat, their unlimited samgyeopsal (pork belly) (p349) and
unlimited samgyeopsal and woosamgyeop (pork belly and beef belly) (p449) aregoodvalue for your money. they’re also planning to add pre-marinated pork and beef slices so leann fans need to go back and try these great-tasting meats too. i liked that we could grill our meats using charcoal - it made it even more delicious. and aside from the meats, there are several side dishes to try that come unlimited with the meats like rice, lettuce, kimchi, bean sprouts and ssamjang among others.  

if you’re not craving meats, you can try ordering some of their other dishes ala carte. my favorite was their seafood pancake or hameul pajeon. at p300, this pizza-sized, egg, veggie and seafood pancake is big enough to feed 4 to 5 people. it’s crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside.

the cheese buldak (p320) is another favorite, with its spicy chicken tempered by the ooey, gooey creamy cheese in a hot plate. with rice or rice cake, you cannot get enough of this dish. 

for a classic korean dish, leann’s has bibimbap (p210), a hot bowl of veggies, meat, rice and egg and sauce to make it a hearty meal of harmonious and contrasting flavors.  

this hole-in-the wall restaurant along mother ignacia road has a small signage and most of the dining is upstairs. do be careful of the steep chairs but you’ll be rewarded withgoodfood.

leann's tea house is not a chinese restaurant, rather the main attraction here is their unlimited meat and tea. aside from these, there are other notable dishes you may want to try.

true to their name and before i go into anything else, don't forget to avail of their refillable tea which is free-- flavors depending on the brew for the day ranging from oksusu cha (korean corn tea) to earl grey. these aregoodfor the tummy especially after taking in a lot of meat or in between.

onto the must try list:

- cheese buldak (320php) yess! top one on the list for me! cheese buldak translates to cheesy fire chicken. the chicken is mildly spicy, but no worries, nothing you can't handle. mixed in with the creamy mozzarella cheese, tteok-bokki (rice cake) and the heat of the plate, you surely wouldn't go wrong with this order.

- unlimited pork and beef/samgyeopsal and woosamgyup (449php). you may also opt for just pork/samgyeopsal (349php), but you're already here and just for +100php, why not go for the best of both worlds? as for quality, their meat is both imported and locally shipped, depending on which is more fresh. who wouldn't want that? both packages come with unlimited side dishes,
 1. rice
 2. lettuce
 3. garlic and onion
 4. kimchi
 5. sweet mashed potatoes
 6. soy braised peanuts
 7. lettuce salad
 8. soybean sprouts (togue)
 9. soup (soybean? i have to clarify with this. the standard korean soup)
 10. sesame oil, salt and pepper
 11. ssamjang (thick sweet and spicy sauce for the meat)

if you're ordering just ala carte, classic favorites include:
- seafood pancake/hameul pajeon (300php) crunchy on the outside and soft on the insidegoodfor sharing.

- bibimbap (210php) beef, mushrooms, carrots, cucumber, spinach, togue and egg yolk on a piping hot white rice bowl, with an option to make it spicy with gochujang sauce. this will surely fill up your tummy.

coming soon!!!
for no additional charge, the resto will be adding their own meat marination in the unlimited pork and beef package namely: bulgogi beef (sweet and tastes like tapa yum), spicy pork and spicy woosamgyup.

leann's tea house has a small signage. you may miss it so better keep your eyes open! they have both charcoal and electric grills, depending on the availability and where you sit. service-wise, they have improved a lot compared to the last time i was here. they've become amiable and happy to serve. servers may forget some of your additional requests because of the influx of customers so don't hesitate to ask again. there is relatively a lot of space on the second and third floor so don't get disheartened at the first floor. parking can be done in front of the restaurant, but you can also park in the streets (be sure to check out if there are no parking signs). restroom is located on the second floor.

sponsored dining by leann's tea house

the first time i visited here, i was with my best friend and i really enjoyed it. so on my second time, i brought my mom and my brother to celebrate mom’s day. the food tasted the same as my first time. we ordered japchae, sea food pancake, samgyupsal, tonkatsu rice and mango shake. i really enjoyed the japchae and seafood pancake. nothing phenomenal in terms of taste but definitely good. the tonkatsu tasted bland and the pork was dry. sauce was not enough for it but i really like that it has side salad

the pork belly (samgyupsal) was alright. but my brother thought that it needed more frying.

