Kiwa Korean Grill Dining

Last week, I had the privilege of being invited to try Kiwa Korean Grill Dining in Solaire.  Kiwa claims to be the only Korean fine dining barbecue restaurant in South East Asia so it's definitely worth visiting.

 

The word "Kiwa" refers to a roof tile that is used in traditional Korean homes.  The owners wanted the restaurant to be a place for shelter, comfort and relaxation. And I must say, the beautiful interiors will certainly give you that relaxing vibe.  Kiwa is owned by Dr. David Shim, CEO of Solaire Korea and his associates.

Entrance to Kiwa

These Korean bears are probably as big as Dawn. They welcome guests at the foyer.

The hallway leading to the main dining area. Behind these walls are private dining rooms.

Kiwa has 8 private dining rooms that can accommodate anywhere from 8 to 48 persons.

This photo taken from my iPhone surely does not justify the beauty of the place. I promise you, it's amazing!

Our table with the beautiful bay view

Kiwa promises fresh ingredients. They only use the best available grade A+ Wagyu beef from Japan and those that are USDA.  They follow strict 5-star hotel sanitation regulations which is a great comfort when you're eating in a restaurant that serves raw food. The quality of the meals and the top-notch service easily justify the average cost per person starting from P800 for rice sets, P1,500 for lunch sets and P3,000 for the full course menu. I must say though that the servings are quite generous. I was already pretty full with the appetizers alone.

 

So now, I present to you some photos of our fabulous meal.

Haemui Pajeon
Platter of scallop sashimi, steamed shrimp, salmon sashimi, steamed octopus and marinated tomato

Tomato-Yangsangchu Salad
Seasoned seafood in a whole tomato salad

My favorite appetizer! The Pumpkin Salad. Mashed pumpkin with assorted nuts. I will surely be back for this.

Baebaek Kimchi 

Rolled white kimchi inside a whole pear. The server cuts the pear up in front of you as soon as they serve it. How beautiful is that?

Haemui Pajeon
Pancake mixed with seafood, spring onion and assorted vegetable with spicy soy sauce and sesame oil on the side

Japchae

And now the main course! They serve the pork first followed by the beef. I am not a meat person so it's worth mentioning that I had double servings of the beef! It melts in your mouth and I love how they marinated it very well. Wrapping it in various vegetable leaves, true to Korean barbecue style, makes the dish quite healthy (or maybe I'm just trying to convince myself!)

Seasoned Pork Belly

Yang Neyom Gal BI
Grilled marinated beef with Kiwa's special sauce

 

Another thing that sets Kiwa apart from the many Korean barbecue places in Manila is that it's smoke-free! You read that right - smoke-free! The grillers practically inhale all the smoke so they do not stick to your clothes. You can head back to the office without smelling like your lunch.

Check out this video I took while we were grilling the beef. Notice the smoke is going to the sides and does not go up.

Finally, the dessert! If you like red beans, you will love this. It's like Halo Halo but mostly red beans. I love love love it!

Kiwa is having their grand opening on January 28 and will be serving more items on the menu and will be adding lunch sets in the P500 to P700 range. It's a great place for dates (go during sunset!), business meetings, and with the family. The kids will enjoy watching the meat get cooked in front of them.

Thank you, Mish, for inviting us. It was wonderful dining experience. I will be back very soon.

kaye, cai, Jackie, neva, tin, me, michelle

 

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Kiddie Essentials for Your Winter Holiday

We just came back from the fun and freezing Korean weather!  It was a wonderful vacation amidst the negative 16 celcius temperature.

A lot of people have been concerned for our family since we brought our two kids (4 years old and 1 year old) with us. If you know me well, you will understand that there is no way I am leaving my kids behind on a vacation. The only time I get to travel without them is during my business trips. Not exactly the most ideal scenario, i know. But until i learn to be better at parental detachment, they will just need to come along whether i am flying to a dessert or blizzard.

So anyway, here are a few travelling essentials for your kiddos when you plan to go on your own winter wonderland vacation.

1. Layering

TOP

1st Layer - Thermals
2nd Layer - Long-sleeves shirt
3rd Layer - Fleece Jacket
4th Layer - Bubble/Winter Jacket

BOTTOM

My 2 kids have varying tolerance for cold. My son takes after his father who loooves the cold weather while my daughter is just like me who easily gets cold. So for her, i added another layer of tights before her pants to ensure her legs don't get too cold. On colder days, i even added leg warmers.

1st Layer - Thermals

2nd Layer - Jeans

2. Windburn

First, you have to try your best to avoid windburn by moisturizing and covering your face as much as you can. This is especially difficult if youre kids are like mine who refuse to wear face masks. I moisturize their faces daily but after 2 days of cold weather, their cheeks were all dry and painful.

Skin that thas been [wind] burned sting when you put sunblock or moisturizers! One that worked truly well for us was Mustela's Stelatria. Unlike the other moisturizers that i've tried, my kids did not cry or complain from the pain whenever i applied Stelatria on their cheeks. I tried them on myself and can confirm that it's pain-free! This proves that Mustela is truly very ideal for sensitive skin and is free of harsh chemicals.

3. Dry Lips

For the kids' lips, i only used VMV's Boo Boo Balm. It proved effective and they didn't have chapped lips all throughout the trip!

vmvhypoallergenics.com

4. Gloves

For days when you know you will encounter snow, you need to use water-proof gloves. Those knitted gloves will only be good when your kids do not wish to touch snow. My kids cannot avoid playing with snow so these are true essentials!

http://shop.hellyhansen.com

5. Bonnet

Choose one that covers the ears. Makes all the difference, believe me.

Hope the above suggestions will help you in planning your own winter vacation. Preparation is key. If you go prepared then you can still enjoy amidst the freezing weather. Have fun!

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