Ginzadon in Maxims Hotel, Resorts World Manila
Slightly tucked within Newport Mall of Resorts World Manila, Ginzadon offers players and mall-goers premium Japanese cuisine to satisfy your cravings. It houses best-sellers such as the Dragon Roll and more. Also, with its den-like feel, diners are given this private and intimate dining experience.
I already blogged about the same restaurant 2 years, which you may read here, but I'm decided to make another write up due to a highly contrasting experience during this third visit.
Ginzadon's ambiance is one of the restaurant's captivating feature. It allows you to bask in peace as you enjoy a handful of Japanese dishes (and apparently some Korean dishes as well). Lighting is a bit dim here as well which gives a mysterious yet intimate feel to it.
Ginzadon has a well-crafted menu, with sufficient selection in various categories. They have rolls, sashimi, salads, donburi, steaks and other Japanese specialties. However, as expected from a hotel restaurant, prices are generally steep. The best-selling rolls are even at P1,000+ range. Hence, it may be wise if you can use coupons or other discount cards to ease up the price.
For this particular visit, we ordered California Maki, Okonomiyaki and 3 Japanese rice bowls.
The Okonomiyaki (P580) was a huge downer as it came bland. The vegetable and seafood were to sparse to have impact on the taste which ultimately made this dish underwhelming. For something that is priced at almost P600, this just didn't gave much value. In fact, it just made me crave more for Dohtonbori's version (read more).
The Katsudon (P670) was classic and wonderfully bowled. While it had an authentic taste to it, the meat may have lacked further tenderness that could have made all the flavors blend more seamlessly. In my opinion, given the premium, I was expecting the katsu to somehow exhibit a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
This Tori Don (P420) had this smokey teriyaki taste that gave this dish an interesting push and pull from the tangy-sweet flavors. However, it may become overly simplistic.
This Yakiniku Don (P550), although not the most visually appealing among the 3 rice bowls we ordered, was the one I personally liked. Again, tenderness may still be improved to give more comfort in every bite, but the richness and authenticity in the sauce is what made me really enjoy the bowl.
This is the third time I dined here in Ginzadon, and this perhaps was the most lackluster among them. We happened to have less budget on this visit, and so we just went for the bowls. Whereas, in my previous 2 visit, we had the Dragon Rolls and other specialty dishes, most of which are priced at more than P1,000. I just didn't expect that there would be a stark difference as to the experience.
Ginzadon - Overall Ratings and Summary
Note: The ratings reflect my collective personal experiences on the times I dine here.
| Ambiance: | ★★★★ |
| Taste: | ★★★ |
| Service: | ★★★★★ |
| Price/Value: | ★★★ |
| Budget: | approx. P600 each for a sharing-type of dining experience of at least four (4) people, but if you want an excellent experience, prepare to spend at least P1,000 each |
Ginzadon's den-like ambiance gives it this mysterious feel that adds a layer of "intimacy" to the dining experience. Pair this up with hands-on service and you'll feel almost like royalty. These are the two primary perks of dining here in Ginzadon. Dishes range from "so-so" to great, and unfortunately the better-tasting ones are those that are priced more than P1,000. Hence, I have lukewarm feelings towards Ginzadon. However, if you happen to have excess budget to spare, you should give it a try.
Ginzadon
Location: Maxims Hotel, Resorts World Manila, Newport Blvd., Pasay
Service Charge: 10% before VAT
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