I wrote about our experience in Play at Okada Manila a few days ago, and I know we will be back again some other time. Of course, we had to try out a restaurant before going home. And what caught our eye was the Okada Korean food — Goryeo Korean Dining.
Okada Dancing Fountain
While looking for a place to eat, we heard the announcement talking about the The Okada fountain show time. We decided to show our toddler the water, light, and sound choreographing in as big as 50 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
The Okada fountain show schedule starts from 6 in the evening until 10 from Mondays through Thursdays. However, from Fridays through Sundays, the water show ends at midnight.
To enjoy the Okada fountain show, how long should you wait?
Every show lasts about 5 to 10 minutes with an hour of intervals. So, if you didn’t arrive there at the exact time of the show, you just have to stroll around the area for about 45 minutes, and be back at least 10 to 15 minutes to the fountain area so get the best spots for photo or video recording.
Our two-year-old was in awe upon seeing the water dance along with the lights and sound. He kept moving his head from left to right in amazement. But when it was over, he did not want to watch the second set.
If this is your first time visiting Okada, you might ask “Is Okada fountain show free?”
You don’t have to worry about purchasing Okada fountain tickets because they are absolutely FREE!
Maybe he was unhappy about how water droplets shower when you are watching near the fountain. Because after dining, we tried to check it out again, but he preferred to stroll around.
Goryeo Korean Dining
I hope you don’t get tired of seeing Korean restaurant reviews because we are fans of samgyupsal. We chose to try out Goryeo Korean Dining this time. Again, we almost got lost upon finding that Okada restaurant because the place is quite huge. When we reached the area, we were greeted by two servers.
We checked out their menu to see if the All-you-can-eat KBBQ Feast offer is worth a try. We found that you can enjoy the Okada Manila buffet of pork belly, pork jowl, pork shoulder, and beef short plate for the net price of 1499 PHP.
A serving of steamed egg, salad, and bone broth soup is also included. And you can have repeated orders of plain rice and side dishes. We decided to give it a go as it was already half past 6 in the evening.
Food and price: 4 stars
The Okada Korean buffet starts at 5 in the evening and ends at midnight. Upon entering, we found some of the tables were already occupied. The server guided us to our seats, and we started ordering our meat from the Goryeo Okada menu.
However, to our dismay, the pork jowl was not available. So we ordered the pork belly and beef short plate instead. The servers immediately served the side dishes, two dipping sauces, plain rice, two bowls of soup, and service water.
The meat they served was not fatty, which is to our liking! And it was great that the meat was not tough to eat even though it was lean. The quality of meat is one reason for us to come back again in the future.
They served side dishes such as stir-fried oyster mushroom, kimchi, caramelized sweet potato, stir-fried fish cake, and creamy fruit salad. The stir-fried oyster mushroom had a salty and sweet sauce. You can instantly taste the mushroomy and umami flavor on your first bite.
It was my first time trying a creamy fruit salad made Korean way. Their version included apple cubes, SPAM and cucumber. The dressing they added tasted like a mixture of mayo and sugar. You would surely like it if you love Filipino-style salad.
Their kimchi had the usual spicy and tangy flavor, although it was not that spicy for me. The caramelized sweet potato was nice and sweet. It is great for cleansing the palate especially after you have eaten a lot of meat.
What I liked the most (again!) was their stir-fried fish cake. Without that fishy taste and odor, you can taste a hint of spiciness, but the chef prepared it with just the right flavor. The only cons that I saw were that they serve a small portion of their side dishes, so you have to ask from the servers if you want more.
Service: 4 stars
In the Okada Goryeo menu, it wrote that there’s a free doenjang soup, and it made me really excited!
However, they didn’t serve the bean-paste soup (which I am utterly disappointed about!) but served beef and radish soup instead.
The soup had a peppery taste, which you would not want if you do not like peppers! But the soup tasted great because you could taste beefy flavor with every sip.
I asked one of the servers if they have doenjang (bean paste) soup, but he said I had to order it separately. In my opinion, they have to update their menu to avoid confusing their customers.
The chadeol bokkeumyeon (stir-fried noodles) was not bad. It had some beef slices included and some vegetables, like cabbage, bell pepper, carrots, and onions. It tasted like Japanese yakisoba but with a little bit of spiciness.
The two dipping sauces included were soybean paste and a mildly sweet sauce. The mildly sweet sauce was also the same sauce they used to marinate their meat. Both taste great with the meat, so you can enjoy ssambap (Korean rice lettuce wrap) in any way you like.
Child-Friendly: 5 stars
I am giving the Goryeo Korean Okada Manila restaurant five stars in terms of child-friendliness because, one, they have a clean high chair. And another thing is that they also have a spoon and plate set for kids. It is helpful when restaurants offer special cutleries, plates, and chairs for children, especially since many families eat out together.
For families who bring children out, it’s a plus if a restaurant is very accommodating to kids. It is not easy for our toddler to eat on his own when seated in an adult chair because he cannot reach the table yet.
Having high chairs lessen spillage and a more comfortable dining experience for both parents and children. Besides, children love doing things like adults, so they enjoy eating more when they can move freely on their own.
Ambience: 5 stars
Dining at hotel restaurants gives an ambience unlike any other restaurant. I am not saying that restos at malls do not deserve to get a five-star. But sometimes, being inside a high-rating hotel adds little points to diners.
Even though Goryeo is a Korean BBQ grill restaurant, it is great that the place was not that smoky even if customers grilled at their table. They also have clean floorings (others have a sticky or oily floors) and cool temperatures, so you do not get irritated when eating hot or spicy food.
Goryeo Okada Review Conclusion
Every restaurant has its good side and bad side. However, while we were disappointed quite a bit by some of the unavailable (or unserved) items, I can still say that our experience at Goryeo Korean Dining was not bad.
We might return to dine at the same resto again. However, we also like to try out other cuisines some time soon. If you visit Okada and love Korean BBQ food, you should try out Goryeo because you can get quality meat at a reasonable price.
3 thoughts on “Great Food and Ambience in One? Check out Goryeo Korean Dining”