Barbecue pop-outs are every which way promising the quickest route to Korea.
But none closer to one that tastes like a connection to essential restaurants in Seoul.
Those in the know mean Kiwa Express when they say “authentic Korean food”: Not fusion, not localized.
The wine-and-dine branch in Solaire has long enshrined Korea’s epicurean dishes in its intimate side of Manila.
And, now, its cult following can go casual at the restaurant’s offshoot at Ayala Malls Manila Bay that live up to why the country’s cuisine is so successful as a cultural export.
The chef recommends the rich and hearty galbitang, the Korean iteration of bulalo, stewed to create a stir in aromatics for unapologetic, delicate broth.
One should not miss the Kimchi Jjigae — a merry stew of, well, kimchi, doenjang jjigae, jap chae and shrimp tempura.
Kiwa Express is at 3F Building. B, Ayala Malls Manila Bay, Macapagal Boulevard., Parañaque.