servings were really generous. everything wasgoodfor two or three people but of course it depends on how much you guys eat.

side dishes was so-so and i really thought they would have different kinds of them.

i love the service of this place. staffs were really nice and friendly. you could tell that they’re exhausted from all the running (it’s a three floor building) but when they talk to you, they’re all smiles. even the owners, the pretty lady and her mom were very nice and accommodated everybody really well.

i guess they could really upped their space. we were fifth in line and had to wait for 30 minutes because there was not enough tables to accommodate everybody and it really feels a quite crowded. hopefully they get a bigger place soon.

is it worth to visit? definitely. price is really cheap compared to others but just expect to wait in line and maybe dont bring a car as they have limited parking space too.

we didnt experience any ventilation problem during our visit. so far, it'sgoodsangmyeopsal for a low price. leann's tea house is a haven for kdrama beginners.

if there is anything koreans and filipinos have in common, it is the love for food! it is evident at the many unlimited meat here at the metro! leanne’s tea house may sound chinese but this is a korean restaurant serving unlimited meat for all of us meat-lovers! but they also serve specialty teas. please ask the servers on what the tea of the day is. btw, this is free!

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(f)ood
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serves unlimited pork samgyeopsal (p349) and unlimited samgyeopsal + woosamgyeop (pork and beef belly) for only p449. so i suggest that you take this deal. the more meat, the merrier. the meat is sourced from both local and imported sources so you will get real quality meat.
we love that leann’s now uses charcoal since the taste and the smell would entice you to eat more! though they still have butane options, i recommend the charcoal since the taste is better.

if you do not want unlimited, you can choose from their ala-carte:

• cheese buldak (spicy chicken with cheese) - love this cheesy ensemble! the
chicken and the cheese are the perfect combination! would order this when i go back!
• seafood pancake (hameul pajeon) - love this for an appetizer! the size is so big that it can be shared for 4 to 5 members.
•bibimbap - a staple and a well-known rice dish that you will love to order any time.

soon they will be serving marinated meat too and we were so lucky that leann’s let us have the first dibs:

•spicy pork - if you love spicy meat then you are in for a treat for this. but better watch while it cooks since it might get too tough to eat.
•bulgogi beef - if you want something a little sweet, then this is for you! you would love this sudden change in flavor from the other meats.
•spicy woosamgyup - love it spicy so i would order this again any time.

i just wish they would serve a little more side dish variations or maybe that is just me :) but who doesn’t love

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(a)mbience
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their signage is not that noticeable outside so maybe this is onegoodimprovement point and make it more evident that this is indeed a korean grill resto but for sure we do love their tea.
the space at the 1st floor is not that inviting and but i love the intimate space at the 2nd floor which feels and looks more like a korean grill resto. they have strong vents that suck out the smell and the smoke. when you get the charcoal grill, you can feel the heat by your feet area so i hope they do something about it.

(b)utler service
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the staff are friendly and are very attentive to all our needs.

ian tapang manang bidang date for two audrey s see

excellent korean buffet for the price. there are many korean restos in the area, but what sets this apart is the cut of their pork which is thicker than most.goodefficient service.

finally, agoodkorean restaurant at tomas morato.

we've been scourging korean restaurants for quite some time now. our favorite areas: ortigas and makati. little did we know tomas morato has something to offer. we've tried some before but they're all just average or plainly notgoodenough. also, don't get confused. leann's tea house is not like david's tea house or le ching tea house as it offers korean food instead of chinese food.

the restaurant is a two-story establishment. first floor is perfect for those who are ordering a la carte dishes and would not want to smell. the second floor is a much bigger space and is full of grilling customers.

their second level is fully equipped with charcoal grill and vents per table. so all set for an unlimited grilling sesh!
unlimited samgyeopsal and woosamgyeop (p449 per person) – who doesn't love unlimited kor bbq? leann's tea house served 5 kinds of meats, pork and beef in different variants. we had spicy dwaeji galbi, beef bulgogi, spicy woosamgyeop, samgyeopsal and woosamgyeop.

