leann's tea house

there seems to be no ventilation on the place. food took too long to be served. when it came, we we're served with just the meat - no rice, no glasses to drink on, nosidedishes so we waited again for those. the only things that saved it is the delicious food and it's cheap.

i loved their fried chicken and their kimchi.

ambience: modern. no korean teahouse vibe

food: nothing special. same taste as other korean restos.

service: we were a group of 12 but they didnt have the same efficiency as other korean restos in the area. kaunti din yungsidedishes at limited lang unlike sa ibang restos.

general remark: it's ok. better to try others (hwaroro, silla)

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 4sidedish which korean resto gives as a starter. then we ask for a refill of thesidedish 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 givingsidedishes 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. good thing the food is ok, but having good food 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) are good value 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 severalsidedishes 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 with good food.

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 are good for 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 unlimitedsidedishes,
 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 inside good for 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 hassidesalad

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

servings were really generous. everything was good for 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.

so much has changed at leann's since last year, i swear it was like night and day. have they changed owners or chef. where does it say that bulgogue is ala chopsuey, with mounds of soupy vegetables and the toughest beef thissideof creation, galbi was the same tough beef ribs that you could break your pearly whites in no time. the only thing that didn't change was the service, still sucked.....never going back!

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 moresidedish 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 one good improvement 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

good food, nicesidedishes and most importantly excellent service. i love how you feel a certain sense of generosity from the staff and their servings. this is a place that makes you feel they are happy to feed you and that is very rare nowadays.

5/5! service is very great. food as well. maramingsidedishes. better than samgyupsalamat for me. would definitely go back when free. free tea was great as well.

finally, a good korean 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 not good enough. 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 ofsidedishes. 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

i was very disappointed, i have such high expectation considering the high rating in the app. they did not even disclose that they don't have a soup and only have limited kimchi for the day, and we are still obligated to pay the full price. there's only 3sidedishes, and the staff are not attentive.

this is probably one of the best k-bbq places i’ve been to. twice na akong kumain dito and both experiences were 👌💯

pros:
- great quality and quantity of meat. the meltique beef and the bulgogi stood out the most for me. hindi rin tipid ang serving per order.
- sauces made the already tasty meat more delicious. hindi watered down ang ssamjang nila unlike some that i’ve tried.
-sidedishes are also of great quality, hindi na baleng hindi ganun karami, basta masarap. the ones i really liked were the lettuce salad, kimchi, and kimchi fried rice.
- servers were attentive to our requests :)
- they also take reservations to ensure that the place wouldn’t get too crowded.

cons:
- interior - my first time eating there, ang dulas ng sahig sa baba for some reason..
- grill - not really a huge con, but because they use charcoal, medyo mahirap i-control yung heat. had to request grill change a lot of times.
- time limit - not really a huge con for me as well, but they have a 2 hour time limit.

overall, i recommend this if you’re looking for a delightful k-bbq experience. next time i’ll try their other ala carte dishes.

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 thesidedishes. literally we have no meat on our table and grill for a good amount 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.

the samgyupsal experience is 100/100. great quality of meat. however they have limitedsidedishes unlike in other samgyupsal restaurants. staffs are accommodating. definitely worth the price!!