Mandu master
MILLIE: Karla and I are both fond of dumplings. Every time we dine oriental, it’s a major consideration. We’d even go far and wide or to out-of-the-way places just to have a good bite. But it’s really Karla who is the dumpling monster, loving all shapes and kinds, from xiao long bao to gyoza. One of our favorites is the mandu, a Korean gyoza, which we chanced upon at Ginzadon at Resorts World Manila. It’s funny how it has become top of mind whenever Karla wants to eat comfort food and the waiters have even jokingly started to call her Miss Mandu. They already know what she will order as soon as she walks into the restaurant. Sometimes, when we are in the area and it’s almost dinnertime, she calls first to ask if mandu is available. It seems to be a very popular dish as Ginzadon easily runs out. We also found out that there is only one chef who makes it and when he has his day off, mandu is not available. Once, we were on our way to Tagaytay for the weekend and she decided to make a quick stop for her favorite dumpling. We were lucky to find that chef Manny dela Cruz, the mandu master, was on duty that day!
KARLA: When looking at menus, the difference between us is that mom tends to browse, while I read everything. After I order something interesting, she often asks me where I found that particular item. And so when I first ordered mandu, she looked at me puzzled, not knowing what it was. Mandu is a Korean dumpling with Japanese fusion. The original mandu actually has potato noodles with a thicker wrapper, according to chef Manny. Ginzadon’s version uses gyoza wrappers for these delectable dumplings.
Chef Manny learned to prepare Japanese food when he lived in Kuwait for eight years. He later on came back home and worked at Crowne Plaza and then Diamond Hotel until he finally settled at Ginzadon, Resorts World Manila. When the time came that I finally got to meet chef Manny, the first thing I asked him was if he could make a batch of dumplings so I could take his picture. He gladly obliged and brought out his whole mandu kit: wrapper, flour and a batch of his newly made filling. The main ingredient of the filling is pork ground with spring onions, fish powder, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and salt and pepper. It is proof that, most times, the best dishes are the simplest ones. Mandu can be ordered either steamed or fried but I always prefer steamed. I can eat a whole order myself and since the dish is only P200, sometimes we order two. On days when I feel like having soup, I order their kim chi jji gae or kim chi Stew and eat the mandu with it and wish I still had my lolo around to share it with.
At first glance of the menu, one might find the items expensive. But some items have big portions, especially the ramens. The California Ura Maki is only P280 for two rolls of sushi. Mom’s favorite, which I have learned to enjoy, is the unagi sushi; however, we do not order it very often since it is quite expensive and is charged per piece.
MILLIE: I, on the other hand, also found a favorite dish at Ginzadon and I crave it at times. The chicken yakitori is, by far, the best I’ve ever tried in Manila. It’s prime chicken fillet, plump and juicy to the bite, marinated just right, not dry or overcooked. I also enjoy the grilled Hamachi jaw, which is lightly seasoned yet so flavorful and always fresh. The LA kal bi gui is also very tasty and fun to eat. We wrap the grilled marinated short-rib beef morsels in lettuce leaves and add the spicy, thick tomato pesto-like sauce. Sometimes, I wrap the chicken yakitori in the lettuce leaves as well.
KARLA: Recently, we were entertaining Nicole Marsens, the daughter of Mom’s friend from Switzerland who is a DJ, here to spin at B-Side club. She apparently loves Japanese food and, for some reason, we went to three Japanese restaurants in Makati and they were all fully booked that night so we took Nicole to dinner at Ginzadon as we had planned to go to Republic and Opus after. She ordered a sushi platter and salmon belly and tuna sashimi, which was so delightfully fresh. She also had the prawn tempura and was surprised to see jumbo-sized prawns, the size of 10 pieces to a kilo!
Ginzadon is open daily for lunch and dinner. Service is excellent and the servers are very attentive. The restaurant is well appointed and very clean, especially the sushi bar and grilling station, which is in full view of dining patrons. It is located at the second floor, Maxims Tower Hotel, Newport Blvd, Domestic Airport, Pasay.
For reservations and inquiries, call 908-8887.
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Send e-mail to milliereyes.foodforthought@gmail.com and karla@swizzlemobilebar.com. Find us on Facebook and read articles you might have missed: Food for Thought by Millie and Karla Reyes.