they have limited choices for the ban chan, which was a downside for us. we love kor restos with lots of side dishes. hope they can add more in the near future.

the perfect drink to help digest all these meats was their tea. we love it! it was a bittersweet barley. also helpful in the cleansing our palate. other a la carte foods we've had were:

hameul pajeon (p300) – this humongous seafood pancake was the start of the night. it was loaded with lots of veggies and seafood meats, all combined together in this very filling pancake.

bibimbap (p210) – the classic korean favorite, this bibimbap didn't disappoint. plus, it's affordable and the serving was huge.

cheese buldak (p360) – spicy chicken with cheese, our personal favorite! we love how they blended in cheese and chili into a one tasty treat.
value for money: price can be a bit steep compared to other korean restos but considering there's a lot of choices of the meats, it's quite reasonable.
#datefortwo at leann's tea house

treated my family there last march because i was encouraged by the great reviews here in zomato. i ordered all their best-sellers to make sure that we get the best dining experience there. well, our not-so-good experience started with difficult parking. they have like 2 slots, and the nearest is across the street and is inclined 45degress i think. so imagine.

place looks dirty, a bit hot, and the floor is slippery. we were led to a table below the tv. i requested the staff to turn it off since it's noisy and we aren't watching anyway. they refused because the family on the other table was watching and requested actually to turn it on. at the back of my head, i wanted to offer that we exchange tables, but decided that we transfer to another table outside the more "premium" spot. i said less premium because it's beside a tintless window so it could get a bit hot there.

now on the food, hmmm... they're ok. and by ok i meant it tastesgoodbut not worth all the trouble we've gone through that morning. it's not remarkable either. even the infamous cheesy chicken. forgot what it's called.

i shared this review to balance the ratings given to this resto. i want to be fair to others who get encouraged by a place's high ratings, bring family and friends to share the experience, only to be disappointed in the end.

this is an example of a place, which you won’t notice until you know you’re looking for it. we’ve been through the same road a couple of times (even tried the old korean restaurant beside the korean mart - it has been replaced now) but the first time i actually noticed leann’s was when we first dined in. i’d say it’s kinda mysterious but really, it just closes around 10-11pm that’s why i don’t get to see it that much. 👀 

it has a narrow space with at least 2-3 parking spaces. three floors up with second floor being the main dining area (and where the toilets are). i’m not sure if it’s a normal sight but the tables need a bit more cleaning especially there were still drops of sauces around the griller. also, the place could use a “fly trap” - the bangaw gets really annoying especially when the food arrives. 

nonetheless, we’ve found a fewgoodchoices for starter, which i will keep coming back for more! and what makes leann’s more appealing on our usual sunday schedule? well aside from better food choices, there’s a laundromat just beside the building! waiting for the laundry has just become more fun with a choice of meat-all-you-can, yay!

so about the food, refreshers first!

1. catalina sunrise - even though i asked the waiter to describe to us what this drink is, the name still got me. it is your usual mango shake but w/ strawberry syrup. it looks new, great for photos but it’s taste is not as “new” as the red ginseng frozen tea.

2. red ginseng frozen tea - what i meant with “new” in terms of taste is something we don’t usually find in any restaurant. prior to this, i’ve already tasted a korean ginseng - the ones you can sip through a sachet - and it taste like soil. this frozen tea still has that strong taste albeit sweeter and colder, which i think, made it taste better.

on to the main course! for our first time, we tried most of the recommended choices, and here’s what we can say about them:

3. kimcheese rice - if there isn’t a hype yet, then i’ll help fuel the hype! i love how the melted cheese tones down the spiciness of the usual kimchi fried rice. this, especially, is spicier than the usual but the cheese made it bearable to dig more into it! what’s more is that it can serve up to 3 persons!👌 aside from our pending meat-all-you-can, i am coming back for this! 😋

4. jjajangmyeon - hmm... i honestly don’t remember much about this but well, it looked more legit than the packaged ones you can buy at a grocery. thicker noodles, moreover, there are real ingredients in its sauce!
 
