Ginzadon at Resorts World Manila
(3.5-5)
Ginzadon has the kind of interior that makes you pause for a second when you walk in. High ceilings, warm lighting, and a clean Asian-inspired space that blends Japanese and Korean cues without feeling overdone. It's classy and well put together, and the ambience is honestly one of the strongest parts of the experience.
We started with the California maki, which came out fresh and well-balanced. The chicken yakitori skewers were juicy and surprisingly generous in size. The tonkatsu had a nice twist to it, not the usual flat and predictable breaded pork, and it worked well with the bowl's seasoning. For the Korean side of the menu, we got the bibimbap, which came in a big bowl and had good flavor once mixed.
Food overall was solid. Not life-changing, but everything we ordered was enjoyable and felt consistent with the restaurant's positioning.
Here's the thing, though. The service didn't match the space. There were plenty of staff around, but somehow it was still hard to get anyone's attention. It wasn't even full compared to the restaurants downstairs, which made the slow response even more noticeable. Warm ambience, lukewarm service. That contrast stood out.
Bottom line: Ginzadon is a good pick if you're after a nice setting and reliable Japanese-Korean comfort dishes. The food hits the mark, the space is lovely, but the service needs to catch up. If they fix that, the whole experience would feel much stronger. read more