Dining on steak and seafood

fish steak for lunch

THE search for the ultimate yet affordable steak and seafood on Saipan ends at Coco Restaurant, located right in the heart of Garapan.
The Coco Restaurant prides itself on being the only one on island which has a grill right inside the restaurant, and you can’t help but give in to the mouth-watering anticipation seeing the steak, fish or seafood you ordered being charcoal-grilled, juices dripping and cooked to perfection to however you want it ­— either medium rare, done, or well done.

From the outside, Coco Restaurant evokes a homey ambiance that promises a place to dine and melt away your stress at the same time.

medium rare steak

Lunch or dinner starts with a trip to the salad bar which boasts of a wide selection of fresh vegetables, sauces and dressings. At the salad bar, the “eat-all-you-can” rule holds.

As soon as your steak or seafood order is served, you can start digging into it and glory in each bite. The steak is heavenly, and so is the Mahi-Mahi grilled fish.

waiting for their turn at the grill

The last juicy bite of your steak or seafood is not the end of your meal. Cap your lunch or dinner with a cup of coffee or a scoop of ice cream for dessert.

Regular items on the lunch menu include New York steak, tenderloin steak, hamburger steak, local fish, seafood and teppanyaki, steak and lobster, and eat-all-you-can assortment from the salad bar, all ranging from $10 to $15.

dessert--a scoop of ube ice cream

Anniversary promo

For the first time, Coco Restaurant celebrates its anniversary and will treat its clients to huge discounts.

Steak and Seafood Coco Restaurant vice president Takayuki Hirosawa said that starting today (Oct.5) until Dec. 15, which is the restaurant’s 12th anniversary, Coco Restaurant offers a 50 percent discount, or $20 off on its New York Steak and mixed seafood Teppanyaki for dinner special. The orders include salad bar (unlimited), soup, and refillable rice or bread.

The 15-oz. steak is more than enough to fill a hungry stomach, and with sea foods shipped in from Japan, you will get your money’s worth, and more. They also offer a 50 percent discount on selected beers.

The Coco Restaurant can accommodate 100 persons and has three VIP rooms which seats 30, 12 and six people.

For reservations or more information, please call 670-233-2626, 234-3777, email info@cocosaipan.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.cocosaipan.com.

This article was originally published HERE

p.s.

Visiting this restaurant on a hungry stomach is enough to make you crazy, what with the charcoal grill resembling a firestone permeating delicious smells as the juices of the steak and seafood dribbles and sizzles onto the charcoal. I ordered the fish steak lunch special- grilled mahi-mahi with baked potato and rice. My companions Jeanette, Arnold and Andrew all went for the steak. I got a taste of Andrew's well-done steak just the same by bartering a slice of my mahi-mahi. Very satisfying lunch indeed, if only we had all the time in the world to linger over coffee but then it was 2 p.m. and lunchtime was finished. oh maybe, next time!

A taste of Korea at the Hyatt Regency

DINERS who crave for Korean cuisine are in for ten days of a mouth-watering feast as Hyatt Regency Saipan celebrates the Chuseok festival at its Kili Café & Terrace.

To give its diners a taste of authentic Korean cuisine and bring the spirit of “Chuseok”, a Korean thanksgiving celebration here, Hyatt Regency has brought in two chefs from the Hyatt Regency Incheon.

“From Oct. 1 to 10, diners at the Kili Café & Terrace will be treated to a wide selection of authentic Korean buffet prepared by two chefs from Korea,” Hyatt Regency Saipan’s executive chef Gabrielle Colombo said.

Kyoung-Yoon Jeong and Kim Tae Hoon arrived on Saipan on Tuesday and will be staying until Oct. 11.

The two chefs said that the diners can expect a variation of Korean dishes every night.

Colombo said that Hyatt Regency Saipan’s restaurants host various festivals throughout the year, but it has been some years since they brought in chefs from other countries.

“This time, we would like to bring Korea here to make our diners enjoy the true taste of Korean cuisine,” Colombo said.

Joong brings with him six years of experience at the Hyatt Regency Incheon while Kim has been with the hotel for the last four years.

But the two chefs had been assigned in other Hyatt hotels in Thailand, Philippines and other countries before.

Colombo invites the community not to miss dinner times at the Kili Café & Terrace and indulge into the chef’s creations like a spicy Korean Hot Pot, marinated grilled meats and seafood, and traditional dishes like Bulgogi beef stew and Kimchi pancakes.

He said the dining at the Kili Café for the Chuseok festival is a rare experience that cannot be equaled to dining in a Korean restaurant here.

“It’s an eat-all-you-can, drink-all-you-can feast on Korean dishes that you shouldn’t miss, and the food choices are endless,” Colombo said.

Included in the Chuseok festival dinner buffet is a wide selection of appetizers like assorted organic greens with choices of dressing and condiments, Shitake mushrooms muchin, Bulgogi mixed salad, Korean beef tartare, fresh tofu salad, Japchae, glass noodle salad and various kimchi.

The seafood bar carries reef red sashimi, seared bonito tuna, spicy lime dip, green mussel, snow crab, fresh Pusan oyster, fresh river shrimp, lemon wedges, miso bean dip, mignonette, wasaby cocktail sauce and spring onion sauce. The live cooking station offer diners assorted Korean pancakes with dipping sauce and seafood bibimbam rice.

The hot selection bar carries steamed rice with selected beans, braised chicken with spicy vegetables, Angus beef with rib stew with soy sauce, fried squid with chili sauce, and grilled autumn vegetables with marinated garlic. Top off your meal with tempting delights from the dessert bar—a selection of traditional Korean sweets and desserts.

The Chuseok dinner buffet at the Kili Café is open from 6 to 10 p.m. from Oct. 1 to 10 for $35 per person. For reservations and more information, call 234-1234 extension 26.

This article was first published at the Marianas Variety Oct. 2,2009 issue.