5. cheese buldak - it honestly didn’t meet the hype i was expecting. but it’s cheesy, and it has rice cakes! the content gets harder to identify when the melted cheese cools down. it probably would go better with choices that aren’t too much red and spicy - unfortunately, we’ve had more than enough serving of that on our table.😅

6. meltique - really tasty for thick slices of beef! and when i say tasty, that means no-to-lesser need for dips or sauces. it’s worth the recognition and recommendation! best when it’s hot so don’t let it get cold on its plate because it gets greasy with it’s natural fat!

this visit was worth the extra time we allotted to come early for our reservation! although we really didn’t need one since there weren’t much people at that time yet.

after sometime i was finally able to go back here. im glad they opened for dining during gcq, i leave a few blocks away from the place so i decided to give it another try. due to gcq they have reservation protocols. i find their reservation system efficient and responsive. july 25 10:30 am was out slot.

we were 2 pax and the 1st dine in customers for that day. we were greeted cheerfully and accomodated after a few minutes of waiting in their receiving area. we had to write on their logbook as another sop during gcq period. i wish we dont have to personally write on the logbook though, im thinking a lot of peapole will have to to touch the pen and logbook and it may be risky.

we ordered the same 499 unli pork and beef. the staff assigned to us was very attentive and courteous. all dishes were complete and refills were done in a timely manner. the food of course were delicious. loved their lettuce salad and dressing. we didnt touch the lettuce and just consumed the salad with continous refill. overall experience was great. the only issue i had was their grill /stove’s heat
cannot be lowered- it was just on or off, making it really inconvenient if you want to rest on cooking a bit.

im curious about their meltique beef- i’ll try that out next time.

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availed of their 499 unli pork and beef. the taste and quality of meat is just the same as other samgeup place within the area. true that their beef cut is thicker - i didnt like it because it gets tough to chew when cooked well done. i have no complains on their service crews- they are all polite, all smiles and very accomodating. what i have a problem with was their attentiveness in refilling orders. took us 4 follow ups for them to give our order of 1 bulgogi refill and the soup that should have been served first along with the side dishes. literally we have no meat on our table and grill for agoodamount of time and they were just passing by. the table beside us just ordered once after our 3rd followup and yet they were given refills first- we ordered the same meat. we also had to followup 3 times for our bill.

when i first heard about leann's teahouse, i expected it to be one of the many other chinese restaurants in quezon city. but big surprise— they actually serve korean food. and not just korean barbecue, mind you. they've even got classics like bibimbap, kimbap and japchae, just to name a few.

unlike most instagrammable restaurants, leann's teahouse features a simple, no-frills interior much like the cozy ones back in korea. but while their humble appearance may not be a stunner, they make up for it in leaps and bounds with their accommodating staff, hands-on owner and most importantly— the food.

one of the rare few to usegoodquality meats, leann's teahouse proudly offers meltique— australian marbled beef that's tender when cooked right. other than that, they have classics like the samgyeopsal pork belly and woosamgyeop beef belly, which are sliced thicker than other cheaper bbq joints.

side dishes may be few, but they've got the basics— peanuts, mung beans (touge), and kimchi (which really had that spicy-sour kick that i miss from the authentic stuff back in korea). and what i do love about leann's is that they offer cheese— actual gooey, salty cheese— and corn to go with those grilled meats.

ala carte dishes that caught my fancy include their spicy dak gui— pieces of chicken swimming in a bright red, sweet and spicy sauce, topped with cheese. their hameul pajeon, or seafood pancake, is a crispy one filled with tons of squid and aromatic spring onions quite different from the usual egg-tasting variants. and it tastes even better with their tangy dipping sauce. girl's gotta stock up on non-beef options in a restaurant that prides itself on beef after all. 😂

their meltique beef is so good. all side dishes aregoodesp. their cheese, corn, kimchi. and their staff are very attentive. cant wait to go back. 👌🏻💯

the outside look is like a chinese resto, but it is a korean bbq place. the meat is ofgoodquality. the place is small, and they give outgoodservice. they use charcoal to cook the meat.

goos food andgoodservice every time i visit leann’s. i love the cut of the meat, the cheese isgoodtoo. the sauces are amazing, especially the samjang which is just the right combination of spicy and sweet.