Love at First Bite: Kiwa Korean Grill Dining

It was a crazy week full of eating with R's family. We went to several fancy restaurants and one of which is this Korean restaurant in Solaire Resort & Casino. I have never been to Solaire but I recall making a pitch for the high end establishment when I was still with the publishing business so I know that this pale is pretty grand.

Hello, Kiwa Korean Grill Dining!

This posh Korean restaurant is located in what seems to be a new section of Solaire as R could not remember this area before.

It opened just a few months ago and it has gained quite a following for those who are very particular with food. The place is beautiful and those who sit near the windows could enjoy the wonderful sunset view. (We reserved a private room though so we just took snapshots of the sunset before placing our orders.)

The menu of Kiwa is very limited. There are only five courses to choose from which comes with sashimi and appetizer assortment, Korean pancakes, Stir-fried Glass Noodles (Chapchae), Spicy Tofu Soup and Dessert. You also have to order in pairs if you plan to get this.

We decided to go with Saenggalbi but Rib Eye version (PHP3,200), Bulgogi (PHP2,800), Grilled Samgyupsal (PHP2,000) and Yangnyumgalbi (PHP3,000).

While waiting for the meats, the side dishes were served.

The sashimi assortment looked amazing and mouthwatering.

I first had a taste of the salmon cut and it was not as soft as I wanted. R told me that the reason why the texture was like that was because it was not sashimi but smoked salmon. No wonder.

The other seafood cuts were great! Tuna was lovely and the squid cuts had a nice chewy texture. I loved it!

Chapchae was pretty good too as it was not overly oily yet flavorful.

The Korean pancakes are your typical pancakes. If you are trying to watch your weight or save tummy space, you might want to skip this one.

But you have to get a bite of the Korean Pear Kimchi and Pumpkin Salad. Those two dishes were heavenly.

The slight crunch of the pear and faint taste of kimchi was such a great appetizer to whet the appetite. I really loved this dish!

The pumpkin salad had a nice mushy texture which was balanced with the crunch from watermelon bits on the base. It was savory yet refreshing. I fell in love with the sweetness of the pumpkin they used. Get a bit of shredded carrots for additional bite.

The salmon salad was great too but I was hoping there were more salmon cuts. I think they just included around six salmon roses in the salad. Nonetheless, the greens used were undeniably fresh!

While enjoying the side dishes, Korean pickled radish and some greens were served. These are for the meat dishes.

And finally, the main dishes arrived. All four courses were prepared in front of us.

The rib eye was the first one grilled and it was spectacular.

The meat was indeed premium beef. It was succulent and tender. Seasoned with a few spices, we got to enjoy the natural taste of the meat. It went so well with the pink salt, garlic slices and red pepper too!

The samgyupsal, which was rated as one of the best samgyupsal in Manila, was delectable! It was also juicy and tender. It was far from the ones I have tried before. It was so good that it can be enjoyed as is. Though of course, taste could be enhanced with a bit of garlic and red pepper.

I went crazy with the bulgogi! It was the type of bulgogi I love! The thinly sliced beef were so tender and the broth was not overwhelmingly sweet. The glass noodles were perfectly cooked and it was cut just right. (I am drooling and palpitating with excitement just thinking about it.)

The marinated short ribs was one of the favorites that night. It was also succulent as the other dishes but the marinade made us flip and our taste buds experience Octoberfest happiness.

We quickly ordered another order of this and rib eye (as we need to order two at a time).

After almost two hours of eating, we ended the wonderful meal with a cup of plum tea. It was sweet with a tinge of sourness. I liked it. (And I heard that it is good for digestion, especially since we ate a lot of meat.)

It was a great dinner and I would love to go back for more!

Kiwa is located at Solaire Resort & Casino, 1 Aseana Avenue, Parañaque City.

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