A new restaurant specializing in samgyupsal opened in Tagbilaran called Sura Samgyupsal House.
The restaurant is adjacent to the House of Lechon in Barangay Dao near the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).
Chandymar Batoy revealed the facets of the new restaurant in a phone interview over DYTR’s Open Forum, hosted by Ardy Araneta-Batoy.
He said the brand name Sura means something like a kingly or royal meal in Korean.
He said the restaurant wants to project an image that it will be serving dishes fit for a king or royalty and provide service and dining options worthy of any monarch.
Chandymar said that since kings often eat with a myriad of dishes, the restaurant also offers plenty of options on its menu.
Samgyupsal is a popular Korean dish of grilled pork belly, known as samgyeopsal-gui or “three-layer meat.” It is a social dining experience where thin slices of pork belly are grilled at the table, then wrapped in lettuce or other leaves with various accompaniments like kimchi, ssamjang (a spicy dipping sauce) and garlic.
He said the whole concept of the restaurant revolves around the samgyupsal dining experience.
The restaurant offers pork and beef to be grilled at the restaurant, and at Sura the side dishes are delivered buffet-style, he said.
The side dishes include lechon soup, lechon fried rice and more, which are unlimited, Chandymar said.
He said the buffet is the whole idea behind the concept and not just a one-time deal.
Sura launched on Dec. 3, 2025, and Korean food lovers are treated to meals that are fit for royalty.
Customers can choose from available packages, where ice cream and drinks are unlimited, he added.
The place is cozy with plenty of air conditioning to provide comfort for customers, and the area has ample number of tables.
There is a function room under the WE Restaurant Complex that can also be used by guests from the House of Lechon, good for 60 people. This is called the Elizabeth Function Room.
The restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with the last order taken at 9:30 p.m.
There was a ribbon-cutting ceremony on launch day with the customary blessing, and then after the short program came the dining of invited guests and restaurant officials.
After that, some customers came in and tried the offerings of the restaurant, he said, adding the packages start at P499 pesos.
The restaurant and other businesses are under WE Restaurant OPC, part of the WE Group of Companies, including companies handling McDonald’s in Clarin and Ubay, and also KEW Hotel, CPG Petron gas station, among others. All these are owned by Dr. & Mrs. Wilson Du and family.
He said the business group is building a 10-story hotel in Panglao, which will be called KEW Hotel Panglao and will feature 120 rooms.