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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Sultan Mediterranean Grill

One of the joys of working at the center of Makati is the luxury of trying a whole range of restaurants that are walking distance from the office.  The joy multiplies when you discover good authentic food at reasonable prices.

 

Last Thursday, my colleagues and I were invited to try Sultan Mediterranean Grill in Salcedo Village.  The restaurant is located at the back of the Valero Plaza where the building's main entrance was along Valero St.  We went in and did a little maze along the corridors until we found Sultan. Even though the restaurant was a little hard to find, the place was very very full when we got there. It's essentially a hole in a wall, a jem of a place in Makati.

Now for the food. We started with the a Salad and Falafel before diving into the main event. I will let the pictures do the talking.

Tropical Dream Salad, P250
House Lettuce mix, mango, cherry tomatoes, apple, pineapple, walnuts.
Served with calamansi soydressing and grilled salmon

Falafel, P250 (photo by ManilaMommy)
Deep fried patty made of chickpeas, with lots of spices.
Served with pita on a bed of hummus bi tahini and veggies

This is how you I eat a Falafel. Spread the hummus on the pita and wrap the Falafel. Yum!

I honestly cannot remember what this rice is called. A bowl costs around P80 - P100

Kebab Platter, P580
Choice of any 4 sticks of kebab or koobideh, served with grilled tomato.



Braised Lamb Shanks, P550
Juicy lamb shanks stewed and braised with spices. Served with buttered rice.

Moussaka, P220
A uniquely Greek traditional dish of layered minced beef, eggplant and cheeses, baked like Italian Lasagna

They will soon be launching this! Ribs with cranberry and orange sauce.

Sultan Grill is definitely a must-try if you love Mediterranean food. The servings are pretty big so it's good for sharing.  My personal favorites are the Tropical Dream salad, Falafel and the Moussaka.  But my colleagues swear by the Braised Lamb Shanks and Chicken Tandoori (P240) which I failed to take a photo of.  That said, every dish that we have tried was a winner. They also serve pasta and burgers if you are not into the strong taste of Mediterranean food.

With Ms Remy Baxa, the restaurant manager at Sultan Grill, and Neva of ManilaMommy

The happy eaters

Sultan Mediterranean Grill is open everyday from 11am to 10pm  and is located at the Ground Floor of the Valero Plaza, San Agustin Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City.  You may either enter through the main entrance of the Valero Plaza building along Valero Street or through the restaurant's entrance along San Agustin Street.

For dining inquiries and reservations, please call +632 894 5909 or +63917 8919123 and look for Ms Remy Baxa. You may also send an email to sultangrillph@gmail.com

Facebook account: 

https://www.facebook.com/sultangrillph

 

Website:

http://sultanph.com

 

Instagram:

@sultangrillph

 




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Fun Lunch at Gengki Sushi, BGC

Last Tuesday, my sister Tammy and I decided to celebrate her birthday with a lunch date in the newly opened Gengki Sushi in BGC. We have actually eaten at a Gengki Sushi branch in Hawaii earlier this year and was not particularly impressed.  But the rave reviews of the BGC branch were hard to ignore so we decided to give it a try.

 

The moment we walked in, we already knew the experience was going to be far from the branch in Hawaii. The place looked very vibrant with its white and red interior. The branch in Hawaii is probably the older Gengki Sushi set up with the sushi conveyor going around.

Each table is set up with its own menu tablet where you can place your order, plus a faucet for your matcha green tea refills.

Ordering is done by selecting the items listed under the different tabs on the tablet. You may place three orders at a time which will be reflected on the bullet train icon found at the bottom right hand side of the screen. Click on the red ORDER button to place your order and wait for a few minutes for the bullet train to deliver your food.

Food is delivered quite fast. Good service, bullet train!

Shrimp Kakiage for the birthday girl!

What I also love about the place is the bottomless matcha green tea. You get the matcha powder and have a hot water faucet for unlimited refill. I must say the matcha green tea is sooo good!

Here is a portion of our fun Japanese lunch. I was not able to take a photo but the tablet can also show you your running bill. A great way to avoid surprises upon billing out. Note though that there is a 10% add-on fee for service charge that is not indicated on the running bill review.

The food is good though nothing really exceptional taste-wise. I will definitely be back for the experience though. The kids don't eat sushi but they would love to see the train delivering the food. They have rice toppings and tempura anyway which are perfect options for the children. Try it out and tell me what you think.

Gengki Sushi is located at the 2nd level of the newly opened dining hub, Bonifacio Stopover, at the corner of Rizal Drive and 31st street in BGC.
 

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Shop With Your Kids at EchoStore, Eton Centris

Have you made your New Year's resolution for 2014? Let me guess. There is probably one item there that is health-related. Whether the goal is to lose 10 lbs, start eating healthily, or enroll in a gym - it all boils down to one thing. People these days are all aiming for a healthier lifestyle.

7 New Years' ago, i made the same resolution. I decided to live heathily inside and out. It's not just getting fit and losing that belly fat, although that's a wonderful bonus, it's also making sure that our family is eating and using the right products. Though i must admit that it has been tough to go all natural and all organic 100% of the time, i am happy that these products are now becoming more and more accessible to the Filipinos nationwide.

When my good friends, Christopher and Sharon Chua, opened an EchoStore branch in Eton Centris, i was determined to visit. I am familiar with EchoStore and was excited to shop for my family.

EchoStore sells Filipino-made products that supports a sustainable lifestyle. They have everything from food to personal/beauty and household products. The Eton Centris branch was made extra special because it's not only a store but also a restaurant (EchoCafe) that promotes healthy but delicious eating.

On top of that, the store has a little play area where the kids can safely read books and play toys while their moms do their grocery shopping and the dads enjoy an afternoon coffee in the cafe. Now isn't that so ideal for all of us parents? Also a great place to meet up with friends for coffee even when you don't have a yaya.

 Here are some of the products that caught my attention while shopping at the EchoStore.

Beansprouts tumblers and ecosacks!

Super delicious Malunggay corn snacks. Malunggay is known to increase breastmilk supply.  Hoard now breastfeeding moms!

Soya Chips in yummy Sour Cream. A great alternative to snacking.

Granola - taste so good with your favorite cereal + non-fat milk. My favorite daily breakfast.

Leyende products

Human Nature products

Can you say healthy ice cream?



Whole Wheat Pancake Mix for your kids! They won't even notice the healthy switch.

GIGA products (side note: i especially love their Eucalyptus Body Spray that i use as a room scent and insect repellant)

Zenutrients products

I bought a few more products during our visit that i was not able to take pictures of like the Island Basics Lavender & Tea Tree Make Up Remover (works like eye magic for stubborn liquid eyeliners!) and a host of various insect repellants that i know are Deet-free and safe for my kids.

Eton Centris is pretty far from where i live but i know i'll find myself back there one of these days. To all of you living in Quezon City, what are you waiting for? Start the year right and jumpstart your family to a healthier lifestyle! Your journey to good health starts today.

ECHOstore Centris Walk ETON Mall, EDSA corner Quezon Avenue, Quezon City
Tel: (632)709.7800

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